Printing W-2 forms

Use W-2 Forms (PR297) to produce edit reports, negative wage reports, or to print W-2 forms. This form is not an update report, so you can run it anytime during the year. PR297 produces an edit report in either detail or summary format that can be used to balance year-end totals. Define the parameters for PR297 on W-2 Parameters (PR27.1). For more information on Printing W-2 forms, see the Payroll Year End Procedures Manual.

Creating the W-2 forms and magnetic media file is typically completed in the middle of January after the year-end close, following the processing of a few payrolls for the new year.

We recommend you first run W-2 Forms (PR297) using the edit report options to identify any potential problems before printing the actual W-2 forms. You can run PR297 as often as necessary because it is not an update report. You can run it after your first payroll cycle of the new year.

If you are a Lawson Software Tips user, prior to creating the final W-2 forms, you must run the Shortfall Allocation Calculation (TP100) in Update to update the shortfall allocation for employees. Continue by processing Magnetic Media (TP231) to create a file to copy to tape for reporting of the form 8027 information. Setting up Tips

Print W-2 forms

Access Year-End Parameters (PR27.1).
Select and save specific parameters. For information on selecting parameters, see the Payroll Year End Procedures Manual.
Access W-2 Forms (PR297).
Create a trial run of W-2 forms. In the Report Option field, select either Summary Report or Detail Report.

Payroll creates an error report if it recognizes any errors in the W-2 report it creates. Review the error report and correct any errors. After you create the trial run, check the W-2 forms for errors. If there are errors, make the necessary adjustments to the W-2 data and/or the W-2 parameters before you print your W-2 forms.

Note: W-2 Forms (PR297) will not create a W-2 form for employees with negative data. These employees print on the Error report with the message, "No W-2 created, negative data exists," and are included in the Detail and Summary Edit reports and the Negative Wage report.

Print your W-2 forms.

We recommend that you print a small test group of W-2 forms before you print the entire group. If you print a small test group of W-2 forms first, you can ensure that you have set all your software and hardware parameters correctly.

You can print the forms for a Company, Process Level, or a Head Process Level.


Print W-2 forms for	Run
Company	W-2 Forms (PR297) for a company. The report prints W-2 forms for each employee who had taxable earnings during the payroll year you select on W-2 Forms (PR297). If you use independent process levels and an employee has earnings in both an independent process level and a regular process level, the report creates a W-2 for the taxable earnings in each.
Process Level	W-2 Forms (PR297) for a company and process level. Payroll prints W-2 forms for employees who currently have the process level selected on Employee (HR11.1). If an employee has earnings in multiple process levels, all wages in the process level you selected for the employee on Employee (HR11.1) are reported. If an employee has earnings in the process level, but does not have the process level selected on Employee (HR11.1), the application will not print a W-2 form for the employee.
Head Process Level	W-2 Forms (PR297) for a company and head process level. If you select a head process level on PR297, the report prints W-2 forms for that head process level only. If an employee had earnings in multiple dependent process levels that are attached to an independent head process level, the taxable earnings print under the head process level.

Because the functionality of a head process level is different from a process level, we recommend that you create all your W-2 forms using either the process level option or head process level option. Do not use both options.

Back up the W-2 file after you print the W-2 forms. The kind of W-2 you select in the Report Option field on PR297 determines the directory and name of the W-2 file.

Note: Generate the W-2 magnetic media for a company, process level, or a head process level. If you use independent process levels and an employee has earnings in both an independent process level and a regular process level, the application creates a W-2 record for the taxable earnings in each.
Access W2c EFW2c (PR298) to generate a magnetic media file.
After you create the magnetic media file, you can transfer the file in tape or diskette format. Refer to SSA Publication 42-007-TIB-4 (available from the Social Security Administration) for tape specifications.

Related reports and inquiries


To	Use
Select specific parameters to include information in Boxes 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14 of your W-2 magnetic media	W-2 Parameters (PR27.1)
Calculate and report tips in excess of those deemed "wages" for meeting the Federal minimum wage requirement and the SS/Medicare tax on the excess tips amount	Tax Credit Calculation (TP140) Note: This information can be used to take a tax credit on the corporate tax form. This report is not an update report, so it can be re-run as often as needed.
Produce a summary of each allocation level's gross receipts, charged receipts, charged tips, service charges, reported indirect tips income, reported direct tips income, and allocable tips reporting shortfall	Year End Allocation Summary Report (TP230) Note: The report shows the number of directly and indirectly tipped employees that reported tip income summarized in the allocation level.