When do W-2s have to go out?

Who must file

You must file Form W-2 if you have one or more employees to whom you made payments, including noncash payments, for services in your trade or business during 2026. Complete a form for each employee even if the employee is related to you.

The $2,000 threshold

File Form W-2 if you withheld any income, social security or Medicare tax, regardless of the amount of wages. File it as well if you paid $2,000 or more in wages even if you did not withhold those taxes. For wages paid after calendar year 2025, that reporting threshold rose from $600 to $2,000. It will be adjusted for inflation each calendar year after 2026.

Only in very limited situations will you not have to file Form W-2, for example where no tax had to be withheld and you paid the employee less than $2,000.

Form W-3

Anyone required to file Form W-2 must file Form W-3 to transmit Copy A of Forms W-2 to the Social Security Administration. Keep a copy of Form W-3 and of each Form W-2 Copy A for at least 4 years. If you e-file, the SSA's Business Services Online can generate Form W-3 from your Forms W-2.

The February 1, 2027 deadline

The IRS General Instructions for Forms W-2 and W-3 set the due date for filing 2026 Forms W-2 and W-3 with the SSA as February 1, 2027, whether you file on paper or electronically. You must also furnish Copies B, C and 2 to your employees by February 1, 2027. You meet the furnish requirement if the form is properly addressed and mailed on or before that date.

The SSA still states the statutory deadline as January 31, and says that if that date falls on a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday, the deadline is the next business day. January 31, 2027 is a Sunday, so that next business day is Monday, February 1, 2027, which is the date the IRS instructions already print.

E-file rule

If you file at least 10 information returns in total, including Forms W-2, you must e-file them all. Add together almost all information return types, not only Forms W-2, to see whether you meet that threshold.

Penalties

You may owe a penalty for each Form W-2 that you file late, or that you file with missing or incorrect information. For filings due after December 31, 2026, the penalty is $60 per form if you file the correct Form W-2 within 30 days after the due date, $130 if you file later but by August 1, and $340 if you file after August 1, do not file corrections, or do not file required Forms W-2. There are yearly maximums, with lower caps if your average annual gross receipts for the three most recent tax years ending before the calendar year the forms were due are $5 million or less. A separate penalty, in the same amounts, can apply if you fail to furnish a correct statement to the employee by February 1, 2027.

Common questions

What if employment ended during 2026?

You may furnish the copies after employment ends, but no later than February 1, 2027. If an employee asks for Form W-2, give them the completed copies within 30 days of the request or within 30 days of the final wage payment, whichever is later.

Do I still need Form W-3 if I e-file?

Yes, the transmittal is still required, but if you e-file through the SSA's Business Services Online, Form W-3 is generated from your Forms W-2. Do not also send the same returns on paper.

Is this tax advice?

No. It is general information from IRS and SSA pages checked on November 13, 2026. Rules change, so check the sources before you act.