Imagine this: employers being able to send out your Tennessee W-2 Form electronically. Well, now they can. This awesome new feature is great for employers.
Employers can provide Tennessee W-2 forms as PDF files through either e-mail or posting them on a website. Just remember that each employee must sign a consent form to access their tax and wage data electronically. If this isn’t done, the employee must be given the traditional W-2 form instead.
Filing a Tennessee W-2 form online will improve some problems, but bring along some new ones. For instance, most undelivered W-2s occur due to the relocation of the employee. They may have forgotten to give their new address to the employer. Sometimes the employee’s new address might be entered on some paperwork, but not changed in the payroll system. Electronic access completely gets rid of the problem of outdated employee addresses.
If company e-mails are used to issue passwords or W-2 PDF forms, it won’t be good for former employees. They have now moved on to a new employer and a new e-mail address, which you may or may not know. If personal e-mail addresses are used, the employee might have changed their e-mail account. Transporting passwords by via mail gets rid of these problems, but you still have to worry about obsolete addresses.
If posted on a website, tax forms must be password protected to insure that employees don’t have access to other people’s tax info. Each employee must be provided with a password to access his/her information as well as instructions to print it. These can be delivered either by via mail, e-mail, or in person.
Each employer must equip employees with a W-2 for the previous year no later than January 31st. If an employee requests a duplicate for any reason, they must be provided with it. According to the IRS website, an employee should contact the Internal Revenue Service if they haven’t received a W-2 by February 15. The IRS will intercede with the employer to get the employee the needed information.
