How To Print W-2 Form In QuickBooks Desktop & Online – Explained

Every employee receives a W-2 form at the end of the financial year by his employer. It is a statement that contains information related to the salary/wages that an employee is paid by his employer. Besides, it also tells about the deduction of taxes from his paychecks. All this information is required by the employee for preparing his tax returns. Your employer keeps different copies of this form and forwards it to three different parties: the federal government, the state government, and the employee. No matter whether you’re a QB desktop or an online payroll user, you can print the W-2 form in both versions of QuickBooks. Before you proceed with the printing process, you need to understand the W-2 form and its importance.

If you need an expert’s assistance to print W-2 in QuickBooks, then you must get in touch with our team. Give us a call on our Asquare Cloud Hosting Helpline Number at +1(855)-738-0359 and we will provide you instant support.

What Is A W-2 Form?

W-2 Form is also known as the Wage and Tax Statement form. It is a document that an employer has to send to all his employees and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) at the end of the year. A W-2 reports employees’ annual wages and the amount of taxes retained from their paychecks. A W-2 employee is someone whose taxes are deducted from their paychecks by his employer, and he further submits this information to the government.

An employer must send the W-2 form to every employee to whom they pay salary, wage, or another form of compensation. It doesn’t account for contracted or self-employed workers, as they file taxes with different forms. The W-2 form must be sent on or before January 31 each year so that one has sufficient time for filing the income taxes before the deadline, i.e., April 15 (in most years). One files the tax documents for the previous year. For instance, say you received a W-2 form in January 2021. It signifies the income that you earned in 2020.

NOTE: If you are among those affected by the February 2021 snowstorm disaster in Texas, you must know that the deadline for tax filing has been postponed to June 15, 2021. You are eligible for the extension even if you don’t live in Texas but were affected by the storm.

Requirements to Print W-2 Form in QuickBooks

Below, we have mentioned some of the basic requirements you must fulfill before creating employee W2 in QuickBooks and print it.

1. Use the updated version of QuickBooks while printing the W-2 form. The QB version must be compatible with the Windows OS installed on your desktop.
2. The QuickBooks Payroll Service must be active.
3. The W-2 paper must be compatible with the payroll service and the printer. 
4. You can either use blank or perforated paper or the pre-printed form of laser printer. Besides, you can also use pre-printed inkjet printer paper.
5. Make sure to have the latest release of the payroll tax table. 

Verify the Payroll Service You’re using Before Start Printing W-2

Before you begin to print the W-2 form in QuickBooks, it’s essential for you to know about the version of QuickBooks Payroll that you are currently using, as the process may vary for each version. However, if you are confused and aren’t aware of it, then you must follow the below-given steps:

1. Firstly, sign in to QuickBooks Online.
2. Go to the settings and select the Accounts and Settings option, followed by Billing Subscription and Payroll.
3. Now, click on Plan details, and you will get to know the payroll plan you currently have.
4. If it shows Enhanced or Basic, it signifies QuickBooks self-service payroll.
5. Whereas, if it is Full-service payroll, then it means you have QuickBooks Full-service payroll version.

However, if you are a QuickBooks desktop payroll user, you must follow the steps mentioned here to know about your current payroll service.

How To Print W-2 For Employees In QuickBooks?

The steps you need to follow to print the W-2 form in QuickBooks solely depend on your decision whether you want to pay and file your federal and state payroll taxes on your own or want Intuit Quickbooks to do it for you. If you aren’t sure about it, then you must go through your automatic tax payments and form filing status in the first place.

NOTE: The option of printing W-2 forms is not available in the QuickBooks desktop payroll basic version. Thus, you have to upgrade to some other version, such as QuickBooks desktop payroll enhanced.

Two Ways To Print W-2 Form In QuickBooks:

As mentioned, there are different versions of QB payroll available. Out of these, some services give you the option to pay and file the tax for you while using others you can pay on your own. No matter which service you have, we got you covered. Basically, there are 2 ways of printing the W-2 form in QuickBooks depending upon the below-mentioned conditions.

1. When Intuit QuickBooks Pays and File your taxes For you.
2. When You Pay and File your taxes on your own.

Condition 1: Print W2 When Intuit QuickBooks Pays and File Taxes for you

If you are using a payroll service that falls under this category, you don’t need to worry about the filing process. All will be taken care of by the QuickBooks payroll service. If you’re using any of the below-mentioned payroll services, then Intuit will file taxes for you:

1. QuickBooks Online Payroll Core, QuickBooks Online Payroll Premium, QuickBooks Online Payroll Elite
2. QuickBooks Online Payroll Full Service
3. Intuit Online Payroll Full Service

Intuit mail all your employees the W-2s starting January 20 through January 31. However, if you want it from January 13, you can re-print it on plain paper. For that, you may follow the below-given steps:

• Open QuickBooks Online and go to the Taxes menu.
• Now, select the Payroll Tax option followed by Filings and Annual Forms.
• Here, you will have the choice of printing both employer and employee copies of your W-2s and W-3.
  1. Employer Copies: Form W-2 (W-2, Copies A & D), Transmittal of Wage and Tax Statements (W-3)
  2. Employee Copies: Form W-2 (W-2, Copies B, C & 2).
• If you haven’t set up your W-2 printing preferences by now, a prompt will appear on your screen: Before filing this form, you must set up W-2 printing. Click on it and select your paper.
• Further, select the required filing period from the dropdown menu.
• Open Adobe Reader in a new window by clicking on View.
• Select the print icon from the Reader toolbar. Then, click on the Print option once again.

NOTE: If your employee lost or didn’t get the original W-2, then you have to reprint the form. In that case, you have to write a REISSUED STATEMENT on top of it. Along with that, also attach a copy of the W-2 instructions.

