W-2 and 1099 Frequently Asked Questions

During the 2006 legislative session, the Kansas legislature passed Senate Bill 432 stating that, "if an employer, payer or organization files statements which report withholding information for more than 51 or more employees or payees, the statements will be filed by electronic means." This bill was subsequently signed into law by the Governor. This action is designed to gather withholding information efficiently and effectively.

No. The current law stipulates that entities "which report such withholding information for 51 or more employees or payees" file by electronic means. If you fall below the mandated filing threshold, you can still take advantage of the online tools to file electronically.

Yes. Anyone filing withholding information can file electronically. For smaller companies, using the interface to input individual W-2s will be sufficient. If you a number of employees but do not want to enter the information individually, you can use any major spreadsheet program to create a Comma Separate Value (CSV) file containing all your withholding information then upload the file through the Department's W-2 interface. Information about the fields to be included along with their order can be found on our website, www.ksrevenue.gov/eservw2.html.

There are three primary ways to file withholding information electronically:

  • Online Input Forms - Filers are able to input KW-3, W-2 and 1099 information using online forms. Only fields that are required are enterable.
  • Comma Separated Value (CSV) File Format - Filers can upload W-2 and 1099 reports from correctly formatted CSV files. The fields to be included are outlined in the specification documents available on the Department's web site, www.ksrevenue.gov/eservw2.html.
  • Fixed Width Field File Format - Filers can submit Kansas withholding reports in the same file formats outlined by the Social Security Administration and the Internal Revenue Service. Similar to the CSV process, filers upload fixed width files directly into the Department's web system. File specifications are provided in the "Kansas W-2 Specifications for Electronic Filing" document available on the Department's web site, www.ksrevenue.gov/eservw2.html.

No. Effective Jan. 1, 2007, submitting W-2 and 1099 reports on magnetic media is no longer acceptable. Instead, payers reporting withholding information for 51 or more employees or payees will file W-2 and 1099 reports along with their KW-3E using the department's online withholding application.

In an effort to simplify the filing requirements, the Kansas Department of Revenue has adopted the file layout specification outlined by the Social Security Administration (W-2s) in the Specifications for Filing Forms W2 Electronically (EFW2) publication and the Internal Revenue Service (1099s) publication 1220. For Kansas specific requirements, see the specification documents available on the department's website, www.ksrevenue.gov/eservw2.html.

W-2 and 1099 filing information can be found on the Kansas Department of Revenue web site at www.ksrevenue.gov/eservw2.html. Filers are encouraged to check this web page periodically for updates.

Yes. Our primary goal is to get the information into our system as painlessly and efficiently as possible.  If you have difficulty filing your withholding information through the methods provided, contact the department's Electronic Services unit for assistance.

Intuit QuickBooks has enhanced their desktop software to now create EFW2 files for many states including Kansas. For more information about creating the electronic W-2 file using QuickBooks, Please visit their website.

Yes. Withholding filers are able to submit reports through an interface dedicated to testing file format. The test process will provide structure validity and troubleshooting information. This process will NOT verify the accuracy of the data contained in the test file. To test your file, visit https://www.kdor.ks.gov/Apps/KCSC/WthldUploadValidate.aspx.

No. All Withholding returns are required to be filed electronically.

Yes. All KW-3 returns must be submitted electronically. If you have less than 51 Withholding reports and need to submit them on paper, print and attach a copy of your electronically filed KW-3 to your reports.

No. A method to submit W-2c corrections electronically is not available at this time. Corrections should be submitted using the appropriate paper form.

No. Do NOT send paper forms. When you file electronically, you will receive a confirmation screen with a unique number indicating your forms have been successfully submitted for processing.

Yes. While the department does participate in the Combined Federal / State Filing program, the state has limited options about how information received from the IRS can be used. To be able to track, audit and compare all withholding information, filers must file all withholding reports with the directly with the department.

For Kansas WebFile or Customer Service Center assistance regarding individual income tax, fiduciary, homestead, corporate income, or privilege tax please call 785-368-8222 or e-mail KDOR_IncomeEServ@ks.gov.

For all other Business related Customer Service Center assistance regarding Sales, Withholding, or Miscellaneous taxes please call 785-368-8222 or email KDOR_BusinessTaxEServices@ks.gov.