Form W-2 (Wage and Tax Statement) is a tax document that U.S. employers must provide each employee by the end of January. It reports an employee's total wages and the taxes withheld from their paycheck during the year. The form is also submitted to the IRS and the Social Security Administration (SSA).
Employers must file Form(s) W-2 if you have one or more employees to whom you made payments (including noncash payments) for the employees’ services in your trade or business during 2024. Complete and file Form W-2 for each employee for whom any of the following applies (even if the employee is related to you).
- You withheld any income, social security, or Medicare tax from wages regardless of the amount of wages; or
- You would have had to withhold income tax if the employee had claimed no more than one withholding allowance (for 2019 or earlier Forms W-4) or had not claimed exemption from withholding on Form W-4; or
- You paid $600 or more in wages even if you did not withhold any income, social security, or Medicare tax.
Key Components:
- Displays total wages and salary earned during the year
- Reports federal, state, and local taxes withheld
- Lists Social Security and Medicare contributions
- Includes details on benefits and retirement contributions
What is the deadline for employers to file W-2s?
Employers must file W-2 forms with the Social Security Administration (SSA) by January 31 of the following year. This applies to both electronic and paper filings.
Additionally, employers are required to provide employees with their W-2 forms by January 31 to ensure employees can file their annual tax returns on time.
Ready to Submit your W-2 Forms for Federal and State?
Get started with TaxZerone, your complete solution for all W-2 filing requirements.
How can employers extend the W-2 form deadline?
As an employer, meeting tax deadlines is critical, but unexpected delays can occur. If you need more time to file W-2 forms with the Social Security Administration (SSA), you can request a 30-day extension by submitting Form 8809, Application for Extension of Time to File Information Returns. The request must be submitted before the original deadline, and the extension applies to the filing.
Note: This does not extend the deadline for providing W-2 forms to employees.
What is the deadline for submitting Form W-2 to the state?
For most states, employers must submit Form W-2s to state tax authorities by January 31 of each year. This is the same deadline as the federal W-2 filing deadline with the Social Security Administration. However, some states may have slightly different deadlines or additional requirements.
To ensure compliance, employers should refer to the table below for state-specific filing information.
Penalties for Late W-2 Filing
As an employer, timely filing of W-2 forms is essential to avoid penalties. Failing to file on time can result in significant fines, which vary depending on how late the filing is. Here’s what employers should be aware of regarding penalties for late W-2 filing:
| Tax Year | Up to 30 Days Late | 31 Days Late Through August 1 | After August 1 or Not Filed | Intentional Disregard |
|---|
| 2025 | $60 | $130 | $330 | $660 |
| 2024 | $60 | $120 | $310 | $630 |
| 2023 | $50 | $110 | $290 | $580 |
| 2022 | $50 | $110 | $280 | $570 |
| 2021 | $50 | $110 | $280 | $560 |
Qualifying for Penalty Relief
You may be eligible for penalty relief if you can demonstrate that you took reasonable steps and acted responsibly but were still unable to file your return or pay your taxes on time.
Some valid reasons for missing the deadline could include:
- Fires, natural disasters, or civil disturbances
- Difficulty obtaining necessary records
- Death, serious illness, or unavoidable absence of the taxpayer or an immediate family member
- System issues that prevented timely electronic filing or payment
The above details were sourced from the IRS regarding the W-2 form due date.
