Instructions for Form 943 - Introductory Material Future Developments What's New Social security and Medicare taxes for 2024. The COVID-19 related credit for qualified sick and family leave wages is limited to leave taken after March 31, 2020, and before October 1, 2021, and may no longer be claimed on Form 943. Reminders Qualified small business payroll tax credit for increasing research activities. Pub. 51 discontinued after 2023. Forms in Spanish. Payroll tax credit for certain tax-exempt organizations affected by qualified disasters. Certification program for professional employer organizations (PEOs). Outsourcing payroll duties. Aggregate Form 943 filers. Work opportunity tax credit for qualified tax-exempt organizations hiring qualified veterans. Correcting a previously filed Form 943. If you change your business name, business address, or responsible party. Federal tax deposits must be made by electronic funds transfer (EFT). Same-day wire payment option. Timeliness of federal tax deposits. Electronic filing and payment. Electronic funds withdrawal (EFW). Credit or debit card payments. Online payment agreement. Paid preparers. Disregarded entities and qualified subchapter S subsidiaries (QSubs). Where can you get telephone help? Photographs of missing children. General Instructions Purpose of Form 943 Who Must File Form 943? The $150 Test or the $2,500 Test Exceptions. Final Return When Must You File? Forms W-2 and W-3 Compensation paid to H-2A visa holders. Forms 1099-MISC and 1099-NEC How Should You Complete Form 943? Completing Form 943 Reconciliation of Form 943 to Forms W-2 and W-3 Where Should You File? Depositing Your Taxes Must You Deposit Your Taxes? What About Penalties and Interest? Avoiding Penalties and Interest Specific Instructions Line 1. Number of Agricultural Employees Line 2. Wages Subject to Social Security Tax Line 3. Social Security Tax Line 4. Wages Subject to Medicare Tax Line 5. Medicare Tax Line 6. Wages Subject to Additional Medicare Tax Withholding Line 7. Additional Medicare Tax Withholding Line 8. Federal Income Tax Withheld Line 9. Total Taxes Before Adjustments Line 10. Current Year's Adjustments Adjustment for fractions of cents. Adjustment for sick pay. Line 11. Total Taxes After Adjustments Line 12. Qualified Small Business Payroll Tax Credit for Increasing Research Activities Line 13. Total Taxes After Adjustments and Nonrefundable Credits Line 14. Total Deposits Line 15. Balance Due What if you can't pay in full? Line 16. Overpayment Line 17. Monthly Summary of Federal Tax Liability Reporting adjustments from line 10 on line 17. Adjusting tax liability for the qualified small business payroll tax credit for increasing research activities (line 12). Example. Third-Party Designee Who Must Sign (Approved Roles) Alternative signature method. Paid Preparer Use Only How To Get Forms, Instructions, and Publications Instructions for Form 943 - Notices Privacy Act and Paperwork Reduction Act Notice. Instructions for Form 943 (2024) Employer's Annual Federal Tax Return for Agricultural Employees Section references are to the Internal Revenue Code unless otherwise noted. 2024 Instructions for Form 943 - Introductory Material Future Developments For the latest information about developments related to Form 943 and its instructions, such as legislation enacted after they were published, go to IRS.gov/Form943. What's New Social security and Medicare taxes for 2024. The social security tax rate is 6.2% each for the employee and employer. The social security wage base limit is $168,600. The Medicare tax rate is 1.45% each for the employee and employer, unchanged from 2023. There is no wage base limit for Medicare tax. The COVID-19 related credit for qualified sick and family leave wages is limited to leave taken after March 31, 2020, and before October 1, 2021, and may no longer be claimed on Form 943. Generally, the credit for qualified sick and family leave wages, as enacted under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) and amended and extended by the COVID-related Tax Relief Act of 2020, for leave taken after March 31, 2020, and before April 1, 2021, and the credit for qualified sick and family leave wages under sections 3131, 3132, and 3133 of the Internal Revenue Code, as enacted under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (the ARP), for leave taken after March 31, 2021, and before October 1, 2021, have expired. However, employers that pay qualified sick and family leave wages in 2024 for leave taken after March 31, 2020, and before October 1, 2021, are eligible to claim a credit for qualified sick and family leave wages in 2024. Effective for tax years beginning after 2023, the lines used to claim the credit for qualified sick and family leave wages have been removed from Form 943 because it would be extremely rare for an employer to pay wages in 2024 for qualified sick and family leave taken after March 31, 2020, and before October 1, 2021. If you're eligible to claim the credit for qualified sick and family leave wages because you paid the wages in 2024 for an earlier applicable leave period, file Form 943-X, Adjusted Employer's Annual Federal Tax Return for Agricultural Employees or Claim for Refund, after filing Form 943, to claim the credit for qualified sick and family leave wages paid in 2024. Filing a Form 943-X before filing a Form 943 for the year may result in errors or delays in processing your Form 943-X. Reminders Qualified small business payroll tax credit for increasing research activities. For tax years beginning before January 1, 2023, a qualified small business may elect