What Are Unemployment Taxes
Unemployment taxes are paid by employers to the federal government and states in order to fund unemployment benefits for out-of-work employees. The unemployment program for employers works like insurance, meaning that employers pay for the coverage. The rate charged is based on the type of business.
Unemployment benefits for employees are administered by the U.S. Department of Labor, Unemployment and Training Division. Federal unemployment taxes paid by employers are administered by the Internal Revenue Service . State unemployment agencies administer their own programs for providing benefits and taxing employers.
How Do I Apply For Unemployment Benefits
Once you determine youre eligible to receive benefits, youll apply directly with your state office. The federal government does not process unemployment claims. Your state will send you two forms: one that you complete as an employee and one that you will fill out for your business.
Different states require different items for the application process. Still, you should gather the following documents to get started:
- Last years paystubs
The Ins And Outs Of Filing Taxes For Your Small Business
Filing taxes as a small business owner can be daunting. Not only do you have to file individual and corporate taxes, but you also might have to file payroll, unemployment, excise taxes and more.
Its not easy to make sense of which forms you have to file and which taxes you need to pay. To help you with this, heres an overview of the taxes small business owners need to know about and how they report them.
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What Is The Process For Paying Into Unemployment Insurance
Generally, when a company hires an employee, part of the new-hire process includes enrollment in either the state, federal or both unemployment compensation programs. Depending on the state’s requirements, new hires are periodically reported and placed on tax rolls, but each new hire must be reported to the state.
“Subsequently, each time an employee has payroll taxes deducted from each paycheck, some of that money is used for the unemployment compensation insurance pool,” said Charles A. Krugel, a human resources attorney and counselor. “Depending on the state where the employer or employee is located, benefits-eligible people will receive biweekly or monthly payments based on a formula the employee’s rate of pay, cost of living and other statutory factors.”
State Taxes For Small Businesses
In addition to federal taxes, small businesses across the U.S. are required to pay various state and local taxes. All states impose property and unemployment insurance taxes. Beyond that, taxes at the state level vary from one state to the next. In some states, youll be required to pay franchise and sales and use taxes, for example, while others have no such requirements.
Janelle Cammenga, a Policy Analyst with the Tax Foundations Center for State Tax Policy, noted in an article on the organizations website that Nevada, Ohio, Texas and Washington impose gross receipts taxes rather than corporate income taxes. South Dakota and Wyoming are the only states that dont levy a corporate income or gross receipts tax, she wrote.
Check with your state tax authority to find out what taxes youre responsible for paying.
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Types Of Taxes For Small Businesses
When it comes to taxes paid by small businesses most of the attention is focused on income taxes because they take such a large chunk of profits. But income taxes are far from the only taxes that businesses have to pay so it’s important to be informed of all possible taxes.
Most businesses are also responsible for paying property taxes and payroll taxes. Some pay excise taxes and franchise taxes as well . Businesses in all but a handful of states must collect sales taxes from customers and then report and pay them to the proper authorities.
Your own business tax responsibility depends on a number of factors, including its location, business type, corporate structure and industry. Different states and municipalities have different tax requirements, as do different industries and business setups, which you must be aware of before starting a business.
Here are a few taxes that many small businesses have to pay:
What Happens To My Tax Rate If I Lay Off An Employee
Several factors can affect or raise your unemployment insurance tax rate if you lay off one or more employees. While its virtually impossible to provide an exact number, you can use a combination of data to gauge whether your rate is likely to increase following an employee layoff, such as:
- Your experience rating, or past history with unemployment insurance claims and whether or not it was ruled in the employees favor.
- Your taxable payroll amount.
- The amount of time or money that your employees have received unemployment insurance.
- The amount youve paid towards unemployment insurance.
For more information, read this guide on how layoffs affect unemployment insurance tax.
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An Overview Of Small Business Taxes
Tax liabilities can differ depending on business structure, location, and several other factors. Sole proprietors, for example, may face a 13% federal tax rate, while small partnerships and S-corporations pay nearly 24% and 27%, respectively.
Knowing where your small business stands with tax rates is crucial to filing the proper taxes at the right time. Not only must you be concerned with income tax but other costs such as self-employment and excise taxes. With legal implications for your business, taxes can make or break your success.
Here are several things to be aware of for your small businesss taxes, including how to file and what to pay.
