W3 form is saying duplicate copy - I need the original to file with SSA

I'll be your guide today in printing your employer and employee W3 copies, @ADC12804.

Here's how:

1. From the Taxes tab, select Payroll Tax.
2. Click the Annual Forms link in the Forms section.
3. From there you can print both employer and employee copies of your W-3s. 
4. Select the applicable filing period from the drop-down menu, then hit View to open Adobe Reader in a new window.
5. Click the Print icon on the Adobe Reader toolbar, then select Print again.

I'd recommend using a blank 3-part or 4-part perforated paper to ensure it'll print it correctly, and won’t have any issues when filing. You can visit our QuickBooks Checks & Supplies to order one.

You also want to check out this article as your reference or if you need to get answers to Your Payroll Tax Payment and Filing Questions.

Get back to me if you have additional concerns. I'm always around to assist.

Where it says W3 view - I click on it and it brings up PDF file with the W3 - saying "empoyers copy do not file" "Duplicate copy for your record only!"   I tried to copy and paste so you could see this but it's not working - 3 chats to support and 2 hours on chat last night - still no luck.

EMPLOYER COPY DO NOT FILE
5
OMB No. 1545-0008
Form W-3 Transmittal of Wage and Tax Statements Department of the Treasury
Internal Revenue Service
Duplicate copy for your records only!

I don't have a link for annual forms - taxes - payroll - 

Let me chime in and provide you info about printing the W-3 form in QuickBooks, @ADC12804.

The availability and steps to print your W-3 depend on how you pay and file your federal and state payroll taxes.

If you choose QuickBooks (we pay and file for you), you can get and print the form. On the other hand, if you opted to pay and file them yourself, only the W-2s would be available for printing and submission purposes. Please know that you don't need to file Form W-3 if we file your W-2s for you.

Since you mentioned you need the original to file with the Social Security Administration (SSA), I assume you've processed tax forms and payments manually. In that case, you can generate a report instead to get the details you need to complete Form W-3.

Here’s how:

1. Open your QuickBooks account.
2. Go to the Reports menu.
3. Enter Payroll Tax and Wage Summary in the Search field.
   
4. Change the date range to This Year and click Apply.
5. You can Print or save a PDF or Export it to Excel.
   

Check out these resources to learn more about W-2 and W-3 forms with your payroll service:

• Understand when to file Form W-3
• Print your W-2 and W-3 forms

I’m also adding these references to get updates and instructions on how to prepare form W-3 successfully:

• General Instructions for Forms W-2 and W-3 
• 2023 Form W-3

I appreciate your time, patience, and effort. You can get back to this thread if you need further assistance with your payroll and taxes. I’ll be right here always to help.

Attached is what I get - I NEVER got the original W3 - I know desktop has it and we will penalized if we don't mail it by Jan 31.  It's sad we pay a monthly fee and can't get this to go.  I hope you can help us.

Thanks

Thanks for getting back to the thread, @ADC12804. Let me give you further information about printing and viewing of W3 form in QuickBooks Online.

Employers should invite their employees to use QuickBooks Workforce so that they may view and print their own W2 or W3 forms for the current year and the previous two years if you utilized our payroll services at the time. Thus, if you are one of the employees that uses QuickBooks, you must contact your employer so that they may invite you to utilize QuickBooks Workforce.

If you're the employer who use QuickBooks Online Payroll, would you mind checking your automatic tax payments and form filing status first to determine whether you have automate taxes and forms on or off?

If you have automate taxes and forms on, QuickBooks will pay and file for you. You may also download and print the W3 form. However, if it is disabled, only the W2s are available for printing and submission.

You might want to prepare a report instead to gather the information you need to complete the W3 form. Please follow the steps suggested by my colleague MadelynC.

The following article will help you understand more about the W2 and W3 forms:

• Understand when to file Form W-3.
• General Instructions for Forms W-2 and W-3.

Please get back to us again by clicking the Reply button below if you have further questions about your  W3 form in QuickBooks Online. I'm always here to help you. Keeps safe!
 

Where it says W3 view - I click on it and it brings up PDF file with the W3 - saying "empoyers copy do not file" "Duplicate copy for your record only!"  

I need the W3 to print and allow signature.  I also need the W2 Copy A, Copy 1, Copy B And Copy C to print.

attached are the forms that need to print through QB I submit all tax info manually.

Let me help you print the W-2 Copy A, Copy 1, Copy B, and Copy C, and explain the prompt error you received with W3, @SVRE.

Since you manually filed the forms, you can only get a copy of the W-2 for submission purposes. Therefore, you're encountering the error because printing the W3 is unavailable. As a workaround, generate a report instead to get the details you need.

Here's how:

1. Open your QuickBooks account.
2. Go to the Reports menu.
3. Enter Payroll Tax and Wage Summary in the Search field.
4. Change the date range to This Year and click Apply.
5. You can Print or save a PDF or Export it to Excel.