to claim up to $250,000 of its credit for increasing research activities as a payroll tax credit. The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (the IRA) increases the election amount to $500,000 for tax years beginning after December 31, 2022. The payroll tax credit election must be made on or before the due date of the originally filed income tax return (including extensions). The portion of the credit used against payroll taxes is allowed in the first calendar quarter beginning after the date that the qualified small business filed its income tax return. The election and determination of the credit amount that will be used against the employer’s payroll taxes are made on Form 6765, Credit for Increasing Research Activities. The amount from Form 6765 must then be reported on Form 8974, Qualified Small Business Payroll Tax Credit for Increasing Research Activities. Starting in the first quarter of 2023, the payroll tax credit is first used to reduce the employer share of social security tax up to $250,000 per quarter and any remaining credit reduces the employer share of Medicare tax for the quarter. Any remaining credit, after reducing the employer share of social security tax and the employer share of Medicare tax, is then carried forward to the next quarter. Form 8974 is used to determine the amount of the credit that can be used in the current quarter. The amount from Form 8974, line 12 or, if applicable, line 17, is reported on Form 943, line 12. For more information about the payroll tax credit, see the Instructions for Form 8974 and go to IRS.gov/ResearchPayrollTC. Also see Adjusting tax liability for the qualified small business payroll tax credit for increasing research activities (line 12) , later. Pub. 51 discontinued after 2023. Pub. 51, Agricultural Employer's Tax Guide, was discontinued for tax years beginning after December 31, 2023. Instead, information specific to agricultural employers will be included in Pub. 15, Employer's Tax Guide. For tax year 2024, there is a new Pub. 15 (sp) that is a Spanish-language version of Pub. 15. Forms in Spanish. Many forms and instructions discussed in these instructions have Spanish-language versions available for employers and employees. Some examples include Form 943 (sp), Form 944 (sp), Form SS-4 (sp), and Form W-4 (sp). Although these instructions don't reference Spanish-language forms and instructions in each instance that one is available, you can see Pub. 15 (sp) and go to IRS.gov to determine if a Spanish-language version is available. Unless otherwise noted, references throughout these instructions to Form W-2 include Form 499R-2/W-2PR; references to Form W-2c include Form 499R-2c/W-2cPR; references to Form W-3 include Form W-3 (PR); and references to Form W-3c include Form W-3C (PR). Payroll tax credit for certain tax-exempt organizations affected by qualified disasters. Section 303(d) of the Taxpayer Certainty and Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2020 allows for a payroll tax credit for certain tax-exempt organizations affected by certain qualified disasters not related to COVID-19. This credit is claimed on Form 5884-D (not on Form 943). Form 5884-D is filed after the Form 943 for the year for which the credit is being claimed has been filed. For more information about this credit, go to IRS.gov/Form5884D. Certification program for professional employer organizations (PEOs). The Stephen Beck Jr., ABLE Act of 2014 required the IRS to establish a voluntary certification program for PEOs. PEOs handle various payroll administration and tax reporting responsibilities for their business clients and are typically paid a fee based on payroll costs. To become and remain certified under the certification program, certified professional employer organizations (CPEOs) must meet various requirements described in sections 3511 and 7705 and related published guidance. Certification as a CPEO may affect the employment tax liabilities of both the CPEO and its customers. A CPEO is generally treated for employment tax purposes as the employer of any individual who performs services for a customer of the CPEO and is covered by a contract described in section 7705(e)(2) between the CPEO and the customer (CPEO contract), but only for wages and other compensation paid to the individual by the CPEO. To become a CPEO, the organization must apply through the IRS Online Registration System. For more information or to apply to become a CPEO, go to IRS.gov/CPEO. CPEOs must generally file Form 943 and Schedule R (Form 943), Allocation Schedule for Aggregate Form 943 Filers, electronically. For more information about a CPEO's requirement to file electronically, see Rev. Proc. 2023-18, 2023-13 I.R.B 605, available at IRS.gov/irb/2023-13_IRB#REV-PROC-2023-18. Outsourcing payroll duties. Generally, as an employer, you're responsible to ensure that tax returns are filed and deposits and payments are made, even if you contract with a third party to perform these acts. You remain responsible if the third party fails to perform any required action. Before you choose to outsource any of your payroll and related tax duties (that is, withholding, reporting, and paying over social security, Medicare, FUTA, and income taxes) to a third-party payer, such as a payroll service provider or reporting agent, go to IRS.gov/OutsourcingPayrollDuties for helpful information on this topic. If a CPEO pays wages and other compensation to an individual performing services for you, and the services are covered by a CPEO contract, then the CPEO is generally treated for employment tax purposes as the employer, but