Electronic Wage Reporting (EWR) System

·         Name of project.

      Electronic Wage Reporting (EWR) System

·         Unique project identifier.

      016-00-01-02-01-2025-00-112-036

·         Privacy Impact Assessment Contact.

      Associate Commissioner
      Office of Systems Electronic Services
      Social Security Administration
      6401 Security Boulevard
      Baltimore, MD 21235  

·         Describe the information to be collected, why the information is being collected, the intended use of the information and with whom the information will be shared.

The Electronic Wage Reporting (EWR) System project will not result in any new collection of information.  Instead, it will enable SSA to process efficiently and effectively wage reports submitted on various media in a variety of methods (i.e., Internet and electronic data transfer).  The information collected is at the core of SSA’s mission in maintaining a record of earnings for the American public that is later used to determine their entitlement to Social Security benefits.  Disclosure of this information is covered by section 6103 of the Internal Revenue Code as well as the Privacy Act.   

·         Describe the administrative and technological controls that are in place or that are planned to secure the information being collected.

Access to these records is restricted to those employees who have a need for the records in order to perform their official duties.  Access controls include the use of armed security guards that control entrances and exits to buildings housing the records and the use of access controls such as personal identification numbers and passwords to gain access to records that are maintained electronically.  External employer access to the information uses the Business Services Online (BSO) Integrated Registration Services (IRES) for external authorization to access Internet applications.  It has specific features to control authority to access each application.  Users cannot access other Internet applications for which they have not been authenticated.

Processing and storage of records collected under EWR are protected by a multi-layer architecture of firewall and Internet protection / isolation technologies.

·         Describe the impact on individuals’ privacy rights.

Are individuals afforded an opportunity to decline to provide information?

The information that is provided for wage reporting comes directly from employers and not from individuals per se.  Since the reporting of wages is tied directly to the Internal Revenue Service’s reporting of wages for tax-related purposes, there is no opportunity for individuals to decline providing the information.  Employers are required by law to report employee earnings.

Are individuals afforded an opportunity to consent to only particular uses of the information?

The Social Security Administration does not have any discretion in disclosing tax return information.  Disclosure of that information is covered by section 6103 of the Internal Revenue Code and the Privacy Act.

·         Does the collection of this information require a new system of records under the Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. § 552a) or an alteration to an existing system of records?

No, the existing system of records, Earnings Recording and Self-Employment Income System (60-0059) is an electronic system and the EWR System does not require any changes to the system of records.

PIA CONDUCTED BY PRIVACY OFFICER, SSA:

 

                       

______________________________                       _ 09/02/05_

SIGNATURE                                                                  DATE

 

PIA REVIEWED BY SENIOR AGENCY PRIVACY OFFICIAL, SSA:

_/S/ Thomas W. Crawley__________                      __09/08/05__

SIGNATURE                                                                    DATE