Condition 2: When You Pay and File your Taxes on your own

Being an employer, you need to print and mail W-2s to your employees postmarked by February 1 if the payroll service you are using falls under this category. We have listed all the related services below:

1. QuickBooks Online Payroll Core, QuickBooks Online Payroll Premium, QuickBooks Online Payroll Elite
2. QuickBooks Online Payroll Enhanced
3. QuickBooks Desktop Payroll Enhanced, QuickBooks Desktop Payroll Standard.
4. Intuit Online Payroll Enhanced

You need to follow certain steps if you want to file and pay the tax manually or using any of the above stated payroll services.  

Step 1: Purchase your W-2 paper

If you plan to order the W-2 kits, we would suggest you give our services a try. For that, you need to follow these steps:

• Firstly, go to QuickBooks check and supplies and select Tax products followed by Blank W-2 kits.
• To place your order, follow the instructions that prompt on your screen

We assure you that it will let you print the W-2 form in QuickBooks without any fault, and thus, none of your employees would have any issues. You can print the employee copy on either of these papers:

• Blank 3-part perforated paper
• Blank 4-part perforated paper

Once you have the W-2 paper, you need to set your printing preferences. And, for that, you must proceed to the next step.

Step 2: Set Your Printing Preferences

You can change or set your printing preferences by following the below-given steps:

• Go to settings and select the payroll settings option.
• From the W2 print preference tab, click on Edit.
• Lastly, select your paper type and click on OK.

NOTE: However, this step varies for QuickBooks Desktop Payroll Enhanced and Standard service users. For these, you have to update QuickBooks desktop and payroll tax table as per the latest available version. It helps QuickBooks to calculate the correct tax amount as per the current tax rates.

Now, you’re all ready to print the W-2 forms. To know how, go to the next step.

Step 3: Now Print the Filed W-2 Forms in QB

If you have decided to file and pay the tax on your own, then you must print your W-2s from the start of January 1.

• At first, select Taxes followed by Payroll Tax.
  
  

• Now, select the Filings option and then select Annual Forms.
• At this point, you will have the choice to print both employer and employee copies of your W-2s and W-3.
  1. Employer Copies: Form W-2 (W-2, Copies A & D), Transmittal of Wage and Tax Statements (W-3)
  2. Employee Copies: Form W-2 (W-2, Copies B, C & 2).
• A prompt will pop up stating Before filing this form; you must set up W-2 printing if you wouldn’t have set your W-2 printing preferences. Click on it and select your printing paper.
• Further, select the required filing period from the dropdown.
  
  
• Click on View to open the Adobe Reader in a new window. And then, select the print icon on the Reader toolbar.
  
  
• Lastly, select the Print option once again.

Important: The last step slightly differs for the QuickBooks Desktop Payroll Enhanced, QuickBooks Desktop Payroll Standard version. For this service, you need to follow the below-given steps:

1. Select Payroll Tax forms & W-2s followed by Process Payroll Forms from the Employees dropdown menu.
2. Scroll down from the File forms tab and select Annual Form W-2/W-3 – Wage and Tax Statement/ Transmittal.
3. Now, click on the Create form option and select all or individual employees to file. 
4. Mention the year and click on OK.
5. Again, either select all or individual employees to print.
6. Make sure to review each W-2 by clicking on Review/ Edit. A check mark identifies these W-2s in the reviewed column.
7. At last, select the submit form option and print and file the form by following the on-screen instructions.

NOTE: As mentioned earlier, you have to write REISSUED STATEMENT on the top of your W-2 copy if your employee lost or didn’t receive the original W-2 form. Besides, make sure to attach the W-2 instructions copy.

How Can You Print W-2 Form In QuickBooks Desktop Payroll Assisted With Self Print Option?

Wondering how to print the W-2 form in QuickBooks while using the Payroll Assisted version on your QuickBooks Desktop! It’s possible with the Self Print option by following the given steps.

• Follow the below-given steps to open the Payroll Tax center:
  1. Open QuickBooks and click on Payroll Center under the Employees menu.
  2. Click on the File Forms tab and select the View / Print Forms & W-2s option.
  3. Then, enter your payroll PIN.
• Now, click on the W-2 tab.
• If you want to print forms for all the employees, click on the checkbox against the Employee. Else you may select the specific employee names.
• Click on the Open/Save Selected option.
• Choose the specific reason for printing the W-2s when the Print Instructions window appears on the screen.
  
  
  1. If the employee is receiving the W-2 for the first time, click on I’m printing original employee W-2s option.
  2. However, select the I’m printing replacement employee W-2s option if the W-2 form is lost or damaged.
  3. If you are printing the W-2 for the company records, select the last option I’m printing W-2s for my records.
• Based on what you select in the last step, a message related to printing paper will appear on your screen. Thus, you have to load the correct paper into your printer.

NOTE: If you don’t have the perforated paper (it has the instructions for filing the W-2 forms on the back) at the time of printing W-2 form, you can print it on plain paper with the condition that you provide appropriate W-2 filing instructions to your employee.

• When the Adobe Reader file opens with your W-2 selections, click on the File menu and select Print to print the W-2s.

Important: You must know that the QB Desktop Payroll Assisted uses 4-up paper (four horizontal W-2s per page).

Need Help in Printing W-2 Forms!

We have tried our best to explain the procedure to print W-2 form in QuickBooks desktop and online in the easiest way. However, it might be a bit tricky for some users. In such a situation, we would suggest you take professional assistance from our experts by placing a call on Asquare Cloud Hosting Helpline Number at +1(855)-738-0359. Our team is available round the clock to provide immediate support.

Frequently Asked Questions about W2 Form Printing