Form W-3

Form W-3, the Transmittal of Wage and Tax Statements, is a summary form that accompanies every W-2 an employer submits to the Social Security Administration (SSA) for the year. It totals the wages, tips, compensation, Social Security wages, Medicare wages, and taxes withheld across all those W-2s, so the SSA has accurate, up-to-date payroll records for both employees and employers.

Employers have to file Form W-3 along with the W-2 forms by January 31 each year, whether electronically or on paper.

Employees never deal with the W-3 form directly, but it still matters for payroll compliance and keeping accurate records for Social Security and IRS reporting.