If you make refunds yourself, be sure to separate the deferred taxes from other tax payments. Form 941 has not been revised for the first calendar quarter of 2020 (January to March 2020) to reflect deferred deposits otherwise due on or after March 27, 2020 for that quarter, or to reflect deferred payments on salaries paid between March 27, 2020 and March 31, 2020. Form 941 and accompanying instructions have been revised for the second, third and fourth calendar quarters of 2020 to reflect the employer`s deferral of the employer`s share of social security tax. You will also have to withhold part of the deferred tax on social security. Or you can enter into another agreement to collect deferred taxes from the employee. Again, you have until the 31st. December 2021 It`s time to withhold deferred tax without penalties. For example, if an employer accumulates a $110,000 liability and expects an employee retention credit of $20,000, the employer must still deposit the next day under the $100,000 deposit rule the next day, but must only deposit $90,000. If the employer also defers the employer`s share of the social security taxes, the deposit will also be reduced the next day by the amount of the employer`s share in the deferred social security taxes.

Under the common law, if an employer uses an uncertified PEO or other third-party payer (other than an OCTC or section 3504 agent who filed Form 2678) that reports and pays federal taxes on the employer client`s work under the Third Party Employer Identification Number (EIN), the PEO or other third-party payer must report the employer`s deferred share of social security taxes on aggregate form 941 and report the attributable deferred taxes separately. to employers, for whom it submits the complete Form 941 on an attached R plan. The PEO or other third-party payer is not required to complete Schedule R in respect of an employer for which it does not defer the employer`s share of the social security tax (as long as the employer for other reasons, e.B. for the use of FFCRA vacation credits or employee retention credits, not to be included in Appendix R). If employees have deferred their Social Security tax, you are responsible for withholding the full amount until December 31, 2021. How? If the employee no longer works for the organization, the employer is responsible for reimbursing the full amount carried forward. The employer must collect the employee`s share using its own collection methods. „As New Year`s Eve is a federal holiday, deferred Social Security taxes for employees are due until January 3, 2022. For example, if an employer deferred the $50,000 down payment from the employer`s Social Security taxes to 2020 and deposited $25,000 on December 31, 2021, but not the rest on December 31, 2021. Paid in December 2022, the employer is responsible for a late bail penalty for the entire $50,000, even if the December 31, 2021 payment was paid on time. However, if an employer was entitled to defer $20,000 for the payroll tax deferral period, but paid $15,000 of the $20,000 and deferred $5,000 for the payroll tax deferral period, the employer does not have to pay an additional amount before December 31, 2021, because 50% of the eligible deferred amount (or $10,000) has already been paid and will be counted in the employer`s amount due on December 31 for the first time.

2021. The employer must pay the remaining $5,000 by December 31, 2022. The IRS will issue payment notices to taxpayers indicating the total amount of deferred taxes and the payment due dates before each applicable due date. For the first installment, scheduled for December 2021, the IRS will begin issuing notices in October. Employers who have collected deferred Social Security taxes under the CARES Act must pay all amounts due by the applicable due date if no reminder is received from the IRS. For example, if an employer who deferred a total of $50,000 in employer social security taxes in 2020 to 2020 pays only $5,000 on December 31, 2021 (instead of $25,000), a 10% penalty would apply to the entire $50,000 (i.e., the penalty would be $5,000). Interest, penalties and other surcharges will apply to unpaid deferred taxes if you do not meet the filing deadline of January 3, 2022. For more information, visit the IRS website. Section 2302(a)(2) of the CARES Act provides that the payment of the employer`s share of the social security tax, which would otherwise have to be made during the deferral period, may be deferred until the „applicable date“. For more information, see What are the applicable dates on which the employer`s deferred share in Social Security tax payments must be filed in order to be treated as appropriate (and to avoid a non-payment penalty)? • Such an agreement should provide that the employer has the right to withhold other wages at a higher rate or to require a cheque from the employee if the employee takes the dismissal before a date on which all deferred taxes have been repaid. For more information, see How does an employer transfer the employer`s share of social security tax? For more information on employers who complete Form 941, Quarterly Statements, see: If an employer has deferred employer filing of Social Security tax due on or after March 27, 2020 for the first calendar quarter of 2020 or the employer`s share payment of Social Security tax for wages paid between March 27, 2020 and March 31. March 2020, how does the employer report the deferral to the IRS? For more information on employers who file annual income tax returns, see Can employers who file annual payroll tax returns (Form 943, Form 944 and Form CT-1) defer payment and payment of the employer`s share of Social Security tax? As described, employees are liable for deferred Social Security taxes, and these taxes must be withheld and paid in early 2021.

But the employer is also responsible. Article 31.3202-1 (e) of the Treasury Regulations and Article 3202 (b) of the Tax Code make the employer liable for the employee`s social security tax, whether or not it is deducted from the employee`s salary. Unfortunately, this continues even after the employee is fired. Ultimately, the employer remains subject to employee tax despite the due date specified in the 2020-65 Notice. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Program Manager Technical Assistance (PMTA), 2021-007, dated June 21, 2021, states that default penalties would apply to all Taxes of Social Security employers deferred under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, Public Law 116-136 (March 27, 2020) if refunds are late. According to IRS guidelines issued in August 2020, employers were able to defer employees` share of Social Security taxes from September 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020. Originally, employers were required to increase the withholding tax and pay ratified amounts on wages and allowances paid between January 1, 2021 and April 31, 2021 and from January 1, 2021. May 2021 would result in penalties and interest on unpaid deferred tax liabilities. If, under the common law, the employer directs the OCTC or Agent 3504 (including an uncertified PEO or other third party payer designated as a representative by completing Form 2678 or otherwise under the regulations of section 3504) to defer payment of a portion of the employer`s share of the social security tax during the payroll tax deferral period, the common law employer is solely responsible for the payment of deferred income tax.

Taxes on all wages paid by the OCPC or Agent 3504 on behalf of the common law employer during the payroll tax deferral period. However, the OCPC or Representative 3504 may pay the deferred amount on behalf of the common law employer that is consistent with the common law employer`s declaration and other payroll taxes to the employer. The default penalties would apply to all employers` social security taxes deferred under the CARES Act if refunds are late. At common law, if an employer uses a tax filer to file Form 941, under the common law, the employer reports the deferred amount of the employer`s share of the social security tax on Form 941, which the filer files on behalf of the employer. The PMTA memo states that „this notice should not be used or cited as a precedent.“ However, it does provide useful clarification on how the IRS will apply the penalty to late refunds of deferred amounts under the CARES Act.