Publication 15a |
2000 Tax Year |
Chapter 8 Special Rules for Paying Taxes
Common Paymaster
If two or more related corporations employ the same individual
at the same time and pay this individual through a common
paymaster, which is one of the corporations, the corporations are
considered a single employer. They have to pay, in total, no more in
social security and Medicare taxes than a single employer would.
Each corporation must pay its own part of the employment taxes and
may deduct only its own part of the wages. The deductions will not be
allowed unless the corporation reimburses the common paymaster for the
wage and tax payments. See Regulations section 31.3121(s)-1 for
more information.
Reporting Agents
Agents must submit an application for authorization to act as an
agent to the IRS service center where they will be filing returns. A
Form 2678, Employer Appointment of Agent, properly
completed by each employer, must be submitted with this application.
See Rev. Proc. 70-6, 1970-1 C.B. 420, Rev. Proc. 84-33,
1984-1 C.B. 502, and the separate Instructions for Form W-2
for procedures and reporting requirements. Form 2678 does not
apply to FUTA taxes reportable on Form 940.
Magnetic tape filing of Forms 940 and 941.
Reporting agents filing Forms 940 and 941 for a large number of
employers may file them on magnetic tape. For authorization to file
using this method, reporting agents must submit a Form 8655,
Reporting Agent Authorization for Magnetic Tape/Electronic
Filers, completed by each employer. See Rev. Proc. 96-18,
1996-1 C.B. 637, for the procedures for filing Forms 940 and 941
on magnetic tape. Also, see Pub. 1314 ( Form 940) and
Pub. 1264 (Form 941) for the tape specifications.
Electronic filing of Form 941.
The 941e-file program accepts and processes Form 941 electronically
in the Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) format. The program allows a
reporting agent taxpayer to electronically file Form 941 using a
personal computer, modem, and commercial tax preparation software. See
Rev. Proc. 96-17, 1996-1 C.B. 633 and Rev. Proc. 99-39, 1999-43 IRB
532 for procedural information. Also see Pub. 1855 for
technical specifications.
Payment of Employment Taxes by Disregarded Entities
Employment taxes for employees of a qualified subchapter S
subsidiary or other entity disregarded as an entity separate from its
owner may be reported and paid under one of the following methods:
- By its owner (as if the employees of the disregarded entity
are employed directly by the owner) using the owner's name and
taxpayer identification number or
- By each entity recognized as a separate entity under state
law using the entity's own name and taxpayer identification
number.
If the second method is chosen, the owner retains responsibility
for the employment tax obligations of the disregarded entity. For more
information, see Notice 99-6, 1999-3 C.B. 321.
Lender, Surety, or Other Third-Party Payers
Any lender, surety, or other person who pays wages, or supplies
funds specifically to pay wages directly to the employees of an
employer, or to the employee's agent, is responsible for any required
withholding on those wages. The third party is also liable for any
interest and penalties accruing on these accounts. This includes the
withholding of income, social security, Medicare, and railroad
retirement taxes.
Note:
These rules do not apply to a person acting only as an agent,
or to third-party payers of sick pay, discussed in section 7.
If a third party supplies funds to an employer so that the employer
can pay the employees' wages, and if the third party knows that the
employer will not pay or deposit the taxes that are required to be
withheld when due, then the third party must pay the taxes withheld
from the employees' wages but not paid by the employer. However, the
third party does not have to pay more than 25% of the amount that is
specifically supplied for paying wages. The third-party supplier must
also pay interest on the taxes if they are paid after the due date of
the employer's return.
Third parties are liable only for payment of the employees' parts
of payroll taxes. They are not liable for the employer's part. The
employer must file an employment tax return for wages that he or she
or a third party pays and must furnish Forms W-2 to employees for the
wages paid and taxes withheld. The employer also remains liable for
any withholding taxes not paid by the third party.
Liability of trustee in bankruptcy.
A trustee in bankruptcy must withhold, report, and pay income,
social security, and Medicare taxes from the payment of priority
claims for employees' wages earned prior to, but unpaid at the time
of, an employer's bankruptcy.
How to pay withheld tax.
Third parties who pay employment taxes must file two copies of
Form 4219, Statement of Liability of Lender, Surety, or
Other Person for Withholding Taxes. A separate set of forms must be
filed for each employer and calendar quarter.
Form 4219 must be filed with the IRS service center where the
employer for whom wages were paid, or funds were supplied, files
Federal employment tax returns.
Each Form 4219 must be accompanied by a check or money order made
payable to the "United States Treasury." To avoid interest, full
payment should be made on or before the due date of the employer's
Federal employment tax return.
