Form W-2 and other wage statements deadline coming up for employers

he due date to file 2022 Form W-2, Form W-3, and Form 1099-NEC is January 31, 2023. Employers and other businesses should be sure to make this important deadline.

Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement and Form W-3, Transmittal of Wage and Tax Statements

Employers must file copy A of Form W-2 and Form W-3 with the Social Security Administration by January 31. Businesses can find filing information on the Topic No. 752, Filing Forms W-2 and W-3 webpage.

Form 1099-NEC, Nonemployee Compensation

The Jan. 31 deadline also applies to Forms 1099-NEC filed with the IRS to report non-employee compensation to independent contractors. Employers and payers can review the Instructions for Forms 1099-MISC and 1099-NECPDF for details and other due dates.

Filing on time helps avoid penalties

Automatic extensions of time to file Form W-2 and Form 1099-NEC are not available. The IRS will grant extensions only for very specific reasons. The general instructions for Form 8809, Application for Time to File Information Returns has details.

Employers should also read the Form W-2 and W-3 instructions and the Information Return Penalties page at IRS.gov.

Businesses should be prepared

It’s important to have everything prepared to file on time. Employers should verify or update employee and payee information such as names, addresses and Social Security numbers or Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers. They should also ensure their company’s account information is current and active with the Social Security Administration and order paper Forms W-2 if needed.

Timely filing helps detect fraud

The filing date for Form W-2 and other wage statements allows the IRS to detect refund fraud more easily by verifying income that individuals report on their tax returns. Employers can help support this process and avoid penalties by filing the forms on time and without errors. E-filing is the quickest, most accurate and convenient way to file these forms.