only for wages and other compensation paid to the individual by the CPEO. However, with respect to certain employees covered by a CPEO contract, you may also be treated as an employer of the employees and, consequently, may also be liable for federal employment taxes imposed on wages and other compensation paid by the CPEO to such employees. For more information on the different types of third-party payer arrangements, see section 16 of Pub. 15. Aggregate Form 943 filers. Approved section 3504 agents and CPEOs must complete and file Schedule R (Form 943) when filing an aggregate Form 943. Aggregate Forms 943 are filed by agents approved by the IRS under section 3504. To request approval to act as an agent for an employer, the agent files Form 2678 with the IRS unless you're a state or local government agency acting as an agent under the special procedures provided in Rev. Proc. 2013-39, 2013-52 I.R.B. 830, available at IRS.gov/irb/2013-52_IRB#RP-2013-39. Aggregate Forms 943 are also filed by CPEOs approved by the IRS under section 7705. To become a CPEO, the organization must apply through the IRS Online Registration System at IRS.gov/CPEO. CPEOs file Form 8973, Certified Professional Employer Organization/Customer Reporting Agreement, to notify the IRS that they started or ended a service contract with a customer. CPEOs must generally file Form 943 and Schedule R (Form 943) electronically. For more information about a CPEO’s requirement to file electronically, see Rev. Proc. 2023-18. Other third-party payers that file aggregate Forms 943, such as non-certified PEOs, must complete and file Schedule R (Form 943) if they have clients that are claiming the qualified small business payroll tax credit for increasing research activities. If both an employer and a section 3504 authorized agent (or CPEO or other third-party payer) paid wages to an employee during the year, both the employer and the section 3504 authorized agent (or CPEO or other third-party payer, if applicable) should file Form 943 reporting the wages each entity paid to the employee during the year and issue Forms W-2 (or Forms 499R-2/W-2PR if you are an employer in Puerto Rico) reporting the wages each entity paid to the employee during the year. Work opportunity tax credit for qualified tax-exempt organizations hiring qualified veterans. Qualified tax-exempt organizations that hire eligible unemployed veterans may be able to claim the work opportunity tax credit against their payroll tax liability using Form 5884-C. For more information, go to IRS.gov/WOTC. Correcting a previously filed Form 943. If you discover an error on a previously filed Form 943, or if you otherwise need to amend a previously filed Form 943, make the correction using Form 943-X. Form 943-X is filed separately from Form 943. For more information, see the Instructions for Form 943-X, section 13 of Pub. 15, or go to IRS.gov/CorrectingEmploymentTaxes. If you change your business name, business address, or responsible party. Notify the IRS immediately if you change your business name, business address, or responsible party. Write to the IRS office where you file your returns (using the Without a payment address under Where Should You File , later) to notify the IRS of any business name change. See Pub. 1635 to see if you need to apply for a new employer identification number (EIN). Complete and mail Form 8822-B to notify the IRS of a business address or responsible party change. Don't mail Form 8822-B with your Form 943. For a definition of “responsible party,” see the Instructions for Form SS-4. Federal tax deposits must be made by electronic funds transfer (EFT). You must use EFT to make all federal tax deposits. Generally, an EFT is made using the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS). If you don't want to use EFTPS, you can arrange for your tax professional, financial institution, payroll service, or other trusted third party to make electronic deposits on your behalf. Also, you may arrange for your financial institution to initiate a same-day wire payment on your behalf. EFTPS is a free service provided by the Department of the Treasury. Services provided by your tax professional, financial institution, payroll service, or other third party may have a fee. For more information on making federal tax deposits, see section 11 of Pub. 15. To get more information about EFTPS or to enroll in EFTPS, go to EFTPS.gov or call one of the following numbers. 800-555-4477 800-244-4829 (Spanish) 303-967-5916 (toll call) To contact EFTPS using Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS) for people who are deaf, heard of hearing, or have a speech disability, dial 711 and then provide the TRS assistant the 800-555-4477 number above or 800-733-4829. Additional information about EFTPS is also available in Pub. 966. For an EFTPS deposit to be on time, you must submit the deposit by 8 p.m. Eastern time the day before the date the deposit is due. Same-day wire payment option. If you fail to submit a deposit transaction on EFTPS by 8 p.m. Eastern time the day before the date a deposit is due, you can still make your deposit on time by using the Federal Tax Collection Service (FTCS) to make a same-day wire payment. To use the same-day wire payment method, you will need to make arrangements with your financial institution ahead of time. Check with your financial institution regarding availability, deadlines, and costs. Your financial institution may charge you a fee for payments made this way. To learn more about the information you will need to give your financial institution to make a same-day wire payment, go