The W-2 form is a document issued from employers to employees that states how much money was earned in a certain year, and how much tax was withheld from the employee. Traditionally, the W-2 is dispatched by regular mail. Recently, however, some companies have delivered the W-2 by email. The policies regarding the electronic delivery of W-2s vary by employer.
Check with your company's policies regarding the electronic delivery of W-2 forms. Not all companies deliver their W-2s electronically. However, if they do, they will either perform the delivery of W-2 forms themselves or will hire a private, third-party payroll company to carry out the task. Thus, familiarizing yourself with your company's policies is your first step. A phone call to your human resources department should clarify the matter.
Arrange for the delivery of your W-2 if your company has such policies. Often, your company will first send you an email asking for confirmation of your email address. Within this message, there will be a link, which, when clicked, will open your web browser. The web page will inform you that your email address has been verified. Email confirmation ensures that your email address is indeed yours and correct.
Contact your employer's payroll company if your company delegates the emailing of W-2s to a third party. The process of requesting a W-2 this way will vary by payroll company. Most companies, however, will have a web page where you can enter your employer's identification code, which you obtain from your human resources department. You will then be taken to a registration page where you can input your details. You often must register by a certain date in the year, typically sometime in January before the end of the tax year, to receive your W-2 by email.
