2017 income tax fundamentals chapter 9

Chapter 9: Withholding, Estimated Payments, and Payroll Taxes Chapter Contents

Chapter 9 Withholding, Estimated Payments, and Payroll Taxes Chapter Introduction 9­1 Withholding Methods 9­1a Computing Income Tax Withholding 9­1b Pension and Deferred Income 9­1c Tip Reporting 9­1d Backup Withholding 9­2 Estimated Payments 9­3 The FICA Tax 9­3a Overpayment of Social Security Taxes 9­4 Federal Tax Deposit System 9­5 Employer Reporting Requirements 9­5a Form W­2G 9­5b Information Returns 9­6 Self­Employment Tax 9­7 The FUTA Tax 9­8 The Nanny Tax 9­9 Computing the 0.9 Percent Medicare Surtax for High­Income Taxpayers 9­9a Employees 9­9b Self­Employed Taxpayers Questions and Problems Key Terms Key Points Group 1: Multiple Choice Questions Group 2: Problems Group 3: Writing Assignment 1/2

Group 4: Comprehensive Problem Key Number Tax Return Summary Chapter 9: Withholding, Estimated Payments, and Payroll Taxes Chapter Contents

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Chapter 9: Withholding, Estimated Payments, and Payroll Taxes Chapter Introduction

Chapter Introduction

iStockphoto.com/Nikada

Learning Objectives After completing this chapter, you should be able to: LO 9.1 Compute the income tax withholding from employee wages.

LO 9.2 Determine taxpayers’ quarterly estimated payments.

LO 9.3 Understand the FICA tax.

LO 9.4 Understand the federal deposit system.

LO 9.5 Understand employer payroll reporting.

LO 9.6 Calculate the self­employment tax (both Social Security and Medicare

portions) for self­employed taxpayers.

LO 9.7 Compute the amount of FUTA tax for an employer.

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LO 9.8 Apply the special tax and reporting requirements for household employees

(the nanny tax).

LO 9.9 Calculate the 0.9 percent Medicare surtax on the earned income of high­

income taxpayers.

Overview This chapter focuses on the payment and reporting of income and other taxes by employers, employees, and self­employed taxpayers. Payroll and other tax topics covered include withholding methods for employees, estimated payments, the FICA tax (Social Security and Medicare taxes), the federal tax deposit system, and employer reporting requirements. In addition, related taxes such as the self­employment (SE) tax, the Federal Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA) tax, the nanny tax, and the Medicare surtax on high­income taxpayers are covered.

The FICA tax is a combined Social Security (6.2% up to the annual wage limit, $118,500 in 2016) and Medicare tax (1.45% with no limit) that is paid by both employees and employers.

The tax is withheld from each employee’s paycheck, then the tax is matched by the employer, and the total amount is remitted to the IRS. The FUTA tax is unemployment insurance with a joint state and federal payment plan to provide benefits for taxpayers when they become unemployed. The FUTA tax is paid only by employers, not employees.

Self­employed taxpayers do not have an employer to match their Social Security and Medicare taxes, so they have to pay the full amount of the SE tax (15.3% for 2016 up to the $118,500 earnings limit and then 2.9% on all earnings over $118,500). In many cases, the SE tax exceeds a self­employed individual’s income tax. The Affordable Care Act (sometimes referred to as “Obamacare”) imposes an additional 0.9 percent Medicare surtax on the earned income of certain high­income taxpayers.

The nanny tax is a reporting system for wages paid to household employees such as babysitters, caretakers, cooks, drivers, gardeners, housekeepers, and maids who earn more than an annual threshold amount.

Every working individual, whether an employee or self­employed, is affected by the rules covered in this chapter.

Chapter 9: Withholding, Estimated Payments, and Payroll Taxes Chapter Introduction

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Chapter 9: Withholding, Estimated Payments, and Payroll Taxes: 9­1 Withholding Methods

9­1 Withholding Methods Employers are required to withhold taxes from amounts paid to employees for Learning Objective 9.1 wages, including salaries, fees, bonuses, Compute the income tax withholding from commissions, vacation and retirement employee wages. pay. Form W­4, showing the filing status and the number of withholding allowances an employee is claiming, is furnished to the employer by the employee. Form W­4 is the key to the amount of the employee’s withholding for federal income taxes. Usually, employees claim the same number of allowances on Form W­4 as the number of exemptions claimed on their federal tax returns.

Employees with alimony payments, a large amount of itemized deductions, or tax credits may claim additional withholding allowances (The amount of tax deducted (withheld) by a payer and ultimately remitted to the tax authority as a tax payment on behalf of the payment recipient.

For example, income taxes are often withheld from an employee’s wages and then remitted on behalf of the employee as a tax payment to the IRS.) . Each additional withholding allowance reduces annual income tax withholding by the value of one exemption. Form W­4 includes a worksheet for calculating the number of allowances an employee should claim.

Some employees want extra tax withheld from their wages; this may be authorized on Form W­4. Also, exemption from withholding may be claimed on Form W­4 by employees who anticipate no federal tax liability for the current year. To be exempt from withholding, the employee must also have had no tax liability for the prior year. If an employee does not complete Form W­4, the employer is required to withhold as if the employee is single with no exemptions.

Single employees with only one job may claim one “special withholding allowance.” Married employees may also claim a “special withholding allowance” if one of the following conditions exists: 1. The employee has only one job and his or her spouse does not work, or 2. Wages earned from the employee’s second job, or wages earned by his or her spouse, or the total of both are $1,500 or less.

Employees with two or more jobs or employees with a spouse who also is employed must complete the “Two Earners/Multiple Jobs Worksheet” on page 2 of Form W­4.

Employees do not have to provide proof to their employers that they are entitled to the number of allowances claimed on their Form W­4s. Employers must submit copies of W­4s to the IRS 1/5

only when directed to do so by written notice. Where there is significant under­withholding for a particular employee, the IRS may require the employer to withhold income tax at a higher rate.

Employees are given the right to contest the IRS determination.

Example Tom Barry earns $50,000 per year and his wife does not work. All of Tom’s salary is from one job, and the Barrys have two dependent children under 17. The Barrys estimate their itemized deductions to be $12,800 for the year. Tom should claim eight withholding allowances as illustrated on Form W­4.

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Would You Believe?

A former president of Sprint Corporation claimed approximately 300,000 exemptions connected to a complex tax shelter that eventually cost him his job, according to the Wall Street Journal.

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Tax Break It pays to fill in Form W­4 correctly. When taxpayers have too much tax withheld, they are giving the government an interest­free loan of the extra income tax withholding until their tax return is filed and a refund is obtained. When taxpayers have too little income tax withheld, they may be subject to penalties for underpayment of taxes (see LO 9.2).

Chapter 9: Withholding, Estimated Payments, and Payroll Taxes: 9­1 Withholding Methods

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Chapter 9: Withholding, Estimated Payments, and Payroll Taxes: 9­1a Computing Income Tax Withholding

9­1a Computing Income Tax Withholding The amount of income tax to be withheld by the employer is based on gross wages before deducting FICA taxes, pension payments, union dues, insurance, and other deductions. An employer may elect to use any of several methods to determine the amount of the income tax withholding for each individual employee. Most commonly, withholding amounts are determined by use of the percentage method or by use of wage bracket tables. To compute the withholding amount under the percentage method, the employer should: 1. Multiply the number of allowances claimed by the employee (from Form W­4) by the allowance amount; 2. Subtract that amount from the employee’s gross wages for the pay period; and 3. Multiply the result in Step 2 by the percentage obtained from the tables in Appendix C for the appropriate marital status.

The allowance amounts used in Step 1 for 2016 for various pay periods are from IRS Publication 15, “Circular E, Employer’s Tax Guide.” All are based on the fact that in 2016, one allowance is $4,050.

2015 Allowance Pay Period

Weekly

Amount

$ 76.90

Biweekly

153.80

Semimonthly

166.70

Monthly

333.30

Quarterly

1,000.00

Semiannually

2,000.00

Annually

4,000.00

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Example Sharon is married, and her pay is $2,250 per month. On her Form W­4, Sharon claims married with a total of two allowances. The amount of withholding for Sharon is calculated as follows:

Under the second method of determining withholding, wage bracket tables are provided for weekly, biweekly, semimonthly, monthly, and daily payroll periods for both married and single taxpayers. The amount of withholding is obtained from the table for the appropriate payroll period and marital status, and is based on the total wages and the number of withholding allowances claimed. The monthly tables for married taxpayers are reproduced in Appendix C. Example Sharon’s withholding from the previous example may also be obtained from the wage bracket tables in Appendix C. For a wage payment of $2,250 with two allowances, on the married person’s monthly payroll period table, the amount of the withholding is found to be $87.

