Form W-3 - Transmittal of Wage and
Tax Statements

Form W-3 is a summary of employee wages and contributions for the tax year. This form provides the SSA with an overview of Form W-2. Employers should include Form W-3 when they file their employee copies of Form W-2 with the
SSA each year.

If you are filing Form W-2 electronically, you don’t need to file Form W-3 with the SSA.
With ExpressEfile, you can e-file Form W-2 in minutes and get Form W-3 for Free for
your records.
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Form W-3 is a summary of all the information provided on Form W-2. This includes the employers information, such as name, address, and EIN (employer identification number), as well as a total report of all employee information.

The employee information on Form W-3 includes wages and tips, amounts withheld by the employer for social security, income, and medicare taxes, and information about benefits and deferred compensation.

Form W-3 is due along with Form W-2 and employee copies on January 31st. When January 31st falls on a weekend, that deadline is pushed back to the next business day. For 2024 tax filing, businesses are required to file Form W-3 with the SSA by January 31, 2025. This W-2 deadline is applicable for both paper and electronic filing methods.

Failing to file Form W-3 on time can result in $60 fines for each late form. There are no cap on SSA penalties for
Form W-3.

Form W-3 needs to be filed with the SSA only if you are filing Form W-2 by paper.

• Paper filing: Fill out your Form W-3 along with Form W-2s and mail it to the SSA address before the due date. Be sure to print your return in the correct format, as the SSA does penalize for unscannable forms. If you choose to paper file, it takes longer to find out whether your return has been accepted and can be harder to catch and
  correct mistakes.
• Electronic filing: If you are filing Form W-2s electronically, you don’t need to file Form W-3 with the SSA.

Choose ExpressEfile to file your Form W-2 and your Form W-3 will be generated automatically for you. Although Form W-3 is not required to be filed with the SSA if you’re e-filing Form W-2, you can still download Form W-3 for your records. It’s completely free and there’s no extra charges for Form W-3 generation.

Businesses can make the hassle of sending out employee copies a thing of the past with ExpressEfile. Select the postal mailing option while filing and we’ll print and mail Form W-2 copies to all your recipients. Choose to e-file with us for just $1.49/form, the industry’s lowest price.