Is it illegal for an employer to send the employees' W-2 statements (of the employee without their permission) to the accountant (who is a third-party contractor) for the purposes of making the accountant having an easier time with reconciling the books?
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would this accountant be hired by the employer? by the employee? by some third party?– David SiegelCommented Jul 2, 2022 at 19:18
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2Obviously some people in the company have to have access to the W-2 and the associated data (to produce the form, to audit the records, etc). Why should an accountant not be included?– Nate EldredgeCommented Jul 2, 2022 at 19:54
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third party contractor– user38388Commented Jul 2, 2022 at 22:10
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There is an important detail that I would add to the question. A lot of accounting firms have outsourced branches in countries like India where privacy laws are weak or not enforced at all. What would the situation be in theis case? When the W-2 is sent abroad where there is no duty of confidentiality.– FluidCodeCommented Jul 3, 2022 at 15:06
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1 Answer
The employer may provide salary information, including a W-2, about an employee to an accountant, whether that accountant is also an employee of the employer, or an independent contractor hired by the employer. Normally a contract (or a company policy) will impose a duty of confidentiality on the accountant. If no such duty is explicitly imposed, there is quite likely an implied duty of confidentiality.
answered Jul 2, 2022 at 23:05