Chapter 9: Withholding, Estimated Payments, and Payroll Taxes: 9­1a Computing Income Tax Withholding

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Chapter 9: Withholding, Estimated Payments, and Payroll Taxes: 9­1b Pension and Deferred Income

9­1b Pension and Deferred Income Income tax withholding is also required on pension and other deferred income payments based on Form W­4P, Withholding Certificate for Pension or Annuity Payments, as completed and signed by the taxpayer. Financial institutions and corporations must withhold on the taxable part of pension, profit sharing, stock bonus, and individual retirement account payments. The rates used for withholding vary depending on the nature of the payment, as described below: 1. Periodic payments (such as annuities): Rates are based on the taxpayer’s withholding certificate as if the payments were additional wages.

2. Nonperiodic payments: The withholding is deducted at a flat 10 percent rate, except for certain distributions from qualified retirement plans, which have a required 20 percent withholding tax rate. See Chapter 4 for a discussion of withholding on rollover distributions.

Example Adam is a retired college professor and receives a pension of $775 per month. The payor should withhold on the pension, based on Adam’s signed W­4P, in the same manner as if it were Adam’s salary.

Chapter 9: Withholding, Estimated Payments, and Payroll Taxes: 9­1b Pension and Deferred Income

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Chapter 9: Withholding, Estimated Payments, and Payroll Taxes: 9­1c Tip Reporting

9­1c Tip Reporting The receipt of tips is part of the vast economy of cash transactions which are underreported or simply ignored as income by many taxpayers. To combat widespread underreporting of tips in the food and beverage industry, the IRS developed requirements for employees and employers. Employees are generally required to report tips to their employers. Then employers are generally required to report the amount of gross food and beverage sales (other than carryout) to the IRS. If total reported tips are less than 8 percent of sales, the employer must allocate among the employees the excess of 8 percent of gross sales over the amount of tips reported to the employer by the employees. The employer is not required to withhold income, Social Security, or Medicare tax on allocated tips, but is required to collect those taxes on tips reported by employees.

The allocation of tip income can be accomplished in one of three ways. The employer may allocate the amount based on (1) gross receipts per employee, (2)hours worked by each employee (available only to employers having fewer than the equivalent of twenty­five full­time employees), or (3)a good faith agreement as explained on Form 8027, Employer’s Annual Information Return of Tip Income and Allocated Tips. For a detailed explanation of the allocation process, see the instructions for Form 8027. For more information on tip reporting in general, see the IRS website (www.irs.gov) or a tax research service.

New Law Alert!

Starting in 2014, compulsory and fixed charges included in a customer’s bill are no longer considered “tips” under federal tax law. Restaurants and similar businesses must include the service charges as wages. For example, a required 18 percent service charge for a party of eight or more must be treated as additional wages to the restaurant’s employees.

Would You Believe?

For years employers were required to send the IRS any Form W­4s for employees claiming more than 10 allowances. In 2005, the IRS ended this practice. Now the IRS identifies underwithholding from information reported on Forms W­2, and when appropriate, sends a “lock­in letter” to employers specifying the number of allowances an employee may use.

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Chapter 9: Withholding, Estimated Payments, and Payroll Taxes: 9­1d Backup Withholding

9­1d Backup Withholding In some situations, individuals may be subject to backup withholding (Certain situations in which the issuer of payment such as dividends or interest is required to withhold income tax at the time of payment. Designed to ensure that income tax is paid on payments to certain taxpayers (generally, non­US tax residents).) on payments such as interest and dividends.

The purpose of backup withholding is to ensure that income tax is paid on income reported on Form 1099. If backup withholding applies, the payor (e.g., bank or insurance company) must withhold 28 percent of the amount paid to the taxpayer. Payors are required to use backup withholding in the following cases: 1. The taxpayer does not give the payor his or her taxpayer identification number (e.g., Social Security number), 2. The taxpayer fails to certify that he or she is not subject to backup withholding, 3. The IRS informs the payor that the taxpayer gave an incorrect identification number, or 4. The IRS informs the payor to start withholding because the taxpayer has not reported the income on his or her tax return.

Example Kamili earned $2,000 in interest income from Cactus Savings Bank. Kamili failed to certify that she was not subject to backup withholding. As a result, the bank must withhold taxes of $560 (28 percent of $2,000) from the interest payments to Kamili.

Taxpayers who give false information to avoid backup withholding are subject to a $500 civil penalty and a criminal penalty of up to $1,000 or up to 1 year of imprisonment, or both.

Would You Believe?

Despite IRS efforts, tax cheating is on the rise. The Treasury Department estimated that unreported income and other forms of cheating cost the government $450 billion or more a year. Other studies have estimated a “tax­gap” as high as $600 billion.

Although there is disagreement about the actual amount of tax cheating, experts agree it is a significant problem.

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Self­Study Problem 9.1

For 2016, John earns $3,000 per month and has three dependent children.

He is divorced and claims five allowances on his Form W­4. Calculate John’s withholding using: 1. The percentage method $ 2. The wage bracket method $

Chapter 9: Withholding, Estimated Payments, and Payroll Taxes: 9­1d Backup Withholding

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Chapter 9: Withholding, Estimated Payments, and Payroll Taxes: 9­2 Estimated Payments

9­2 Estimated Payments Self­employed taxpayers are not subject to withholding; however, they must make Learning Objective 9.2 quarterly estimated tax payments.

Determine taxpayers’ quarterly estimated Taxpayers with large amounts of interest, payments. dividends, and other income not subject to withholding are also generally required to make estimated payments. Payments are made in four installments on April 15, June 15, and September 15 of the tax year, and January 15 of the following year (or the first business day after if the dates fall on a weekend or holiday), based on the taxpayer’s estimate of the amount of the tax liability for the year. A taxpayer with self­employment income must begin making the payments when he or she first meets the filing requirements.

Tax Break Never write out a check to the “IRS.” The IRS issues this warning every year, because “IRS” may be easily changed to “MRS” plus an individual’s name if the check falls into the wrong hands. Checks must be made payable to the U.S. Treasury, as a reminder that the IRS is merely the collector of revenue for the federal government.

Any individual taxpayer who has estimated tax for the year of $1,000 or more, after subtracting withholding, and whose withholding does not equal or exceed the “required annual payment,” must make quarterly estimated payments. The required annual payment is the smallest of the following amounts: 1. Ninety percent of the tax shown on the current year’s return, 2. One hundred percent of the tax shown on the preceding year’s return (such return must cover a full 12 months), or 3. Ninety percent of the current­year tax determined by placing taxable income, alternative minimum taxable income, and adjusted self­employment income on an annualized basis for each quarter.

A special rule applies to individuals with adjusted gross income in excess of $150,000 for the previous year. These high­income taxpayers must pay 110 percent of the amount of tax

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shown on the prior year tax return for the current year estimated payments, instead of 100 percent, to meet the requirements in the second option above.

Estimated payments need not be paid if the estimated tax, after subtracting withholding, can reasonably be expected to be less than $1,000. Therefore, employees who also have self­ employment income may avoid making estimated payments by filing a new Form W­4 and increasing the amount of their withholding on their regular salary.

The IRS imposes a nondeductible penalty on the amounts of any underpayments of estimated tax. The penalty applies when any installment is less than the required annual payment divided by the number of installments that should have been made, which is usually four. Form 2210, Underpayment of Estimated Tax by Individuals, Estates, and Trusts, is used for the calculation of the penalty associated with the underpayment of estimated tax.

Good tax planning dictates that a taxpayer postpone payment of taxes as long as no penalty is imposed. Unpaid taxes are equivalent to an interest­free loan from the government. Therefore, taxpayers should base their estimated payments on the method which results in the lowest amount of required quarterly or annual payment. For example, a taxpayer who expects his tax liability to increase might base his or her estimated payments this year on the amount of the tax liability for the prior year.

Self­Study Problem 9.2 Ray Adams (Social Security number 466­47­1131) estimates his required annual payment for 2016 to be $7,560. He has a $510 overpayment of last year’s taxes that he wishes to apply to the first quarter estimated tax payment for 2016. Complete the first quarter voucher below for Ray for 2016 by assuming any additional information, such as Ray’s address.

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Chapter 9: Withholding, Estimated Payments, and Payroll Taxes: 9­3 The FICA Tax

9­3 The FICA Tax The Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) (FICA imposes social taxes Learning Objective 9.3 on forms of earned income to provide Understand the FICA tax. benefits for retired and disabled workers.

Referred to as FICA taxes, Social Security and Medicare taxes are withheld for a specific percentage from an employee’s wages. Both the employer, employee and self­ employed are responsible for the payment of FICA taxes.) imposes Social Security and Medicare taxes. It was passed by Congress in 1935 to provide benefits for qualified retired and disabled workers. If a worker should die, it would also provide the family of the worker with benefits. The Medicare (A component of FICA taxes, Medicare taxes are applied to all wages, without limitation. FICA imposes social taxes on forms of earned income to provide benefits for retired and disabled workers. Referred to as FICA taxes, Social Security and Medicare taxes are withheld for a specific percentage from an employee’s wages. Both the employer, employee and self­employed are responsible for the payment of FICA taxes.) program for the elderly is also funded by FICA taxes.

