WHAT IS BUSINESS SERVICES ONLINE?
Back to Table of ContentsBusiness Services Online offers Internet services for businesses and employers who exchange information with Social Security. This handbook focuses on wage reporting by employers as well as third-party submitters.
As a registered Business Services Online user who selected wage reporting suite of services during registration, you will be able to:
- Create/Resume Forms W-2/W-3 Online,
- Create/Resume Forms W-2c/W-3c Online,
- Save Submitted Reports to Your Computer,
- Submit/Resubmit a Formatted Wage File,
- Submit a Special Wage Payments File,
- View Submission Status to check report status, errors, and notice information for previously submitted wage reports,
- View Wage Report Status to check report status or view errors for reports submitted for your company by a third party, and
- Acknowledge Notice and/or Request Extension to acknowledge receiving a Resubmission Notice and/or request a one-time 15-day extension of the deadline.
NEW FOR TAX YEAR 2009
Back to Table of ContentsThe following are new for Tax Year 2009:
- Effective Tax Year 2009, the Wage Reporting Handbook applies a new tab format, which includes five tabs: Overview, Getting Access, Using the Services, Help For W-2 Filing, and General SSA Contact Information.
- Effective Tax Year 2009, there is a separate handbook for registration called
the Business Services Online Integrated Registration Services (IRES) User Registration Handbook.
Select the User
Registration Handbook to view a Portable Document Format (PDF) version of this document.
A PDF version of the Wage Reporting Handbook is also available at Wage
Reporting Handbook.
- Effective Tax Year 2009, there are enhancements to the web page navigation and the layout of Electronic Wage Reporting (EWR)
suite of BSO Services to improve the ease of use for EWR applications.
- Effective Tax Year 2009, the date range for corrections using the Forms W-2c/W-3c Online application has been expanded from one year to three years, three months, and fifteen days, which is the maximum allowable according to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) statutory limit.
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Back to Table of ContentsTo use Business Services Online, you will need:
- Internet access,
- A Web browser with 128-bit encryption and cookies enabled,
and
- Adobe Acrobat Reader (version 5.0 or higher recommended) if you plan to create Forms W-2/W-2c online or view the PDF versions of the User Handbooks. You will also need this software to view and print the W-2/W-2c forms created online. For a free copy of Acrobat Reader go to www.adobe.com.
SECURITY
Back to Table of ContentsBusiness Services Online uses Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) communications protocol and 128-bit line encryption to protect your privacy. These technologies prevent eavesdropping and ensure that data is transmitted securely over the Internet.
128-BIT ENCRYPTION
To determine whether your browser supports 128-bit encryption, select Help/About from your browser menu. Most browsers will display the phrase “128-bit encryption” or "128-bit cipher strength.” If you are unsure whether your browser supports 128-bit encryption, contact the software company that developed the browser.
COOKIES
To work with Business Services Online, your browser must be set to accept cookies. This is the default setting for most browsers. If you receive a request to store a file on your computer, select “Yes” Business Services Online cookies will be deleted when you close your browser.
E-mail to or from Social Security does not provide security features. Please do not include private information, such as your Social Security Number, in e-mail messages.
DATES & TIMES
Back to Table of ContentsBusiness Services Online normally operates during the following hours, including holidays, and may be available at other times as well:
Saturday ............................ 5:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Sunday .............................. 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Eastern Time
PASSWORDS
Passwords will expire after 90 days. If your password expires, you will be prompted to change your password when you log in.
DECEMBER 2009
Wage reporting applications will not be available from December 4, 2009 until December 7, 2009. The last day to submit Forms W-2 or W-2c online for Tax Year 2008 will be December 3, 2009.
BEGINNING DECEMBER 7, 2009
Business Services Online will begin accepting Tax Year 2009 submissions on December 7, 2009.
Business Services Online may experience delays in processing submissions due to high submission volume. Please check the Business Services Online Internet Web site for updated information regarding potential delays in processing your submission.
MARCH 31, 2010
The Internal Revenue Service will consider electronic annual wage reports for Tax Year 2009 to be late if they are submitted after March 31, 2010.
