Payroll W-2 Forms

If you use MacNail Accounting 3.4 to keep track of your payroll, it will also print W-2 forms for you, using information that is already stored in your payroll files.

NOTE-- In 2000, we replaced MacNail with Goldenseal construction payroll software. Goldenseal is an integrated program that includes general accounting, job costing, payroll and project billing, plus estimating and other features. It includes a much better payroll system, which also prints W2 forms.

To print W-2 forms in MacNail payroll software, follow these steps:
1. During the tax year, use MacNail Accounting to generate a Payroll Report for each pay period. Once you've checked each Payroll Report, choose Update Payroll Files to enter that period's payroll information into the Payroll File for each of employee (see previous section). If you start using MacNail in mid-year, you'll also need to enter year-to-date amounts (see page 15).

NOTE: W-2 forms will only be printed for those employees with a taxable income of greater than zero dollars. Employees who do not get payroll withholding (set with a burden of 1 in the Master Index, or set with FALSE in the withhold? column of the Employee Index) will not be given a W-2 form. If they should receive a W-2 even though they had no withholding for the year, put a very small number into the taxable column of their Payroll File, and a W-2 form will be created for them.

2. To have the MacNail Accounting software print correct names and addresses for each employee, fill out that information in the Master Addresses file (see page 24). To create a Master Addresses file, choose Update Addresses from the Data menu. To enter information about each employee, choose Master Addresses from the MacNail menu to open the file, then type in each employee's full name, address, and social security number.

3. Before printing W-2 forms, you'll need to physically prepare the forms you get from IRS or another source. If you are using a laser printer or ink-jet printer, physically separate the forms and remove the 'tractor feed' tab. In the print dialog, print 4 copies of each form.
IMPORTANT: If using the IRS forms, you must use Manual Feed, since the forms are not a standard paper size. Refer to your printer documentation for instructions on the printing of non-standard page size.

4. If you are using a dot-matrix printer, you can either physically separate the forms and hand-feed multiple copies, or insert carbon paper between the forms and print just once.
NOTE: The forms available from IRS are not as well-suited for computer printing as are commercial W-2 forms from NEBS and other sources. Because of spacing differences in different Excel versions, different System versions, and different printers, you may need to adjust the W-2 Print file slightly to get it to line up correctly on the forms. See page 30 for more about changing forms to match your printing requirements.

5. At the end of the year, double check each Payroll File to make sure you didn't miss any pay periods. Then choose Make a W-2 File from the Format menu.

6. Type in your company name, as you'd like to have it printed on each W-2 form. Also type in your address, and tax ID numbers. The W-2 blank that will be used to print W-2 forms is listed. To change it to a different W-2 blank, click the Change button.
NOTE: the MacNail payroll software comes with two different W-2 blanks-- the Laserwriter W-2 Blank is designed to print on laser and ink-jet printers, and the Imagewriter W-2 Blank is designed to print on dot-matrix printers.

7. Type in the year for which you'd like the W-2 reports to be made-- last year's date will be shown as a default. You should also type in your state's name. If you have been withholding local taxes, also type in the name of your local taxing district.

8. MacNail will open each employee's Payroll File, and look up gross wages, withholding amounts, and other data for the year. It will then transfer that information to a W-2 printing file which you will use to actually print on the W-2 forms. When the process is finished, you will be shown a standard Print dialog, where you can specify the number of copies to print. You can print immediately, or click Cancel and check over the W-2 form before printing it.