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BJSchickling63
Level 1

W2 E File to IRS

We are needing to Electronically file the W2's to the IRS.

Can you guide us where to look for instructions on how to send them?

Solved
Best answer January 08, 2019

Best Answers
HoneyLynn_G
QuickBooks Team

W2 E File to IRS

Good day, @BJSchickling63.

 

Welcome to the Intuit Community. I'm the right person to help you e-file your W-2 form to IRS.

 

Are you already enrolled in the electronic filing service in QuickBooks Desktop? If yes, you can proceed to the next steps. If not, here's how to set up Federal W-2s for e-file:

  1. Click Employees.
  2. Choose Payroll Center.
  3. Choose the File Forms tab.
  4. Under Other Activities, click Change Filing Method.
  5. Click Continue.
  6. Select Federal Form W-2/W-3 from the list of forms and select Edit
  7. Choose the E-file radio-button.
  8. Click Finish.
  9. Close the View Enrollments window.
  10. At the lower left of the QuickBooks Desktop Payroll Setup window, click Finish Later.

 

Here's how to e-file the W-2s:

  1. Click Employees.
  2. Choose Payroll Center.
  3. Choose the File Forms tab.
  4. Highlight Annual Form W-2/W-3 - Wage and Tax Statement/Transmittal.
  5. Click the Create Form button.
  6. Select the employees.
  7. Enter the necessary fields.
  8. Once you're on the filing method window, make sure to select E-File Federal Forms.
  9. Enter the Phone Number and the E-mail address of your company on the login screen. We use that information to notify you about the submission process.
  10. Click Submit.

 

For more information, you can use this article as a reference: File your W-2 forms.

 

That should help you e-file your W-2, BJSchickling63.

 

Just let me know if you have more questions about payroll and forms. I'm always here to help. Have a good one!

View solution in original post

54 Comments 54
HoneyLynn_G
QuickBooks Team

W2 E File to IRS

Good day, @BJSchickling63.

 

Welcome to the Intuit Community. I'm the right person to help you e-file your W-2 form to IRS.

 

Are you already enrolled in the electronic filing service in QuickBooks Desktop? If yes, you can proceed to the next steps. If not, here's how to set up Federal W-2s for e-file:

  1. Click Employees.
  2. Choose Payroll Center.
  3. Choose the File Forms tab.
  4. Under Other Activities, click Change Filing Method.
  5. Click Continue.
  6. Select Federal Form W-2/W-3 from the list of forms and select Edit
  7. Choose the E-file radio-button.
  8. Click Finish.
  9. Close the View Enrollments window.
  10. At the lower left of the QuickBooks Desktop Payroll Setup window, click Finish Later.

 

Here's how to e-file the W-2s:

  1. Click Employees.
  2. Choose Payroll Center.
  3. Choose the File Forms tab.
  4. Highlight Annual Form W-2/W-3 - Wage and Tax Statement/Transmittal.
  5. Click the Create Form button.
  6. Select the employees.
  7. Enter the necessary fields.
  8. Once you're on the filing method window, make sure to select E-File Federal Forms.
  9. Enter the Phone Number and the E-mail address of your company on the login screen. We use that information to notify you about the submission process.
  10. Click Submit.

 

For more information, you can use this article as a reference: File your W-2 forms.

 

That should help you e-file your W-2, BJSchickling63.

 

Just let me know if you have more questions about payroll and forms. I'm always here to help. Have a good one!

BJSchickling63
Level 1

W2 E File to IRS

Thank you for your quick response. This is exactly the information we were looking for.

cshankes
Level 1

W2 E File to IRS

If I printed the W-2's and I efiled both Soc Security and the Wisconsin State Dept of Revenue with Intuit, do I still need to go to the WDOR website to enter the W2 information as well?

 

Thank you

Laura

Kristine Mae
Moderator

W2 E File to IRS

Good day, Laura.

 

You no longer need to go to your state agency's website to enter the W-2 information. Since you've used our E-file feature, our system submitted the W-2 form directly to them already.

 

If you have other payroll concerns, don't hesitate to drop by anytime. 

 

PHB CPAs
Level 1

W2 E File to IRS

I have followed all of these instructions.  I am set up to efile in the payroll settings.  but when I click submit form and finish......nothing happens.  What's wrong?

katherinejoyceO
QuickBooks Team

W2 E File to IRS

Hi there, @PHB CPAs,

 

Thanks for following this thread. I'd want to make sure you're able to e-file your W2's.  

 

To e-file in QuickBooks Desktop Payroll, ensure that you're using a supported version of QuickBooks, an internet connection, and the most recent payroll update.

 

If you're all set with this and have hit the Submit button, check the filing status in your Online Payroll account. If it displays "Submitted" or "In Progress, then you're good to go. If it isn't, I'd appreciate it if you can tell me what's your filing status now? Also, have you received an error code/message when you click submit? Any additional information about your concern would be of great help for me to research on this matter. 

