Free Form W-3 Generator Total your W-2s before you file

Enter your employer details and the totals of your Forms W-2, and see them fill in the official W-3 layout as you type. Download or print it to check your figures against payroll and keep a record.

View the form on IRS.gov

How to fill it out: General Instructions for Forms W-2 and W-3

Kind of payer and employer

Check one box in each group. Send each kind of Form W-2 with its own Form W-3.

Kind of payer *

941 944 943 (farm) Household employer CT-1 (railroad) Military Medicare govt. employer

941 or 944: the employment tax return you file, when no other box applies. Household employers check theirs only if the employee’s taxes weren’t on a 941, 943, or 944.

Kind of employer *

None apply 501(c) non-governmental organization State or local government, not 501(c) State or local government with a 501(c)(3) determination letter Federal government

Third-party sick pay Only if you’re a third-party sick pay payer, or an employer reporting sick pay paid by a third party, with that box checked on the W-2s.

Employer

Use the same name, EIN, and address as on your Forms 941, 943, 944, CT-1, or Schedule H.

Box c · Total number of Forms W-2 *

Completed W-2s sent with this W-3. Don’t count voided ones.

Box e · Employer identification number (EIN) *

Box f · Employer’s name *

Street address *

Suite (optional)

City *

State *

ZIP code *

Control number, establishment number, other EIN Optional

Box a · Control number (optional)

Your own number for this transmittal, if you use one.

Box d · Establishment number (optional)

Identifies a separate establishment of your business, if you file a W-3 for each one.

Box h · Other EIN used this year (optional)

An EIN, including a prior owner’s, that you used on 2026 Forms 941, 943, 944, or CT-1 and that differs from box e.

Totals from your Forms W-2

Add up each box across the W-2s you’re sending, leaving out voided ones. Leave a box blank if it doesn’t apply.

Box 1 · Wages, tips, other compensation *

Box 2 · Federal income tax withheld

Box 3 · Social security wages

Box 4 · Social security tax withheld

Box 5 · Medicare wages and tips

Box 6 · Medicare tax withheld

Tips, benefits, deferred compensation (boxes 7–14) Optional

Box 7 · Social security tips

Box 8 · Allocated tips

Box 10 · Dependent care benefits

Box 11 · Nonqualified plans

Box 12a · Deferred compensation

The total of W-2 box 12 amounts with codes D through H, S, Y, AA, BB, and EE. No code. Other box 12 codes aren’t totaled on the W-3.

Box 14 · Income tax withheld by payer of third-party sick pay

Only employers whose employees had federal income tax withheld from third-party sick pay. It’s also part of box 2.

State and local totals

Leave this step blank if your W-2s show no state or local wages.

My W-2s cover more than one state Box 15 then shows an X and no state ID number.

Box 15 · State (optional)

Employer’s state ID number (optional)

Box 16 · State wages, tips, etc.

Box 17 · State income tax

Box 18 · Local wages, tips, etc.

Box 19 · Local income tax

Contact and signature

The SSA uses the contact details if it has questions about your wage report.

Employer’s contact person (optional)

Employer’s telephone number (optional)

Employer’s email address (optional)

Employer’s fax number (optional)

Signature

Draw Type

Sign here

Title (optional)

Date (optional)

0 of 6 required

Preview

0 of 6 required

Complete the required fields to download or print your W-3.

Still needed:

Downloaded. Use it to check your W-2 totals against your 941s and keep it with Copy D of your W-2s. Don’t mail this printout: the SSA accepts only the official red W-3 on paper, and if you file W-2s online through its Business Services Online, no W-3 is needed. Still need the W-2s? Open the W-2 generator

View the form on IRS.gov

How to fill it out: General Instructions for Forms W-2 and W-3

Disclaimer: forms.app provides this W-3 generator and the form layout it fills as a free courtesy. The result is for preparing and checking your totals and for your records: the Social Security Administration accepts only the official red, scannable Form W-3 on paper, and a copy printed from a website can’t be filed. forms.app is not affiliated with the Internal Revenue Service or the Social Security Administration, doesn’t file wage reports for you, and doesn’t provide tax, legal, or payroll advice. You are responsible for accurate totals and for filing on time. Find the latest Form W-3 and its instructions at irs.gov/FormW3. If you’re unsure how to report, talk to a tax professional. Found something on this page that’s wrong or out of date? Let us know.

