The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has issued a reminder that Jan. 31 is the deadline for employers to file W-2 forms and other wage statements, and that wage earners should be aware of this deadline to help them guard against tax refund scams.
Employers must submit Form W-2 and Form W-3 for the 2022 tax year to the Social Security Administration (SSA) by Jan. 31, with the deadline applicable to both electronic and paper filings.
“Filing these documents timely prevents late-filing penalties for employers, helps employees file their income tax returns and prevents tax fraud,” the IRS said in a statement.
Filing W-2 forms and other wage statements by the deadline helps prevent tax fraud by providing the IRS with accurate information about taxpayers’ income and employment. By having access to this information before tax returns are filed, the IRS can quickly verify the information reported on individual tax returns and identify and prevent fraudsters from using stolen personal information to file fraudulent returns and receive fraudulent refunds….