Employee's Portion of Taxes Paid by Employer
If you pay your employee's social security and Medicare taxes
without deducting them from the employee's pay, you must include the
amount of the payments in the employee's wages for income tax
withholding and social security, Medicare, and FUTA taxes. This
increase in the employee's wage payment for your payment of the
employee's social security and Medicare taxes is also subject to
employee social security and Medicare taxes. This again increases the
amount of the additional taxes you must pay.
Note: This discussion does not apply to household and
agricultural employers. If you pay a household or agricultural
employee's social security and Medicare taxes, these payments must be
included in the employee's wages. However, this wage increase due to
the tax payments made for the employee is not subject to social
security or Medicare taxes as discussed in this section.
To figure the employee's increased wages in this situation, divide
the stated pay (the amount you pay without taking into
account your payment of employee social security and Medicare taxes)
by a factor for that year. This factor is determined by subtracting
from 1 the combined employee social security and Medicare tax rate for
the year the wages are paid. For 2001, the factor is .9235 (1 -
.0765). If the stated pay is more than $74,249.40 (2001 wage base
$80,400 x .9235), follow the procedure described under
Stated pay of more than $74,249.40 in 2001 below.
Stated pay of $74,249.40 or less in 2001.
For an employee with stated pay of $74,249.40 or less in 2001,
figure the correct wages (wages plus employer-paid employee taxes) and
withholding to report by dividing the stated pay by .9235. This will
give you the wages to report in box 1 and the social security and
Medicare wages to report in boxes 3 and 5 of Form W-2.
To figure the correct social security tax to enter in box 4 and
Medicare tax to enter in box 6, multiply the amounts in boxes 3 and 5
by the withholding rates (6.2% and 1.45%) for those taxes, and enter
the results in boxes 4 and 6.
Example.
Donald Devon hires Lydia Lone for only 1 week during 2001. He pays
her $300 for that week. Donald agrees to pay Lydia's part of the
social security and Medicare taxes. To figure her reportable wages, he
divides $300 by .9235. The result, $324.85, is the amount he reports
as wages in boxes 1, 3, and 5 of Form W-2. To figure the amount to
report as social security tax, Donald multiplies $324.85 by the social
security tax rate of 6.2% (.062). The result, $20.14, is entered in
box 4 of Form W-2. To figure the amount to report as Medicare tax,
Donald multiplies $324.85 by the Medicare tax rate of 1.45% (.0145).
The result, $4.71, is entered in box 6 of Form W-2. Although he did
not actually withhold these amounts from Lydia, he will report these
amounts as taxes withheld on Form 941 and is responsible for matching
these amounts with the employer share of these taxes.
For FUTA tax and income tax withholding, Lydia's weekly wages are
$324.85.
Stated pay of more than $74,249.40 in 2001.
For an employee with stated pay of more than $74,249.40 in 2001,
the correct social security wage amount is $80,400 (the first
$74,249.40 of wages x .9235). The stated pay in excess of
$74,249.40 is not subject to social security tax because the tax only
applies to the first $80,400 of wages (stated pay plus employer-paid
employee taxes). Enter $80,400 in box 3 of Form W-2. The social
security tax to enter in box 4 is $4,984.80 x .062).
To figure the correct Medicare wages to enter in box 5 of Form W-2,
subtract $74,249.40 from the stated pay. Divide this amount by .9855
(1 - .0145) and add $80,400. For example, if stated pay is
$100,000, the correct Medicare wages are figured as follows:
- $100,000 - $74,249.40 = $25,750.60
- $25,750.60 x .9855 = $26,129.48
- $26,129.48 + $80,400 = $106,529.48
The Medicare wages are $106,529.48. Enter this amount in box 5 of
Form W-2. The Medicare tax to enter in box 6 is $1,544.68 ($106,529.48
x .0145).
Although these employment tax amounts are not actually withheld,
report them as withheld on Form 941, and pay equal amounts as the
employer's share of the social security and Medicare taxes. If the
wages for income tax purposes in the preceding example are the same as
for social security and Medicare purposes, the correct wage amount for
income tax withholding is $106,529.48 ($100,000 + $4,984.80 +
$1,544.68), which is included in box 1 of Form W-2.
International Social Security Agreements
The United States has social security agreements with many
countries to eliminate dual taxation and coverage under two social
security systems. Under these agreements, sometimes known as
totalization agreements, you generally must pay social security taxes
only to the country where you work. Employees and employers who are
subject only to foreign social security taxes under these agreements
are exempt from U.S. social security taxes, including the Medicare
portion.
The United States has social security agreements with the following
countries: Austria, Belgium, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Greece,
Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain,
Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Additional agreements are
expected in the future. For more information, see Pub. 519,
U.S. Tax Guide for Aliens, or contact:
Social Security Administration
Office of International Programs
P.O. Box 17741
Baltimore, MD 21235-7741
If you have access to the Internet, you can get more information
from the SSA at www.ssa.gov/international.
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