W-3 and 1096 forms

If you're an employee looking for your W-2, please refer to this article. If you're a contractor looking for your 1099, refer to this article.

Form W-3

Cover sheet Form W-3 is a federal form that is required to be filed with paper copies of the Form W-2 to the Social Security Administration (SSA)—it is not required to be filed with electronically filed W-2s, so while we make it available for you to review, we do not file the form as Gusto always files electronically. 

Heads up—we won't correct or update the W-3

Since Gusto files most federal W-2s electronically, if there are changes or corrections to W-2s, you won’t see changes on the W-3. At this time, we won't update the form for any reason.

Get your W-3 from Gusto

  1. Click the Taxes & compliance section and select Tax documents.
  2. Click the W-2 tab.
  3. Once forms are final, click Annual W-2 records—while forms are still drafts, you'll need to click Download 2022 draft W-2s.
  4. Select the year and then click Download.
  5. Open the zip file that's downloaded and locate the form titled US_W_3_ Company_name.

Note: Some states and local agencies may require an Annual Reconciliation along with Form W-2 filings—we'll file an Annual Reconciliation if required.

Form 1096

Cover sheet Form 1096 is filed to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) along with paper copies of Forms 1099. Because Gusto files Forms 1099 electronically to the IRS, we do not file Form 1096.

For states that require a paper copy of the 1096 to be filed with the state copies of Forms 1099, Gusto will file a paper Form 1096 if required.

Heads up—we won't correct or update the 1096

Since Gusto files most federal 1099s electronically, if there are changes or corrections to 1099s, you won’t see changes on the 1096. At this time, we won't update the form for any reason.

Administrators can locate cover sheet 1096 in Gusto by following these steps:

  1. Click the Taxes & compliance section and select Tax documents.
  2. Click the 1099 tab.
  3. Once forms are final, click Annual 1099 records, select the year, then click Download.
    • If the forms are still drafts, you'll need to click Download 2022 draft 1099s instead.
  4. Open the downloaded zip file folder—the 1096 will be listed in this folder as 01_1096.pdf.
    • If you downloaded the draft 1099 forms to a zip file, the form will be listed in the folder as US_1099_ Company_name.