Employee count examples for 94x and state unemployment (SUTA) forms

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For payroll compliance (annually licensed)

The application handles the employee count for 941 forms and state unemployment (SUTA) forms differently depending on whether or not the Calculate month 1-3 employee count on payroll tax forms based on active employee status checkbox is marked in the Payroll Information tab of the Setup > Clients screen.  This topic explains each method, and gives examples for the default method.

Using the payroll period and check date to determine the count

By default, with the checkbox not marked, the application uses the following criteria to determine if an employee is counted for the quarter being processed.

  • State unemployment forms
    • The employee received a check that is dated within the quarter being processed.
    • The payroll period for that check encompasses the 12th day of the month.
  • 941 forms
    • The employee received a check that is dated within the quarter being processed. (For 943 forms, the check must be within the period being processed.)
    • The payroll period for that check encompasses the 12th day of the 3rd month of that quarter (March, June, September, or December only). For 943 forms, the payroll check must be in March of the processing year.

Examples

Period begin Period end Check date Included? Reason

01/11

01/24

02/01

SUTA - Yes

Included for 1st quarter (January employee count), because the payroll period encompasses 01/12 and the check date is within the quarter.

94x - No

Not included for 1st quarter, because the payroll period does not encompass 3/12.

03/11

03/24

03/31

SUTA - Yes

Included for 1st quarter (March employee count), because the check date is in March and the payroll period encompasses 03/12.

94x - Yes

Included for 1st quarter, because the payroll period encompasses 3/12 and the check date is within the quarter.

03/01

03/15

02/28

SUTA - Yes

Included for 1st quarter (March employee count), because the payroll period encompasses 03/12 and the check date is within the quarter.

94x - Yes

Included in 1st quarter, because the payroll period encompasses 3/12 and the check date is within the quarter.

03/11

03/24

04/01

SUTA - No

Not included in 1st quarter (March employee count), because the check date is not in the same quarter. 
Not included in 2nd quarter (April employee count), because the payroll period encompasses the 12th of a different quarter.

94x - No

Not included in 1st quarter (March employee count), because the check date is in the second quarter.
Not included in the 2nd quarter (April employee count), because although the check date is in the second quarter, the payroll period does not encompass 6/12.

01/25

02/07

02/20

SUTA - No

Not included in 1st quarter (January employee count), because the payroll period doesn’t encompass 01/12.
Not included in 1st quarter (February employee count), because the payroll period doesn’t encompass 02/12.

94x - No

Not included in 1st quarter (February employee count), because the payroll period doesn’t encompass 3/12.

Using the employee status to determine the count

When the Calculate month 1-3 employee count on payroll tax forms based on active employee status checkbox is marked in the Payroll Information tab of the Setup > Clients screen, the application uses the following criteria to determine if an employee is counted for the quarter being processed.

  • State unemployment forms
    • The employee received a check that is dated within the quarter being processed.
    • The employee had an active status on the 12th day of the month.
  • 941 forms
    • The employee received a check that is dated within the quarter being processed. (For 943 forms, the check must be within the period being processed.)
    • The employee's status was active on the 12th day of the 3rd month of that quarter (March, June, September, or December only). For 943 forms, the employee's status must have been active on the 12th day of March.

Note: The application uses the employees' hire dates and inactive dates to determine their active or inactive status when determining the count.

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