Guide To Unemployment And Taxes
OVERVIEW
The IRS considers unemployment compensation to be taxable incomewhich you must report on your federal tax return. State unemployment divisions issue an IRS Form 1099-G to each individual who receives unemployment benefits during the year.
If you received unemployment benefits this year, you can expect to receive a Form 1099-G Certain Government Payments that lists the total amount of compensation you received. The IRS considers unemployment compensation to be taxable incomewhich you must report on your federal tax return. Some states also count unemployment benefits as taxable income.
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How Do I Pay Federal Unemployment Taxes
FUTA taxes are paid quarterly, for quarters in which you have $500 or more in tax liability, based on the amounts you have set aside from payroll. If your unpaid FUTA tax for any quarter is over $500, you must make a deposit of that unpaid amount by the last day of the month after the end of the quarter, which means April 30, July 31, October 31, and January 31.
If your unpaid FUTA tax is $500 or less, carry it to the next quarter a deposit is not required.
- First, you must calculate FUTA taxes for each payroll.
- Then, in any quarter in which your total FUTA tax liability is over $500, you must send in a deposit. All employment tax deposits must be made using EFTPS (federal tax deposit system. Read more about EFTPS, including how to register and make payments.
- At the end of every year, you must pay any FUTA amount due from the previous year, when you file the annual unemployment tax report on Form 940.
Log Charitable And Medical Deductions
Deductions and credits seem very attractive when it comes to benefits. Therefore you must learn about your options and how to apply if youre eligible. Any charitable cash contributions to certain organizations of up to $300 made in 2020 are eligible for charitable deductions.
On the other hand, if you have been sick and spent quite some time in hospital in 2020 and your medical bill is considerable, you can get some tax relief. Similarly, learn about Coronavirus reliefs such as Stimulus Checks, Paycheck Protection Program , loans, unemployment benefits and educational benefits.
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Other Options For Struggling Business Owners
If you didn’t hire yourself as an employee in your own business, there are some other ways to get financial assistance at this time:
- FEMA disaster relief
- Borrowing against your retirement accounts
Roberts suggests you think proactively now. “If you aren’t out of business, but see your business struggling, consider applying for a type of federal or state business loan now. The process is long, and the forms can be confusing. It’s better to have your application in than wait until you are completely out of business to apply. Remember, the programs are designed for businesses that have been economically impacted by COVID-19, not only for those that have been put out of business.”
Calculating Your Futa Tax Liability
You must pay unemployment taxes if:
- You paid wages of $1,500 or more to employees in any calendar quarter of a year, or
- You had one or more employees for at least some part of a day in 20 or more different weeks during the year.
You must count all employees, including full-time, part-time, and temporary workers. Don’t count partners in a partnership, and don’t count wages paid to independent contractors and other non-employees,
You must pay federal unemployment tax based on employee wages or salaries. The FUTA tax is 6% on the first $7,000 of income for each employee. Most employers receive a maximum credit of up to 5.4% against this FUTA tax for allowable state unemployment tax. Consequently, the effective rate works out to 0.6% .
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How Does State Unemployment Tax Affect My Payments As An Employer
The IRS has an Unemployment Tax Trust Fund to pay the costs of administering the federal and state unemployment taxes. Generally, your business gets a credit for amounts you pay to a state unemployment fund.
Some states borrow from this trust fund, and some of those states don’t repay the loans. If a state doesn’t repay within two years, employers in the state may be required to pay additional unemployment tax.
Unemployment Benefits Under The Cares Act
The federal government has expanded unemployment benefits under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act .
Self-employed workers who are usually ineligible for unemployment benefits including independent contractors, sole proprietors and gig workers may now be eligible. They may also qualify for additional money: the new law provides an extra $600 a week in unemployment compensation and extends benefits for 13 weeks .
Eligibility and guidelines vary by state, and you may be eligible if you are self-employed and have lost income due to coronavirus measures, or youre unable or unavailable to work for reasons related to COVID-19, such as being quarantined or caring for a sick family member.
Under normal circumstances, states require you to seek work each week that you file a claim, but the CARES Act provides flexibility if you are unable to because of COVID-19.
Due to the launch of new unemployment application systems and a surge in the number of people claiming unemployment benefits in recent weeks, some states aren’t yet able to process new claims and payments may be delayed. But there are signs that early roadblocks to filing for benefits are beginning to lift.
Contact your states unemployment insurance office to learn about who can collect benefits, how to file a claim and if any delays are expected.
