If you paid the back pay award in the same tax year to which it applies, report the wages on that year's Form W-2. No further action is necessary. Example. In 2012, Judy Wilson received a salary of $30,000 and a back pay under statute award of $2,000 for the period January through June 2012.or the year, the employeeâs regular pay was $200, and the employee deferred $20 of the pay into her employerâs NQDC plan. The deferral of $20 was vested upon deferral and there was an employer match of $10 under the plan, which was also vested.
If you file a claim for credit or refund after filing your return, keep records for 3 years from the filing of the original return. If you file a claim for a loss due to bad debt deduction or worthless securities, keep records for 7 years. Keep all employment records for at least 4 years after the tax is due or paid.
Keep for seven years. If you fail to report more than 25 percent of your gross income on your tax returns, the government has six years to collect the tax or start legal proceedings. So when it comes to determining how long to keep tax recordsâelectronic and paperâ we recommend seven years, just in case. Essential records such as birth and death certificates, marriage licenses, divorce decrees, Social Security cards, and military discharge papers should be kept indefinitely.