The Social Security Administration now allows companies to verify their employees' social security numbers on-line (click here to access the site). This is useful for avoiding subsequent corrections to employee W-2 forms with a form W-2C, and also ensures that employees are properly credited in the Social Security Administration's earnings database, which impacts their future social security benefits.
To sign up for on-line access to the SSA's verification system, go to www.socialsecurity.gov/bso/welcome.htm and select the Registration link. Press the I Accept button, and enter the required information. The system will issue a personal identification number (PIN). The SSA will also mail an activation code to the company, using the address the Internal Revenue Service has on file from the company's Form 941 (federal tax return) or SS-4 (application for employer identification number).
Once activated in the system, a company can use a low-volume or high-volume method for verifying social security numbers. To use the low-volume method, enter numbers on-line in batches of up to ten. Mandatory data required for each entry are the employer identification number as well as the employee social security number, first name and last name. Optional data entry fields are available for each employee's middle name, suffix, date of birth, and gender.
The high-volume approach can be used for batches of up to 250,000 social security numbers. The exact format of the file to be submitted is located in a user handbook. If submitted as an Excel file, it must be saved as a formatted text (space delimited) *.prn file. Once transmitted to the SSA, they provide a tracking number which acknowledges receipt of the file. The results can be downloaded for viewing, once the SSA has processed the file.
To contact the SSA for more information about this program, call 1-800-772-6270 during normal business hours, or e-mail them at employerinfo@ssa.gov.