Chapter 4
Employee's Social Security Number (SSN)

You are required to get each employee's name and SSN and to enter them on Form W-2. (This requirement also applies to resident and nonresident alien employees.) You should ask your employee to show you his or her social security card. The employee is required to show the card if it is available. You may, but are not required to, photocopy the social security card if the employee provides it. If you do not provide the correct employee name and SSN on Form W-2, you may owe a penalty.

Any employee without a social security card can get one by completing Form SS-5, Application for a Social Security Card. You can get this form at Social Security Administration (SSA) offices or by calling 1-800-772-1213. Form SS-5 can also be obtained from the SSA Web Site at www.ssa.gov. The employee must complete and sign Form SS-5; it cannot be filed by the employer. If your employee applied for an SSN but does not have it when you must file Form W-2, enter "Applied for" on the form. When the employee receives the SSN, file Form W-2c, Corrected Wage and Tax Statement, to show the employee's SSN and furnish a copy to the employee.

Note: Record the name and number of each employee exactly as they are shown on the employee's social security card. If the employee's name is not correct as shown on the card (for example, because of marriage or divorce), the employee should request a new card from the SSA. Continue to use the old name until the employee shows you the new social security card with the new name.

If your employee was given a new social security card to show his or her correct name and number after an adjustment to his or her alien residence status, correct your records and show the new information on Form W-2. If you filed Form W-2 for the same employee in prior years under the old name and SSN, file Form W-2c to correct the name and number. Use a separate Form W-2c to correct each prior year and furnish a copy of each Form W-2c to the employee. Advise the employee to contact the local SSA office no earlier than 9 months after the Form W-2c is filed to ensure that the records were updated.

IRS individual taxpayer identification numbers (ITINs) for aliens. A resident or nonresident alien may request an ITIN for tax purposes if he or she does not have and is not eligible to get an SSN. Possession of an ITIN does not change an individual's employment or immigration status under U.S. law. Do not accept an ITIN in place of an SSN for employee identification or for work.

An individual with an ITIN who later becomes eligible to work in the United States must obtain an SSN.

Verification of social security numbers. The Social Security Administration (SSA) offers employers and authorized reporting agents two methods for verifying employee SSNs. Both methods match employee names and SSNs.

• Telephone verification. To verify up to five names and numbers, call 1-800-772-6270. To verify up to 50 names and numbers, contact your local social security office.
• Large volume verification. The Enumeration Verification Service (EVS) may be used to verify more than 50 employee names and SSNs. Preregistration is required for EVS or for requests made on magnetic media. For more information, call the EVS information line at 410-965-7140 or visit SSA's Web Site for Employers at www.ssa.gov/employer.

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