Employees' account numbers

(a) Requirement of application—(1) In general—(i) Before November 1, 1962. Every employee who on any day after December 31, 1954, and before November 1, 1962, is in employment for wages subject to the taxes imposed by the Federal Insurance Contributions Act, but who prior to such day has neither secured an account number nor made application therefor, shall make an application on Form SS-5 for an account number.

(ii) On or after November 1, 1962. Every employee who on any day after October 31, 1962, is in employment for wages which are subject to the taxes imposed by the Federal Insurance Contributions Act or which are subject to the withholding of income tax from wages under section 3402 but who prior to such day has neither secured an account number nor made application therefore, shall make an application on Form SS-5 for an account number.

(iii) Method of application. The application shall be prepared in accordance with the form, instructions, and regulations applicable thereto, and shall set forth fully and clearly the data therein called for. The employee shall file the application with any district office of the Social Security Administration or, if the employee is not working within the United States, with the district office of the Social Security Administration at Baltimore, Maryland. Form SS-5 may be obtained from any district office of the Social Security Administration or from any district director. An account number will be assigned to the employee by the Social Security Administration in due course upon the basis of information reported on the application required under this section. A card showing the name and account number of the employee to whom an account number has been assigned will be furnished to the employee by the Social Security administration.

(2) Time for filing Form SS-5. The application shall be filed on or before the seventh day after the occurrence of the first day of employment to which reference is made in paragraph (a)(1) of this section, unless the employee leaves the employ of his employer before such seventh day, in which case the application shall be filed on or before the date on which the employee leaves the employ of his employer.

(3) Changes and corrections. Any employee may have his account number changed at any time by applying to a district office of the Social Security Administration and showing good reasons for a change. With that exception, only one account number will be assigned to an employee. Any employee whose name is changed by marriage or otherwise, or who has stated incorrect information on Form SS-5, should report such change or correction to a district office of the Social Security Administration Copies of the form for making such reports may be obtained from any district office of the administration.

(b) Duties of employee with respect to his account number—(1) Information to be furnished to employer. An employee shall, on the day on which he enters the employ of any employer for wages, comply with the provisions of paragraph (b)(1)(i), (ii), (iii), or (iv) of this section, except that, if the employee's services for the employer consist solely of agricultural labor, domestic service in a private home of the employer not on a farm operated for profit, or service not in the course of the employer's trade or business, the employee shall comply with such provisions on the first day on which wages are paid to him by such employer, within the meaning of § 31.3121(a)-2.

(i) Employee who has account number card. If the employee has been issued an account number card by the Social Security Administration and has the card available, the employee shall show it to the employer.

(ii) Employee who has number but card not available. If the employee does not have available the account number card issued to him by the Social Security Administration but knows what his account number is, and what his name is, exactly as shown on such card, the employee shall advise the employer of such number and name. Care must be exercised that the employer is correctly advised of such number and name.

(iii) Employee who has receipt acknowledging application. If the employee does not have an account number card but has available a receipt issued to him by an office of the Social Security Administration acknowledging that an application for an account number has been received, the employee shall show such receipt to the employer.

(iv) Employee who is unable to furnish number or receipt. If an employee is unable to comply with the requirement of paragraph (b)(1)(i), (ii), or (iii) of this section, the employee shall furnish to the employer a statement in writing, signed by the employee, setting forth the date of the statement, the employee's full name, present address, date and place of birth, father's full name, mother's full name before marriage, and the employee's sex, including a statement as to whether the employee has previously filed an application on Form SS-5 and, if so, the date and place of such filing. The information required by this subdivision shall be furnished on Form SS-5, if a copy of Form SS-5 is available. The furnishing of such a Form SS-5 or other statement by the employee to the employer does not relieve the employee of his obligation to make an application on Form SS-5 and file it with a district office of the Social Security Administration as required by paragraph (a) of this section. The foregoing provisions of this subdivision are not applicable to an employee engaged exclusively in the performance of domestic service in a private home of his employer not on a farm operated for profit, or in the performance of agricultural labor, if the services are performed for an employer other than an employer required to file returns of the taxes imposed by the Federal Insurance Contributions Act with the office of the United States Internal Revenue Service in Puerto Rico. However, such employee shall advise the employer of his full name and present address.

For provisions relating to the duties of an employer when furnished the information required by paragraph (b)(1) (i), (ii), (iii), or (iv) of this section, see paragraph (c) of this section.

(2) Additional information to be furnished by employee to employer. Every employee who, on the day on which he is required to comply with paragraph (b)(1)(i), (ii), (iii), or (iv) of this section, has an account number card but for any reason does not show such card to the employer on such day shall promptly thereafter show the card to the employer. An employee who does not have an account number card on such day shall, upon receipt of an account number card from the Social Security Administration, promptly show such card to the employer, if he is still in the employ of that employer. If the employee has left the employ of the employer when the employee receives an account number card from the Social Security Administration, he shall promptly advise the employer of his account number and name exactly as shown on such card. The account number originally assigned to an employee (or the number as changed in accordance with paragraph (a)(3) of this section) shall be used by the employee as required by this paragraph even though he enters the employ of other employers.