Moreover, you need to change the print setting by following the steps below:

1. On the left panel, select Taxes, then Payroll tax.
2. Navigate to Filings.
3. Scroll down to All filings resources and choose W-2s. 
4. Review the list of employees who opted for a printed copy. Those who selected paperless can print their copy from QuickBooks Workforce.
5. If your automated taxes and forms setting is Off: review your Form W-2 print setting. Pick the Change setting to change the paper type.
6.  Select View or Manage on the copy you need. It can be W-3 Summary Transmittal of Wage and Tax Statements, W-2, Copies B, C & 2 (employee), and W-2, Copies A & D (employer).
7. Tap View and print. 
8. Hit the Print icon on the Adobe Reader toolbar, then select Print. 

To learn more about sending paper copies to your employees or for your records, refer to this article: Print your W-2 and W-3 forms.

I’m also adding these references to get updates and instructions on how to prepare form W-3 successfully:

• General Instructions for Forms W-2 and W-3 
• 2023 Form W-3

Please don't hesitate to swing by if you have follow-up questions about bank connectivity or paying clients. I'm more than happy to assist you. Have a great weekend!

There is not a "Forms" link in Payroll Taxes.  NOR is there any form listed for the two part W-2 and W-3 to be sent to the government.  

Hey there, @jc1648.
 

Thanks for following along with the thread and sharing your concerns. 

To clarify, are you using QuickBooks Desktop? If so, the steps will look a little different for you. You can use the steps I'm including below to print a copy of your W2 and W3 forms. 

QuickBooks Desktop Enhanced Payroll:

1. Update QuickBooks and the payroll tax table.
2. From the Employees dropdown menu, select Payroll Tax Forms & W-2s, then Process Payroll Forms.
3. From the File Forms tab, scroll down and choose Annual Form W-2/W-3 - Wage and Tax Statement/ Transmittal.
4. Click on Create Form.
5. Select all or individual employees to file.
6. Enter the year, then hit OK.
7. Tap on all or individual employees to print.
8. Select Review/Edit to review each W-2. Reviewed W-2s have a checkmark in the Reviewed column.
9. Once you’re done, select Submit Form and follow the steps to print and file the forms.

Note: If you’re reprinting because your employee lost or didn’t get the original W-2, write REISSUED STATEMENT on the top and include a copy of the W-2 instructions.

That should do the trick. If you're using QuickBooks Desktop Assisted Payroll, follow the steps listed in this help guide: Print your W2 and W3 forms. 

Please don't hesitate to let me know if you have any additional questions or concerns. Have a good one! 

So we are to MANUALLY write the information from the report on the W-3 and W-2 for Social Security???

So we are to MANUALLY write the information from the report on the W-3 and W-2 for Social Security???

Let me jump into this thread to clarify what’s happening and what it means for your W‑2 and W‑3 filing to the Social Security Administration (SSA), jc1648.

Since you’ve chosen to file your payroll taxes and year‑end forms yourself, QuickBooks will not generate the official, scannable Copy A for the W-2 or W-3 that the SSA requires. Instead, QuickBooks provides two resources: employee W‑2 copies for your internal records and payroll/tax reports that contain the specific box amounts needed for your forms.

You can use these reports as your data source and manually enter the figures onto official SSA/IRS-approved forms or into the SSA’s online filing system. In short, if you are filing on paper without using the QuickBooks e‑file service, you will need to transfer the totals from your QuickBooks reports onto the official forms you submit to the SSA.

You can also check out this article to learn more about W-2 and W-3 forms with your payroll service: Print your W-2 and W-3 forms.

You can always return to this thread if you have other questions or concerns. We're always here to help.

May I ask what you did about your W-3? I still have not sent mine in.  Also the W-2 on the 1 part can't be printed either. I wish I had never gotten this online program. The desktop was just fine.

What did you end up doing about your W-3 and two part W-2 to go with the W-3?

No I have the online version. If I was on desktop I would NOT be having this trouble.

Hi there, @jc1648.

Thank you for your understanding and patience. Let me clarify how QuickBooks Online manages W-2 and W-3 filing for the Social Security Administration (SSA), as well as the steps you should take to ensure compliance.

QuickBooks Online Payroll provides employee W-2 copies (B, C, and 2) that you can print from the Payroll → Taxes → Filings tab. However, when you've chosen to file your forms outside of QuickBooks, the system does not generate the scannable Copy A or W-3 forms that the Social Security Administration requires for paper filing.

Here's how to get your W-3 information:

1. Navigate to the Reports menu.
2. In the search bar, type "Payroll Tax and Wage Summary."
3. Set the date range to "This Year" and click Apply
4. This report includes all the totals needed to complete the official W-3 form manually.
5. Select the Export dropdown, and choose between "Export to Excel", "Print or save PDF" to save and print your report.
   
   

You'll need to obtain the official W-3 form from the IRS website or file electronically through the Social Security Administration's Business Services Online portal at ssa.gov/bso.

If you'd prefer to have QuickBooks handle the filing for you, our e-file service generates and submits all required forms (including Copy A and W-3) directly to the SSA. This would eliminate the need for manual entry.

Please let me know if you need clarification on these steps or if you would like to discuss the e-file option. We're here to help.