New Features for Online Reporting

Many employers and payroll service providers file their Quarterly Tax & Wage Reports online using our quarterly reporting website. The website has been updated for 1st Quarter 2009 filing, and offers many new features:

• Missing tax and wage reports for past quarters can now be filed online.
• Wage Upload Files will be reviewed to detect formatting and content issues, and diagnostic messages will be displayed to assist users in correcting their files.
• A file upload test environment is available to validate that tax & wage files do not have formatting or content issues that would prevent them from being processed.
• Current account information can be viewed and updated online.
• Tax Upload Files can be submitted online.

For more information on these changes, visit our website at http://unemployment.wisconsin.gov.

Labor Law Clinics

The Department of Workforce Development (DWD) has scheduled various Labor Law Clinics for Wisconsin area business leaders and employees. Labor Law Clinics are educational seminars focusing on topics chosen by local employers about Wisconsin’s laws.

Clinics are scheduled as follows:

March 25, 2009 – Madison
April 9, 2009 – Eau Claire

Registration for the clinic is required. A registration form is available from the DWD web site http://dwd.wisconsin.gov/laborlaw/ or by sending an email to laborlawclinic@dwd.wisconsin.gov. To receive notification of future clinic dates, an email subscription service is available through the web site at http://dwd.wisconsin.gov/laborlaw/maillists.

New Hire Reporting

Businesses are required by law to report every new employee within 20 days of hire. Even rehired or returning employees must be reported (if there is a 90 day break in work).

There are several available methods for reporting your new hires. You may choose the method of reporting that best suits your business. For more information about your options and the program, see http://dwd.wisconsin.gov/uinh/.

Did You Know?

Did you know that the Quarterly Census of Employment & Wages (QCEW) information developed from Unemployment Insurance (UI) coverage information is used for many grants, proposals and program funding methodologies? The June 2008 flooding of many Wisconsin communities is a telling example of the need to maintain information on employers and wages no matter the employment size.

While the information on single location establishments is readily available, information on multiple worksites relies on the voluntary reporting on the Multiple Worksite Report (MWR). In situations where the information is not provided, many communities show fewer firms, fewer employees, and lower total wages than are in the community and, as a result, may receive reduced funding

By participating in the MWR process, you and your company are serving as a valued member of the communities you serve. Please consider responding the next time you receive an MWR request.

Contact Deb Holt for more information: deb.holt@wisconsin.gov or (608) 266-5321.

Deferral of 1st Quarter Tax Payment

Employers with a first quarter tax liability of $1,000 or more can defer paying up to 60% of the total liability to future quarters. To avoid assessment of interest on the deferred amount, employers must comply with the following requirements.

• The employer must not have any prior quarter outstanding amounts due on April 30. This includes interest, penalties, or other fees.
• The employer must file an on-line election to take the deferral. This election must be made between February 15 and April 30 of the year the employer wants to take the deferral. The election can be found at http://unemployment.wisconsin.gov in the Employer UI Account Information link.
• The employer must file their tax and wage reports electronically.
• The first quarter contribution/wage report and at least 40% of the first quarter tax liability must be received by April 30.
• The next 30% of the first quarter and all second quarter tax liability must be received by July 31.
• The next 20% of the first quarter and all third quarter tax liability must be received by October 31.
• The remaining 10% of the first quarter and all fourth quarter tax liability must be received by January 31 of the next year.

Interest will not be assessed on the deferred amounts as long as the installment payments and subsequent quarterly reports and tax payments are received by the specified dates. If there are any other amounts due on each of the specified dates including interest and/or penalties, interest on the deferral amount will be assessed retroactive to April 30.

Please note that any deferral amount not paid prior to July 31 will not be included in your account balance for purposes of computing your tax rate for the next calendar year. This could result in being assigned a higher rate.

If you have any questions, please call (608) 261-6700.

UCB-11618 (R. 02/2009)

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