(3) Furnishing of account number by employee to employer. See § 31.6109-1 for additional provisions relating to the furnishing of an account number by the employee to his employer.

(c) Duties of employer with respect to employees' account numbers—(1) Employee who shows account number. Upon being shown the account number card issued to an employee by the Social Security administration, the employer shall enter the account number and name, exactly as shown on the card, in the employer's records, returns, statements for employees, and claims to the extent required by the applicable forms, regulations, and instructions.

(2) Employee who does not show account number card. With respect to an employee who, on the day on which he is required to comply with paragraph (b)(1)(i), (ii), (iii), or (iv) of this section, does not show the employer an account number card issued to the employee by the Social Security Administration, the employer shall request such employee to show him such card. If the card is not shown, the employer shall comply with the applicable provisions of paragraph (c)(1)(i), (ii), (iii), (iv), or (v) of this section:

(i) Employee who has not applied for account number. If the employee has not been assigned an account number and has not made application therefor with a district office of the Social Security Administration, the employer shall inform the employee of his duties under this section.

(ii) Employee who has account number. If the employee advises the employer of his number and name as shown on his account number card, as provided in paragraph (b)(1)(ii) of this section, the employer shall enter such number and name in his records.

(iii) Employee who has receipt for application. If the employee shows the employer, as provided in paragraph (b)(1)(iii) of this section, a receipt issued to him by an office of the Social Security Administration acknowledging that an application for an account number has been received from the employee, the employer shall enter in his records with respect to such employee the name and address of the employee exactly as shown on the receipt, the expiration date of the receipt, and the address of the issuing office. The receipt shall be retained by the employee.

(iv) Employee who furnishes Form SS-5 or statement. If the employee furnishes information to the employer as provided in paragraph (b)(1)(iv) of this section, the employer shall retain such information for use as provided in paragraph (c)(3)(ii) of this section.

(v) Household or agricultural employees. If the employee advises the employer of his full name and present address in accordance with those provisions of paragraph (b)(1)(iv) of this section which are applicable in the case of employees engaged exclusively in the performance of domestic service in a private home of the employer not on a farm operated for profit, or agricultural labor, the employer shall enter such name and address in his records.

(3) Account number unknown when return is filed. In any case in which the employee's account number is for any reason unknown to the employer at the time the employer's return is filed for any return period with respect to which the employer is required to report the wages paid to such employee—

(i) If employee has shown receipt for application. If the employee has shown to the employer, as provided in paragraph (b)(1)(iii) of this section, a receipt issued to him by an office of the Social Security Administration acknowledging that an application for an account number has been received from the employee, the employer shall enter on the return, with the entry with respect to the employee, the name and address of the employee exactly as shown on the receipt, the expiration date of the receipt, and the address of the issuing office.

(ii) If employee furnished Form SS-5 or statement. If the employee has furnished information to the employer as provided in paragraph (b)(1)(iv) of this section, the employer shall prepare a copy of the Form SS-5 or statement furnished by the employee and attach the copy to the return.

(iii) If employee did not furnish receipt, Form SS-5, or statement. If neither paragraph (c)(3)(i) nor (ii) of this section is applicable, the employer shall, except as provided in paragraph (c)(4) of this section, attach to the return a Form SS-5 or statement, signed by the employer, setting forth as fully and clearly as practicable the employee's full name, his present or last known address, date and place of birth, father's full name, mother's full name before marriage, the employee's sex, and a statement as to whether an application for an account number has previously been filed by the employee and, if so, the date and place of such filing. The employer shall also insert in such Form SS-5 or statement an explanation of why he has not secured from the employee the information referred to in paragraph (b)(1)(iv) of this section and shall insert the word “Employer” as part of his signature.

(4) Household or agricultural employees. The provisions of paragraph (c)(3)(iii) of this section are not applicable with respect to an employee engaged exclusively in the performance of domestic service in a private home of his employer not on a farm operated for profit, or in the performance of agricultural labor, if the services are performed for an employer other than an employer required to file returns of the taxes imposed by the Federal Insurance Contributions Act with the office of the United States Internal Revenue Service in Puerto Rico. If any such employee has not furnished to the employer the information required by paragraph (b) (1) (i), (ii), or (iii) of this section prior to the time the employer's return is filed for any return period with respect to which the employer is required to report wages paid to such employee, the employer shall enter the word “Unknown” in the account number column of the return and (i) file with the return a statement showing the employee's full name and present or last known address, or (ii) enter such address on the return form immediately below the name of the employee.

(5) Where to obtain Form SS-5. Employers may obtain copies of Form SS-5 from any district office of the Social Security Administration or from any district director.

(6) Prospective employees. While not mandatory, it is suggested that the employer advise any prospective employee who does not have an account number of the requirements of paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section.