FICA taxes have two parts, Social Security (Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance [OASDI]) and Medicare. Employees and their employers are both required to pay FICA taxes.

Employers withhold a specified percentage of each employee’s wages up to a maximum base amount, match the amount withheld with an equal amount, and pay the total to the Social Security Administration.

The Social Security (OASDI) tax rate is 6.2 percent and the Medicare tax rate is 1.45 percent each for employees and employers in 2016. The original FICA tax in 1935 was 1 percent of the first $3,000 in earnings. The maximum wage subject to the Social Security portion of the FICA tax is $118,500 in 2016, and all wages are subject to the Medicare portion of the FICA tax. The maximum wages to which the rates apply have increased over the years as presented in the following table.

Year

Employee %

2012

Employer %

Maximum Base

4.20

6.20

$110,100 (Social Security)

1.45

1.45

Unlimited (Medicare)

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Year

Employee %

2013

2014

2015

2016

Employer %

Maximum Base

6.20

6.20

$113,700 (Social Security)

1.45

1.45

Unlimited (Medicare)

6.20

6.20

$117,000 (Social Security)

1.45

1.45

Unlimited (Medicare)

6.20

6.20

$118,500 (Social Security)

1.45

1.45

Unlimited (Medicare)

6.20

6.20

$118,500 (Social Security)

1.45

1.45

Unlimited (Medicare)

Tax Break Taxpayers age 18 and older may request an online statement of Social Security benefits including estimates of projected retirement, survivors’, and disability benefits.

The statement also shows the taxpayer’s Social Security earnings history, giving the taxpayer an opportunity to correct any errors or omissions. The personalized online statement is available at www.socialsecurity.gov/mystatement. In some cases, the Social Security Administration will provide a paper version of this statement by mail.

Example Katherine earns $21,500 for 2016. The FICA tax on her wages is calculated as follows:

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Example Nora is an employee of Serissa Company. Her salary for 2016 is $132,000. Nora’s portion of the FICA tax is calculated as follows:

The total combined FICA tax (employee’s and employer’s share) is $18,522.00.

Would You Believe?

According to the Tax Policy Center (www.taxpolicycenter.org), over three quarters of households pay more in payroll taxes (including the employer’s share) than income taxes.

Chapter 9: Withholding, Estimated Payments, and Payroll Taxes: 9­3 The FICA Tax

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Chapter 9: Withholding, Estimated Payments, and Payroll Taxes: 9­3a Overpayment of Social Security Taxes

9­3a Overpayment of Social Security Taxes Taxpayers who work for more than one employer during the same tax year may pay more than the maximum amount of Social Security taxes. This occurs when the taxpayer’s total wages are more than the maximum base amount for the year. When this happens, the taxpayer should compute the excess taxes paid, and report the excess on Line 71 of Form 1040 as an additional payment against his or her tax liability. This way, the taxpayer is refunded the excess Social Security tax. Note that the employer is not entitled to a similar refund for the overpaid matching Social Security tax.

Example Jerry worked for two employers during 2016. The first employer withheld and paid Social Security taxes on $70,000 of salary paid to Jerry, and the second employer withheld and paid Social Security taxes on $50,000 of salary paid to Jerry. The amount of Jerry’s excess Social Security taxes paid for 2016 is computed as follows: 6.2% (Social Security rate) × [$70,000 + $50,000 − $118,500 (maximum for Social Security portion of FICA tax)] = $93. Jerry receives credit against his 2016 income tax liability equal to the excess Social Security taxes of $93. No excess Medicare tax has been paid, as there is no upper limit on Medicare wages.

Self­Study Problem 9.3 Debbie earns $125,000 in 2016. Calculate the total FICA tax that must be paid by:

Debbie:

Debbie’s employer:

Soc. Sec.

$

Medicare

$

Soc. Sec.

$

Medicare

$

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Total FICA tax

$

Chapter 9: Withholding, Estimated Payments, and Payroll Taxes: 9­3a Overpayment of Social Security Taxes

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Chapter 9: Withholding, Estimated Payments, and Payroll Taxes: 9­4 Federal Tax Deposit System

9­4 Federal Tax Deposit System Employers must make periodic deposits of the taxes that are withheld from Learning Objective 9.4 employees’ wages. The frequency of the Understand the federal deposit system. deposits depends on the total income tax withheld and the total FICA taxes for all employees. Employers are either monthly depositors or semiweekly depositors, depending on the total income taxes withheld from wages and FICA taxes attributable to wages. Prior to the beginning of each calendar year, taxpayers are required to determine which of the two deposit schedules they are required to use. If withholding and FICA taxes of $100,000 or more are accumulated at any time during the year, the depositor is subject to a special one­day deposit rule.

Monthly or semiweekly deposit status is determined by using a lookback period, consisting of the four quarters beginning July 1 of the second preceding year and ending June 30 of the prior year. If the total income tax withheld from wages and FICA attributable to wages for the four quarters in the lookback period is $50,000 or less, employers are monthly depositors for the current year. Monthly depositors must make deposits of employment taxes and taxes withheld by the fifteenth day of the month following the month of withholding. New employers are automatically monthly depositors.

If the total income tax withheld from wages and FICA attributable to wages for the four quarters in the lookback period is more than $50,000, the employer is a semiweekly depositor for the current year. Taxes on payments made on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday must be deposited by the following Wednesday; taxes on payments made on the other days of the week must be deposited by the following Friday. If a deposit is scheduled for a day that is not a banking day, the deposit is considered to be made timely if it is made by the close of the next banking day.

Example Tom runs a small business with ten employees. During the lookback period for the current year, the total withholding and FICA taxes amounted to $40,000. Since this is less than $50,000, Tom is a monthly depositor. His payroll tax deposits must be made by the fifteenth day of the month following the month of withholding.

Tax payments (monthly, semiweekly, or daily for large depositors) must be made by Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS), or by another electronic transfer method. Generally, employers must file Form 941, Employer’s Quarterly Federal Tax Return, which reports the 1/5

federal income taxes withheld from wages and the total FICA taxes attributable to wages paid during each quarter. Form 941 must be accompanied by any payroll taxes not yet deposited for the quarter. A special deposit rule allows small employers who accumulate less than $2,500 tax liability during a quarter to skip monthly payments and pay the entire amount of their payroll taxes with their quarterly Form 941. Form 941 must be filed by the last day of the month following the end of the quarter. For example, the first quarter Form 941, covering the months of January through March, must be filed by April 30. The Form 941 e­file program allows a taxpayer to electronically file Form 941 or Form 944.

Nearly a million very small employers with employment tax liability of $1,000 or less per year are allowed to file employment tax returns just once a year, instead of quarterly; for example,

by January 31 of 2017 for 2016 employment taxes. Qualifying small employers receive written notification from the IRS that they should file using a Form 944 instead of the standard Form 941 used by most employers. The Form 944 is due annually, at the end of the month, following the taxpayer’s year end.

IRS Publication 15, “Circular E, Employers Tax Guide,” covers the rules regarding the calculation and deposit of payroll taxes in detail and is an indispensable resource for those working in this complex area.

Self­Study Problem 9.4 For the first quarter of 2016, Charlotte York has two employees. The payroll information for these two employees for the first quarter is as follows:

Mary

Chris

January February Gross

March

January February

March

$2,000

$2,000

$2,100

$1,000

$1,000

$1,500

230

230

235

60

60

180

153

153

161

77

77

115

wages Federal income tax withheld FICA tax withheld

Charlotte deposited $750 on February 15, $750 on March 15, and $967 on April 15. Using this information, complete page 1 of Charlotte’s Form 941, for 2/5

the first quarter of 2016.

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Chapter 9: Withholding, Estimated Payments, and Payroll Taxes: 9­4 Federal Tax Deposit System

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Chapter 9: Withholding, Estimated Payments, and Payroll Taxes: 9­5 Employer Reporting Requirements

9­5 Employer Reporting Requirements On or before January 31 of the year following the calendar year of payment, Learning Objective 9.5 an employer must furnish to each Understand employer payroll reporting. employee two copies of the employee’s Wage and Tax Statement, Form W­2, for the previous calendar year. If employment is terminated before the end of the year and the employee requests a Form W­2, the employer must furnish the Form W­2 within 30 days after the last wage payment is made or after the employee request, whichever is later. Otherwise, the general rule requiring the W­2 to be furnished to the employee by January 31 applies. The original copy (Copy A) of all W­2 forms and Form W­3 (Transmittal of Income and Tax Statements) must be filed with the Social Security Administration by February 28 of the year following the calendar year of payment. The due date is March 31 if an employer electronically files Forms W­2 with the Social Security Administration. Copy B of Form W­2 is filed with the employee’s federal tax return. Employers retain Copy D of Form W­2 for their records. Extra copies of Form W­2 are prepared for the employee to use when filing state and local tax returns.

