How Does Playground Handle W-2 Processing, Distribution, and Year-End Payroll Responsibilities?
Playground simplifies payroll management by automating W-2 processing, distribution, and year-end responsibilities. Below, we provide an overview of how Playground manages these tasks and what you need to know as an employer.
Confirm Company Info
It is essential that company tax information is correctly entered. If the tax information is incorrect or missing, your tax filings will be impacted.
Playground automates the creation, filing, and distribution of W-2s, ensuring compliance and reducing administrative tasks for employers. This includes submitting W-2s to the appropriate agencies, so you don’t need to report them separately to the Social Security Administration (SSA).
From your Admin Dashboard, click Payroll and then Home from the left sidebar.
At the top of the screen you will see a blue banner. Click the Confirm Information button in this banner.
The Prepare for 2024 Tax Filings window will open.
Click Go next to Review Company Tax Information. Confirm that your federal and state tax information is correct.
If you have received a new Unemployment Insurance rate for 2025, enter it with an effective date of 01/01/2025.
Click Go next to Preview Employee W-2 Filings. From here you can preview and download employee W-2s.
If you notice an error with a W-2, email [email protected]. All W-2 correction requests (W-2C) must go through this email. Include the employee name, the specific correction needed, and your Check company ID.
W2 corrections are not required for legal name spelling errors. The IRS matches W-2s to employees by SSN, not name spelling. As long as the SSN on file is correct, a minor spelling variation won't affect an employee's tax filing.
Click Go next to Reminders to review helpful year-end information.
When you have finished confirming your information, click the X in the top right corner of the window.
If you need to update your company's legal address, please email [email protected] with the full address.
Communicate W2 and 1099 Delivery with Staff
Employees and contractors will receive their tax documents by January 31 by mail. However, they can receive their tax documents early by opting into electronic delivery. All employees can download their W2s in Playground by following these instructions. Electronic W-2s are generally available in the employee portal by late January.
If your center switched to Playground mid-year from another payroll provider (Gusto, QuickBooks, ADP, Paychex, etc.): Let your staff know they will receive one W-2 from Playground that covers their full wages for the year. They should not use a W-2 from the previous provider for the same year. See the W-2s and 1099s: Admin Guide for details.
Staff must confirm their personal information by December 31.
Send an email or Playground message to all staff asking them to:
Log into the web version of Playground (not the mobile app)
Go to the Payroll tab and click Update Information
Confirm legal name, date of birth, SSN, home address, and electronic delivery preference
For step-by-step instructions, see W-2s and 1099s for Staff.
View and Download Staff W2s and 1099s
Admins can view all employee W-2s from within Playground, regardless of whether the employee chose paper or electronic delivery. If an employee is having trouble accessing their document, you can download and share it directly.
Download Tax Documents in Bulk
A PDF with all employee W-2s can be downloaded from the Paperwork tab.
From your Admin Dashboard, navigate to Paperwork and then Provider Paperwork.
Click the Payroll tab.
Under Tax Documents, locate Form W-2 Copy D for the applicable year.
Click the three dots on the right side of the row.
Select View to download the file.
Option 2: From the Payroll Tab
From your Admin Dashboard, navigate to Payroll.
Click the Tax sub-tab.
Under Tax Documents, locate Form W-2 Copy D for the applicable year.
Click the three dots on the right side of the row.
Select View to download the file.
The downloaded file is a single PDF that includes all W-2s for that year in one document. Before sharing or distributing W-2s, review the file carefully. The forms are not separated by employee. If you need to send individual copies, you will need to split the PDF using a document editor, print and or screenshot specific pages, or otherwise separate the forms before issuing them.
Download an individual employee's tax document
If you need to download a W-2 for a specific employee, you can access it directly from their staff profile.
From your Admin Dashboard, navigate to My School and then Staff.
Click on the staff member’s name to open their profile.
Click the Payroll tab.
Select the Tax documents sub-tab.
Locate the applicable Federal W-2 for the correct year.
Click the three dots on the right side of the row.
Select View to download the file.
This will download the individual W-2 for that specific staff member.
How Terminated Employees Receive Their W-2
W-2 forms are generated for eligible staff each year, including employees who have been terminated. If an employee has been terminated at the time W-2s are issued, their W-2 will be mailed to the address on file by default. If a staff member’s account has been disabled and or they have been deactivated from payroll, they can still log in to Playground to access their tax documents. Access is available only on the web platform.
To download their W-2, the staff member must:
Log in at app.tryplayground.com using a web browser.
If the staff's account is disabled, they will see a banner indicating that their account is restricted and that they should contact their administrator. This is normal and they will still be able to access their payroll information.
Navigate to the Payroll tab.
Go to the Tax documents tab.
Click the three dots next to the applicable Federal W-2.
Click the W-2 to download a digital copy.
This allows staff to retrieve their W-2 independently without requiring manual distribution from an administrator.
Frequently asked questions
Q: An employee says their W-2 has an error. What do I do? Email [email protected] with the employee's name, the correction needed, and your Check company ID.
Q: We switched from another payroll provider mid-year. Which W-2 should employees use? Employees should use only the Playground W-2. Pay history from your previous provider was imported to Playground during the onboarding process. The Playground W-2 covers their full wages for the year. If the prior provider also issued W-2s for the same year, contact [email protected] immediately, as it may cause issues with tax filings.
Q: A former employee is asking for their W-2. What should I tell them? Former employees can log into app.tryplayground.com on a web browser, even if their account has been disabled. Their W-2 is under the Payroll tab. If they can't log in, they can reset their password. Paper W-2s are also mailed automatically to the address on file. As an admin, you can also print the former employee's W2 and issue it to them directly.
Q: An employee was paid by check but we did not process payroll in the system. Will they get a W-2? No. Playground can only issue W-2s for wages that were processed through the platform. Additionally, the unprocessed wages were never reported to state and federal agencies, which means your tax filings for those periods are incomplete. If this applies to you, email [email protected] with the dates of the missed payrolls. We can walk you through your options for amending the affected quarters. Note that amendment fees apply.
Related articles
W-2s and 1099s: Admin Guide — covers mid-year switches, corrected W-2s, churned accounts, and edge cases
W-2s and 1099s for Staff — employee-facing guide to downloading tax documents