Closing my business and need create W2's for 2020 and the forms aren't there.

I cannot find any instructions anywhere that say anything about early filing of forms just because you closed your business. Just like when an employee leaves (or dies) you don't issue a W2 in July.

The IRS normally will not even allow you to file W2/W3 until sometime in January, and usually not even the first week at all.

What you see online for the 2020 W2 is I am fairly certain, NOT going to be the final version. Take a look at the Q2 941 which has entries for FFCRA leave pay, not to be found on W2 online. Staples, OfficeMax, won't have paper forms until at least October at best.

Despite closing down, someone in your organization (or hired in advance CPA) will have to come out of retirement next January and file all your forms for free since you cannot incur any additional expenses

Thank you for responding.  This is what I found in the instructions on page 13:

“Terminating a business. If you terminate your business, you must provide Forms W-2 to your employees for the calendar year of termination by the due date of your final Form 941, 944, or 941-SS. You must also file Forms W-2 with the SSA by the due date of your final Form 941, 944, or 941-SS. If filing on paper, make sure you obtain Forms W-2 and W-3 preprinted with the correct year. If e-filing, make sure your software has been updated for the current tax year.”

There are penalties if you don’t file on time.  There’s similar language in instructions I found at SSA.  The BSO (business services online) allows you to submit W-2 info but not for 2020.   The business is just my husband and I.  I‘m in knots trying to figure out how to accomplish this task.  

I am facing the same problem. Have you found a solution yet?

Thanks!

I am using Intuit Online Payroll and have the same issue.  I was told to cancel the clients payroll account and reactivate it in January because the Copy A will not be available until Jan 2021.   When I explained that the W-2 is due when the final 941 is filed, I was told to order the form from IRS.gov.  If the 2020 employee copies can be printed, why can't the Copy A be made available?!   

Thanks for taking the time to share your experience, WTS.

We offer electronic filing for the W-2 Copy A starting January 1. This is why we're unable to generate the form at the moment. If the business is closed, the employer must submit the W-2 form Copy A thirty days after filing the final quarterly Form 941.

To do this, you can file Copy A directly on the Social Security Administration website. Please check this article for more information: Close business and finish payroll tasks.

You're always welcome to post here if you have any other concerns. Just leave a reply in this thread and I'll get back to you as soon as possible.

No, actually you can’t.  The form for 2020 isn’t there.  I even made an account at the SSA website assuming I could file it online, but it only allows filing up to 2019.  There isn’t a way to file for 2020 yet.  I’ve called and spoken with the IRS and Social Security several times asking what I should do and no one has been very helpful.  To make matters worse, I couldn’t even get paper forms from the IRS - they closed the distribution center due to COVID and they didn’t reopen until July 20th.  I ordered the forms and I’m STILL waiting to receive them.  I’m past the filing deadline, but there’s literally nothing I can do about it.  

No, actually you can’t.  The form for 2020 isn’t there.  I even made an account at the SSA website assuming I could file it online, but it only allows filing up to 2019.  There isn’t a way to file for 2020 yet.  I’ve called and spoken with the IRS and Social Security several times asking what I should do and no one has been very helpful.  To make matters worse, I couldn’t even get paper forms from the IRS - they closed the distribution center due to COVID and they didn’t reopen until July 20th.  I ordered the forms and I’m STILL waiting to receive them.  I’m past the filing deadline, but there’s literally nothing I can do about it.

To file a 2020 W-2 on the SSA website, you must upload a EFW2 file which is usually downloaded from your payroll service.  I contacted QuickBooks support to try to get the EFW2 file and was told that it isn't available.  This is crazy.  If I can get a pdf of the employee copy, why can't I get a Copy A?

I have the same problem.    Final form 941 says to mail W2's by the end of the 941 due date which is before the end of the year.   Quickbooks Payroll won't do that.   There is an error that says W2 2020 form is not yet available.

Hi there, Dave138. 

I appreciate you joining in the discussion and sharing us the details about your W2 2020 submission. I can help share some information about the error prompt you received. 

