Due to the severe storms and flooding in Massachusetts beginning March 12, 2010, President Barack Obama declared the following counties a federal disaster area: Bristol, Essex, Middlesex, Norfolk, Plymouth, Suffolk and Worcester. Therefore, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced recently that it will waive failure to deposit penalties for employment and excise taxes due after March 11, 2010 and before March 30, 2010 as long as the deposits were made by March 29, 2010. In addition, affected taxpayers will have until May 11, 2010 to file most tax returns. Contact Vision Payroll if you were affected by the severe storms and flooding and need further information on the relief provided by the IRS.
Due to the severe storms and flooding in Rhode Island beginning March 12, 2010, President Barack Obama declared the following counties a federal disaster area: Bristol, Kent, Newport, Providence and Washington. Therefore, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced recently that it will waive failure to deposit penalties for employment and excise taxes due after March 11, 2010 and before March 30, 2010 as long as the deposits were made by March 29, 2010. In addition, affected taxpayers will have until May 11, 2010 to file most tax returns. Contact Vision Payroll if you were affected by the severe storms and flooding and need further information on the relief provided by the IRS.
This week’s question comes from Andrew, a company president. We know that we can receive a payroll tax exemption and income tax credit under the HIRE Act if we hire certain unemployed workers. We need qualified employees to sign an affidavit to prove they are eligible. When will the HIRE Act affidavit form be available? Answer: The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has released a draft Form W-11, Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment (HIRE) Act Employee Affidavit. Under the HIRE Act, employers may avoid paying social security tax on qualified employees and receive an income tax credit for retaining those employees. Employers are required to obtain a signed affidavit from qualified employees. A final Form W-11 is expected to be released by the IRS during the week of April 4, 2010. Contact Vision Payroll with further questions on the HIRE Act.
Under the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act (HIRE Act), employers who hire certain unemployed workers are allowed not to pay certain employment taxes. Employers who claim the exemption under the HIRE Act may not claim the Work Opportunity Tax Credit with respect to wages paid for which the HIRE Act exemption is claimed. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is authorized under the HIRE Act to prescribe the manner for making an election to have this section of the HIRE Act not apply. Employers who would receive greater benefit under the Work Opportunity Tax Credit should consider making the election. Vision Payroll strongly recommends that employers consult their income tax advisor before claiming the exemption or electing not to claim the exemption under the HIRE Act.
Under the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act (HIRE Act), employers who hire certain unemployed workers are allowed not to pay certain employment taxes. Employees are not eligible under the HIRE Act if the employee is “employed by the qualified employer to replace another employee of such employer unless such other employee separated from employment voluntarily or for cause.” Therefore, employers may not simply terminate employees and replace them with otherwise qualified individuals and qualify for the exemption. Contact Vision Payroll if you have further questions on the HIRE Act.
Under the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act (HIRE Act), employers who hire certain unemployed workers are allowed not to pay certain employment taxes. Under the HIRE Act, certain related individuals as described in §51(i)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (IRC), do not qualify as eligible workers. Therefore, most family members will not qualify under the HIRE Act based on the IRC §51(i)(1). Contact Vision Payroll if you have further questions on the HIRE Act.
This week’s question comes from Donna, an HR Director. I read how we can get a payroll tax credit for hiring unemployed workers. How do we know if an employee qualifies us for the new payroll tax credit for hiring unemployed workers? Answer: The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has released IR-2010-033, Two New Tax Benefits Aid Employers Who Hire and Retain Unemployed Workers. In it, the IRS explains that under the HIRE Act, employers will be required to “get a statement from each eligible new hire certifying that he or she was unemployed during the 60 days before beginning work or, alternatively, worked fewer than a total of 40 hours for someone else during the 60-day period.” The IRS will provide a form that employers may use to obtain the certification from employees. Contact Vision Payroll if you have any questions on the new credits.
HR 2847, An Act making appropriations for the Departments of Commerce and Justice, and Science, and Related Agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2010, and for other purposes, was passed by Congress and sent to President Barack Obama who indicated he will sign it March 18, 2010. The law, also called the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act or HIRE Act, allows employers who hire employees after February 3, 2010 (and before January 1, 2011) who were unemployed for sixty days in the period from February 3, 2010 to December 31, 2010 to not pay the employer portion of the social security tax (6.2% of taxable earnings). Employers must still collect and pay the employee portion of the social security tax. Additionally, the employer and employee portion of the Medicare tax must still be collected and paid for all employees. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is not planning to change the Form 941 for the first quarter 2010 (the three months ended March 31, 2010). Credits for taxes paid in this quarter will be available on the Form 941 filed for the second quarter 2010. The credit amount would be treated as an additional payment for the second quarter 2010. Employers who employ such qualifying individuals for a fifty-two week period would also be eligible for a $1,000 credit against income taxes. Contact Vision Payroll if you have any questions on the new law.
In IR-2010-025, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced that it “has made an administrative determination to accept the position that medical residents are excepted from FICA taxes based on the student exception for tax periods ending before April 1, 2005, when new IRS regulations went into effect.” According to the release, “[t]he IRS will…begin contacting hospitals, universities and medical residents who filed FICA (Social Security and Medicare tax) refund claims for these periods with more information and procedures. Employers and individuals with pending claims do not need to take any action at this time.”
Contact Vision Payroll if you have any questions on the FICA determination.
In IR-2010-022, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced that interest rates for the second quarter of 2010 would remain unchanged from the first quarter. The rates are as follows:
- Four (4) percent for overpayments [three (3) percent in the case of a corporation];
- Four (4) percent for underpayments;
- Six (6) percent for large corporate underpayments; and
- One and one-half (1.5) percent for the portion of a corporate overpayment exceeding $10,000.
The IRS will publish the rates in Revenue Ruling 2010-9. Contact Vision Payroll if you have any questions on the second quarter rates.
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