Is SSA TRYING to make things hard for household employers???

[Anonymous]

I've spent 1.5 hours now on the SSA website trying to figure out how in the world to electronically file my W2 and W3 for the nanny. I have found a slew of "how to file" but they all simply refer me to locations on the website that are not actually a "click here to start the W2 file" spot. I am going in circles. You would think that it would not be super hard to make it easy for household employers to do what they need to do, rather than i being a maze of links circling back on themselves. so frustrated right now and of course there is no weekend help line option, despite the monday deadline .

[Anonymous]

Did you give your nanny a W2 back in January? If you did it through the SSA site, it already filed the W3 for you.

In any case, you go to "Business Services Online," Login, and then click "Report Wages to Social Security."

Fill in the W2, and it generates all forms for you.

Then, you just need to report wages when you file your own taxes.

[Anonymous]

OP:
I gave her a hard copy in Jan but missed the hard copy filing deadine last month. That is why I am trying to do it electronically instead.

When I log in to BSO it does not offer me a "Report Wages to SS" option.

You currently do not have access to any services.

This is all it shows me on the main page. And the BSO INfo page just seems to loop me back to where I started without a "Report Wages" option either.

"The following options are available to you:
•If you have received an Activation Notice, go to Enter Activation Code(s); or
•You can review the status of your service request(s) at View Pending Services; or
•You can add services to your menu at Request New Services."

i agree that SSA (and IRS) makes it sound as if it is very easy to do this online - but I'm not finding where the entry door is to generate the form.

[Anonymous]

Call the help line. I have the same trouble every year and they are to helpful.

[Anonymous]

You have to sign up for an account. Have you done that?

[Anonymous]

OP
Yes I signed up yesterday. It shows me as logged in but doesn't let me do anything.

[Anonymous]

17:14 again. I have that same issue every year. Seriously, help line. Just be sure to find the number on the Business service page so you don't get the main SS help line. It will work, but the queue is much, much longer.

[Anonymous]

Finally navigated it. Issue was that I had signed up last year but did not recall that nor my user ID. So when I made a new one it detected the duplicate but did not tell me that was the problem.