2023 W-2s and Protecting Your Personal Information

Note: This letter originally appeared as an e-mail sent to the Hopkins community on Tuesday January 23, 2024.

Dear Johns Hopkins Community:

It’s the time of year when preparing to file 2023 income taxes becomes top of mind, and we have some important updates and information to share with you.

Electronic 2023 W-2s now available in Employee Self Service.

If you consented to receive your W-2 electronically, W-2s for calendar year 2023 are now available in Employee Self Service (ESS), which can be accessed from the myJH portal under the HR tab in the center of the page, or by going to ess.johnshopkins.edu and signing in after clicking the blue Login to ESS button on the top. For those who opted to receive their 2023 W-2 only electronically, this will be your only means of W-2 delivery.

If you did not choose the online only delivery option, printed W-2 forms have been processed and were mailed Friday, Jan. 19. If you did not originally consent to view your 2023 W-2s electronically, you will have a chance to opt in for 2024 and beyond, beginning Thursday, Feb. 1. Once you opt in, you will immediately be able to access your W-2s in ESS and will receive only electronic W-2s going forward until you revoke or change your election. For more information about accessing your 2023 W-2, please visit the W-2 Information webpage. For any issues or questions regarding your W-2 form, please contact Payroll Shared Services at 443-997-5828.

Be aware of scams

We’d like to remind you to please be aware of scams involving W-2s, tax filing, and your personal financial information. To avoid being the victim of a scam, please be aware of the following guidance currently provided on the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) website:

• The IRS will not call to demand immediate payment using a specific payment method such as a prepaid debit card, gift card, or wire transfer. Generally, the IRS will first mail a bill to any taxpayer who owes taxes.
• The IRS will not threaten to immediately bring in local police or other law enforcement groups to have the taxpayer arrested for not paying.
• The IRS will not demand that taxes be paid without giving taxpayers the opportunity to question or appeal the amount owed.
• The IRS will not call unexpectedly about a tax refund.
• The IRS will not ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.
• The IRS will never initiate contact via email, text or social meeting regarding a tax refund or bill.
• No advisory boards or panels (e.g. Taxpayer Advocacy Panel) will contact you about your potential tax refund.

The IRS takes scams very seriously and has many resources available on its website to help taxpayers. We encourage you to visit the IRS and other government websites for the most up-to-date information.

If you are notified that your information may have been exposed in a data breach, you may consider notifying the IRS through its website at irs.gov or contacting the Federal Trade Commission through its website at identitytheft.gov. The IRS and FTC sites have excellent guidance regarding credit reports, fraud alerts, and credit freezes, among other resources.

Thank you for your attention to this important information.

Sincerely,

Julia Buick
Senior Director of Tax and Assistant Controller
Johns Hopkins University

Branville Bard
Vice President for Public Safety
Johns Hopkins University and Medicine