For Employers and Businesses Who Submit W-2 Forms
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Welcome to W-2 News, the electronic newsletter for employers who submit W-2s to Social Security.

Inside this issue:

• Welcome
• Important Dates
• New Wage Reporting Requirements
• Pilot Opportunity
• Registration Changes
• Additional Information
• Resources

Welcome to our first issue! We value your time and will only send this newsletter when there are important wage reporting topics or updates to the W-2/W-3 reporting requirements.
You're receiving this periodic newsletter because you registered with Business Services Online (BSO) or subscribed to Social Security eNews.

• 01/09/2026: Information Session on the Pilot for BSO’s New Authorization Process.
• 01/10/2026: BSO’s New Authorization process pilot begins!
• 02/02/2026: Deadline to file Tax Year 2025 wage reports with Social Security.

Starting with the 2025 tax year, the following Employer Information fields (RE record) are required for electronic submissions. Submissions will be returned if any of these fields are left blank:

• Contact Name
• Contact Email Address
• Contact Phone Number
• Employer Name
• Employer Address

Visit Specifications for Filing Forms W-2 and W-2c.

Social Security is piloting a new authorization process for BSO that makes it easier for business entities to fully manage user access, while streamlining and improving the authorization experience. To be eligible, you must be a Responsible Entity Officer (REO) for the entity you are registering or a delegated user for your company. Visit New BSO Authorization Pilot Opportunity for more information.

To participate and share your feedback, visit the BSO Welcome Page after January 10, 2026.

Benefits of Participating:

• Get early access to BSO's new authorization process.
• Provide direct input into its development.
• Receive dedicated support during the pilot.
• Retain access to the new authorization process for the full rollout in the future.

Participation in this pilot will be without compensation and Social Security will require all participants to confirm that participation will be provided without expectation of payment and to waive any future claims against Social Security or the Federal government.

To access employer services, you must sign in using either an ID.me or Login.gov account.

You can access BSO in one of two ways:

1. Select the “Account” link at the top right corner of www.ssa.gov/employer.
2. On the BSO Welcome Page at www.ssa.gov/bso/bsowelcome.htm, select either “Sign in” or “Create account” in the “Employers” section.

Note: If you already have an ID.me or Login.gov account, you do not need to create another one.

With ID.me, Social Security now accepts the Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) or passport as an alternative to an SSN. To sign in with ID.me, start here.

Did you miss a recent Wage Reporting Community event? View our upcoming events, previous webinars, videos, and wage reporting meeting information below.
Wage Reporting Community Meetings and Webinars. Stay tuned for our next webinar topics coming soon.

• Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Information for 2026 is available, select the link below.
• 2026 COLA Fact Sheet

• AccuWage Online – Test your formatted wage files for compliance with EFW2/EFW2C specifications before submitting them to Social Security.
• Social Security Number Verification Service (SSNVS) – Verify that the names and Social Security numbers of hired employees match Social Security’s records for wage reporting only.

• Customer Support for Wage Reporting
• Email: employerinfo@ssa.gov
• Our Employer Reporting Service Center is available to answer your wage reporting questions and help:
  • Phone: 1-800-772-6270
  • Monday - Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time
• Select the link to view handbooks and tutorials here.

With a personal my Social Security account, you can:

• Request a replacement Social Security card
• Review your Social Security Statement
• Estimate future benefits
• Apply for benefits and check the status of your application
• Receive notices online and faster
• Update important information such as direct deposit or address

This online service provides convenient access to important Social Security information and resources.