 

Additionally, some states require to send the copy 1 of form W-2 to the employee's tax agency with the annual return. Check out this help article: E-file your state W-2s with Quickbooks Desktop Payroll Enhanced. It has lists of states that require specific W-2 and annual return filing information and its instructions. 

 

I'll be looking forward to hearing again from you. Feel free to message again and we're always around to guide you. 

cmadis01
Level 2

W2 E File to IRS

Due to the fact that we have payroll totaling over 10,000,000, we have to do our payroll in batches.  Is there any way to still efile though we aer having to do it in batches?

MikiD
QuickBooks Team

W2 E File to IRS

Regardless of how you process payroll, you should be able to Efile all your employee's tax forms at once, cmadis01. 

 

Though, having a large volume of payroll data my trigger latency in completing the whole process. To maintain your best electronic service experience, make sure to acquire the following requirements:

 

  • An Enhanced Payroll subscription
  • A supported version of QuickBooks Desktop
  • An internet connection
  • The most recent payroll update

Check this out to learn more about this service: Understanding the E-File and E-Pay services.

 

Drop by again here if there's anything else you'd like to ask. 

cmadis01
Level 2

W2 E File to IRS

The problem is that QB Payroll doesn't allow for more than $9,999,999.99 worth of payroll. It stops there and since we have more, it seems that we have to batch.  I really need some help with this.

Michael K
Moderator

W2 E File to IRS

Hey there, @cmadis01. Thanks for updating us.

 

As my colleague previously mentioned, you will still be able to E-File Tax Forms via QuickBooks in one form based on your payroll. That being said, there is a limitation to the amount of payroll you can process at one time. You will need to continue to do your payroll in batches at this time.

 

Please reach out if there's anything else I can do to help, I'm determined to be your number one resource for QuickBooks Desktop Payroll. Have a great day!

cmadis01
Level 2

W2 E File to IRS

Interesting - so are you saying that I can efile even though the W3 does not properly represent the dollar amount of payroll in our system, but it will still be efiled properly?

JessT
Moderator

W2 E File to IRS

Hello cmadis01,

 

If you electronically file your W-2 forms in QuickBooks, you'll no longer need to submit a W-3 form. The SSA will just create the W-3 data based on the W-2 forms you send. We've stated this in the article about filing W-2 forms. The Where are the W-3 forms? section. This is also stated in the first item of the list of helpful hints from the SSA website.

 

Please continue posting on this thread if you have some follow-up questions about filing W-2 forms.

joanneatTackBox
Level 1

W2 E File to IRS

Hello,

 

I was notified that our state Gov never received our submitted W2's. Does Intuit only file federally?

LucasMicromatis
Moderator

W2 E File to IRS

Hi @joanneatTackBox,

 

That's a great question.  If you are using Full Service Payroll, Intuit would handle filing both Federal and State.  If you are using the Do It Yourself service, you would have to file both Federal and State on your own.

 

If you are using the Full Service Payroll and received notice that W2s were not received by the state, the tax team would need to look into this for you.  

 

My recommendation would be to reach out to Payroll Support, so an agent can investigate this for you.

 

Here's how a link showing the contact information for support, based on your service:

 

Contact Support

 

Any of our agents would be happy to look into this for you!

kimkennedy
Level 1

W2 E File to IRS

Michael - do you know if other versions like Quickbooks Enterprise can handle over $10 million dollar payrolls? 

MarsStephanieL
QuickBooks Team

W2 E File to IRS

I hope you're doing great, @kimkennedy.

 

Allow me to share some details on behalf of my colleague Michael about the Direct Deposit limit which would give more relevance to your concern.

 

Every company has its own Direct Deposit limit, if you're going to run a payroll that is worth over $10 million dollars, you'll need to submit a request to QuickBooks. 

 

To know more details on how to get a high possibility to get approved, you can check out this article: Get help if you’re over a direct deposit limit. This also contains a hyperlink where you can send this specific request.

 

I'll be here if you have other questions. Please don't hesitate to tag my name in the comment section. Have a good one.

kimkennedy
Level 1

W2 E File to IRS

Hi @MarsStephanieL ,

 

I am not talking about direct deposit limits, but any payroll report.  We ran a  large payroll in December and I am unable to print any state reports.  I get an error that states "Quickbooks cannot prepare your form because at least one value item on the form is greater than $9,999,999.99.  Quickbooks forms cannot support values that large.  You will have to complete your form manually". 

 

This goes for any form including just a new hire report.  It doesn't show me any information at all.  I have about 28 states that I need to run Q4 Withholding and UI reports, not to mention year end and I can't get past this error.  

kimkennedy
Level 1

W2 E File to IRS

Hi @MarsStephanieL ,

 

I am not talking about direct deposit but any payroll report.  We ran a large payroll in December and every time I go into payroll reports I get the error "Quickbooks cannot prepare your form because at least one value on the form is greater than $9,999,999.99.  Quickbooks cannot support values that large." 

