Taxation Flashcards
3 tests to determine if an employer is subject to FUTA
- General Test
- Household employee test
- Farmworkers test
457b pre-retirement catch-up contribution limit
Allowed for last 3 years prior to the year of normal retirement age. limited to lesser of twice the current annual limit or the basic annual limit plus underutilized basic annual limit in prior years. Only allowed if not utilizing the Age 50 or over catch up
2021 annual contribution limit for 401k
- Employee elective deferrals plus employer contributions is the lesser of $58,000 or 100% of the employee’s total annual
- Catch up contribution of employees 50+ does not count towards the annual contribution limit
2021 Backup withholding rate
24%
2021 deferral limit for 401k
$19,500 Employees 50+ can contribute an additional $6,500
2021 deferral limit for 457b
$19,500 Employees 50+ can contribute an additional $6,500 catch up contribution
2021 definition of an HDHP
Minimum deductible of $1400 for individuals or $2800 for family coverage. Out-of-pocket expenses limited to $7000 for individual coverage and $14000 for family coverage
2021 full FUTA tax rate
6% on the first $7000 of wages each calendar year
2021 HSA contribution limits
$3600 for individual coverage $7200 for family coverage Employees 55+ can contribute an additional $1K. No Contribution allowed for Medicare part A or B enrollees
2021 Legal Holidays
Jan 1 New Year’s Day - Jan 17 MLK Jr. bday - Jan 20 Inauguration Date - Feb 15 Presidents Day - Apr 16 DC Emancipation Day - May 31 Memorial Day - 4th of July observed July 5th - Sept 6 Labor Day - Oct 11 Columbus Day - Nov 11 Veterans’ Day - Nov 25 Thanksgiving - Dec 24 Christmas
2021 limit on 403b elective deferrals
$19,500
2021 limit on annual additions for a 403b
$58,000 or 100% of includible compensation for the most recent year of service
2021 lookback period for Form 944 and 945 filers
Calendar year 2019
2021 maximum contribution limit for a dependent care FSA
$5000
2021 Medicare tax rate and wage base limit
1.45% no wage limit 0.9% Additional Medicare tax withholding on wages > $200K
2021 net FUTA rate after applying the full credit reduction
.60% = 6 % - 5.4%
2021 penalty rates for late tax deposits
- 2% 1-5 days late
- 5% 6-15 days late
- 10% 16+ days late, or paid within 10 days of the date of the first notice from the IRS.
- 15% more than 10 days after the date of the first IRS notice or the day on which you received notice and demand for immediate payments, whichever is earlier
2021 SEP employer contribution limit
Lesser of $58,000 or 25% of the employee annual compensation
2021 SIMPLE employee elective contribution limit
$13,500 Age 50 catch-up limit $3,000
2021 social security tax rate and wage base limit
Employee 6.2% on wages up to $142,800
Employer 6.2% on wages up to $142,800
Act that allows federal government agencies to garnish wages for nontax debt
Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996
Act that established railroad worker retirement benefits
Railroad Retirement Tax Act (RRTA)
Basics of the aggregate withholding method
- Add the supplemental wages to the current wages if no regular wages are paid concurrently add the supplemental wages to the most recent regular wage payment
- figure the tax on the total as if it were a single payment
- subtract the amount of tax already withheld from the total tax
- Withhold the result from the supplemental
Best method for verifying you grossed-up wages correctly
Using the Grossed-Up amount, calculate the required withholdings and net pay
Can an employer have a combined defined contribution and defined benefit plan
Yes, for plan years beginning after 12/31/09
Can a successor employer take into account amounts collected for social security and paid for FUTA in the same calendar year but prior to the acquisition
Yes as long as the acquired employees were employed by the predecessor immediately prior to the acquisition and remained employed by the successor immediately following the acquisition.
