Vision Payroll

Monday, November 12, 2012 will be the commemoration of Veterans Day, a federal holiday. Although the offices of Vision Payroll will be open and payrolls will be processed, most banks will be closed in observance of the holiday.

Normal Payroll Date	Process Deadline
11/12/2012	11/7/2012
11/13/2012	11/8/2012
11/14/2012	11/9/2012

Payroll Dates May Be Affected by Veterans Day

Payrolls dated November 12 will be paid November 9 unless a previous change in schedule has been submitted. Payrolls submitted after these processing deadlines will be pushed back until the next available processing day. No changes are required for payrolls dated November 15.

Thanksgiving Day Is Next Federal Holiday

The next federal holiday will be Thursday, November 22, 2012, Thanksgiving Day. Contact Vision Payroll as soon as possible to make changes to or for questions on your processing schedule.

The Social Security Administration announced today that the Maximum Taxable Earnings or Social Security Wage Base would increase from $110,100 in 2012 to $113,700 in 2013.

Social Security Increases Based on CPI Change

Since there was a 1.7% increase in the Consumer Price Index (CPI-W) from the third quarter of 2011 to the third quarter of 2012, the Social Security Wage Base will also increase by 1.7%. This compares to a 3.6% increase in 2012. Wages are scheduled to be taxed at 6.2%, so the maximum tax to be paid by each employee at that rate would be $7,049.40. There is a proposal to keep the current rate of 4.2% for employees, but it has not passed at this time. About 6% of workers who pay Social Security Tax are expected to reach the maximum in 2003.

Retirement Earnings Test Exempt Amounts Increase for 2013

For workers under full retirement age who are receiving Social Security benefits, $1 in benefits is withheld for every $2 above the Retirement Earnings Test Exempt Amount of $14,640 per year or $1,220 per month in 2012. This will increase to $15,120 per year or $1,260 per month for 2013. The year an individual reaches full retirement age, $1 in benefits is withheld for every $3 above the Retirement Earnings Test Exempt Amount of $38,880 per year or $3,240 per month in 2012. This will increase to $40,080 per year or $3,340 per month for 2013. The month an individual reaches full retirement age there is no limit on earnings.

Quarter of Coverage Amounts Increases to $1,160

Also increasing for 2013 is that amount needed to earn a Social Security credit, formerly known as a quarter of coverage. In 2012, a credit is earned for every $1,130 of earnings, up to a maximum of four credits. That amount will increase to $1,160 for 2013.

Social Security Monthly Benefits to Increase in January 2013

The maximum benefit for a worker retiring at full retirement age is also increasing from $2,513 to $2,533. See the table below for other changes in Social Security benefits for 2012.

2013 Social Security Benefits

	2012	2013
Maximum Benefit:
Worker Retiring at Full Retirement Age	$2,513 per month	$2,533 per month
SSI Federal Payment Standard:
Individual	$698 per month	$710 per month
Couple	$1,048 per month	$1,066 per month
SSI Resources Limit:
Individual	$2,000	$2,000
Couple	$3,000	$3,000
SSI Student Exclusion:
Monthly Limit	$1,700	$1,730
Annual Limit	$6,840	$6,960

Contact Vision Payroll Today

Contact Vision Payroll if you have any questions on the Social Security changes for 2013 or get further information at Important Facts and Figures.

According to the US Department of Labor, in the week ending September 29, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 367,000, an increase of 4,000 from the previous week’s revised figure of 363,000. The 4-week moving average was 375,000, unchanged from the previous week’s revised average.

Advance Seasonally Adjusted Insured Unemployment Rate Remains Unchanged

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.6% for the week ending September 22, unchanged from the prior week’s unrevised rate.

Advance Seasonally Adjusted Insured Unemployment Remains Unchanged

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending September 22 was 3,281,000, unchanged from the preceding week’s revised level. The 4-week moving average was 3,285,250, a decrease of 12,750 from the preceding week’s revised average of 3,298,000.