The keyboard is slowly replacing the pen. So much so, that in the state of Colorado employees can now complete and submit their W-2 forms online.
Employers can now send Colorado W-2 forms through email as .PDF files, or post them on a website. This is a recent development stemming from the Internal Revenue Service’s increased efforts to ensure timely delivery of W-2 forms to employees. The IRS requires that all employees must be given their W-2 forms for the previous year by January 31. If they do not get it for any reason by February 15, they should contact IRS who would get involved then, and help the employee get his or her required information from the employer.
A very critical issue with the electronic system is the security of information. To keep the wage and tax information private, each user must be supplied with a unique login and password. The employees would have to sign a consent form as well, to access the information electronically. If an employee does not favor the idea of receiving the form electronically, he or she can keep using the standard paper-based form. Similarly, if employees require more than one copy, they must be provided.
The main cause of failure to provide the employees with the necessary paperwork is a change of address. Employees sometimes move and fail to provide their office with the new address. Or sometimes they do submit their new contact information but it becomes buried in paperwork. The use of electronic system would eliminate this problem.
However, the new system might not work very well for former employees. People usually get new work email addresses when they switch to a new job. Contacting them could be problematic. This situation can be resolved if personal email addresses are utilized. But there is a possibility of the employee changing his or her personal address as well.
