WageFiling LLC — WageFiling.com - CPA Practice Advisor

From the October 2009 Review of W-2/1099
Compliance Systems.

WageFiling.com
is a recent addition to the W-2/1099 marketplace, providing a totally web-based
year-end reporting and compliance solution that can be used by individual businesses
or firms managing these processes for several entities. The system includes
e-filing to the IRS and SSA, as well as full print functionality for producing
forms on blank paper stock. WageFiling.com can support unlimited client payers
and any number of employees or other recipients, and supports all state and
federal filing requirements. Pricing is $3.49 per form for e-file only and $3.99
for combined e-file and print, with payment collected only when a form is filed
or printed. When the combined e-file and print option is selected, the vendor
manages print and mail functions as a service, freeing users from these processes.

USABILITY/NAVIGATION –
After logging into the system, users are presented with a basic client/payer
selection screen that displays company name and form type, options for e-filing
and printing, along with status if forms have not yet been filed or printed.
The system provides options for adding new filers, printing forms (after the
service has been paid for) and checkout (payment). An instruction area offers
step-by-step guidance to the process of adding filers, preparing forms and finalizing
returns. When setting up a new payer client, the entity can only be assigned
one tax form type (such as W-2 or one of the 1099 versions), so for small businesses
likely to have multiple form filing needs, users will need to create a payer
in the system for each form type.

Within a payer’s records, WageFiling.com provides a similarly basic
recipient selection list (neither sortable nor filterable), once again only
for that particular form type, with options for adding payees, changing filer
company or returning to the main menu. When selecting an existing recipient
form or creating a new one, the program immediately opens to a form replica
for the form type and year selected, providing mouse and tab navigation through
the fields. Payer information is automatically completed on the form, but it
does not offer automatic computation of withholding for W-2s or provide other
calculation features. All forms provide access to PDF versions of official instructions.

After completing the checkout process, the program populates transmittal forms
W-3 and 1096 with appropriate data and electronically files them, providing
users with the option to print them as well, if this option has been selected.
Once processed, forms remain accessible to the user for as long as they need
them, allowing reprints or viewing at any time.

REPORTING –
Aside from options for printing compliance forms and recipient copies, WageFiling.com
doesn’t really offer any managerial reporting. Client or recipient lists
can be roughly copied and pasted from the website, but formatting can be difficult.
All e-filing is included in system pricing and, with the combined e-file and
print option, WageFiling.com staff members also take care of printing and mailing
of recipient copies, including postage costs. While the limited reporting options
make the system less suitable for large employers or other filers, the system
should offer enough functionality for the smaller payers (and accountants managing
their reporting processes) for which WageFiling.com is designed.

IMPORT/EXPORT CAPABILITIES –
WageFiling.com does not offer import or export capabilities, although if users
have a PDF print utility installed they can save/print to PDF format. For small
entities with only a few forms and recipients to enter, the lack of import may
not be significant, but that needs to be determined on a case-by-case basis
depending on the needs of the client company.

HELP/SUPPORT –
WageFiling.com is an exceptionally easy-to-use wage and information reporting
system, in part because it doesn’t try to do too many things. It offers
basic reporting tools for smaller payers, including those who file 941, 942,
943 and 944s, but with only a few recipients. The system’s Help utility
is essentially a How Do I list, while other options include a definitions list
and the ability to print sample forms. Live technical assistance is free.

2009 OVERALL RATING: