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Toast Payroll: Manage the Form W-2 Experience

Do you have a question regarding a W2? Find your answers here.

Written by Agent Support Bot

Form W-2 Overview

A Form W-2 is a federal form filed with the IRS and provided to employees with their wage information and taxes withheld from those wages throughout the calendar year. This form is one document used by individuals to file taxes annually. Toast cannot advise on tax withholding or tax filing processes; employers and employees alike should consult an accountant or tax professional with questions regarding their tax situation.

This six-minute video teaches employees where their Form W-2 is in Toast Payroll and how to understand the information on it.


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Form W-2 Preparation

The last day to make changes that will affect Form W-2s is Tuesday, January 6, 2026. This means that any changes made on or after January 7, 2026 will not take effect for the 2025 calendar year, including updates to the Form W-2 or Form W-4. Here's a few things you may need to visit to prepare for Form W-2s (this list is by no means comprehensive; contact a CPA or tax pro for advice specific to your circumstances):

Verify or Update SSN

Verify or Update SSN

Accurate Social Security numbers (SSNs) are crucial to tax filing. Inaccurate or missing SSNs may result in inaccurate tax filings, tax filings not being accepted by state tax agencies, and/or financial penalties for employers. See Toast Payroll: Social Security Number (SSN) Information Policy for more details.

Accurate Social Security numbers (SSNs) are crucial to tax filing. Inaccurate or missing SSNs may result in inaccurate tax filings, tax filings not being accepted by state tax agencies, and/or financial penalties for employers. See Toast Payroll: Social Security Number (SSN) Information Policy for more details.

Employees:

  • Log in to Toast Payroll. Verify your SSN on-file by navigating to My Profile > Profile and selecting Retrieve SSN. Select Yes for business reasons and then select the eyeball icon.

    • If the SSN is correct, no further action is necessary.

    • If the SSN is not correct, select Close and choose the Edit button from the top-right side of the screen. Then scroll to the Social security number field and enter an accurate SSN. Select Save changes.

HR+ Users:

  • View which employees are missing their SSN by navigating to Taxes. Locate any tasks with the format [Employee name] has not provided their Social Security Number in this Tax Center and use the Provide link to enter an SSN into an employee's profile.

  • Encourage your employees to verify their SSN on-file to reduce the risk of inaccurate Form W-2s.

Update Form W-4

Update Form W-4

At any point throughout the year, an employee can make changes to the settings of their federal Form W-4 or other applicable state tax forms. Updates to the forms will adjust the taxes withheld from wages according to the new settings. The updated settings will impact the withholdings on any future payroll, but does not change any past withholdings. Tax amounts withheld throughout the year appear on a Form W-2.

At any point throughout the year, an employee can make changes to the settings of their federal Form W-4 or other applicable state tax forms. Updates to the forms will adjust the taxes withheld from wages according to the new settings. The updated settings will impact the withholdings on any future payroll, but does not change any past withholdings. Tax amounts withheld throughout the year appear on a Form W-2.

Employees:

  • Log in and navigate to My Profile > Taxes & Documents > Tax Forms tab.

  • Use the hyperlinked Form W-4s to make your edits. Form W-4 edits are not retroactive, so any edits you make will only apply to future payrolls.

Managers and HR+ Users:

  • For security reasons, only the individual themselves is allowed to update their own Form W-4.

Update Form W-2 Delivery Method for Individuals

Update Form W-2 Delivery Method for Individuals

Employees:

  • To check or change your selection of a paper or electronic Form W-2, log in to Toast Payroll and select View taxes & documents. Select Edit, make your selection, and e-sign within the box. This must be done prior to the last payroll of the tax year or it will not take effect for that year.

Managers and HR+ Users:

  • Managers can edit an active employee’s election on behalf of the employee by navigating to Reports > Tax Filing > Year End Documents. Select the checkbox for the employee(s) you wish to edit and select the yellow Edit button at the bottom of the page.

