By now, employers have distributed Indiana W-2 forms to all employees. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requires that all forms be distributed no later than February 1, 2007. The forms must be accurate and updated to reflect accurate earnings from 2006.
If your employer offers an electronic version of your W-2, you must sign a consent form in order for the information to be released electronically. If you are accessing the information via a secured website, you will receive a unique login and password so that only you will be able to view the information.
The IRS is urging employees to contact them directly if the employee has not received their W-2 as of February 15, 2007. Additionally, if you have requested a duplicate copy from your employer, and have not received it, the IRS is requesting that you contact them so they may intervene on your behalf.
In an effort to cut down on the number of undelivered W-2s, employers are moving towards providing the forms electronically. Electronic W-2s provide all the same information as the paper version. The only difference is they are in PDF format, and can be delivered either through email or online on a secured website. The benefit for employees is they can access the information any time, anywhere, as long as they have access to a computer. For employers, it cuts down on the amount of paper they have to keep track of and deliver (not to mention the cost of paper, ink, and stamps).
The issue with providing W-2s online is no different from the issues employers have faced with the paper version. If your employer does not have updated contact information for you, you will not receive your W-2, whether electronically or in paper format. In a small company, if you are still working there when tax season rolls around, this is not a big deal. However, if you have left your company, and your contact information is not accurate, it will still be difficult to receive your W-2.
