By
eHow Personal Finance Editor
Difficulty: Moderately Challenging
Things You’ll Need:
- Forms W2 and W3
- Wage and earnings data
- Names, addresses and Social Security numbers for employees
Step1
Use black ink and if possible, 12-point Courier font. Do not make entries that are too small or too large.
Step2
Avoid using dollar signs and commas in boxes where you report dollar amounts. However, you must use decimal points.
Step3
Send all of Copy A to the Social Security Administration, even if one of the two forms on the page is voided or blank. You must send Copy A along with form W3, which summarizes W2 data. Do not staple W2 forms together or to form W3.
Step4
Send or give each employee copies B, C and 2 of the W2 form. This must be done by January 31 of each year. If the employee stopped working for you by the previous December 31 and asks for the W2 form before the end of the year, you must furnish it within 30 days of the request or within 30 days of your final payment of wages, whichever is later.
Step5
Keep copy D for your own records. Copy 1 goes to your state tax department. You should contact your state tax department for specific requirements.
Step6
File electronically if you wish, even if you are filing a small number of W2 forms. The Social Security Administration and the IRS encourage this.
Step7
File forms W2 and W3 with the Social Security Administration no later than the last day of February each year if you are filing on paper. Electronic filers have until March 31.
Step8
Visit the IRS website for detailed instructions on filing forms W2 and W3 (see Resources below).