Form W­2 is used to report wages, tips, and other compensation paid to an employee. Not all of the amounts included on a taxpayer’s Form W­2 are subject to income tax withholding.

Among the items which must be reported on the employee’s Form W­2 are the cost of employer­sponsored health coverage, reimbursements for nonqualified moving expenses (a nonqualified moving expense is an expense the employee cannot deduct for tax purposes), excess group­term life insurance premiums, the value of noncash prizes and awards presented to individuals normally paid on a commission basis, and certain reimbursements of travel and other ordinary and necessary expenses. Special rules apply to the reimbursement of travel and other ordinary and necessary employee business expenses.

If an employee is reimbursed for travel and other ordinary and necessary business expenses, income and employment tax withholding may be required. If a reimbursement payment is considered to have been made under an accountable plan, as discussed in Chapter 5, the amount is excluded from the employee’s gross income and consequently is not required to be included on Form W­2, and no withholding is required. Alternatively, reimbursements of travel and other employee business expenses made under a nonaccountable plan must be included as wages on Form W­2, and the amounts are subject to withholding. Payments are considered made under a nonaccountable plan in the following circumstances: (1) the employee receives a reimbursement for expenses under an arrangement which does not require the employee to account adequately to the employer, or the employee receives advances under an arrangement which does not require the employee to return amounts in excess of 1/2

substantiated expenses; or (2) the employee receives amounts under an arrangement that requires the employee to substantiate reimbursed expenses, but the amounts are not substantiated within a reasonable period of time, or the employee receives amounts under a plan which requires excess reimbursements to be returned to the employer, but the employee does not return such excess amounts within a reasonable period of time. In the first case, the entire amount paid under the expense account plan is considered wages subject to withholding, whereas under the circumstances described in the second situation, only the amounts in excess of the substantiated expenses are subject to withholding.

Would You Believe?

Every year the IRS releases a list of twelve scams, called by some the “we’ve already seen it, so don’t try it” list, or “The Dirty Dozen.” The list includes offshore financial account misuse and frivolous arguments including “wages are not income” and “paying taxes is voluntary.” Filling in a corrected wage form (Form 4852, Substitute Form W­2) to change taxable wages to zero is a creative additional item on the list, as is impersonating a charitable organization. Actor Wesley Snipes was sentenced to 3 years in prison after failing to file taxes and using a frivolous tax protester argument as his excuse.

Chapter 9: Withholding, Estimated Payments, and Payroll Taxes: 9­5 Employer Reporting Requirements

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Chapter 9: Withholding, Estimated Payments, and Payroll Taxes: 9­5a Form W­2G

9­5a Form W­2G Gambling winnings are reported by the gambling establishment on Form W­2G. Amounts that must be reported include certain winnings on horse and dog racing, jai alai, lotteries, state­ conducted lotteries, sweepstakes, wagering pools, bingo, keno, and slot machines. In certain cases, withholding of income taxes is required. Forms W­2G must be transmitted to the taxpayer not later than February 1 of the year following the calendar year of payment, and to the IRS along with Form 1096 by the last day of February of the year following the calendar year of payment. Requirements to file Form W­2G can differ between the type of wagering or gaming. More information can be found in the instructions for Form W­2G. Chapter 9: Withholding, Estimated Payments, and Payroll Taxes: 9­5a Form W­2G

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Chapter 9: Withholding, Estimated Payments, and Payroll Taxes: 9­5b Information Returns

9­5b Information Returns Taxpayers engaged in a trade or business are required to file Form 1099 for each recipient of certain payments made in the course of their trade or business. Where applicable, federal income tax withheld with respect to the payment is also reported on Form 1099. The common types of payments and the related Form 1099 are summarized in Table 9.1.

Table 9.1 1099 Forms Form

Used For

1099­B

Payments of proceeds from brokers

1099­DIV

Dividend payments

1099­INT

Interest payments

1099­K

Merchant card and third­party network payments

1099­MISC

Miscellaneous payments

1099­R

Pension, annuity, profit sharing, retirement plan, IRA, insurance contracts, etc.

1099­G

Certain government payments

Forms 1099 must be mailed to the recipients by January 31 of the year following the calendar year of payment. However, payors are allowed until February 16 of the year following the calendar year of payment to provide Forms 1099­B, 1099­S, and certain 1099­MISC forms. A separate Form 1096 must be used to transmit each type of 1099 to the appropriate IRS Campus Processing Site by February 28 of the year following the calendar year of payment.

The due date is March 31 if transmitting electronically to the IRS. 1/3

Would You Believe?

Court clerks must report to the IRS cash payments of bail exceeding $10,000 when it is posted in narcotics, racketeering, or money­laundering cases. The payors of large cash bail amounts must also be given a statement similar to a 1099 form at year­end.

Self­Study Problem 9.5 Big Bank (P.O. Box 12344, San Diego, CA 92101; E.I.N. 95­1234567; California ID 800 4039 250 092; and telephone number 800­555­1212) paid an employee, Mary Jones (6431 Gary Street, San Diego, CA 92115), wages of $16,150 for 2016. The federal income tax withholding for the year amounted to $2,422, and FICA withheld was $1,235.48 ($1,001.30 for Social Security tax and $234.18 for Medicare tax). State income tax withheld was $969.00. Mary’s FICA wages were the same as her total wages, and her Social Security number is 464­74­1132.

a. Complete the following Form W­2 for Mary Jones from Big Bank.

b. Mary also has a savings account at Big Bank, which paid her interest for 2016 of $461. Complete the following Form 1099­INT for Mary’s interest income.

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Chapter 9: Withholding, Estimated Payments, and Payroll Taxes: 9­5b Information Returns

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Chapter 9: Withholding, Estimated Payments, and Payroll Taxes: 9­6 Self­Employment Tax

9­6 Self­Employment Tax Self­employed individuals pay self­ employment taxes instead of FICA taxes.

Learning Objective 9.6 Since these individuals have no Calculate the self­employment tax (both employers, the entire tax is paid by the Social Security and Medicare portions) for self­employed individuals. Like the FICA self­employed taxpayers. taxes to which employees and their employers are subject, the self­ employment tax consists of two parts, Social Security (Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance [OASDI]) and Medicare. The maximum base amount of earnings subject to the Social Security portion of the FICA tax is $118,500 in 2016. All earnings are subject to the Medicare portion of the FICA tax. The Social Security tax rate is 12.4 percent and the Medicare tax rate is 2.9 percent. The self­employment tax rates and the maximum base amounts for 5 years are illustrated in the following table :

If an individual, subject to self­employment taxes, also receives wages subject to FICA taxes during a tax year, the individual’s maximum base amount for self­employment taxes is reduced by the amount of wages as both employee and employer have already paid FICA taxes on the wages. Therefore, the total amount of earnings subject to both FICA and self­employment tax for 2016 cannot exceed $118,500 for the Social Security portion of the tax. If net earnings from self­employment are less than $400, no self­employment tax is payable.

The self­employment tax is imposed on net earnings of $400 or more from self­employment.

Net earnings from self­employment include gross income from a trade or business less trade or business deductions, the distributive share of partnership income from a trade or business, and net income earned as an independent contractor. Gains and losses from property 1/6

transactions, except inventory transactions, and other unearned income are not considered self­employment income. In arriving at net earnings from self­employment only for purposes of computing the self­employment tax, self­employed taxpayers are allowed a deduction for AGI of one­half of the otherwise applicable self­employment tax. A shortcut to arriving at the self­ employment income subject to self­employment tax is to multiply the net earnings from self­ employment by 92.35 percent. This shortcut is used on Schedule SE as illustrated below.

Example Norman is a self­employed accountant in 2016. From his practice, Norman earns $130,000, and has wages subject to FICA from a part­time job of $9,100. Norman’s self­employment tax is calculated as follows:

Step 1:

Step 2:

Norman’s total self­employment tax for 2016 is $17,048 ($13,566 + $3,482). On his 2016 income tax return, Norman will report net earnings from self­employment of $130,000, a deduction for adjusted gross income of $8,524 (50% × $17,048), and a self­employment tax liability of $17,048.

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The calculation summarized here is done on page 2 of Schedule SE, Part I, and must be included with a taxpayer’s Form 1040. See Pages 9­21 and 9­22 which show the same calculation on Schedule SE. Self­Study Problem 9.6 Robert Boyd is self­employed in 2016. His Schedule C net income is $27,450 for the year, and Robert also had a part­time job and earned $4,400 that was subject to FICA tax. Robert received taxable dividends of $1,110 during the year, and he had a capital gain on the sale of stock of $9,100. Calculate Robert’s self­employment tax using Schedule SE of Form 1040.

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Chapter 9: Withholding, Estimated Payments, and Payroll Taxes: 9­6 Self­Employment Tax

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Chapter 9: Withholding, Estimated Payments, and Payroll Taxes: 9­7 The FUTA Tax

9­7 The FUTA Tax Please note: Employers in states that have not repaid money borrowed from Learning Objective 9.7 the federal government for Compute the amount of FUTA tax for an unemployment benefits will have a employer. higher FUTA tax than the 0.6 percent illustrated below. For purposes of the problems and examples in this textbook, assume that the employer does not reside in one of the states where a higher FUTA tax applies.

