W-4 Form and Electronic Signatures

affinityplus

I have found some conflicting information when I reseach the option to have new and existing employees electronically sign W-4 forms. We are moving to a paperless HR and we are hoping that we can have electronic signatures on the W-4 form. Does anyone have any information about this or know where I can go to get an official answer.

 Thanks.

akelly201

You can submit Form W-4 electronically, but the state law may vary.  You'd want to check with your State office on their electronic requirements for their withholding form.  I've copied the link and the specific section from the IRS below.  There are some specific requirements you have to meet in order to file the form electronically. 

 I hope this information helps!

 http://www.irs.gov/publications/p15a/ar01.html

Electronic submission
of Forms W-4, W-4P, W-4S and W-4V. You may set up a system to electronically
receive any or all of the following forms (and their Spanish versions, if
available) from an employee or payee.

• Form W-4, Employee's Withholding Allowance Certificate.

• Form W-4P, Withholding Certificate for Pension or Annuity Payments.

• Form W-4S, Request for Federal Income Tax Withholding From Sick Pay.

• Form W-4V, Voluntary Withholding Request.

For each form that you establish an electronic submission system
for, you must meet each of the following five requirements.

1. The electronic system must ensure that the information received by the payer
   is the information sent by the payee. The system must document all occasions of
   user access that result in a submission. In addition, the design and operation
   of the electronic system, including access procedures, must make it reasonably
   certain that the person accessing the system and submitting the form is the
   person identified on the form.

2. The electronic system must provide exactly the same information as the paper
   form.

3. The electronic submission must be signed with an electronic signature by the
   payee whose name is on the form. The electronic signature must be the final
   entry in the submission.

4. Upon request, you must furnish a hard copy of any completed electronic form
   to the IRS and a statement that, to the best of the payer's knowledge, the
   electronic form was submitted by the named payee. The hard copy of the
   electronic form must provide exactly the same information as, but need not be a
   facsimile of, the paper form. For Form W-4, the signature must be under penalty
   of perjury, and must contain the same language that appears on the paper version
   of the form. The electronic system must inform the employee that he or she must
   make a declaration contained in the perjury statement and that the declaration
   is made by signing the Form W-4.

5. You must also meet all recordkeeping requirements that apply to the paper
   forms.

For more information, see:

• Form W-4—Regulations sections 31.3402(f)(5)-1(c).

• Forms W-4P, W-4S, and W-4V—Announcement 99-6. You can find Announcement 99-6
  on page 24 of Internal Revenue Bulletin 1999-4 at
  www.irs.gov/pub/irs-irbs/irb99-04.pdf.