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Payroll Taxes

Payroll Tax Savings for NJ Employers- August Deadline

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Did you check your NJ SUI rates?

Tax Savings

On July 28, 2017, the annual Notice of Employer Contribution Rates were mailed to all New Jersey employers. This is not a bill, but rather a summary of the way the NJ Department of Labor calculates your employer contribution rate for unemployment and disability. This form enables you to determine whether a voluntary contribution would save you money in the subsequent year.

Can I reduce my NJ SUI rate?
A voluntary contribution increases your reserve balance and may reduce your contribution rate. Each employer should calculate the amount of the voluntary contribution required to reduce the rate. The required voluntary payment should be compared to the savings realized from a lower rate.

The unemployment expense is a substantial component of the labor cost of staffing agencies. You should give it careful attention. If you wish to make a voluntary contribution to your reserve balance you have 30 days from the date of your notice to do so. We recommend that you verify all the NJ DOL calculations including the amount of the employer contributions and the benefits charged to your account. Report any discrepancies to the NJ Dept. of Labor.

By making a voluntary payment, employers may reduce the NJ SUI rate for the coming year. Please be aware that this payment increases your reserve balance and helps reduce the NJ SUI rate in future years as well.

Checked your TWES Account?

Good news…if you didn’t receive the Notice and have a Tax Web Enabled System (TWES) account online…you can find your contribution rates there as well. The TWES system provides a wealth of information allowing employers to review their account status, open balance, payment history, employer and worker contribution rates, credit balance and any delinquency. You can log on to the TWES website at https://my.state.nj.us/

Remember doing your summer homework now may save you money down the road! If you would like assistance in determining if a voluntary contribution will save you money, please do not hesitate to contact us immediately.

Immigration Eyes New 1-9

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Statute of LIberty

What’s New?

Beginning January 22, 2017, employers must use only the new Form I-9 as reported by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services on their website www.uscis.gov. The new form is dated 11/14/2016 on the bottom of each page and expires 8/31/2019.

 

Why Should I Be Concerned?

The changes are minor, mainly to promote ease of use, particularly when completed on a computer. However, the consequences of using the old form are not necessarily minor. The penalties for Form I-9 violations have recently been doubled. The penalty for failing to comply with Form I-9 employment verification requirements are a minimum of $216 and a maximum of $2,156 per individual.  As of January 22, 2017, one of those requirements, is to use the new form.

Hot Savings – Reduce NJ SUI Rates in August

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What’s my New Rate?

In July all New Jersey employers received a Notice of Employer Contribution Rates.  This is not a bill, but rather a summary of the manner in which the NJ Department of Labor calculates your employer contribution rate for unemployment and disability.  This form enables you to determine whether a voluntary contribution would save you money in the subsequent year.  A voluntary contribution increases the reserve balance and may reduce your contribution rate.  In many circumstances a voluntary contribution represents an excellent opportunity to reduce labor costs. 

The Clock is Ticking

The unemployment expense is a substantial component of your labor cost. Staffing agencies should give it careful attention. If you wish to make a voluntary contributionto your reserve balance you have 30 days from the notification date to do so. In addition, we suggest that you verify the amount of the employer contributions and the benefits charged to your account.  Report any discrepancies to the NJ Dept. of Labor.

 Won’t my Payroll Company Take Care of This?

Outside payroll services generally don’t test the new rates for cost saving opportunities. We can assist you in determining if a voluntary contribution makes sense for you. We can provide you with an illustration of the benefits you stand to reap from making such a contribution. You will be able to weigh the considerations and act accordingly. 

 

 

 

NJ Employers-Reduce Your Unemployment Tax Rates-August Deadline

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Did you check your NJ SUI rates?
In July all New Jersey employers received a Notice of Employer Contribution Rates. This is not a bill, but rather a summary of the manner

in which the NJ Department of Labor calculates your employer contribution rate for unemployment and  disability. This form enables you

to determine whether a voluntary  contribution would save you money in the subsequent year.

Can I reduce the NJ SUI rate?
A voluntary contribution increases the reserve balance and may reduce your contribution rate. Each employer should calculate the amount

of the voluntary contribution required to reduce the rate. The required voluntary payment should be compared to the savings realized from a lower rate.

The unemployment expense is a substantial component of the labor cost of staffing agencies. You should give it careful attention. If you wish to make a

voluntary contribution to your reserve balance you have 30 days from the date of your notice to do so. We recommend that you verify all the NJ DOL

calculations including the amount of the employer contributions and the benefits charged to your account. Report any discrepancies to the NJ Dept. of Labor.

By making a voluntary payment, employers may reduce the NJ SUI rate for the coming year. Please be aware that this payment increases your reserve

balance and helps reduce the NJ SUI rate in future years as well.

Sleepy’s Wage and Hour Case Goes to NJ Supreme Court

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This is nothing to snooze about. The New Jersey Supreme Court has agreed to rule on a case that will have a broad impact on NJ businesses and workers. In Hargrove v. Sleepy’s, Plaintiffs Sam Hargrove, Andre Hall and Marco Eusebio accused Sleepy’s of using an “Independent Driver Agreement” as a ruse to avoid paying them employee benefits. The case was initially dismissed by U.S. District Judge Peter Sheridan in March 2012, as he applied the common-law “right to control” test. This test focuses on how much control the employer has of the workers. In this case, the plaintiffs drove for several other companies in addition to Sleepy’s, and maintained their own trucks, paying for gas, tolls, tickets and repairs. This bolstered the argument that they were in fact independent contractors.

On appeal, the National Employment Law Project, a New York non-profit workers advocacy group, contended that the “right to control” test shouldn’t be a determining factor. They reasoned that the New Jersey statutes at issue- the Wage Payment Law and the Wage and Hour Law- define “employee” more broadly than common law. Under the NJ statute a worker is considered an employee unless he meets all of the following three provisions:

  1. The worker has been and will continue to be free from control or direction over the performance of such service, both under his contract of service and in fact
  2. The service is either outside the usual course of the business for which such service is performed, or that such service is performed outside of all the places of business of the enterprise for which such service is performed
  3. The worker is customarily engaged in an independently established trade, occupation, profession or business

Pamela Avraham Quoted in Sunday Star Ledger

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The Newark Star Ledger recently turned to Pamela Avraham of Urbach and Avraham, CPAs for her take on the effects of the 2012 FUTA increase for NJ employers . This FUTA increase is now payable in Jan. 2013 and came as a surprise to many employers. Pamela was quoted in the January 20, 2013 edition, describing the challenge that many staffing agencies face due to the increase. Urbach & Avraham is especially attuned to concerns regarding the FUTA increase, as we service many staffing agencies and small businesses. These firms are going to be impacted more significantly, as they tend to have a larger number of low wage employees.