 

I can't run any of them in batches because I can't get past the error.  I can't even run a new hire report, which contains no values.  I have about 28 states that I need to file Q4 withholding and UI for, not to mention all the W2s and the state reports for those.  I would love some help.

RCV
QuickBooks Team
QuickBooks Team

W2 E File to IRS

Let's perform some troubleshooting steps for you to print your payroll forms, kimkennedy.

 

I appreciate you for providing us the error message when printing the forms. Also, I checked the error message you've encountered on our end and there's no reported case about this one. QuickBooks Desktop has a limitation when printing payroll forms. It can print up to $9,999,999.99 only in any box of a form.

 

If you did not exceed the limit, let's try opening another company file to check if you're having a problem with only one file and not the program itself. Let me show you how:

  1. In your QuickBooks, go to the File menu at the top left.
  2. Choose Close Company.
  3. In the No Company Open window, click the drop-down arrow in the Open a sample file icon.
  4. Choose a sample file and click on it.

Then, try printing a payroll form again. If the same something happens, there may be a damaged data on the company file you've been working with. We can run the Rebuild Data tool is built-in to fix any company file data issues.  Just follow the steps and detail in the Fix data damage on your QuickBooks Desktop company file article. 

 

If the problem persists, I'd suggest contacting our Technical Support Team. They'll pull up your account in a secure environment and investigate what's causing this issue. To ensure we address your concern, our representatives are available from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM on weekdays and 6:00 AM - 3:00 PM on Saturdays, PST. See our support hours and types for more details about this one. 

 

Visit our Tax forms page for more insight s about adding and managing your tax forms.

 

I'd like to know how things going after contacting our support agent, as I want to ensure this is resolved for you. Feel free to reply to this post and I'll get back to you. Take care always.

kimkennedy
Level 1

W2 E File to IRS

@RCV  Unfortunately I do have amounts (on the W3 or anything that asks for Gross payroll) over $9,999,999.99 so I am unclear on how to proceed.  I can't not file just because my software can't handle it.  Do any QB products handle amounts over that?  I would be willing to upgrade to make it work. 

MaryLurleenM
Moderator

W2 E File to IRS

Thank you for the confirmation, kimkennedy.

 

You can process the forms by batch to successfully file the form exceeding $9,999,999.99. Instead of selecting All Employees, you can select them one by one and file. process the forms by batch in Submit your W-2s section, step 1

 

The IRS accepts batch filing. If a Warning window appears, there are errors in the form that you need to fix. Select View Errors to fix the errors in the form. After fixing the error, click Submit Form.

  1. In the Process W-2s, select Employee's Last Name (choose From and To) to file by batch.
  2. In the Select Filing Period section, in the Year field, enter the year of the form you are filing and click OK.
  3. In the Select Employees for Form W-2/W-3 window, select the employees you are filing for. You can also select Mark All to select all employees displayed.
  4. Select on the E-File Federal Forms.
  5. Enter the Phone Number and the email address of your company on the login screen. Intuit uses your email address to notify you when your submission is processed by the agency.
  6. Click Submit.

 

I recommend these articles for further guidance on E-pay and E-file in QuickBooks Desktop:

 

 

Let me know how it goes. I'd love to help you more.

kimkennedy
Level 1

W2 E File to IRS

@MaryLurleenM  I can't do that for the state W2s returns because it literally won't let me past the error and I have 28 states. 

 

I can do it for the W3, will the IRS have a problem receiving multiple W3s for one company.

katiem3
Level 1

W2 E File to IRS

I submitted two "batches" of W-2s through QuickBooks Desktop by selecting a group of employees and submitting, and then selecting the remaining employees and submitting (as you instructed above). Afterward, I received the following email: "Your tax return SSA-W3-FILING for EIN **** has been rejected by the IRS agency...The agency already has a duplicate submission on file for this account. You can submit corrections to processed W-2 information by filing Form W-3c/W-2c."

 

Now how am I supposed to file the second batch of W-2s that rejected? 

MaryLurleenM
Moderator

W2 E File to IRS

Hello there, katiem3,

 

You'll want to manually file the remaining W-2s.

 

On the E-filing Rejected window, you have the option to view the solution messages sent by the agency:

  1. Click Employees.
  2. Choose Payroll Center.
  3. Choose the File Forms tab.
  4. In the Filing History section, click E-Filing tab.
  5. Click the Agency Rejected link.
  6. Check and follow the solution provided by the agency.

 

For more insight, please refer to this article: Handle payroll e-file and e-pay rejections.

 

Furthermore, you can archive the form to get the information when filling the W-2s form outside QuickBooks. Here's how:

 

  1. Go to the Employees menu.
  2. Select Payroll Tax Forms & W-2s.
  3. Click Process Payroll Form.
  4. Under Filling History, find the W-2.
  5. To access your W-2 information, click on the link under the Saved PDF column.

 

Keep me posted about this. I'd like to make sure this is taken care of.

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