The Federal Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA) instituted a tax that is not withheld from employees’ wages, but instead is paid in full by employers. The federal unemployment tax rate is 6 percent of an employee’s wages up to $7,000. A credit is allowed for state unemployment taxes of 5.4 percent. Therefore, the effective federal unemployment tax rate is only 0.6 percent if the state also assesses an unemployment tax.

Example Karen has two employees in 2016, John, who earned $12,500 this year, and Sue, who earned $15,000. The FUTA tax is calculated as follows:

Employers report their FUTA liability for the year on Form 940, Employer’s Annual Federal Unemployment (FUTA) Tax Return. Like federal income tax withholding and FICA taxes, federal unemployment taxes must be deposited by electronic funds transfer (EFTPS). A deposit is required when the FUTA taxes for the quarter, plus any amount not yet deposited for the prior quarter(s), exceed $500. If required, the deposit must be made by the last day of the month after the end of each quarter.

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Example Ti Corporation’s federal unemployment tax liability for the first quarter of 2016, after reduction by the credit for state unemployment taxes, is $255; for the second quarter, $200; for the third quarter, $75; and for the fourth quarter, $25. Ti Corporation must deposit $530, the sum of the first, second, and third quarters’ liability, by October 31, 2016. The remaining $25 may be either deposited or paid with Form 940.

Employers make the largest portion of unemployment tax payments to state governments that administer the federal­state program. Employers must pay all state unemployment taxes for the year by the due date of the federal Form 940 to get full credit for the state taxes against FUTA. Would You Believe?

When a state runs out of funds to pay unemployment benefits, it may borrow from the Federal government. If a state has outstanding loan balances for two consecutive years, and does not repay its loans by November of the second year, the FUTA credit rate for employers in that state will be reduced until the loan is repaid. Because the state unemployment (SUTA) generally stays the same, the result is a net increase in unemployment taxes. As we go to press, three states (California, Connecticut, and Ohio) are facing a credit reduction for 2016.

Self­Study Problem 9.7 The Rhus Company’s payroll information for 2016 is summarized as follows:

Gross earnings of

Quarter 1

Quarter 2

Quarter 3

Quarter 4

$25,000

$30,000

$26,000

$32,000

None

$ 4,000

$15,000

$20,000

employees Individual employee earnings in excess of $7,000

Rhus Company (E.I.N. 94­0001112) pays California state unemployment tax.

The company makes the required deposits of both federal and state 2/4

unemployment taxes on a timely basis. Complete the Rhus Company’s 2016 Form 940, using the above information.

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Chapter 9: Withholding, Estimated Payments, and Payroll Taxes: 9­7 The FUTA Tax

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Chapter 9: Withholding, Estimated Payments, and Payroll Taxes: 9­8 The Nanny Tax

9­8 The Nanny Tax Over the years, the taxation and reporting of household employees’ Learning Objective 9.1 wages has caused many problems for Apply the special tax and reporting taxpayers and the IRS. The threshold for requirements for household employees (the filing was low ($50 per quarter of wages), “nanny tax”). and the tax forms to be completed were complex. As a result, many taxpayers ignored the reporting of household workers’ wages and taxes. Congress addressed this problem by enacting what are commonly referred to as the “nanny tax” provisions. These provisions simplified the reporting process for employers of domestic household workers.

Household employers are not required to pay FICA taxes on cash payments of less than $2,000 paid to any household employee in a calendar year. If the cash payment to any household employee is $2,000 or more in a calendar year, all the cash payments (including the first $2,000) are subject to FICA taxes (see LO 9.3). The $2,000 threshold is indexed each year. Household employers must also withhold income taxes if requested by the employee and are required to pay FUTA tax (see LO 9.7) if more than $1,000 in cash wages are paid to household employees during any calendar quarter.

A taxpayer is a household employer if he or she hires workers to perform household services, in or around the taxpayer’s home, that are subject to the “will and control” of the taxpayer.

Examples of household workers include: Babysitters Caretakers Cooks Drivers Gardeners Housekeepers Maids If the household worker has an employee­employer relationship with the taxpayer, it does not matter if the worker is called something else, such as “independent contractor.” Also, it does 1/6

not matter if the worker is full­time or part­time. The household employer is responsible for the proper reporting, withholding, and payment of any taxes due.

The following workers are not subject to FICA taxes on wages paid for work in the home: The taxpayer’s spouse The taxpayer’s father or mother The taxpayer’s children under 21 years of age Anyone who is under age 18 during the year, unless providing household services is his or her principal occupation (being a student is considered an occupation for purposes of this requirement) Example Allison is a 17­year­old high school student. During the year, she earns $2,100 by babysitting for a neighbor with four children. Any amount she earns is exempt from FICA requirements. However, if Allison is not a student and works full­time as a nanny, she will be subject to the general FICA withholding requirements under the nanny tax rules.

Under the nanny tax provisions, household employers only have to report FICA, federal income tax withholding, and FUTA tax once a year. The taxpayer completes Schedule H and files it with his or her individual Form 1040. Taxpayers who have nonhousehold worker(s) in addition to household worker(s) can elect to report any FICA taxes and withholding on Forms 941 and 940 with their regular employees. Also, at the close of a tax year, taxpayers must file Form W­2 (Copy A) and Form W­3 with the Social Security Administration for each household employee who earned $2,000 or more in cash wages subject to FICA tax or had federal income taxes withheld from wages. For complete details on reporting the wages of household employees, see IRS Publication 926.

Would You Believe?

While no one knows how many people should be filing Schedule H, some estimates indicate that fewer than one in thirteen are complying with the law.

Self­Study Problem 9.8 Susan Green hires Helen in February 2016 to clean her house for $50 per week. Susan does not withhold income taxes from Helen’s wages. Helen’s 2/6

quarterly wages are as follows:

Complete Susan’s 2016 Schedule H (Form 1040), using the above information.

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Chapter 9: Withholding, Estimated Payments, and Payroll Taxes: 9­8 The Nanny Tax

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Chapter 9: Withholding, Estimated Payments, and Payroll Taxes: 9­9 Computing the 0.9 Percent Medicare Surtax for High­Income Taxpayers

9­9 Computing the 0.9 Percent Medicare Surtax for High­Income Taxpayers Beginning in 2013, the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also referred to as Learning Objective 9.9 “Obamacare,” imposed a 0.9 percent Calculate the 0.9 percent Medicare surtax on Medicare surtax on earned income such the earned income of high­income taxpayers. as salaries, wages, and self­employment income. The 0.9 percent surtax applies to high­income taxpayers defined as taxpayers with earned income from wages, compensation, and self­employment income over the following thresholds (which are not adjusted for inflation each year): a. $250,000 for joint filers b. $125,000 if married filing separately c. $200,000 for single filers (including head of household filers and qualifying widow(er)s) The ordinary Medicare tax is 2.9 percent of earned income with no upper limitation. Employees split the cost of this tax with employers, with the employee paying 1.45 percent through withholding, and the employer paying 1.45 percent directly. Self­employed individuals pay the full 2.9 percent as calculated on Schedule SE with their Form 1040 income tax return.

Chapter 9: Withholding, Estimated Payments, and Payroll Taxes: 9­9 Computing the 0.9 Percent Medicare Surtax for High­Income Taxpayers

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Chapter 9: Withholding, Estimated Payments, and Payroll Taxes: 9­9a Employees

9­9a Employees Under the new law, the 0.9 percent Medicare surtax must be withheld from each employee with a salary in excess of $200,000, whether single or married. Unlike the ordinary Medicare tax, employers do not share in paying the surtax. Married couples must combine their earned income and compare the total with the $250,000 threshold for married taxpayers to determine if they owe the 0.9 percent Medicare surtax. Depending on the income of each spouse, the couple may owe more Medicare surtax when computing the actual Medicare surtax on their Form 1040 to make up for amounts not fully withheld, or they may receive a refund. The withholding is reported on each individual’s Form W­2 along with other Medicare withholding.

Example Will and Karen are married. Will earns $225,000 in 2016 and Karen does not work.

They have no other income in 2015. Will’s employer must withhold $225 (0.9% × ($225,000 − $200,000)), from his wages. Because Will and Karen do not have earned income in their joint return in excess of the $250,000 threshold for joint filers, the $225 withholding will be refunded when they file their Form 1040 income tax return for 2016.

Example Fran and Steve are married and each has wages of $150,000. Because they each earn less than $200,000, their employers are not required to withhold the 0.9 percent Medicare surtax. However, when they file their 2016 Form 1040, they will be required to pay $450 (0.9% × $50,000) with their tax return since their $300,000 in joint earnings exceeds the $250,000 threshold for married taxpayers filing jointly.

