What Wages Constitute FUTA Wages?
Employers must file an IRS 940 Federal Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA) form when reporting wages paid into the federal unemployment system. Employees who lose their job can use these wages as unemployment compensation. An employer only makes FUTA wage payments under certain circumstances.
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General Employers
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An employer pays FUTA if he had given wages of $1,500 or more to his employees for the year in which he plans to file the IRS 940 FUTA return or for the prior year before the reporting year. The employer counts all temporary, full-time and part-time employees' wages as the FUTA wages, except for those employees who are partners working in partnership corporations.
Household Employers
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As a household employer whose workers perform household duties in a private home, such as a hired chef or personal maid, the employer must pay FUTA wages if she had paid $1,000 or more cash wages in the calendar quarter. These cash wages had to occur for the year in which she plans to file the 940 FUTA return or for the prior year before the reporting year. Employers must pay FUTA wages for other employees including those who work at local college clubs or local sorority or fraternity college chapters.
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Agricultural Employers
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For agricultural businesses, employers pay FUTA wages when paying cash of $20,000 or more to farm workers. The pay period has to consist of any calendar quarter for the year in which he plans to file the 940 FUTA return or for the prior year before the reporting year. This includes paying wages to immigrant employees given permission into the United States to perform farm work.
Successor Employers
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An employer who gains all of a business from another person who was obligated to file an IRS form 940 due to FUTA tax purposes has to continue to pay FUTA wages for this business. The successor employer must hire one or more people who were the predecessor's employees right after acquiring the business.
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References
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