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Understanding Form W-3

Form W-3, Transmittal of Wage and Tax Statements, is the summary an employer sends to the Social Security Administration with paper Copy A of its Forms W-2. It shows the kind of payer and employer, how many W-2s are enclosed, and the totals of their wage, tax, and state boxes.

It only exists for paper filing. Employers who file W-2s electronically through the SSA’s Business Services Online don’t send one; its W-2 Online service creates the W-3 for them. On paper, the SSA scans the official red form, so a W-3 printed from a website, including this one, can’t be mailed in. Either way, keep a copy of your W-3 with your W-2 records for at least four years.

Filling out Form W-3 step by step

Pick your kind of payer and kind of employer, then enter the number of W-2s, your EIN, and the name and address you use on Forms 941, 943, 944, CT-1, or Schedule H. Add the totals of boxes 1 to 8, 10, and 11, the deferred compensation that belongs in box 12a, and your state and local totals. Contact details and a signature come last.

The figures appear on the official layout as you type, which makes it easy to compare them with your payroll records and employment tax returns before you file. Download the PDF or print it for your files. Need the W-2s too? Use the W-2 generator, or see all tax form generators.

Answers to common Form W-3 questions

Can I mail the W-3 I make here to the SSA?

No. The SSA reads paper Forms W-3 and Copy A of Forms W-2 by machine, and versions printed from a website can’t be scanned; filing them may lead to a penalty. Order the official red forms at IRS.gov/OrderForms, or file online. Use this version to prepare and check your totals.

Do I need a W-3 if I file W-2s online?

No. When you e-file Forms W-2 with the SSA through Business Services Online, either with W-2 Online or a file upload, you don’t file a separate W-3. W-2 Online creates the electronic W-3 for you.

When is Form W-3 due?

It goes to the SSA together with Copy A of your Forms W-2. For 2026 wages, that’s February 1, 2027, whether you file on paper or online.

Where do I mail a paper W-3?

To the Social Security Administration, Direct Operations Center, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18769-0001 (ZIP 18769-0002 for certified mail). Send the whole W-3 page with the whole Copy A pages of your W-2s, don’t staple them, and don’t include any payment.

Which kind of payer and kind of employer should I check?

Check one of each. Most businesses check 941 (or 944 if that’s the return they file) and None apply. Farm employers check 943 for agricultural workers, railroads check CT-1, and household employers check Hshld. emp. if the taxes weren’t on a 941, 943, or 944. Tax-exempt organizations and government employers use the matching kind-of-employer box. Different kinds of W-2s go with separate W-3s.

What goes in box 12a?

The total of every W-2 box 12 amount reported with codes D through H, S, Y, AA, BB, and EE, without a code. Amounts with the other box 12 codes aren’t reported on Form W-3.

Do the totals need to match my Forms 941?

They should. Boxes 2, 3, 5, and 7 of your W-3s should agree with the yearly totals on your Forms 941, 943, 944, CT-1 (box 2 only), or Schedule H. If they don’t, the IRS or SSA may contact you, so keep your reconciliation records.

What if my W-2s cover more than one state?

Enter an X under State in box 15 and leave the state ID number blank; the generator does this when you tick the option in step 4. In boxes 16 to 19, report each total as one sum across all states and localities.

Is my information safe?

Yes. Your entries never leave your browser. The PDF is generated on your device, and forms.app doesn’t upload or store your EIN or totals. Save your PDF before closing the page, because nothing is kept.

Is the W-3 generator free?

Yes. Use it as often as you like at no cost, with no account required.

Your W-3 isn’t ready to print yet

Fill in the required fields on the page (kind of payer and employer, number of W-2s, EIN, employer’s name and address, and the box 1 total), then print again.

Form W-3 preview Click any box to edit it