Yes. Gusto sends out W-2 forms to every employee on the payroll, posting a digital copy to each person’s Gusto account by mid-January and mailing a paper copy when the employer requests one for $5 per person. For the 2026 tax year, employers must furnish W-2s by February 2, 2027, because the usual January 31 deadline falls on a weekend.1Internal Revenue Service. Employment Tax Due Dates
How You’ll Receive Your W-2
Electronic delivery through the Gusto portal is the default. Federal regulations, though, require your affirmative consent before an employer can skip the paper copy entirely.2GovInfo. 26 CFR 31.6051-1 – Statements for Employees When you log in, Gusto shows a consent notice where you confirm your preference for paperless delivery.3Gusto Help Center. View, Print, or Download Your W-2 (for Employees) If you never opted in, you’re still entitled to a physical copy — either mailed or handed to you directly.
On the employer side, Gusto offers two ways to handle paper delivery: mail the forms for a $5-per-person fee added to the monthly invoice, or download a mail-ready packet and send them at no extra charge.4Gusto Help Center. Distribute W-2s to Your Employees (for Admins) For one-off situations, such as a former employee who never consented to electronic delivery, an admin can download a single W-2 from that person’s profile under the Documents tab.
When W-2s Are Available
Gusto sets an internal lock date in early January and starts generating W-2s once payroll data is frozen. Digital copies typically appear in employee accounts by mid-January, ahead of the federal deadline.
The IRS and SSA deadline to furnish W-2s to employees and file them with the SSA is January 31.5Social Security Administration. Deadline Dates to File W-2s When that falls on a weekend or holiday, the deadline moves to the next business day.1Internal Revenue Service. Employment Tax Due Dates For the 2026 tax year, January 31, 2027 lands on a Sunday, so the deadline is Monday, February 2, 2027. Employers who want Gusto to mail paper copies need to make that request in late January so there’s enough time to print and ship.
Finding Your W-2 in the Gusto Portal
Sign in through a web browser and open the Documents section. Tax forms are grouped by year, so pick the year you need and open the PDF. You can download it for your records or print it for a paper return. Gusto emails you when the form is ready, so there’s no need to keep checking.
The Gusto mobile app works the same way. Tap More in the bottom-right corner, go to Documents, choose Employee Documents, then select Form W-2.3Gusto Help Center. View, Print, or Download Your W-2 (for Employees) The file is identical to the one on the web.
Gusto keeps your tax documents for 10 years, provided the email on your account stays current.3Gusto Help Center. View, Print, or Download Your W-2 (for Employees) That’s long enough to pull an older W-2 for a mortgage application, financial aid form, or any other proof-of-income request.
If You’ve Left the Company
You can still get your W-2 through Gusto after leaving a job. Gusto makes forms available to both active and dismissed employees by mid-January.4Gusto Help Center. Distribute W-2s to Your Employees (for Admins) As long as you can sign in with the email address linked to your account, your forms stay accessible for 10 years.3Gusto Help Center. View, Print, or Download Your W-2 (for Employees)
If you’ve lost access to that email, contact Gusto support to recover your account. Your former employer can also pull the W-2 from your employee profile and mail it, or have Gusto mail it for the $5 fee.4Gusto Help Center. Distribute W-2s to Your Employees (for Admins)
If Something Is Wrong on Your W-2
If you spot a mistake — a wrong Social Security number, an incorrect wage amount, a missing entry — your employer has to issue a corrected Form W-2c. Gusto generates and files the W-2c with the SSA at no extra charge.6Gusto Help Center. Correct a W-2 in Gusto (for Admins)
Timing changes what has to happen. If a name or SSN error is caught while W-2s are still in draft mode, typically before mid-to-late January, Gusto can regenerate the form within two business days and skip the formal W-2c process.6Gusto Help Center. Correct a W-2 in Gusto (for Admins) Once forms are finalized and filed, corrections go through W-2c. For entries in boxes 8, 10, 12, 13, and 14, there’s a narrow window between early December and January 8 when prior-year updates may require contacting Gusto support directly.
If Your W-2 Never Shows Up
If nothing appears in Gusto by early February, start with your employer. Common causes are an outdated mailing address, payroll that hasn’t been finalized, or a missed consent step that sent your paper copy somewhere it shouldn’t have gone.
Still no W-2 by the end of February? Call the IRS at 800-829-1040. The IRS will contact your employer and request the missing form on your behalf.7Internal Revenue Service. If You Don’t Get a W-2 or Your W-2 Is Wrong You can still file your return in the meantime using Form 4852, a substitute for the W-2 where you estimate your wages and withholding from your final pay stub or other records.8Internal Revenue Service. About Form 4852, Substitute for Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement If the real W-2 arrives later with different numbers, you may need to amend the return.