Payroll inputs the data from the W-4 and produces the W-2.
If the number is incorrect it takes a lot longer than 90 days. We had someone use an incorrect number for two years before the discrepancy was caught by the IRS - not SSA.
The employee then accused payroll of inputting the number incorrectly. The original form was then dug out and showed to the employee where she transposed numbers.
Her wages had to be corrected at SSA and the IRS and required a lot of research and time on both ends.
To protect the employee and employer we now require that each employee show their actual card upon hiring.</p>
<p>You’ll never convince some people that the sky isn’t falling so it’s usually not worth trying. Our society has gotten so consumed with the spectre of identity theft (which in most cases, not all, most, amounts to little more than annoyance) that we bristle at giving reasonably secure admissions offices and similar entities the social security number of a minor. And that minor usually (again, usually, not always) has no credit history, hence a thief would have no ability to obtain credit using this number.</p>
<p>Identity thieves are not interested in social security numbers of poor, unemployed, credit unworthy students. I know. I’m a criminal lawyer and I’ve handled cases in this area. It’s a little like counterfeiting; nobody counterfeits $1’s and $5’s. If an identity thief managed to break into a college’s database, he would find much more value in parental information, social security numbers or not, than a student’s SSN.</p>
<p>But then again, I’m not going to convince anyone of this so no need to tell me that I’m wrong.</p>
<p>"just"aMom - Thank you for the clarification.</p>
<p>I think JustAMomof4’s anecdote nicely illustrates the dilemma of “standing by your rights” regarding collection of SSNs. On the positive side, it’s been several years since I’ve been asked for my SSN when using a credit card. Still, use of the SSN has kind of become institutionalized … as in the Kindergarten example I posted above. Up until four years ago our health insurance company used the holder’s SSN as the identifier. There it was, in large bold type, right in the middle of the insurance card. I protested and was told “Oh it’s not the SSN. See, we put “XG” after the number. SSN’s don’t have letters in them.” O-O-O-k-a-y. And then we get one of those newsletters from the insurer reminding us to protect our SSN and not give it to doctors offices and the like. After that I decided to pick my battles.</p>
<p>My point is that one can waste a lot of energy trying to protect oneself.</p>
<p>If you’ve lost your ss card, you can get a replacement card from your local social security office.</p>
<p>My daughter was required to produce her ss card when she applied for her learner’s permit after she completed the classroom portion of driver’s ed. We couldn’t find it, so we had to apply for a replacement card.</p>
<p>I’m also in the minority camp that thinks it’s not that big a deal. The threat of identity theft is real, but businesses that want to “protect” you from it have overstated how common it is, and how harmful it is likely to be to you.</p>