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21st Century Accounting Help - Payroll/Electronic Filing

Electronic Filing W-2s

Use Payroll/Electronic Filing/W-2s to prepare an electronic file of W-2s in the data folder on the computer where the data resides.  (Use Payroll/Print/W-2s to print W-2s on paper.) 

To verify W-2 information before you produce the electronic file, print the W-2 data in compact report format with the Payroll/Print/W-2 Report command.

You can produce electronic or printed W-2s at any time during the year for the selected Payroll year.  You can produce the previous year's W-2s after you start running Payrolls in the new year by simply opening the W-2s window, selecting the year you want, and filling in the other information.

21st Century Accounting21st Century Payroll follows federal guidelines for the selected Payroll year to produce W-2 information in the correct electronic federal format.  The instructions you provide when you set up Payroll factors for reporting additional deductions, noncash benefits, and incomes determine placement of the data from those factors in the electronic file.

In the Electronic Filing W-2s window:

  • You indicate whether to create the federal or state file. You provide the state name for a state W-2s file.

  • You can produce W-2s for all employees in a company who have W-2 data or for only a selection of employees.  This allows you to produce W‑2s for any subset of employees you wish.

  • You provide information for the tax authority about your company, about the submitter (the company or person who actually generates and submits the W-2s), and about the person to contact if problems are encountered in processing the file.

Federal and State Filing

Federal

Mark the "Federal" option in the window to produce electronic W-2s in the federal format for all or selected employees in the company. 

State

Mark the "State" option in the window and select your state from the drop-down list. For states that accept the federal format file, the system produces the federal format file with the selected state indicated in the filename extension, limited to employees with SIT data for that state. You send this file to the appropriate state authority.  For states that require a special format file, the system produces the special format file with the selected state indicated in the filename extension, limited to employees with SIT data for that state. You send this file to the appropriate state authority.

Where Is the File?

When the system generates the electronic W-2s, it automatically puts the file in the data directory of the company.  The system shows you where the file will be put and the name of the file in the W-2s window at "Target file."

Back Up the Electronic W-2s File

Back up the file that you submit before you submit it. If the file is damaged in transit, you may only have to resend it. 

The file is backed up in the course of backing up your company. Be sure to run System/Company/Backup/Restore/Backup on the company after the file is generated. Move the backup off your hard drive to a safe place.

Buttons

  • Edit Company Info.  If you want to change the company name, Tax ID, or company address for submitting the W-2s, click the Edit Company Info button. The General Ledger/Configure/Company window opens where you can make any necessary changes. Click the OK button when you are done to return to the W-2s window where the name, Tax ID, and address from the Company window are displayed.

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