  • Companies are responsible for providing a paper Form W-2 to employees who did not consent to an electronic Form W-2. Read more about the IRS regulations on Furnishing Form W-2 to Employees Electronically.

Set Form W-2 Printing Method for the Company

Set Form W-2 Printing Method for the Company

HR+ Users:

In addition to employee delivery selections noted just above, HR+ users can toggle how they receive Form W-2s for employees who elected for a paper copy. Employers can choose to print the forms themselves or have Toast print them for a fee plus standard shipping costs. Your company will be responsible for distributing them individually either way. Toast cannot email or mail Form W-2s to employees since the form contains the employee's entire SSN.

  • To make a selection, navigate to Taxes and locate the toggle in the Tax Center. You can change this setting beginning in April of each year and it will lock after submitting your last payroll of each year.

    • When this toggle is set to Print yourself, Toast will create PDF files containing the Form W-2s for employees who elected to receive a paper copy. On January 19th, 2025, navigate back to Taxes and select the 2024 Paper W-2s button. This will download a PDF file of all paper-opted Form W-2s that you can print yourself.

    • When set to Mail to business, Toast Payroll will print the forms for $5 per form plus standard shipping fees and send them to the address listed on this page. A single package of printed Form W-2s will be delivered for each FEIN. Toast cannot ship Form W-2s directly to your employees.

    • This toggle will not be available if all staff members of your company have opted into electronic Form W-2s.

HR+ Users:

In addition to employee delivery selections noted just above, HR+ users can toggle how they receive Form W-2s for employees who elected for a paper copy. Employers can choose to print the forms themselves or have Toast print them for a fee plus standard shipping costs. Your company will be responsible for distributing them individually either way. Toast cannot email or mail Form W-2s to employees since the form contains the employee's entire SSN.

  • To make a selection, navigate to Taxes and locate the toggle in the Tax Center. You can change this setting beginning in April of each year and it will lock after submitting your last payroll of each year.

    • When this toggle is set to Print yourself, Toast will create PDF files containing the Form W-2s for employees who elected to receive a paper copy. On January 19th, 2025, navigate back to Taxes and select the 2024 Paper W-2s button. This will download a PDF file of all paper-opted Form W-2s that you can print yourself.

    • When set to Mail to business, Toast Payroll will print the forms for $5 per form plus standard shipping fees and send them to the address listed on this page. A single package of printed Form W-2s will be delivered for each FEIN. Toast cannot ship Form W-2s directly to your employees.

    • This toggle will not be available if all staff members of your company have opted into electronic Form W-2s.


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Receive Form W-2s

After January 6, 2026, Toast will close out the year to begin filing and generating Form W-2s.

When Form W-2s are Available

When Form W-2s are Available

Form W-2s will be uploaded to the Toast Payroll system on Monday, January 19, 2026. You can post a notice in a high-traffic area of your restaurant regarding when and where employees may access their Form W-2. If you opted for Toast to print your paper Form W-2s, you can expect them to arrive at one central location for your business on or around January 19, 2026.

Form W-2s will be uploaded to the Toast Payroll system on Monday, January 19, 2026. You can post a notice in a high-traffic area of your restaurant regarding when and where employees may access their Form W-2. If you opted for Toast to print your paper Form W-2s, you can expect them to arrive at one central location for your business on or around January 19, 2026.

Locate and Download Form W-2s

Locate and Download Form W-2s

Employees and Former Employees:

  • If you opted into a paper Form W-2, you will receive this from your employer.

  • There are two ways to find your electronic Form W-2 on or after January 19, 2026:

  • This electronic version can be used to file your annual taxes. Electronic Form W-2s are available to all employees, whether or not you opted into an electronic or paper Form W-2.

  • To keep your information secure, Toast cannot send Form W-2s to an employee's email or home address.

HR+ Users:

  • Navigate to the Tax Center by selecting Taxes.

  • If any of your staff opted into a paper Form W-2, you'll see a 2025 Paper W-2s button in the banner at the top of the page. It's your responsibility to deliver a paper copy to each employee in this file. The SSA deadline for delivering or postmarking these forms to employees is Saturday, January 31, 2026.

