To print a W-2 in QuickBooks Online, open All apps > Payroll > Payroll taxes, then follow the path for your automated taxes and forms setting, the copy you need, and the form year. Employee copies, employer copies, and archived forms do not all use the same menu.
Choose the right printing path first
These instructions are for U.S. QuickBooks Online Payroll. Before opening a form, identify three things: whether automated taxes and forms are on or off, whether you need employee copies (B, C, and 2) or employer copies (A and D) or a W-3, and whether the form is for the current or previous year or an older archived year. Intuit’s menu paths are described in its W-2 and W-3 printing guide; labels can change, so use the equivalent options shown in your account if they differ.
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| Situation | Where to go |
|---|---|
| Automation off; current or one-year-prior employee or employer copies, or W-3 | Filings > Resources > W-2s |
| Automation on; self-print employee copies for the current or one-year-prior year | Filings > W-2 Copies B, C, 2 > File > Manage W-2s |
| Older archived form, or employer copies/W-3 when automation is on | Filings > Resources > Archived forms and filings |
| Employee printing their own filed W-2 | QuickBooks Workforce |
Print from QuickBooks Online Payroll
Automation is off: current or one-year-prior forms
- Select All apps > Payroll > Payroll taxes.
- Open Filings > Resources > W-2s.
- Find the required employee or form. The list does not include forms for employees who chose paperless delivery; they can access their own forms through Workforce.
- Select View or Manage for the relevant W-3 summary, employee copies B, C, and 2, or employer copies A and D.
- Choose View and print. In the document reader, select the print icon and then Print.
Automation is on: self-print employee copies
- Go to All apps > Payroll > Payroll taxes.
- Open Filings > W-2 Copies B, C, 2 > File > Manage W-2s.
- Select the employees whose forms you need, then select Print.
This path is for employee copies. For employer copies A and D or a W-3, use Filings > Resources > Archived forms and filings, open the required form, and print from the document reader’s toolbar.
Print an older W-2 or W-3
- Go to All apps > Payroll > Payroll taxes.
- Select Filings > Resources > Archived forms and filings.
- Choose a date range or search for the form you need, then select View.
- Print using the document reader’s print control.
Print for records or mail employee copies
Use plain paper for your records or to replace a form an employee lost or did not receive. For a replacement, Intuit says to write “REISSUED STATEMENT” at the top and include a copy of the W-2 instructions. If you are printing official employee copies to mail, use perforated W-2 paper and the paper type configured for QuickBooks; Intuit recommends W-2 kits with envelopes. Check the paper selection before printing, since a layout intended for perforated stock may not align correctly on plain paper.
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If automated taxes and forms are on, you can change the W-2 printing option in Settings > Payroll Settings > Form W-2 printing > Edit, then choose an option and save. Intuit’s guidance says fees apply when it prints and mails paper copies; check the current in-product terms for the applicable fee and deadline.
Let employees download and print their own W-2
An employee needs an invitation to QuickBooks Workforce and a set-up account. They can access a filed form in a browser or the mobile app:
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- Browser: Sign in at workforce.intuit.com, open Documents, select W-2s or Shared Documents, choose the form, and download or print it.
- Mobile app: Tap Taxes or More, select W-2s, tap Download, and choose the form.
Intuit says Workforce users can see the current year and previous two years when their employer used Intuit payroll services for those years. If a form is missing or the employee cannot sign in, they should contact the employer. See Intuit’s Workforce W-2 instructions.
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Intuit’s timing guidance lists January 1 as the employer access date when automated taxes and forms are off, and January 15 when they are on. Employees can view and print through Workforce after the W-2s have been filed. With automation on, Intuit mails paper copies to employees who elected paper delivery unless the employer chooses to print and mail instead; Intuit says the self-print setting must be changed by January 3 to avoid mailing fees. With automation off, the employer prints and sends paper copies for employees who chose paper delivery, with a January 31 postmark date in the cited guide. These dates are year-sensitive; confirm the current filing-season schedule in Intuit’s W-2 timing guidance before relying on them.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Review the form before printing
Check the identifying information and applicable boxes before distributing forms. Intuit recommends reviewing:
- Employer EIN in Box b and business name and address in Box c.
- Employee SSN in Box a, name in Box e, and address in Box f.
- State account numbers in Box 15.
- Applicable health insurance information in Box 12, the retirement-plan checkbox in Box 13, and fringe-benefit descriptions and amounts in Box 14.
Compare wages and taxes with a Payroll Summary or Payroll Details report. Preview amounts may not be final if more payroll runs remain. Intuit explains the review in its W-2 preview guidance.
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