W-2 Forms

Generate and file W-2 forms for employees.

Every January, you owe every employee who received wages a W-2. It summarizes what they earned and what was withheld for taxes — the same information that’s been on their pay stubs all year, but compiled into one official form they need for their tax return.

Miss the deadline? Penalties. Wrong information? Corrections and angry employees. The good news: Pluvel compiles everything automatically from your payroll records.

W-2 timeline

When	What happens
End of December	Pluvel compiles all wage and tax data
Early January	You review W-2s for accuracy
January 31	Deadline to give W-2s to employees
January 31	Deadline to file with SSA

Both deadlines are January 31. Don’t wait until the last minute — if you find errors, you need time to fix them.

Generating W-2s

1. Go to Tax Forms

   Navigate to Payroll → Tax Forms → W-2s.

2. Review employee data

   Check each employee’s:

   • Name — Must match their Social Security card exactly (middle initial matters)
   • SSN — One wrong digit = rejected by SSA
   • Address — Where you’re mailing it (or their current address for records)
3. Review the numbers

   Spot-check wages and withholdings. Do they look right? If someone earned $75k, is that what shows?

4. Generate forms

   Click Generate W-2s. Pluvel creates forms for everyone.

5. File and distribute

   E-file with SSA and send copies to employees.

What the boxes mean

Employees ask about these constantly:

Box	What it shows	Common questions
1	Taxable wages	”Why is this different from my salary?” (pre-tax deductions lower it)
2	Federal tax withheld	What they paid in federal income tax
3	Social Security wages	Usually same as Box 1, unless over the SS limit
4	Social Security tax	6.2% of Box 3
5	Medicare wages	Usually same as Box 1
6	Medicare tax	1.45% of Box 5
12	Coded amounts	Benefits, retirement, etc. (see below)
16	State wages	Taxable wages for state
17	State tax withheld	What they paid to the state

Box 12 codes

Box 12 uses letter codes for various benefits:

Code	What it is
D	401(k) employee contributions
E	403(b) contributions
DD	Cost of employer health coverage (informational only)
W	HSA employer contributions

The DD code confuses people — it’s just informational. It’s not additional income; it shows what health insurance cost.

Filing with the SSA

Pluvel e-files W-2s with the Social Security Administration:

1. W-2s generated from your payroll data
2. You review and approve
3. We submit electronically
4. You receive confirmation (keep this)

E-filing is faster and less error-prone than paper.

W-2 corrections (W-2c)

Found an error after you filed?

1. Generate Form W-2c (corrected W-2)
2. File the correction with SSA
3. Give the employee a copy

W-2c shows what was wrong and what the correct amounts are. The employee may need to file an amended tax return.

Getting W-2s to employees

Electronic delivery (recommended)

1. Employees access their portal
2. They get notified when W-2s are ready
3. Download instantly as PDF

Employees must consent to electronic-only delivery. If they haven’t consented, you still need to mail them.

Paper mailing

For employees who prefer (or require) paper:

1. Print W-2 copies
2. Mail by January 31
3. Use certified mail or delivery confirmation (proof matters if they claim they never got it)

Former employees

Still owe them a W-2:

• Anyone who received wages during the year
• Even if they quit in February

Mail to their last known address. If it bounces, keep records that you tried.

Multi-state employees

If someone worked in multiple states:

• One W-2 with multiple state sections (Boxes 15-17), or
• Separate W-2s per state (depends on the state)

Pluvel generates the correct format. Each state shows its wages and taxes separately.

Viewing past W-2s

Historical W-2s are retained for 7 years:

1. Go to Payroll → Tax Forms → W-2s
2. Select the year
3. View or download

Employees can also access their own past W-2s through self-service.

Common employee questions

You’ll get these every January:

Question	Answer
”Why is Box 1 lower than my salary?”	Pre-tax deductions (401k, health insurance) reduce taxable wages
”Where’s my 401k contribution?”	Box 12, Code D
”Why do I have two state sections?”	You worked in multiple states during the year
”Box DD shows a huge number — is that income?”	No, it’s just the cost of your health coverage (informational)
“I never got my W-2”	Check spam folder, then contact HR for a reprint

1099 forms

Year-end forms for contractors.