Distributing tax information securely is very important, and there are lots of ways to do it. Here are some different ways you can securely send W-2s to your employees. Hand-Deliver the W-2 to Each Employee Personally Perhaps the safest way to distribute W-2s to your workers is by hand. This is also the most time-consuming method and the easiest way to miss someone. For many businesses, especially in the current global climate, hand-delivering this information is unsafe due to social distancing best practices or even impossible, as many companies have all or part of their labor force working remotely. Giving W-2s to employees by hand works best if you have a small number of employees who all work in the same geographic location. Mail Paper copies of W-2s can also be sent via mail. Remember to send them out in enough time that employees receive them no later than January 31. To send by mail, first, you need to verify the address of each employee to make sure these documents are sent to the right person. This also saves time and money - if you verify addresses before sending, you won’t have to reprint at the request of employees who moved this year and forgot to update their employee file. Another good way to cut down on processing time is to create pre-printed address labels. Depending on the software system you use, the employee's address may already be on the form. Then all you have to do is put them in envelopes with address windows, add postage, and send. A disadvantage of mailing a paper copy is those W-2s change hands quite a few times between your business outbox and your employees’ mailboxes. Also, mail can be damaged, dropped, or lost. This creates a slightly higher risk of the wrong person receiving that sensitive information. Undeliverable W-2s Any mailed W-2s that are returned as undeliverable should be kept for four years from the issue date. Do not send undeliverable employee W-2 forms to the Social Security …
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