Example Johnny is single and changes jobs during 2016. His wages are $175,000 from each job for a total of $350,000 of wage income. Johnny’s employers are not required to withhold any Medicare surtax from his wages since he does not reach the $200,000 threshold in either job. Johnny must pay $1,350 (0.9% × $150,000, the excess of $350,000 over the $200,000 single threshold amount) with his tax return for 2016.

Chapter 9: Withholding, Estimated Payments, and Payroll Taxes: 9­9a Employees Book Title: Income Tax Fundamentals, 2017 Edition 1/2

Chapter 9: Withholding, Estimated Payments, and Payroll Taxes: 9­9b Self­Employed Taxpayers

9­9b Self­Employed Taxpayers Self­employed taxpayers generally report earnings on Schedule C, Schedule F, and Schedule E in the case of earned royalty income and partnership income passed through on Schedule K­l. The 0.9 percent Medicare surtax for self­employed taxpayers must be paid with Form 1040. The following additional rules apply to high­income, self­employed taxpayers: a. The additional 0.9 percent Medicare surtax is not allowed as part of the computation of the deductible self­employment tax adjustment for AGI shown on the front page of Form 1040. b. A loss from self­employment may offset gains from another self­employment enterprise by the same individual. In the case of married individuals, a loss incurred by one spouse may offset the income earned by the other self­employed spouse for purposes of the 0.9 percent Medicare surtax. This is not true for the 2.9 percent Medicare tax on self­ employment income because the 2.9 percent Medicare tax of each spouse is required to be computed separately. c. Losses from self­employment are not allowed to offset salary or wages for purposes of the 0.9 percent Medicare surtax.

Example Barry is single and earns $500,000 from his construction business, and has a loss of $100,000 from his commercial nursery business. Both businesses are reported on Schedule C in his income tax return. His net self­employment earnings of $400,000 exceed the single individual threshold by $200,000. He must pay $1,800 with his 2016 Form 1040 (0.9% × $200,000) to cover his Medicare surtax. None of the $1,800 is allowed as part of the computation of the self­employment tax adjustment included with his deductions for AGI.

Self­Study Problem 9.9 Scott and Marcia are married. Scott earns $250,000. Marcia is a homemaker and has no earnings.

a. How much Medicare surtax must Scott’s employer withhold from his pay?

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b. What is the additional payment or refund of the Medicare surtax that Scott and Marcia will owe or receive when they file their joint income tax return for 2016?

Chapter 9: Withholding, Estimated Payments, and Payroll Taxes: 9­9b Self­Employed Taxpayers

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Chapter 9: Withholding, Estimated Payments, and Payroll Taxes Questions and Problems

Questions and Problems Key Terms Form W­4 withholding allowances special withholding allowance percentage method wage bracket tables backup withholding estimated payments FICA Social Security Medicare OASDI monthly or semiweekly depositors special one­day deposit rule EFTPS Form 941 Form W­2 Form W­3 Form 1099 self­employment tax FUTA Form 940 nanny tax household workers

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Medicare surtax Chapter 9: Withholding, Estimated Payments, and Payroll Taxes Questions and Problems

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Chapter 9: Withholding, Estimated Payments, and Payroll Taxes Key Points

Questions and Problems Key Points

LO 9.1: Compute the income tax withholding from employee wages.

Key Points Employers are required to withhold taxes from amounts paid to employees for wages, including salaries, fees, bonuses, commissions, vacation and retirement pay.

Form W­4, showing the filing status and the number of withholding allowances an employee is claiming, is furnished to the employer by the employee.

When using the percentage withholding method, an employer (1) multiplies the number of allowances by a specified allowance amount, (2) subtracts that amount from the employee’s gross wages for the pay period, and (3) multiplies the result by the percentage obtained from the withholding tables.

Under the wage bracket method, the amount of withholding is obtained from the tables based on the total wages and the number of withholding allowances claimed for the appropriate payroll period and marital status.

Tip income must be reported using one of several methods. An employer is not required to withhold income, Social Security, or Medicare tax on allocated tips.

LO 9.2: Determine taxpayers’ quarterly estimated payments.

Key Points Self­employed taxpayers are not subject to withholding; however, they must make quarterly estimated tax payments.

Payments are made in four installments on April 15, June 15, and September 15 of the tax year, and January 15 of the following year.

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Any individual taxpayer who has estimated tax for the year of $1,000 or more, after subtracting withholding, and whose withholding does not equal or exceed the “required annual payment,” must make quarterly estimated payments.

The required annual payment is the smallest of three amounts: (1) 90 percent of the tax shown on the current year’s return, (2) 100 percent (or 110 percent at certain income levels) of the tax shown on the preceding year’s return, or (3) 90 percent of the current­year tax determined each quarter on an annualized basis.

LO 9.3: Understand the FICA tax.

Key Points For 2016, the Social Security (OASDI) tax rate is 6.2 percent and the Medicare tax rate is 1.45 percent for employers and employees. The maximum wage subject to the Social Security portion of the FICA tax is $118,500, and all wages are subject to the Medicare portion of the FICA tax.

Taxpayers working for more than one employer during the same tax year may pay more than the maximum amount of Social Security taxes. If this happens, the taxpayer should compute the excess taxes paid, and report the excess on Form 1040 as a payment against his or her income tax liability.

LO 9.4: Understand the federal deposit system.

Key Points Employers must make periodic deposits of the taxes that are withheld from employees’ wages. Deposits must be made electronically.

Employers are either monthly depositors or semiweekly depositors, depending on the total income taxes withheld from wages and FICA taxes attributable to wages. However, if withholding and FICA taxes of $100,000 or more are accumulated at any time during the year, the depositor is subject to a special 1­day deposit rule.

LO 9.5: Understand employer payroll reporting.

Key Points

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On or before January 31 of the year following the calendar year of payment, an employer must furnish to each employee two copies of the employee’s Wage and Tax Statement, Form W­2, for the previous calendar year.

The original copy (Copy A) of all Forms W­2 and Form W­3 (Transmittal of Income and Tax Statements) must be filed with the Social Security Administration by the last day of February of the year following the calendar year of payment.

Forms 1099 must be mailed to the recipients by January 31 of the year following the calendar year of payment.

LO 9.6: Calculate the self­employment tax (both Social Security and Medicare portions) for self­employed taxpayers.

Key Points Self­employed individuals pay self­employment (SE) taxes instead of FICA taxes and, since these individuals have no employers, the entire tax is paid by the self­employed individuals.

For 2016, the Social Security (OASDI) tax rate is 12.4 percent and the Medicare tax rate is 2.9 percent with a maximum base amount of earnings subject to the Social Security portion of $118,500. All earnings are subject to the Medicare portion.

If an individual, subject to self­employment taxes, also receives wages subject to FICA taxes during a tax year, the individual’s maximum base amount for SE taxes is reduced by the amount of the wages when calculating the SE taxes.

Net earnings from self­employment include gross income from a trade or business, less trade or business deductions, the distributive share of partnership income from a trade or business, and net income earned as an independent contractor.

Self­employed taxpayers are allowed a deduction for AGI of one­half of the self­employment tax.

LO 9.7: Compute the amount of FUTA tax for an employer.

Key Points

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The FUTA (Federal Unemployment Tax Act) tax is not withheld from employees’ wages, but instead is paid in full by employers.

The federal unemployment tax rate is 6.0 percent of an employee’s wages up to $7,000, but a credit of up to 5.4 percent is allowed if state unemployment taxes are paid, for an effective federal unemployment tax rate of 0.6 percent.

Employers make the largest portion of unemployment tax payments to state governments that administer the federal­state program.

LO 9.8: Apply the special tax and reporting requirements for household employees

(the “nanny tax”).

Key Points The “nanny tax” provisions provide a simplified reporting process for employers of domestic household workers.

Household employers are not required to pay FICA taxes on cash payments of less than $2,000 paid to any household employee in a calendar year.

If the cash payment to any household employee is $2,000 or more in a calendar year, all the cash payments (including the first $2,000) are subject to Social Security and Medicare taxes.

If more than $1,000 in cash wages are paid to household employees during any calendar quarter, employers are required to pay FUTA taxes.

A taxpayer is a household employer if he or she hires workers to perform household services, in or around the taxpayer’s home, that are subject to the “will and control” of the taxpayer (e.g., babysitters, caretakers, cooks, drivers, gardeners, housekeepers, and maids).

Certain workers are not subject to Social Security and Medicare taxes on wages paid for work in the home. These workers include the taxpayer’s spouse, the taxpayer’s father or mother, the taxpayer’s children under 21 years of age, and anyone who is under age 18 during the year, unless providing household services is his or her principal occupation.

Under the nanny tax provisions, a household employer only has to report Social Security and Medicare, federal income tax withholding, and FUTA tax once a year by filing Schedule H with his or her individual Form 1040.

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LO 9.9 Calculate the 0.9 percent Medicare surtax on the earned income of high­ income taxpayers.