CCPA
Consumer Credit Protection Act
Deadline to recover taxes from an employee that you deposited on the employee’s behalf
April 1 of the following year
define a common paymaster
2 or more related corporations employ the same individual at the same time. Pay the employee through one of the corporations. Corporation making the payments is the common paymaster and single employer with regard to payroll taxes.
Define a nonqualified deferred compensation plan.
Plan that may discriminate in favor of highly compensated employees officers or shareholders
Define a qualifying dependent under a dependent care FSA
Dependent child under 13, Spouse or dependent older than 13 who is unable to care for themselves due to mental or physical disability
Define a substantial risk of forfeiture
- Employer gives employee “mere promise to pay” the deferred compensation benefits in the future
- Employer may invest deferred amounts and may transfer amounts to a trust but fund must remain part of the companies general assets and be at risk to creditor claims in the event the company becomes insolvent
- Critical that the funds cannot be set aside for the exclusive benefit of the employees who made the deferrals
Define a Successor Employer
Received all or most of the property used in the trade or business of another employer, or a unit of that employer’s trade or business
Define disposable earnings for a child support order
Gross pay - Mandatory deductions = disposable earnings
Define disposable earnings for a garnishment order
Gross pay - taxes - court ordered child support - tax levies = disposable earnings
Define supplemental wages
any wages paid in addition to an employee’s regular wages
Definition of a deferred compensation Defined Benefit Plan
- Any qualified plans that are not defined contribution plans
- Contributions are based on the amount needed to provide participants with “definitely determinable benefits”
- uses actuarial assumptions and computations to figure benefits
Definition of a deferred compensation Defined Contribution Plan.
- Has individual accounts for each participant
- Participant benefits based largely on the amount the individual contributes to the plan
Deposit deadline for monthly depositors
15th of the following month
Deposit deadline for semi-weekly depositors
3 business days. If there are no holidays, Weds-Friday liability is due by the following Weds and Sat-Tues liability is due by the following Friday.
Difference between RRA and RRTA
Railroad Retirement Tax Act (RRTA) is the act to fund railroad worker retirement benefits
- Railroad Retirement Act (RRA) is the benefit system that pays out retirement payments
Do adjustments on Form 941X affect the tax liability in the lookback period
No
EFTPS
Electronic Federal Tax Payment System
Employers options for treatment of forfeited FSA contributions
- Use to offset plan expenses
- Allocate to all participants in the next plan year
- Distribute to participants in the current plan year.
Federal withholding requirements for allocated tips
Do not withhold on allocated tips
Filing status to use for figuring amount exempt from levy for employee who does not return Part 3 of Form 668-W
Married, filing separately, 0 exemptions
FIT taxability of nonqualified deferred compensation plans
Funded plan is subject to FIT when deferred Nonfunded plan is subject to FIT upon constructive receipt
Flat supplemental tax rate
22% 37% if year-to date supplemental wages, including the current payment exceed $1,000,000
Formula for computing days physically present in the U.S to meet the resident alien Substantial Presence test
100% of the days present in the U.S. during the current year plus 1/3 of the days present in the previous year plus 1/6 of the days present in the second year before the current year
Formula to gross-up pay
- 100%-sum % of all taxes = net %
- Payment/Net % = Gross
Frequency FUTA tax must be paid
Quarterly if exceeds $500
The FUTA credit reduction
5.4%
Garnishment priorities
1: Child support
2: Federal Tax Levy
3: State tax levy
4: local tax levy
5: creditor garnishments
6: Employer deductions
7: Employee voluntary deductions
Government agency that pursues collection of student loans
U.S. Department of Education
How can an employer most easily satisfy the EITC notification requirement
by using Form W-2, the statement is on the back of Copy B
How do you calculate federal income tax withholding on nonperiodic pension payments
Flat 10%
How do you calculate federal income tax withholding on periodic pension payments
As you would for regular wages but using the employee’s elections from Form W-4P
How much time after the FSA plan year-end do participants have to submit expenses?
2.5 months