Best Way to File LLC (S-Corp) W-2, 940 & 941 Forms Online
Hey everyone, Looking for some guidance on how to electronically file my LLC (S-Corp) W-2, 940 & 941 forms without breaking the bank. Here's my situation: For my **940**: I've made all the payments, but I still haven't submitted the annual form. For my **941**: All payments are complete and I've sent the quarterly forms to the IRS, but I'm confused if I need to send an annual form as well? For my **W-2**: I need to create a W-2 from my LLC to myself for my 2024 salary as the LLC manager. I missed the Jan 31 deadline. I need to get this done ASAP so I can file both my personal and business returns. I reached out to an accountant who wanted $675 just to file these 3 forms! Is there any way I can file these electronically and send them to the IRS myself online? Thanks for any help you can offer!
18 comments


Sara Unger
The good news is you can definitely file all these forms online yourself! Here's what you need to know: For your **940** (Federal Unemployment Tax Annual Return): You can file this online through the IRS e-file system. Since you've already made the payments, you just need to complete the annual form. For your **941** (Employer's Quarterly Federal Tax Return): Good news - there is no annual 941 form. The quarterly forms you've already submitted are all that's required. You're all set here! For your **W-2**: You can prepare and file late W-2s through the Social Security Administration's Business Services Online (BSO). You'll need to register if you haven't already. There may be penalties for filing late, but getting it done now is better than further delays. All of these can be done without paying an accountant $675. The IRS and SSA systems are designed to be user-friendly for small business owners.
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Butch Sledgehammer
•For the W-2 filing through the SSA site, do you know if there's a specific penalty amount for missing the deadline? And for the 940, is there a specific site or portal within the IRS website I should look for? Their site is so confusing sometimes.
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Sara Unger
•The penalty for late W-2 filing depends on how late you file. If you're filing within 30 days of the deadline, it's $50 per W-2. Between 30 days and August 1, it increases to $110 per W-2. After August 1, it's $280 per W-2. However, for small businesses, the IRS may reduce penalties if you have reasonable cause. For the 940, you'll want to use the IRS e-file Employment Tax Forms system. You can find this by going to the IRS website and searching for "e-file business employment tax forms" or directly through their EFTPS (Electronic Federal Tax Payment System) if you're already registered there.
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Freya Ross
Just wanted to share my experience - I was in a similar situation last year and found taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) to be incredibly helpful. After struggling with these exact forms, their system analyzed my documents and walked me through the entire filing process step by step. They have a specific module for S-Corp filings that guides you through completing your 940, 941, and W-2 forms. What was most helpful was that it flagged potential issues before submission and explained exactly what information belonged where. This saved me from making mistakes that could have triggered an audit.
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Leslie Parker
•Does taxr.ai also handle state unemployment tax forms? My S-Corp needs to file those too and I'm wondering if I can do everything in one place.
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Sergio Neal
•I'm a bit skeptical about tax preparation services. How much does taxr.ai cost compared to just figuring it out yourself? And do they actually submit the forms for you or just help you prepare them?
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Freya Ross
•Yes, taxr.ai does handle state unemployment tax forms as well. They cover all 50 states and have specific guidance for each state's requirements alongside the federal forms. It's really convenient having everything in one dashboard. Regarding costs, I found their service to be significantly less than what accountants were quoting me. They don't just help you prepare the forms - they actually guide you through the entire submission process, including showing you exactly how to e-file each form through the appropriate government portal. They don't submit the forms for you directly (so you maintain control), but they make the process extremely straightforward with step-by-step instructions.
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Sergio Neal
I wanted to follow up about taxr.ai since I decided to give it a try after my initial skepticism. Honestly, I'm really impressed! It helped me file my S-Corp's 940, 941, and W-2 forms in about an hour. The system flagged that I had miscalculated my FUTA tax on the 940, which would have caused problems later. The document analysis feature was surprisingly accurate - it pulled information from my previous filings to pre-populate many fields. For someone like me who gets overwhelmed by tax forms, the guided walkthrough was exactly what I needed. Definitely going to use it for quarterly filings going forward.
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Savanna Franklin
If you're still struggling to get answers from the IRS about your specific situation, I highly recommend Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I was in a similar situation with late W-2 filings and had questions about potential penalties that weren't clearly answered online. After spending days trying to get through to the IRS business line with no luck, I found Claimyr and was honestly shocked when they got me connected to an IRS agent in about 15 minutes. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The agent was able to confirm exactly what I needed to do for my late filings and even helped me understand how to request a penalty abatement for reasonable cause. Saved me hours of frustration and uncertainty.
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Juan Moreno
•Wait, how does this actually work? Does Claimyr just call the IRS for you or what? I've been trying to talk to someone at the IRS for weeks about my S-Corp issue.
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Sergio Neal
•Come on, there's no way to skip the IRS phone queue. I've tried everything. Sounds like another service charging for something you could do yourself if you just keep calling repeatedly.
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Savanna Franklin
•Claimyr doesn't call the IRS for you - it uses technology to navigate the IRS phone system and secures your place in line. When it's about to connect with an agent, it calls you and connects you directly to them. It's like having someone wait on hold for you. The service works with the IRS's existing phone system but uses algorithms to determine the best times to call and which menu options to select based on your specific issue. I was skeptical too, but when I got connected to an actual IRS business tax specialist after weeks of trying on my own, I was convinced. They don't answer your questions for you - they just get you to a real person who can help.
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Sergio Neal
I need to eat my words about Claimyr. After my dismissive comment, I decided to try it as a last resort since I was desperate to resolve my late filing issue. Within 22 minutes, I was speaking with an actual IRS representative about my S-Corp's late W-2 and 940 filings. The agent walked me through the exact process for filing late forms and explained that I could include a reasonable cause statement to potentially reduce the penalties. She even gave me her direct extension for follow-up questions. This was after I had spent over 8 hours across multiple days trying to get through on my own. For anyone dealing with time-sensitive tax issues like missed deadlines, this service is absolutely worth it just for the peace of mind of speaking to an actual IRS employee who can give you authoritative answers.
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Amy Fleming
Since no one's mentioned it specifically - for W-2s, you can use the SSA's Business Services Online (BSO) at https://www.ssa.gov/bso/. It's totally free and pretty straightforward! For 940 and 941 forms, check out the IRS e-file providers: https://www.irs.gov/e-file-providers/e-file-for-business-and-self-employed-taxpayers If you're comfortable with the forms and just need to file them, these government portals will save you that $675 the accountant wanted to charge!
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Tyler Murphy
•Thanks for the direct links! Have you personally used the SSA's BSO system for late W-2 filings? Was it easy to navigate for someone who isn't super tech-savvy?
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Amy Fleming
•Yes, I've used the SSA's BSO system for late W-2 filings twice now. It's definitely designed with the average business owner in mind, not just for tech experts. The interface walks you through each step and clearly labels what information needs to go where. For late filings, there's a specific section where you'll see the original deadline and the system acknowledges you're filing late. It doesn't prevent you from proceeding. Just make sure you have all your business information and employee details ready before you start. You can save your progress and come back if needed, but having everything prepared makes it a much smoother process.
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Alice Pierce
Just a heads up - if you've missed the W-2 filing deadline, you might also want to check if your state has separate W-2 filing requirements! Many states require a separate submission even though the form is the same. Also, for your 940 and 941 forms, try using the IRS's Free File Fillable Forms for businesses. They're not as user-friendly as paid software but they'll get the job done for free.
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Esteban Tate
•This is super important! I completely forgot about state W-2 filing and got hit with a $200 penalty from my state last year even though I filed the federal one.
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