With the end of 2003 drawing near, the arrival of W-2
forms can't be far behind. This year, rather than wait for
delivery by mail, Johns Hopkins employees have the option
of going online to receive their W-2, the Wage and Tax
Statement that is used in the preparation of individual
federal and state income tax returns.
In addition to the advantage of being available in
late January, earlier than it would be received by mail,
the electronically furnished W-2 may be imported directly
into tax software such as TurboTax and TaxCut.
Online delivery of the statement has been approved by
the IRS.
"Last year quite a number of employees asked if they
could get their W-2 electronically," said
university
controller Jerry G. Bridges. "They said they wanted to
be able to download it to tax form software."
Employees electing to receive their W-2 electronically
will not receive a copy in the mail. After registering on
the Web, they will receive e-mail notification of when the
statement will be available, along with instructions for
accessing it.
Those employees choosing not to receive their W-2
online will have the forms mailed to their home address
this year instead of being delivered with the Jan. 31
paycheck.
In an e-mail sent last week to faculty, staff and
student employees, Bridges explained the procedure for
receiving the W-2 online through a secure Web site, www.w2express.com.
Employees will select Johns Hopkins University from the
drop-down list of employers, then log into their accounts
using their Social Security number and an eight-digit PIN
that is the middle two digits of their Social Security
number followed by their birth date. (For example, if an
employee's Social Security number is 814-49-5731 and birth
date is July 22, 1948, the PIN would be 49072248.)
To complete the consent form for online delivery of
the original W-2, employees will need to provide an e-mail
address, mailing address and home/work phone number.
Employees may choose at any time to receive their W-2
online. However, any election made on or after Jan. 19,
2004, will be regarded as consent for the next year, so the
2003 W-2 will be mailed. Withdrawal of consent also can be
done at any time.
Those deciding to receive their W-2 in the mail should
review the home address on their last paycheck to be sure
it is correct. Any address changes should be submitted to
their department payroll administrator as soon as
possible.
Questions can be sent to the university's Tax Office
at tax@jhu.edu.