How to Download Employee W-2s (Employer Guide)

A W-2 form summarizes an employee's total earnings, taxes withheld, and other financial details necessary for filing income tax returns. Admins using 7shifts Payroll can view and download employee W-2s directly within 7shifts once they are issued.

Things to know

• Canceled 7shifts Payroll accounts that transitioned to a new provider before the end of 2025 must contact their new provider for W-2 access.
• Mailing fees are $3 per document and are charged by 7shifts in February 2026.
• Employees without paperless consent will receive a physical W-2 at their listed mailing address by the end of February.
• Tax documents are printed and mailed to all terminated employees and contractors to ensure compliance.
• All employees can access their W-2 digitally through their 7shifts account, regardless of paperless consent.

Download W-2s

Once W-2s are issued for the previous calendar year, Admins can follow these steps to download them:

1. Log in to the 7shifts web app as an Admin.
2. In the left navigation bar, head to Payroll > Taxes.
3. Select Employees (W-2).
4. Ensure the correct Tax Year is selected in the dropdown menu.
5. Locate the specific employee and click to download the PDF.
6. Print and distribute the W-2 as needed.
   
   Note: W-2 Copy D is a bulk download available under Payroll > Taxes > Tax Forms for employer record-keeping only. Do not distribute Copy D to employees for tax filing.

Troubleshooting W-2 availability

If an employee's W-2 shows as a "Draft" or is unavailable, review the following causes:

Incorrect employee information

• W-2 generation may be delayed due to errors such as an invalid Social Security number (SSN).
• Update the employee's SSN in their profile to resolve the block.

No payroll in the tax year

• A W-2 will not be generated if the employee was added to 7shifts Payroll but received no payments during that specific tax year.
• An error message when downloading a "Draft" W-2 typically indicates a lack of pay information for that calendar year.