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W-2 News
For Employers and Businesses Who Submit W-2 Forms
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A subscription to W-2 News will allow you to determine when you want to receive your email updates; e.g., immediately, daily, weekly, or monthly.  Your subscription will also allow you to select other electronic Social Security newsletters, and if you like, you can also password protect your subscriber profile.  Upon completion of your registration, you will receive a Welcome New User email with instructions for changing your profile

 
 

Welcome to W-2 News, the electronic newsletter for employers who submit W-2s to Social Security.

Issue 2007-04
December 3, 2007

Year End Reminders

Here are a few tips for the upcoming tax filing season:

 

 

Business Services Online (BSO) Availability
www.ssa.gov/employer/bsohbnew.htm

Monday-Friday ……………..5:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. Eastern Time

Saturday……………………..5: 00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Eastern Time

Sunday………………………8:00 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Eastern Time

Note: Wage reporting applications will not be available from December 14, 2007 through December 16, 2007.


 
 

Password Reminders

  • Passwords must be changed every 365 days to keep your User ID (PIN) active. Keep in mind that you can change your password as often as you like, but remember to make a note of the new one.
  • If you have forgotten your password, you can request a new one online. Select “Log In” from the BSO home page at www.ssa.gov/bso/bsowelcome.htm, once you pass the General Log Attestation page, you can select “Forgot your password?” from the Log In to BSO page. Or, you may call the Employer Reporting Assistance number at 1-800-772-6270.
  • It takes up to 2 business weeks to receive a temporary password.

Note: We’ve changed the name of the Personnel Identification Number (PIN) to User ID.

 

 
 

Dates to Remember

December 14-16, 2007 Wage reporting applications will not be available.
December 17, 2007 BSO will begin accepting tax year 2007 submissions.
January 1, 2008 Update payroll system to reflect the 2008 wage base rates.
Visit (www.ssa.gov/pressoffice/factsheets/colafacts2008.htm)
January 31, 2008 Deadline for supplying W-2s to employees.
February 28, 2008 Deadline for filing paper W-2s.
March 31, 2008 Deadline for filing electronic W-2s.
(The Internal Revenue Service will consider electronic annual wage reports for tax year 2007 to be late if submitted after this date.)

Note: Don’t wait until the last minute. Start filing early since BSO experiences delays when there is a high volume of submissions.

 

 
 

Use the Social Security Number Verification Service (SSNVS)
www.ssa.gov/employer/ssnvs_handbk.htm

  • Submit names and Social Security numbers for verification online through our input screens and/or through the electronic file submission.

  • Review your file for the correct formatting to ensure that the file is error-free—a properly formatted file will avoid rejection.

  • Verify your entire payroll record before you file your W-2s through the SSNVS electronic file submission. You can zip (compress) your file. The transmission time required will be substantially reduced if the file is zipped.

  • Correct names and Social Security numbers allow us to properly credit your employees’ earnings records which will be important in determining their future Social Security benefits.

Note: Remember, while SSNVS is available to all employers and third-party submitters, it can only be used for wage reporting purposes! It cannot be used for other services such as Forms 1040 and 1099.

 

 
 

Remove Access to BSO

  • If you no longer require a service in BSO, you may deactivate some or all of your access via the “Remove Access to BSO Services” within BSO. You may only remove service(s) to which you have access.

  • You should also deactivate your User ID if you leave the company.

  • If you need assistance deactivating a User ID, please call the Employer Reporting Assistance number listed below.

Note: If you remove access to any service(s) in error, you must re-request access.

 

 
 

Customer Service

Call us toll free at:

  • 1-800-772-6270
Employer Reporting Assistance
Monday – Friday: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern Time
Email: ssa.comments@ssa.gov
  • 1-888-772-2970
BSO Technical Assistance
Monday – Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Email: bso.support@ssa.gov
  • 1-800-772-1213
General Information
(Social Security Information)
Monday – Friday: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (all time zones)

For TDD/TTY call 1-800-325-0778

 

 
 

Contact the Experts

Visit www.ssa.gov/employer/wage_reporting_specialists.htm for a complete list of Social Security experts that can help with complicated questions about submitting W-2s/W-3s.

 

 
 

Maximum Taxable Social Security Earnings

  • Tax Year 2007 earnings are $97,500
  • Tax Year 2008 earnings are $102,000

For additional tax year 2007 and 2008 earnings information, visit www.ssa.gov/pressoffice/factsheets/colafacts2008.htm.

 

 
 

Changes to the Form W-2 for Tax Year 2007

The Block for the Employee’s Social Security number has moved to “Block A” at the top of the form. For more information visit www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw2.pdf. Also see www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/iw2w3.pdf.

 

 

 

SSA/IRS Reporter

The SSA/IRS Reporter is a newsletter issued by the Social Security Administration (SSA) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It publishes articles about employment and business tax compliance. The SSA/IRS Reporter also carries general information about best payroll and employment tax practices as well as SSA and IRS products and services.

Current and past issues are available in both English and Spanish on www.socialsecurity.gov/employer and www.irs.gov and search for "Reporter."

 
  For more information on reporting employee wages to Social Security visit our website.
http://www.socialsecurity.gov/employer

Employers may contact Social Security with wage reporting questions or problems.
Email - employerinfo@ssa.gov
Phone - 1-800-772-6270, Monday - Friday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern Time

 
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