Earlier this year, the Social Security Administration (SSA) announced that it would be resuming the process of issuing Employer Correction Request Notices (commonly known as “no-match letters”) to employers. In a letter to U.S. Congressman Jim Costa dated June 3, 2019, the SSA confirmed that as of April 26, 2019, its office had mailed over half a million letters to employers.

The purpose of the letter, according to the SSA’s previous announcement, is to advise employers that corrections are needed in order for the SSA to properly post employee earnings to the correct record. In the SSA’s letter to Congressman Costa, the SSA also confirmed, “Later this fall, we plan to mail the remaining letters generated from processing paper Forms W-2 that do not match our records for tax year 2018.” In this second round of no-match letters, the SSA specifically states again that adverse action should not be taken against employees if a no-match letter is received.

As such, upon receipt of one of these SSA letters, employers should carefully review the SSA instructions and consult with counsel.