This page provides FAQs specific to Virginia Tax's Web Upload supported tax forms and wage statements.

To review other Web Upload FAQs, please visit the General Web Upload FAQs and VEC Web Upload FAQs pages.

Setup and File Basics

Should the business be registered with Virginia Tax before filing through Web Upload?

Yes - it must be registered first. Failure to do so will cause delays in processing your return/payment information in our Virginia Tax accounting system. Online business registration is available through the iReg system.

When do I use the "Quarter Date" field format?

This field format only applies to Form VA-15 and Form VA-16. The Form VA-16 is the quarterly reconciliation return for Semi-weekly withholding filers making semi-weekly payments with Form VA-15. Only date values of MM/DD/YYYY for the last day of each quarter (March, June, September and December) are accepted in this field.

  • Example 1: Semi-weekly payments (Form VA-15) made for the 3rd Quarter of 2016 (July - September 2016) have a Period Ending Date of 09/30/2016
  • Example 2: Using Form VA-16 to reconcile payments made for the 3rd Quarter of 2016 will have a Period Ending Date of 09/30/2016

If you are using an Excel spreadsheet, you may need to reformat the date field to recognize a 2-digit month, 2-digit day and 4-digit year. To correct a date field error, you may need to clear the field, reformat the date and then enter the applicable Quarter Ending date described above.

What do the two-digits in the Tax Account number mean?

Web Upload requires the full tax account number with the tax returns. Each business tax return has a Virginia TAX Account Number

  • 2-digit code for the tax type of that return ( ex. 10 = Sales Tax, 12 = Use Tax, 30 = Withholding Tax, etc.), and
  • 9-digit FEIN, and 
  • the letter "F" to indicate FEIN, and 
  • 3-digit code for the business location. 

Example = 10-123456789F-001 for a Sales Tax return

Why wasn't the payment for my Web Upload tax return debited from my bank account?

You must have the Payment Amount field in your File Layout and your actual file to have a payment debited from your bank account. Web Upload does not use the Total Amount Due field to initiate a payment.

Verify that your banking information is correct. The routing number and account number should either be in the actual file or saved in the Bank Account section of your Web Upload profile. If using the saved Bank Account feature, you must also mark the Bank Account checkbox on the Upload Files page prior to uploading your file.

What is the Vendor ID and is it required?

The Vendor ID is an optional field located in Virginia Tax's Web Upload File Layouts. The Vendor ID is a 4-digit code that is used to identify records created and/or submitted by vendor software companies.

If you do not use a Vendor ID because you created your own file, you may click the green "X" next to the field to remove it from the active File Layout. You can add it back at a later time, if necessary.

Tax Type Specifics

Where do I use the FIPS Code in my Sales Tax files?

The FIPS Code field only applies to the Schedules ST6B and ST9B. This 5-digit code is assigned by the IRS to identify counties and incorporated cities at the state level. This FIPS is formatted as 51XXX where 51 = Virginia and XXX = the 3-digit code for the locality.

Why are localities in which I am not located listed on my sales tax schedule in the file?

If using tax preparation software, it is possible that settings you are using are including additional localities unnecessarily for your file(s). You should review them to ensure only your localities are being reported in your file(s). Only the localities in which you are located/registered should be reported on the schedule(s).

Contact your tax preparation software company to make any necessary corrections for locality information that should not be present in your file. 

Can I file VK-1 and 502 data through Web Upload?

Only the Schedule VK-1 data can be filed electronically through Web Upload. Virginia Tax offers an eForm 502EZ for customers meeting certain 502 related criteria.

W-2 and 1099 Data

Where can I find the W-2 and/or 1099 layout information?

The Electronic W-2 and 1099 Filing Guidelines tab on our Withholding page contains all of the information for filing your W-2 and 1099 data. You can also find the required fields and details on the W-2 Layout (EFW2/SSA formatted), the Excel W-2 Layout, the 1099-R Layout and the 1099-MISC Layout.

Can I use the same W-2 file that I submitted to the Social Security Administration (SSA)?

Yes - if the file is a text file and contains at least ONE record indicating Virginia withholding i.e. one RS record with code 51 for Virginia. The W-2 Layout (EFW2/SSA formatted) accepted by Web Upload contains further details.

Can I use the PDF that the SSA provided to me after I keyed my W-2 data directly into their website?

No. This is not a file format that Web Upload supports. As noted above, W-2 data must be either a text file or an Excel spreadsheet.

Can I use the PDF of my 1099-R or 1099-MISC data?

No. PDF is not a supported file type. It must be a text file for 1099-R data and for 1099-MISC.

Can I enter non-Virginia wages and withholding in the Excel W-2 file?

No. Only Virginia wages and withholding must be entered. W-2 data submitted using the Excel W-2 format is assumed to be for Virginia wages and withholding.

Why can't I edit the W-2/1099 File Layouts after I create them? 

Unlike the other forms in Web Upload, the File Layouts for Forms W-2 and 1099 are set and cannot be edited due to the requirement that specific information MUST be in specific positions in the file. See the Employer W-2 and 1099 Electronic Filing Guidelines page for details.

Virginia Tax uses the same file formatting for the fixed-width W-2 text files in the EFW2 guidelines set by the SSA. For the fixed-width 1099-R and 1099-MISC text files, Virginia Tax uses the same file formatting in Publication 1220 guidelines set by the IRS. These layouts only appear slightly different due to the way that the optional W-2/1099 fields are grouped together in the Web Upload "filler" fields. The Excel formatted W-2 File Layout is set by Virginia Tax, as the file can only contain data for Virginia wages and withholding.

Do you have a feature like the SSA's "Accuwage" for my W-2s?

Yes - there is a similar feature, but it does not verify the accuracy of the SSNs. The "Upload" button in Web Upload will review and validate that the required data elements are in your file before you can submit it to Virginia Tax. (This applies to all returns, not just W-2s.) Any errors will be displayed automatically and once the file contains no errors - validation totals will be displayed for you to compare against your records.

Can I file 1099 forms other than the 1099-R and 1099-MISC with Web Upload?

Currently 1099-R and 1099-MISC are the only the 1099 forms that can be filed electronically with Web Upload. Other forms from the 1099 series are not supported.

Why do I get error messages stating my W-2/1099-R text file must contain at least 1 employee/payee record?

The Virginia state code "51" may be missing from your text files. Web Upload requires that there be at least one record with the "51" state code to indicate Virginia data.

  • For the W-2 (EFW2) text file, the state code must be in positions 3-4 of the "RS" record(s).
  • For the 1099-R text file, the state code must be in positions 747-748 of the "B" record(s).
  • For the 1099-MISC text file, the state code must be in positions 747-748 of the "B" record(s).
Do I still need to file my Form VA-6 after filing my W-2 and/or 1099 information?

Yes. You are required to file Form VA-6 for each employer in your W-2 and 1099 file(s). We request that you submit the VA6(s) using eForms, Online Services for Business, or Web Upload

Why do I get error messages when I Upload my QuickBooks W-2 file?

It is possible that you are uploading the wrong file through Web Upload. DO NOT Upload the QuickBooks Excel spreadsheet. The text file named "W2Report" is the file name that you should Upload and Submit. View this Job Aid for more details on how to create/locate the correct file, as well as QuickBooks contact information.