The Taxable
Wage Base for Social Security has been increased from $102,000 to $106,800
for 2009. The maximum Social Security employee withholding
and company match will be $6,621.60 each. The Social Security
and Medicare rates remain unchanged at 6.2% and 1.45% respectively.
The Federal Unemployment tax remains at 0.8% of gross wages up to $7,000
of taxable wages, assuming that you file and pay your state unemployment
taxes in a timely manner. The deposit threshold for FUTA taxes
remains at $500. FUTA taxes must be deposited by the end of the
subsequent month to the quarter in which the cumulative liability exceeds
$500.
NJ uses a rate table.
The rate is graduated and there is a yearly withholding allowance of
$1,000.00 per exemption subtracted from gross income.
PA and NJ employers should
withhold and remit taxes on PA and NJ residents based upon the employee’s
state of residence.
PENNSYLVANIA: The
employee’s contribution on all wages remains unchanged at .06%.
The taxable wage base for employer contributions is unchanged at $8,000.
The employer’s contribution rate is set by the state. The new
employer rate for most businesses is the same at 3.703%. The new
employer rate for new construction businesses is the same at 10.2626%.
If you use payroll software, please enter your 2009 rate into your system.
NEW JERSEY: The taxable
wage base has been increased to $28,900. The employee tax rate is increased
from .925% to 1.015% due to Family Leave Insurance.
LOCAL EARNED INCOME TAXES
If your business is located
within a municipality with an earned income tax, you should withhold
the earned income tax from all of your employees, except for Philadelphia
residents for whom you should withhold Philadelphia wage tax.
The following is a list
of the Lower and Central Bucks County School Districts which impose
a 1% Earned Income Tax. If you have a question concerning the
taxes of any other school district or municipality, please contact us.
Pennsylvania municipalities
can require employers to withhold up to $52 from employees for a Local
Services Tax (LST). Check with your municipality to determine
the amount of tax and the withholding requirements. The LST is remitted
on a quarterly basis.
Employers located in areas
with a combined tax rate exceeding $10 are required to exempt employees
whose total earned income and net profits from all sources is less than
$12,000 for the calendar year. Employees must file an annual exemption
certificate to receive the exemption request. Employers located
in areas not exceeding $10 may or may not have a low income exemption.
If an employee exceeds the low income exemption, employers are required
to withhold a “catch-up” lump sum tax equal to the amount of tax
that was not withheld from the employee as a result of the exemption
and continue withholding the same amount per pay period that is withheld
for other employees. The school district portion may not have an earnings
exemption, or may be less than the municipal exemption. If no
exemption request is submitted and the employee does not earn enough
to be subject to the tax, a refund request may be submitted by the employee.
To calculate the amount to be withheld from each employee’s pay you
will take the tax amount in effect and divide it by the number of pay
periods in the coming year.
Reporting of all new employees
hired is mandatory. Reports are due within 20 days of hire date.
PA and NJ have a New Hire Form and will also accept the Federal Form
W-4.
New employees should complete
Form W-4 and Form I-9. These forms should be kept on file at the
employer’s office.
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