Key Points The 0.9 percent Medicare surtax is imposed on earned income from salaries, wages, and self­employment income of single taxpayers with earned income over $200,000 and joint filers with earned income over $250,000.

Employers are required to withhold the 0.9 percent Medicare surtax when a taxpayer’s salary exceeds $200,000.

Self­employed taxpayers must pay the tax with their individual income tax returns.

Chapter 9: Withholding, Estimated Payments, and Payroll Taxes Key Points

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Chapter 9: Withholding, Estimated Payments, and Payroll Taxes Group 1: Multiple Choice Questions

Questions and Problems Group 1: Multiple Choice Questions

1.

LO 9.1 ­ Compute the income tax withholding from employee wages.

Which of the following amounts paid by an employer to an employee is not subject to withholding? a. Salary b. Bonus c. Commissions d. Reimbursement of expenses under an accountable plan e. All of the above are subject to withholding

2.

LO 9.1 ­ Compute the income tax withholding from employee wages.

Abbe, age 56, is married and has two dependent children over age 17. Abbe has one job, and her husband, age 58, is not employed. If she expects to earn wages of $50,000, how many allowances should Abbe claim on her Form W­4 for 2016? a. 4 b. 5 c. 7 d. 8 e. 9 1/7

3.

LO 9.1 ­ Compute the income tax withholding from employee wages.

Michele is single with no dependents and earns $23,000 this year. Michele claims sixteen allowances on her Form W­4 for 2016. Which of the following is correct concerning her Form W­4? a. Michele may not under any circumstances claim sixteen allowances. b. Michele’s employer will require her to verify her right to claim sixteen allowances. c. Michele’s employer will disregard her Form W­4 and withhold as single with no allowances. d. Michele’s employer will submit a copy of her W­4 to the IRS if directed to do so by written notice. e. None of the above is correct.

4.

LO 9.2 ­ Determine taxpayers’ quarterly estimated payments.

Estimated payments for individual taxpayers are due on the following dates: a. Twice a year on April 15 and September 15 b. Four times a year on April 15, June 15, September 15, and January 15 of the next year c. Four times a year on April 15, July 15, September 15, and December 15 d. Twice a year on June 15 and December 15

5.

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LO 9.3 ­ Understand the FICA tax.

Which of the following is not true about FICA taxes? a. The FICA tax has two parts, Social Security (Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance) and Medicare. b. In 2016, the maximum wage base for Social Security tax withholding is $117,000. c. In 2016, there is no maximum wage base for Medicare tax withholding. d. When employees work for more than one employer and exceed the maximum wage base for Social Security tax withholding in total, they are allowed a refund of excess tax withheld.

6.

LO 9.4 ­ Understand the federal deposit system.

Employers must file a quarterly tax return showing the amount of wages paid and the amount of income tax and FICA tax withholding due. This tax return is filed on: a. Form 944 or Form 945 b. Schedule H c. Schedule SE d. Form 941

7.

LO 9.5 ­ Understand employer payroll reporting.

Which of the following forms is used to report wages, tips and other compensation paid to employees? a. Form W­4 b. Form W­2G 3/7

c. Form W­2 d. Form 1099­R e. Form 1099­MISC

8.

LO 9.6 ­ Calculate the self­employment tax (both Social Security and Medicare portions) for self­employed taxpayers.

For 2016, Roberta is a self­employed truck driver with earnings of $45,000 from her business. During the year, Roberta received $2,500 in interest income and dividends of $500. She also sold investment property and recognized a $1,500 gain. What is the amount of Roberta’s self­employment tax (Social Security and Medicare taxes) liability for 2016? a. $2,790 b. $3,443 c. $6,358 d. $6,885 e. $7,115

9.

LO 9.6 ­ Calculate the self­employment tax (both Social Security and Medicare portions) for self­employed taxpayers.

Which of the following is not subject to self­employment tax? a. Gain on the sale of real estate held for investment b. Net earnings of a self­employed lawyer c. Distributive share of earnings of a partnership d. Net earnings of the owner of a shoe store 4/7

e. Net earnings of the owner of a dry cleaner

10.

LO 9.7 ­ Compute the amount of FUTA tax for an employer.

The FUTA tax is: a. An unemployment tax with a rate of 2.9 percent up to $118,500 of salary per employee. b. A disability tax with a rate of 2.9 percent up to $7,000 of salary per employee. c. An unemployment tax with a rate as low as 0.6 percent up to $7,000 of salary per employee. d. A disability tax with a rate of 0.6 percent up to $118,500 of salary per employee.

11.

LO 9.8 ­ Apply the special tax and reporting requirements for household employees (the “nanny tax”).

Bob employs a maid to clean his house. He pays her $1,040 during the current year. What is the proper tax treatment of the Social Security and Medicare tax for the maid? a. Bob is not required to pay or withhold Social Security and Medicare taxes on the $1,040. b. The $1,040 is subject to the Medicare tax, but not the Social Security tax. c. $500 is subject to the Social Security and Medicare tax. d. Bob is required to withhold Social Security and Medicare taxes on the entire $1,040.

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12.

LO 9.8 ­ Apply the special tax and reporting requirements for household employees (the “nanny tax”).

Which of the following employees would not be exempt from the Social Security and Medicare taxes on wages paid for household work? a. The taxpayer’s 16­year­old daughter b. The taxpayer’s wife c. The taxpayer’s 20­year­old sister d. The 14­year­old babysitter from down the street

13.

LO 9.8 ­ Apply the special tax and reporting requirements for household employees (the “nanny tax”).

Individual taxpayers may pay withholding taxes due with their individual income tax returns using Schedule H for each of the following workers except: a. a nanny hired to watch their children. b. a maid hired to clean house and cook every day. c. an attorney with her own business, hired to handle a legal dispute with the taxpayers’ neighbor. d. an unlicensed caregiver for a disabled spouse.

14.

LO 9.9 ­ Calculate the 0.9 percent Medicare surtax on the earned income of high­ income taxpayers.

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Skylar is single and earns $410,000 in salary during 2016. What is the amount of Medicare surtax for high­income taxpayers that his employer must withhold from his wages? a. $1,890 b. $1,800 c. $1,440 d. $900

15.

LO 9.9 ­ Calculate the 0.9 percent Medicare surtax on the earned income of high­ income taxpayers.

Christine and Doug are married. In 2016, Christine earns a salary of $250,000 and Doug earns a salary of $50,000. They have no other income and work for the same employers for all of 2016. How much Medicare surtax for high­income taxpayers will Christine and Doug have to pay with their 2016 income tax return? a. $450 b. $900 c. $2,700 d. None

Chapter 9: Withholding, Estimated Payments, and Payroll Taxes Group 1: Multiple Choice Questions

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Chapter 9: Withholding, Estimated Payments, and Payroll Taxes Group 2: Problems

Questions and Problems Group 2: Problems

1.

LO 9.1 ­ Compute the income tax withholding from employee wages.

Phan Mai is single with two dependent children under age 17. Phan estimates her wages for the year will be $36,000, will have $5,700 of dependent care expenses, and her itemized deductions will be $11,000. Assuming Phan files as head of household, use Form W­4 determine the number of withholding allowances Phan should claim.

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2.

LO 9.1 ­ Compute the income tax withholding from employee wages.

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Ralph and Kathy Gump are married with one 20­year­old dependent child. Ralph earns a total of $39,000 and estimates their itemized deductions to be $16,000 for the year. Kathy is not employed. Use Form W­4 determine the number of withholding allowances that Ralph should claim.

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3.

LO 9.1 ­ Compute the income tax withholding from employee wages.

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Sophie is a single taxpayer. For the first payroll period in October 2016, she is paid wages of $3,280.50 monthly. Sophie claims three allowances on her Form W­4. a. Use the percentage method to calculate the amount of Sophie’s withholding for a monthly pay period. $ b. Use the withholding tables to determine the amount of Sophie’s withholding for the same period. $

4.

LO 9.1 ­ Compute the income tax withholding from employee wages.

Big Bull restaurant employs twenty­three employees who receive tips. During the current year, Big Bull has $410,000 in gross revenues, and its employees do not report any tip income. In what ways may the restaurant allocate the tip income to the employees?

5.

LO 9.2 ­ Determine taxpayers’ quarterly estimated payments.

Alice West (Social Security number 785­23­9873) lives at 13234 Madison Street, Milwaukee, WI 53214, and is self­employed for 2016. She estimates her required annual estimated tax payment for 2016 to be $6,816. She had a $576 overpayment of last year’s taxes, which she will apply against her first quarter estimated payment. Complete the first quarter voucher below for Alice for 2016.

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6.

LO 9.2 ­ Determine taxpayers’ quarterly estimated payments.

Go to the IRS website (www.irs.gov) and redo Problem 5 using the most recent interactive Form 1040­ES. Print out the completed Form 1040­ES.

7.

LO 9.3 ­ Understand the FICA tax.

