Is this illegal? Is this a loophole? Or just insane?

[Going through 5,671]

I figured this is the best place for this question---yes, it's tax related, but no, not immigration related----so into Off Topic it goes!

 

I work for a rather large national company (translation:  I work for a huge big-box corporation that treats their employees like dirt, but I stay 'cause I like the actual people I work with).

Normally, nothing surprises me about how low they'll go to make sure their employees feel even lower (oh, I could tell you harrowing tales regarding their policies!)----but I just got a *bit* of a shock, even for what I know of them.

 

The company I work for allows us to access an employee online portal to request whether we'd like our 2017 W2 mailed, faxed, or in downloadable PDF to print at home.

 

Nothing new---this was offered last year for the first time (and also to save the money on some postage charges, I assume, with employees downloading and printing off their W2's.)

 

So I sign on, go through the steps, get ready to request my PDF like I did last year, and then I see written underneath "Order Total:  $7.00"   

I then look under the options for mailing and faxing---yep , "Order Total: $7.00"

 

I can fully understand charging for a replacement W2 but this is not the case here---seriously, a company can charge you money (presumably deducted from your next pay cheque) for an employee to receive their initial W2 form??  And $7 to click a button?? That's gotta be illegal somewhere, somehow....right?

 

 

[TBoneTX 45,223]

It sounds as though accountants are in charge of the company, which is why they're trying to hose you.

 

Call the IRS, ask for a supervisor, inquire, find out, and definitely let us know.  Who knows... perhaps some heads will roll.  

[Going through 5,671]

That's actually a good idea---will call the IRS on  Monday to inquire....I'm sure I'll have a grand ol' time going through their automated system before getting an actual live (hopefully still warm) body.  

[TBoneTX 45,223]

42 minutes ago, Going through said:

That's actually a good idea

Even a blind squirrel stumbles upon an acorn now and then.  

43 minutes ago, Going through said:

going through their automated system

As the computer voice drones at you with the options, yell over it, "I knew that you're nonessential personnel who'd be furloughed during the shutdown!" and a human being will come on the line immediately.  

[Illiria 980]

On 12/28/2018 at 9:04 PM, Going through said:

That's actually a good idea---will call the IRS on  Monday to inquire....I'm sure I'll have a grand ol' time going through their automated system before getting an actual live (hopefully still warm) body.  

Did you find out if this is legal? 

[Going through 5,671]

I forgot all about this thread----  

 

When I phoned and spoke to someone at IRS, they said it was perfectly legal to do so since I would be "requesting" the W2...the key word there being "requesting".  If I wait and elect to NOT pay the $7 to "request" it, then the company must mail out the W2 by Jan. 31st (at no charge since they are required to send me the document).  The lady at IRS also made an off-the-cuff comment about how some companies do this to make extra money because employees don't always know they will get it mailed out for free in the end, anyhow, if they just wait a little bit longer.

 

Several people I work with paid the 7 bucks to get it earlier.  I waited for them to mail it out, instead.  I actually ended up receiving my W2 in the mail on January 25th---and have heard from at least 1 other co-worker who lives nearby that she'd already paid the $7 and downloaded it...then received it in the mail the same day I did, a couple of days later after coughing up the money.

[Prizm123 1,086]

thats pretty low. the execs at your company are garbage and they  deserve to rot in hell.

 

that aside, you could always take a screenshot and paste to a word doc then print to a pdf, then email it to yourself as an attachment

[Going through 5,671]

1 hour ago, Prizm123 said:

thats pretty low. the execs at your company are garbage and they  deserve to rot in hell.

 

that aside, you could always take a screenshot and paste to a word doc then print to a pdf, then email it to yourself as an attachment

There's no screenshot to view prior to payment for those electing to purchase the PDF version.

I just waited for the "regular" one to arrive in the mail to avoid giving the company any money.

[Illiria 980]

Wow, that’s low

[WaterLeaf 200]

This is insane, some companies offer online portal that allow the employee´s to download their W2 for free.