  • If you'd also like the Form W-2s for employees who opted into an electronic copy, select the download icon (downward arrow) in the Employees opting for electronic W-2s tile. However, you are not responsible for distributing Form W-2s to employees who opted for an electronic copy.

Print Form W-2s

Print Form W-2s

Form W-2s may be printed on standard paper with standard printer settings. You can select to print directly from the PDF and it should print correctly.

Form W-2s may be printed on standard paper with standard printer settings. You can select to print directly from the PDF and it should print correctly.

Distribute Form W-2s

Distribute Form W-2s

Employers:

  • As a reminder, you only need to distribute Form W-2s to employees who opted into a paper copy. Employees who opted into an electronic copy can retrieve their Form W-2s themselves by following the instructions in Toast Payroll: Find Your Form W-2 (For Employees).

  • The format of Toast Payroll Form W-2's left-aligns both the company and employee addresses. If you have any current or former employees who opted into a paper Form W-2, you can use a common style of envelopes to mail them their form, if necessary.

Employers:

  • As a reminder, you only need to distribute Form W-2s to employees who opted into a paper copy. Employees who opted into an electronic copy can retrieve their Form W-2s themselves by following the instructions in Toast Payroll: Find Your Form W-2 (For Employees).

  • The format of Toast Payroll Form W-2's left-aligns both the company and employee addresses. If you have any current or former employees who opted into a paper Form W-2, you can use a common style of envelopes to mail them their form, if necessary.


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Use Form W-2s

Once you have your Form W-2, you may be ready to file taxes. You may also need other documents to file.

Read Your Form W-2

Read Your Form W-2

  • If you want to better understand the information on your Form W-2, a short resource for reading and interpreting it can be found by visiting Toast Payroll: Understand Your Form W-2. Toast Payroll cannot advise on an individual's specific tax or filing situation. Contact an accountant or tax professional for more assistance.

  • NEW! The One Big Beautiful Bill allows for individual tax deductions on tip and overtime premium amounts for eligible employees when filing their personal income taxes. Learn more by reading Toast Payroll: No Taxes on Tips and/or Overtime.

  • NEW! Be aware of the possible federal tax benefits. See Notice 797.

  • If you want to better understand the information on your Form W-2, a short resource for reading and interpreting it can be found by visiting Toast Payroll: Understand Your Form W-2. Toast Payroll cannot advise on an individual's specific tax or filing situation. Contact an accountant or tax professional for more assistance.

  • NEW! The One Big Beautiful Bill allows for individual tax deductions on tip and overtime premium amounts for eligible employees when filing their personal income taxes. Learn more by reading Toast Payroll: No Taxes on Tips and/or Overtime.

  • NEW! Be aware of the possible federal tax benefits. See Notice 797.

Errors on the Form W-2

Errors on the Form W-2

Employees:

  • If you find an error on a Form W-2, contact your manager or HR team. Toast Payroll cannot directly assist employees with these issues.

HR+ Users:

  • If the employee's name or address is in error, this can typically be corrected without an amendment or fee.

  • If the error lies with the employee's social security number or a wage/deduction/tax amount, an amendment and fee may be required.

Other Questions

Other Questions

If questions about filing taxes arise, Toast Payroll cannot offer advice about how to file or why numbers calculate the way they do. It may be helpful to contact an accountant/tax professional or review these publications:

If questions about filing taxes arise, Toast Payroll cannot offer advice about how to file or why numbers calculate the way they do. It may be helpful to contact an accountant/tax professional or review these publications:


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FAQ

When are Form W-2s available?

The 2025 Form W-2s will be available in Toast Payroll on Monday, January 19, 2026.

What do I need to know about the One Big Beautiful Bill and how it affects my tax filing?