Jenny earns $44,500 in 2016. Calculate the FICA tax that must be paid by:

Jenny:

Jenny’s Employer:

Total FICA Tax

Social Security

$

Medicare

$

Social Security

$

Medicare

$ $

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8.

LO 9.3 ­ Understand the FICA tax.

Yolanda earns $123,000 in 2016. Calculate the FICA tax that must be paid by:

Yolanda:

Yolanda’s Employer:

Social Security

$

Medicare

$

Social Security

$

Medicare

$

Total FICA Tax

$

9.

LO 9.3 ­ Understand the FICA tax.

Jan has two jobs during 2016. One employer withheld and paid Social Security taxes on $70,000 of Jan’s salary, and the other employer withheld and paid Social Security taxes on $49,500 in salary paid to Jan. Calculate the amount of Jan’s overpayment of Social Security taxes that she should claim on her 2016 Form 1040. $

10.

LO 9.4 ­ Understand the federal deposit system.

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Locate IRS Publication 15, “Circular E, Employer’s Tax Guide” at the IRS website (www.irs.gov), and review the table of contents on page 1 of the publication.

Familiarize yourself with the items covered in the publication and print the first page of the section titled “Depositing Taxes.”

11.

LO 9.5 ­ Understand employer payroll reporting.

For each of the following payments, indicate the form that should be used to report the payment: a. Interest of $400 paid by a bank b. Payment of $400 in dividends by a corporation to a shareholder

c. Periodic payments from a retirement plan d. Salary as president of the company e. Las Vegas keno winnings of $25,000

12.

LO 9.5 ­ Understand employer payroll reporting.

Philcon Corporation (P.O. Box 4563, Anchorage, AK 99508; EIN 12­3456789) paid Louise Chugach, an employee who lives at 5471 East Tudor Road, Anchorage, AK 99508, wages of $124,554 in 2016. The income tax withholding for the year amounted to $16,050.40, and the FICA tax withheld was based on 2016 rates.

There is no difference between Louise’s FICA wages and those reported in Box 1 of the W­2. Her Social Security number is 545­64­7745. a. Complete the following Form W­2 for Louise Chugach from Philcon Corporation. b. Philcon Corporation also paid $900 to Ralph Kincaid for presenting a management seminar. Ralph lives at 1455 Raspberry Road, Anchorage AK 9/17

99508, and his Social Security number is 475­45­3226. Complete the following Form 1099­MISC for the payment to Ralph from Philcon Corporation.

13.

LO 9.5 ­ Understand employer payroll reporting.

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Fly­By­Night (P.O. Box 1234, Dallas, TX 75221, EIN 12­9876543) paid George Smith, an employee who lives at 432 Second Street, Garland, TX 75040, wages of $24,300. The income tax withholding amounted to $5,320 and the FICA tax was $1,858.95 ($1,506.60 for Social Security and $352.35 for Medicare). George’s FICA wages were the same as the total wages, and his Social Security number is 466­ 47­3313. Fly­By­Night’s owner, a shady character, took off to South America with all the firm’s funds, and did not file the required Forms W­2, etc., for George (and other employees). The above numbers are taken from the year­to­date section of George’s last pay stub.

Use the Form 4852 prepare a substitute Form W­2 for George.

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14.

LO 9.6 ­ Calculate the self­employment tax (both Social Security and Medicare portions) for self­employed taxpayers.

Stewart Beauf is a self­employed surfboard maker in 2016. His Schedule C net income is $115,000 for the year. He also has a part­time job and earns $9,100 in wages subject to FICA taxes. Calculate Stewart’s self­employment tax for 2016 using Schedule SE.

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15.

LO 9.7 ­ Compute the amount of FUTA tax for an employer.

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Thomas is an employer with one employee, Sarah. Sarah’s wages are $19,450, and the state unemployment tax rate is 5.4 percent. Calculate the following amounts for Thomas: a. FUTA tax before the state tax credit $ b. State unemployment tax $ c. FUTA tax after the state tax credit $

16.

LO 9.8 ­ Apply the special tax and reporting requirements for household employees (the “nanny tax”).

Sally hires a maid to work in her home for $260 per month. The maid is 25 years old and not related to Sally. During 2016, the maid worked 10 months for Sally. a. What is the amount of Social Security tax Sally must pay as the maid’s employer? $ b. What is the amount of Medicare tax Sally must pay as the maid’s employer? $ c. What is the amount of Social Security and Medicare tax which must be withheld from the maid’s wages? $

17.

LO 9.8 ­ Apply the special tax and reporting requirements for household employees (the “nanny tax”).

Ann hires a nanny to watch her two children while she works at a local hospital.

She pays the 19­year­old nanny $165 per week for 46 weeks during the current year.

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a. What is the employer’s portion of Social Security and Medicare tax for the nanny that Ann should pay when she files her Form 1040 for 2016? $ b. What is the nanny’s portion of the Social Security and Medicare tax? $

18.

LO 9.9 ­ Calculate the 0.9 percent Medicare surtax on the earned income of high­ income taxpayers.

Married taxpayers Otto and Ruth are both self­employed. Otto earns $352,000 of self­employment income and Ruth has a self­employment loss of $13,500. How much Medicare surtax for high­income taxpayers will Otto and Ruth have to pay with their 2016 income tax return?

Chapter 9: Withholding, Estimated Payments, and Payroll Taxes Group 2: Problems

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Chapter 9: Withholding, Estimated Payments, and Payroll Taxes Group 3: Writing Assignment

Questions and Problems Group 3: Writing Assignment

Ethics Rocky Jackson, a friend of yours, just started a new job. He is attempting to fill out Form W­4 and has asked for your help. He would like to receive a large refund when he files his return and would therefore like to claim as few allowances as possible. Even though he is married and has four children, he is planning on claiming no allowances. What would you tell Rocky?

Chapter 9: Withholding, Estimated Payments, and Payroll Taxes Group 3: Writing Assignment

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Chapter 9: Withholding, Estimated Payments, and Payroll Taxes Group 4: Comprehensive Problem

Questions and Problems Group 4: Comprehensive Problem

Dr. Carol Harris, CPA, is a single taxpayer and she lives at 674 Yankee Street, Durham, NC 27409. Her Social Security number is 793­52­4335 and her birthdate is July 1, 1968. Carol is an Associate Professor of Accounting at a local college.

Carol’s earnings and withholding from the college for 2016 are:

Earnings

$ 54,600

Federal income tax withheld

7,800

State income tax withheld

2,650

FICA tax of $3,385.20 and Medicare tax of $791.70 were also withheld from Carol’s earnings. Carol’s other income includes interest of $167 from a savings account at Bank of the Carolinas and $485 of qualified dividends from Microsoft.

Carol received a 2016 Form 1099­G from the state of North Carolina reporting a state income tax refund of $127 from 2015. Carol itemized her deductions in 2015.

During the year, Carol paid the following amounts (all of which can be substantiated):

Home mortgage interest

$ 6,410

Visa card interest

350

Auto insurance

750

Property taxes on personal residence Other medical expenses

2,700 810 1/16

Charitable contributions (in cash)

967

Actual state sales tax

872

Carol had the following stock market transactions, all of which were reported on Form 1099­B, along with the basis of the stock sold:

Stock

Acquired

Sold

Price

Basis

Hammerhead Inc.

04/05/09

10/15/16

$5,900

$3,200

Leopard Corp.

02/01/16

08/03/16

$7,000

$5,400

Sand Corp.

09/12/11

10/15/16

$7,100

$8,500

In addition to being a professor at the local college, Carol maintains a CPA practice located at 700 Accounting Way, Durham, NC 27409. Income and expenses from this activity are:

Fees from CPA practice (all paid by

$ 40,200

check) Office rent Supplies

4,150 750

Computer tax service

1,200

Mileage (4,726 miles)

2,552

Client meals and entertainment (total

2,960

cost) Telephone Other expenses

975 1,400 2/16

Carol drove her car (placed in service on January 1, 2014) 20,000 miles in total, of which 5,000 miles were for commuting. Carol made 2016 estimated tax payments to the U.S. Treasury of $3,000 for each quarter.

Required: Complete Carol’s federal tax return for 2016. Use Form 1040, Schedule A, Schedule C, Schedule D, Form 8949, Schedule SE, and the Qualified Dividends and Capital Gains Tax Worksheet on Pages 9­51 through 9­63 to complete this tax return. Make realistic assumptions about any missing data.

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Chapter 9: Withholding, Estimated Payments, and Payroll Taxes Group 4: Comprehensive Problem

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Chapter 9: Withholding, Estimated Payments, and Payroll Taxes Key Number Tax Return Summary

Questions and Problems Key Number Tax Return Summary Chapter 9 Comprehensive Problem

Adjusted Gross Income (Line 37)

Profit or Loss from Business (Line 12, Form 1040)

Total Self­Employment Tax, Schedule SE (Line 5)

Total Tax (Line 63)

Amount Overpaid (Line 75)

Chapter 9: Withholding, Estimated Payments, and Payroll Taxes Key Number Tax Return Summary

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