Controller's Office

• Current employees/students – Your Form W-2 will be delivered to your department/Smith Union box by January 31^st.
• Former employees – Your Form W-2 will be mailed to the address on file by January 31^st.
• Alumni and former student employees – Your Form W-2 will be mailed to the address on file with Human Resources by January 31^st.

Yes, you can obtain a copy through SeeMyW2. 

1. Register for SeeMyW2:

• Click on SeeMyW2
• Click on "If you would like to register based on W2 document(s), click here."
• Provide the following company code along with your personal information: W2BOWD
• Set up a Userid and password

2.    Logon to SeeMyW2 via the Controller's Office/Payroll website

3.    You will now be able to view or save your W-2, import your W-2 into your tax preparation software or print your W-2. Your tax preparation software will guide you through the data import function.  Please keep in mind that you will need to enter your SeeMyW2 user ID and password during this process.

4.    Collect your Form W-2 from the printer, log out and close your computer browser when you are finished to protect your personal information.

If you misplace or do not receive your Form W-2, you can print a copy through SeeMyW2.

1. Register for SeeMyW2:

• Click on SeeMyW2
• Click on "If you would like to register based on W2 document(s), click here."
• Provide the following company code along with your personal information: W2BOWD
• Set up a Userid and password

2.    Logon to SeeMyW2 via the Controller's Office/Payroll website

3.    You will now be able to view or save your W-2, import your W-2 into your tax preparation software or print your W-2. Your tax preparation software will guide you through the data import function.  Please keep in mind that you will need to enter your SeeMyW2 user ID and password during this process.

4.    Collect your Form W-2 from the printer, log out and close your computer browser when you are finished to protect your personal information.

Go to SeeMyW2 and click on “Forgot Login Information?”.  You will be prompted to enter your email address; the requested information well be sent to your email account.

Yes, SeeMyW2 is available for both active and terminated employees.

Yes, the last six years are available online through SeeMyW2.  Please contact the Controller’s Office/Payroll for years not available.

Please refer to “How to Read Your Form W-2”.

Please contact Lynne Toussaint (ltoussai@bowdoin.edu / 207-725-3843) in the Controller’s Office so that a Form W-2C (Corrected Wage and Tax Statement) may be issued to you.

An incorrect address does not invalidate your Form W-2 and does not require a corrected Form W-2.  Since it is essential that our HR/Payroll system has your correct address, please update your address through HRforYou.

For tax reporting purposes, wages are reported when they are paid, rather than when they are earned.  (e.g., hours worked within pay period 12/17/12-12/30/12 were paid on 01/04/13; they will be included in 2013 earnings.)

Pre-tax deductions are any amounts deducted from your gross earnings prior to tax calculations.  They include 403(b) SRA retirement plan contributions, health, dental, short term disability and supplemental life insurance benefits, and flexible spending accounts.

Deferred Comp:  This is the sum of your 403(b) SRA retirement deductions (e.g., SRA Fidelity, SRA Vanguard, and SRA Amer Cent); this amount appears within the “Pre-Tax Items” section of your paystub.

Sect. 125 Plan:  This is the sum of your medical, dental, short term disability and supplemental life insurance pre-tax deductions; the detail appears within the “Pre-Tax Items” section of your paystub.

The Form W-2 Box 1 amount represents federal taxable wages and other compensation.  This would be different than the Gross Earnings on your paystub due to items that either decrease or increase your federal taxable wages such as FSAs for Medical and/or Dependent Care, health and dental insurance deductions, 403(b) SRA contributions, and group term life.  Below please find a list of deductions/adjustments that impact your gross earnings for tax reporting purposes:

Excludes:

• SRA Fidelity, SRA Vanguard, SRA Amer Cent
• Medical EE, EC, ES, FF
• Dental EE, EC, ES, FF
• Supplemental life insurance
• STD A

Includes:

• Group Term Life (GTL) premium value – this is the value of group term life insurance in excess of $50,000.

Box 1 (Federal)

Excludes:

• Medical (MEDICAL EE, EC, ES, FF)
• Dental (DENTAL EE, EC, ES, FF)
• Supplemental  life insurance (SUPP LIFE EE)
• Short term disability (STD A)
• 403(b) SRA contributions (SRA Fidelity, SRA Vanguard, SRA Amer Cent)

Includes:

• Group term life (GTL)

Box 3 (Social Security) and Box 5 (Medicare)

Excludes:

• Medical (MEDICAL EE, EC, ES, FF)
• Dental (DENTAL EE, EC, ES, FF)
• Supplemental life insurance (SUPP LIFE EE)
• Short term disability (STD A)

Includes:

• Group term life (GTL)

Box 12 may include a code with an associated amount.  The most common codes reported on a Form W-2 issued by Bowdoin College are:

• C – Taxable value of group-term life insurance over $50,000 (included in boxes 1, 3 (up to social security wage base), and 5)
• E – Elective deferral under a section 403(b) salary reduction agreement
• BB – Designated ROTH contributions under a section 403(b) plan
• DD- Cost of employer-sponsored health coverage.  The amount reported within Code DD is NOT taxable.

The Affordable Care Act requires employers to report the cost of coverage under an employer-sponsored group health plan.  Reporting the cost of health care coverage on the Form W-2 does not mean that the coverage is taxable.  This reporting is for information purposes only and will provide employees useful and comparable consumer information on the cost of their health care coverage.  The amount reported includes both the portion paid by the employer and the portion paid by the employee.  For more information, please refer to IRS.gov and/or IRS’ You Tube video.

The value of employer-provided group-term life insurance up to $50,000 is excluded from an employee’s income.  The value of coverage in excess of $50,000 must be included in the employee’s income.