Wage Reporting Software & Reference Material
Social Security Software
AccuWage/AccuW2C
AccuWage/AccuW2C is free software from Social Security. It allows you to check W-2 (Wage and Tax Statement)
and W-2c (W-2 correction) reports for correctness before you send them to Social Security. Using AccuWage
and AccuW2C greatly reduces submission rejections. Download the latest version of
AccuWage software as you prepare your wage reports each year.
Social Security Reference Material
Online Error Reference Material
Online Error Reference Material provides information regarding Annual Wage Reporting (AWR) errors.
Included in this document are brief explanations of AWR errors, suggestions for resolving errors,
and other information.
File-Edit Tips for W-2
File-Edit Tips for W-2 provides tips for preventing submission rejections resulting in Resubmission Notices.
File Upload Compression
When preparing your wage reports, it is recommended that you use PKZip, WinZip, or another compatible
compression software program to compress W-2 wage files before submitting them. This may reduce
transmission time by up to 80 percent.
Connection Information for Software Developers
This information is for developers of payroll and tax reporting software who wish to enhance their
products by incorporating the Internet business services provided by Social Security.
What is Business Services Online?
Business Services Online (BSO) is a suite of Internet services for businesses and employers
who exchange information with Social Security. BSO users must complete a one-time registration
process before using the system.
Connecting to BSO
Developers of payroll and tax reporting software can use Social Security processes to access
the BSO and submit wage reports. The BSO Welcome Page
(www.ssa.gov/bso/bsowelcome.htm)
is the single point of entry for all BSO users. Advise your customers that they will need Internet
access and a web browser with 128-bit encryption and the ability to support cookies.
Developer Tips and Resources
-
Provide a link to the Internal Revenue Service (www.irs.gov)
on the main menu of your application. This allows users to obtain filing instructions, extension request forms, and
other publications.
-
Provide processes for preparing wage-data files according to Social Security's Specifications for Filing
Forms W-2 Electronically (EFW2) standards. The EFW2 format is for original (Form W-2) files and the
EFW2C format is for correction (Form W-2c) files. Both the EFW2 and the EFW2C publications can be downloaded
from www.ssa.gov/employer/pub.htm.
-
Incorporate into your application Social Security's AccuWage software to check W-2 files or AccuW2C software
to check W-2c files. These software tools can be downloaded from
www.ssa.gov/employer/accuwage.
-
Automatically populate the User ID field in the RA/RCA record with the User ID assigned to the person who is
attesting to the accuracy of the file.
-
To enable Social Security to send wage-data file resubmission notices to the user's registration e-mail
address, use 1 (Email/Internet) as the value for Preferred Method of Notification in the EFW2
RA/RCA record.
-
Do not build submission files containing more than 1 million RW records or 50,000 RE records. If the
employer needs to submit more than 1 million Forms W-2, develop your application to break them into
smaller submission files.
-
If the organization files on behalf of multiple employers, include no more than 500,000 RCW records or
25,000 RCE records per submission.
-
Wage-data submissions must not span multiple files. Build each W-2 submission file beginning with an RA
record and ending with an RF record, and each W-2c submission file beginning with an RCA record and
ending with an RCF record.
-
Provide a means to compress wage-data files before they are submitted to Social Security. Compressing
large data files can dramatically reduce transmission time. Please use any compression tool that uses a
standard "zip" file format. Compress each wage-file separately to prevent the compression of multiple
wage files into the same compressed file.
-
Establish an option or link to the BSO Welcome Page. This allows users to connect to the BSO Welcome
Page to submit the wage file. Once users log into BSO, instructions are available for successful file
submission.
More Information
If you would like more information, contact an Employer Services Liaison Officer. Contact information is available at
www.ssa.gov/employer/empcontacts.htm or 1-800-772-6270.
|