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How Does The Unemployment Rate Affect My Business
Generally, when unemployment is high and the economy is slow, people have less money to spend. They also may prefer to save leftover money from their budgets rather than use it for things like entertainment, eating out or other non-necessities. This can affect your business in a number of ways, such as low sales, higher unemployment tax rates and cash flow shortages.
On the other hand, when unemployment is low the economy is healthy, people generally feel more comfortable spending money, so the consumer confidence index improves. Positive economic growth can make people more willing to take on financial risks, such as buying a home or car. Small business owners may be more willing and able to secure business funding to help expand and grow their businesses.
Do I Have To Pay Taxes On The Extra $600
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act provided for the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation program when President Trump signed it into law on March 27, 2020. It provided an additional $600 per week in unemployment compensation per recipient through July 2020. That money is also taxable after the first $10,200.
You might be paid up if you arranged to have income tax withheld from your benefits, but federal law caps withholding on benefits at 10%. That might not be enough to offset all taxes owed if you had additional income during the year.
Not all states were technologically prepared to withhold anything from that extra $600 portion. Their unemployment systems simply werent up to the task, and many initially collapsed during the first weeks of increased visits to their sites.
You’ll still have to pay tax on benefits you received over $10,200 if you asked for withholding and it didn’t happen.
This 10% withholding cap prevents you from having extra money withheld now to try to compensate for not having anything withheld earlier in the year. You can ask for extra withholding from your paychecks, however, if you return to work.
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Small Business Tax Guide
Taxes might not be the most exciting task on a small business owner’s list of priorities, but theyre something youll need to think about, plan for and pay on a regular basis.
Learning how different tax issues can impact your business whether they involve corporate income tax, small business tax rates, tax law changes, tax credits or something else will help you be more prepared when it comes time to file your returns. This, in turn, will make for more efficient and successful operations. For that matter, we also recommend learning more about these top free accounting tools. In addition, find out all you need to know about how to prevent your small business from failure and writing a business plan .
Obtain An Employer Number
Applications may be downloaded by choosing one of the forms below or by calling toll free 844-224-5818 and pressing option 1, then option 2 for Employer Taxes.
Choose the form that corresponds with your type of business:
The completed application can be mailed or faxed to the Employer Services Unit. Allow ten business days for processing. The Employer Account number will be mailed to the address provided on the form.
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Getting Started On The Right Foot
Fraud isnt the only annoying thing about taxes. If you dont make the right preparations, the entire process can be very frustrating. As you work toward your filing date, keep these prep tips in mind:
- Figure out if you want to have a professional do it. Last year we made our case for why you should never file your small business taxes on your own. We stand by that.
- Be ready for an audit, even if you dont get one. You should file your taxes like youre planning on the IRS knocking on your door the next day to look at the books.
Most importantly, get started now. A lot of these scams require the victim to be a little out of touch with their current tax situation. If youve already filed and got your refund, then you wont fall for half of the tax scams out there.
Tax season is stressful, but less so when you keep your finances separate from fraud. Hopefully, these tips will help keep your personal information safe.
If you think the scammers already got to you, then reach out to the IRS immediately. You can call them at 800-829-1040. You can also stay up to date on the latest tax scams and consumer alerts here:
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The above article is intended to provide generalized financial information designed to educate a broad segment of the public it does not give personalized tax, investment, legal, or other business and professional advice. Before taking any action, you should always seek the assistance of a professional who knows your particular situation for advice on taxes, your investments, the law, or any other business and professional matters that affect you and/or your business.
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Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program
Under the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program stipulated in the CARES Act, states can extend the amount of time you can receive benefits for 13 weeks to a maximum of 39 weeks .
Note: The PUA also provided an extra $600 a week in compensation. However, this benefit expired on July 31, 2020. Congress is currently working on new legislation regarding further benefits. We will update this article with the newest information as soon as legislators reach a deal.
Unemployment Taxes And The Small Business Owner
If you paid $1,500 or more to an employee, your business has to pay the unemployment tax. If youre like many small business owners, the complications of the tax code can be a headache you dont need. Unemployment taxes pay for unemployment insurance, and all businesses pay in a percentage of their payroll into the system.Unemployment tax exists to provide protection for workers who lose their jobs. These workers must have lost their job through no fault of their own, though local laws do vary on a state level. State and Federal unemployment taxes exist, and we will cover them in the next section.
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