This error means that submitted your W-2's on this period is not possible yet. As mention by my peer, the submission will be available in January.  

I have a link here where you can find articles about processing and managing your payroll forms: Process, manage, and e-file quarterly and annual payroll forms.

For reference, check out this article that will serve as guide to help prepare your tax forms: Year-end checklist for QuickBooks Desktop Payroll.  

Keep me posted if you need a hand with sending or viewing your W2 Form or any QuickBooks related. I'll be here to help. Have a great day!

This does NOT help.  Those of us who must close our business have specific filing requirements and dates.  We NEED  certain forms and QuickBooks doesn’t have them and doesn’t address this issue or offer any guidance.  Giving us links to standard tax filing info and year-end checklists isn’t useful and doesn’t address the problem at all. 

I am in the same situation in 2021.  Our business has closed and I'm attempting to finish all my paperwork.  Has anyone figured out how to file W2s by the final due date of final Form 941?  I am getting the run around from SSA and IRS.  

Good day, @Mtnvu.

If you go out of business or stop paying wages to your employees, you must file a final return. 

All you have to do is to print Form 941 and check the box on line 17. Then, enter the final date of your paid wages in the space provided and submit it to the IRS. This will tell them that particular Form is your final return.

If your QuickBooks payroll subscription is still active, you can process this inside the program and e-file it to the IRS.

1. Click the Employees menu and select Payroll Tax Forms & W-2s. Then, choose Process Payroll Forms.
2. In the Payroll Center, select the File Forms tab and choose the form you need to file from the list.
3. Click File Form and select the form filing period and click OK.
4. Review the forms and click Check For Errors. 
5. Select Submit Form button.
6. Click the E-File button and follow the on-screen instructions to submit the form.

If your payroll subscription is already inactive, simply print the form from the IRS website. Then, ensure to check the box on line 17 and enter the final date of your paid wages in the space provided.

For more info, please go to page 17 from this page: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i941.pdf

Let me know if you need further assistance with this. I'm always around to provide answers and clarifications to your questions. Have a great day ahead and take care.

Thanks to another website, this is the solution to having to file W-2s early.  Order W-2s from this website:

Online Ordering for Information Returns and Employer Returns | Internal Revenue Service (irs.gov)

In the same boat in 2023.  Are there any answers to this question?  How to create W2s and W3 for 2023 early? According to the IRS I need to be able to print these and submit by the end of October 2023.  QB desktop will only create for 2022.  Anyone know how I can create these?

Hello there, jzs.

Thanks for joining this conversation.

I recognize that you would like to file the W-2 forms in advance. As my colleague mentioned, the filing period for all payroll forms, including the W-2 forms, begins in the first week of January 2024. Additionally, please note that the data displayed on your W-2 forms pertains to the previous year.

To learn more about managing and filing W-2s in QBDT, consider checking out these articles:

• File your W-2 forms.
• File your state W-2s with Quickbooks Desktop Payroll Enhanced.

You can also visit our website for more tips and resources you can use in the future: Self-help articles.

Please let me know if you have more questions about this or anything else. I'll be here to assist. Take care.

What did you end up doing??  I can't find any way to generate forms for this year yet!

@jzs 

Don't worry about it.  You can't create them early.  I sold two businesses last year (one in June 2022 and one in July 2022) and our payroll company's software could not generate W-2s/W-3s until January 2023.  Our payroll company said this situation happens all the time and the IRS does not care.  How are you supposed to send W-2s to your former employees when payroll companies do not have a final 2023 W-2 yet?  It won't be an issue.    

I used the previous year's forms, crossed out the year and used permanent marker with the current year. Then I handwritten the forms and sent certified mail. The forms were ALL accepted without an issue.  I did receive a call from 570-831-1296, Wilkes-Barre, PA Social Security office wanting to verify the W-2s and W-3 were for the correct year.  I had to really dig deep to find a solution, this was recommended, and it worked.