Running payroll for businesses is quite complex, and employers must have a huge responsibility to withhold taxes from employees. One of the crucial obligations is filling out the tax forms and reporting the withholdings to the federal. Employers deduct taxes like social security and Medicare contributions from the employee’s wages and pay to the federal on their behalf. Employers should file tax Form 941 online every quarter to report all these taxes easily to the federal.
Being a business it is mandated to know what this form is and its uses. Explore this article to understand the significant information and commonly asked questions about Form 941.
What is Form 941?
The IRS Tax Form 941(Employer’s Quarterly Federal Tax Return) is commonly used by employers or business owners to report federal taxes like Social Security and Medicare taxes(FICA taxes) to the IRS. Employers use this form to report every quarter based on the tax liability. It is also used to report the employer’s share of FICA contributions to the Federal.
What is the information contained in Form 941?
It is mandated for employers to know the information contained in Form 941 before filling it out. All the withholding information will be reported in this form. The other essential information to fill out Form 941 are:
- Reporting quarter details
- Business Details
- Business name
- EIN (Employer Identification Number)
- Address
- Employment Details
- Number of employees
- Social Security and Medicare taxes
- Total wages paid
- Deposits Made to the IRS
- Deposit schedule and tax liability
- Signing Authority Information
- Online Signature PIN
Who files Form 941?
Employers are business owners is opt for filling out Form 941. If the employers pay the employees and deduct the federal withholdings from their paychecks must fill out this form for each quarter. If the employers pay more than $1000 to the employees must fill out this form each quarter.
A Few exceptions to this Form 941 are:
- Seasonal employers
- Employers of Household employees
- Employers of agricultural employees.
When do you need to fill out Form 941?
As an employer, It must be filed for every quarter. The quarterly deadline for Form 941 is the last day of the month which follows the end of the quarter. Here are the deadlines for filing Form 941 each quarter:
- First quarter – April 30, 2024 (January, February, and March)
- Second quarter – July 31, 2024 (April, May, June)
- Third quarter – October 31, 2024 (July, August, September)
- Fourth quarter – January 31, 2025 (October, November, December)
What if I failed to file Form 941?
Businesses that fail to file Form 941 or fail to submit the taxes on time will incur penalties. Here are the penalties for Form 941
- Initial penalty
On failing to file the form within the deadline may impose 5% of initial penalties.
- Additional Penalty for continued failure
If there is a continuous failure to file the form additional penalties of 5% will be imposed for each month for up to five months.
- Late payment penalties
If employers fail to pay the taxes for Form 941, they will probably receive the CP161 notice about the penalty. On failure to pay the taxes owed to the IRS, additional penalties will be levied by the IRS ranging from 2% to 15% based on the taxes owed and payments made.
Do I have to file Form 941 If I have no payroll?
As mentioned earlier, Employers who run the business organization and pay their employees are required to file Form 941. If the employers haven’t paid their employees for the quarter the tax rate becomes zero. It implies that they have zero tax liability. Even though the tax rate is zero (Zero tax liability)IRS expects to file Form 941.
Is it possible to file Form 941 online?
Yes, It is possible to e-file the form 941. Employers might find mailing the form to the IRS as a complicated process. Instead, choosing the best e-file provider helps to make the filing process easier. Employers need an online signature PIN to provide authorization. The best practice is to e-file Form 941 which is recommended by the IRS.
Conclusion
In summary, The IRS Form 941 is an essential document that plays a crucial role in the payroll process. Every employer must take the responsibility of filing this form. It is used to report the social security and Medicare taxes to the federal government. This form discloses specific information about the number of employees in the company, total wages paid, and taxes withheld from the employee’s paychecks.
As it is a quarterly form, filing deadlines are different for each quarter. Failure to file Form 941 will result in certain penalties. In order to overcome the complexities of this form choose the best e-file provider.
Stephanie Glanville is a content writer with TaxBandits, an IRS Authorized e-file provider for Form 1099, W-2, 941, 940, and 1095. She addresses topics and tax forms that business owners need to understand and file.
Tax form 941 stock image by Mehaniq/Shutterstock