New York SBDC Research Network

From the Social Security Administration : April is National Social Security Month. Handle your small business needs through the Social Security Administration’s online suite of Business Services. See what you can do online! The Business Services Online Suite of Services allows organizations, businesses, individuals, employers, attorneys, non-attorneys representing Social Security claimants, and third-parties to exchange information with Social Security securely over the internet. You must register and create your own password to access Business Services Online. The Complete Phone Registration option is provided to individuals who began their Business Services Online registration by phone and need to create a password. List of Services include: Request a replacement Social Security card Apply for Social Security benefits Get your Social Security Statement Appeal a decision Find out if you qualify for benefits Estimate your future benefits Get a letter saying you don

From the Social Security Administration: The new tax filing deadline for both paper and electronic W-2s is now January 31st. Don’t wait until the last minute. Start filing early since Business Services Online (BSO) experiences delays when there is a high volume, especially at the end of the month. Specifications for Filing Forms W-2 and W-2c Electronically (EFW2/EFW2C) Dates to Remember December 12, 2016 - BSO is available for accepting Tax Year 2016, prior year files, and W-2 Online inputs. January 1, 2017 - Update payroll systems to reflect the 2017 wage base rates. Visit 2017 Cola Factsheet January 31, 2017 -Deadline for filing paper and electronic W-2s, AND Deadline for providing W-2s to employees. Use AccuWage to Test Your Wage Reports before Filing with Social Security AccuWage is Social Security's free service that allows you to test your wage reports before you upload them to Social Security. AccuWage reads the file and informs you of any formatting errors i

From CBS News MoneyWatch Unless you've been sleeping in a cave for the past few decades, you're probably aware that Social Security has some funding challenges due to the aging of the baby boomers and the slowing of the economy. Now you can learn how to shore up Social Security by using AARP's online tool, Strengthen Social Security . This easy-to-use program allows you to "play lawmaker" and make various adjustments to benefits and contributions. It then shows you how much of the Social Security deficit could be reduced by making your various changes.

According to the Bizjournals.com website and the Business Review newsweekly, employers must begin using a revised I-9 work eligibility verification form for new employees by December 26, 2007. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service revised it to update the types of documents that can be used. "The new form also instructs employees that they don't have to include their Social Security number on the form unless they used their Social Security card as evidence of their work eligibility or unless their employer participates in the E-Verify program. Employers in this voluntary program electronically check a new worker's Social Security or visa number against government databases." In other employer news from the US government, the Department of Homeland Security plans to revise its new regulation that would require employers to fire employees if they can't resolve discrepancies between the Social Security numbers submitted by workers and government records. "