The One Big Beautiful Act has "no taxes on tips" and "no taxes on overtime" provisions. This means individual employee tax deductions are available for eligible employees when they file their 2025 personal income tax return in 2026. To aid in this personal tax filing, Toast payroll has indicated these tip amounts and overtime premium amounts on employee profiles in Toast Payroll under My Profile > Taxes & Documents > Year End Documents. Toast Payroll: No Tax on Tips and/or Overtime offers more information. See an accountant or tax professional for advice.

How can employees download their Form W-2 or other year-end documents?

There's two ways an employee can retrieve their Form W-2 on or after January 19, 2026. These instructions apply to active and terminated employees. Note: Check out Toast Payroll: Access Year End Docs - Obteniendo Su Documentos de Impuestos del Fin de Año en Toast Payroll for instructions in Spanish.

MyToast Method

    1. If you haven't already, download the MyToast app on your iOS or Android device. Scan this QR code to be taken straight to the download page.
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      QR code to download the MyToast app


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    2. Log into the app with your Toast email address and password.

    3. Navigate to Pay > Access tax forms (W2s).

    4. Select a Form W-2 to open and/or download.

Toast Payroll Method

    1. Log in to Toast Payroll and select Download from the blue banner at the top.

    2. You will see your Form W-2s and 1095-Cs (if you're enrolled in health insurance). Select a hyperlinked form to view, download, and/or print it. If your forms do not automatically download, confirm your pop-up blocker is turned off.
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      Year End Documents tab displaying Form W-2s and 1095-Cs for download


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    3. You can check your Form W-2 delivery method (paper or electronic) on this page as well. If you'd like to change this election, this setting must be locked in before the last payroll of the year; otherwise it will not take effect until the following year-end season. To change your election, select Edit, check either the Paper or Electronic box, and e-sign within the box before selecting Save.

The only reasons active and terminated employees might not be able to access Form W-2s are cases where login credentials are entered incorrectly or the company has terminated their contract with Toast Payroll and moved to an alternate payroll provider, in which case that new provider will provide Form W-2s for that calendar year.
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I lost my paper Form W-2. What now?

No matter your election status (paper or electronic), you can always get a digital Form W-2 from the MyToast app by logging in, selecting Pay > Access tax forms (W-2s), and opening a Form W-2. If you want to print your Form W-2, log into Toast Payroll and select Download from the blue banner at the top. You can now select a hyperlinked form on that page.
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How will former employees access their Form W-2?

Former employees will be able to follow the same process as active employees. If they have trouble logging in to the MyToast app or Toast Payroll due to an error received or a misplaced email address and/or password, an employer may need to resend the invite link due to changes Toast made for account and login security.
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Can an employee receive their Form W-2 directly from Toast?

To protect an employee's personal information such as SSN and yearly wages, Toast Payroll cannot send a Form W-2 to an employee via email or paper mail. They will be available in MyToast and the Toast Payroll system for distribution.
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While filing, I received an error message. Why?

There are two error messages that employees may receive when filing with companies such as Turbo Tax and FreeTaxUSA:

  • "It looks like you're due a refund from your employer. Your employer withheld too much Social Security tax from your wages in 2025."

    • It could be that a box was left blank or incorrectly entered. Make sure to fill in all required information.

    • Wages and tips are accounted for in Box 3 and Box 7. Read about this error and the solution on the Turbo Tax website here.

  • Box D/Control Number missing

    • Box D is the identification number of who prepared the form. Enter "12345 67890" (space included) and it will let you proceed.

What is the Tax Center?

The Tax Center is a Toast Payroll hub which contains tasks to be completed to help enable a successful quarterly and annual tax filing. By frequently checking the Tax Center and completing these tasks, you can plan for upcoming payroll tax filings and ensure Toast Payroll has the items necessary for your payroll tax filings. Navigate to Taxes in the left-hand navigation of Toast Payroll. Visit Toast Payroll: Manage Payroll Taxes for more information.


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Additional Resources


​This content is for informational purposes and is not intended as legal, tax, HR, or any other professional advice. Please contact an attorney or other professional for specific advice.

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