to IRS.gov/SameDayWire. Timeliness of federal tax deposits. If a deposit is required to be made on a day that isn't a business day, the deposit is considered timely if it is made by the close of the next business day. A business day is any day other than a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday. The term “legal holiday” for deposit purposes includes only those legal holidays in the District of Columbia. Legal holidays in the District of Columbia are provided in section 11 of Pub. 15. Electronic filing and payment. Businesses can enjoy the benefits of filing tax returns and paying their federal taxes electronically. Whether you rely on a tax professional or handle your own taxes, the IRS offers you convenient and secure programs to make filing and paying easier. Spend less time worrying about taxes and more time running your business. Use e-file and EFTPS to your benefit. For e-file, go to IRS.gov/EmploymentEfile for additional information. A fee may be charged to file electronically. For EFTPS, go to EFTPS.gov or call EFTPS at one of the numbers provided under Federal tax deposits must be made by electronic funds transfer (EFT) , earlier. For electronic filing of Forms W-2, Wage and Tax Statement, go to SSA.gov/employer. You may be required to file Forms W-2 electronically. For details, see the General Instructions for Forms W-2 and W-3. The Social Security Administration's Business Services Online (BSO) is an independent program from the Government of Puerto Rico electronic filing system. Employers in Puerto Rico must go to Hacienda.pr.gov for additional information. Note. Employers in Puerto Rico file Form 499R-2/W-2PR. If you're filing your tax return or paying your federal taxes electronically, a valid EIN is required at the time the return is filed or the payment is made. If a valid EIN isn't provided, the return or payment won't be processed. This may result in penalties. See How Should You Complete Form 943, later, for more information about applying for an EIN. Electronic funds withdrawal (EFW). If you file Form 943 electronically, you can e-file and use EFW to pay the balance due in a single step using tax preparation software or through a tax professional. However, don't use EFW to make federal tax deposits. For more information on paying your taxes using EFW, go to IRS.gov/EFW. Credit or debit card payments. You can pay the balance due shown on Form 943 by credit or debit card. Your payment will be processed by a payment processor who will charge a processing fee. Don't use a credit or debit card to make federal tax deposits. For more information on paying your taxes with a credit or debit card, go to IRS.gov/PayByCard. Online payment agreement. You may be eligible to apply for an installment agreement online if you can't pay the full amount of tax you owe when you file your return. For more information, see What if you can't pay in full , later. Paid preparers. If you use a paid preparer to complete Form 943, the paid preparer must complete and sign the paid preparer's section of the form. Disregarded entities and qualified subchapter S subsidiaries (QSubs). Eligible single-owner disregarded entities and QSubs are treated as separate entities for employment tax purposes. Eligible single-member entities that haven't elected to be taxed as corporations must report and pay employment taxes on wages paid to their employees using the entities' own names and EINs. See Regulations sections 1.1361-4(a)(7) and 301.7701-2(c)(2)(iv). Where can you get telephone help? For answers to your questions about completing Form 943 or tax deposit rules, call the IRS at 800-829-4933 or 800-829-4059 (TDD/TTY for persons who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability), Monday–Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time (Alaska and Hawaii follow Pacific time). Photographs of missing children. The IRS is a proud partner with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children® (NCMEC). Photographs of missing children selected by the Center may appear in instructions on pages that would otherwise be blank. You can help bring these children home by looking at the photographs and calling 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) if you recognize a child. General Instructions Purpose of Form 943 These instructions give you some background information about Form 943. They tell you who must file Form 943, how to complete it line by line, and when and where to file it. If you want more in-depth information about payroll tax topics relating to Form 943, see Pub. 15 or go to IRS.gov/EmploymentTaxes. For tax information relevant to agricultural employers, go to IRS.gov/AgricultureTaxCenter. References to federal income tax withholding don't apply to employers in Puerto Rico unless you have employees who are subject to U.S. income tax withholding. Contact your local tax department for information about income tax withholding. Federal law requires you, as an employer, to withhold certain taxes from your employees' pay. Each time you pay wages, you must withhold—or take out of your employees' pay—certain amounts for federal income tax, social security tax, and Medicare tax. You must also withhold Additional Medicare Tax from wages you pay to an employee in excess of $200,000 in a calendar year. Under the withholding system, taxes withheld from your employees are credited to your employees in payment of their tax liabilities. Federal law also requires you to pay any liability for the employer share of social security tax and Medicare tax. This share of social security and Medicare taxes isn't withheld from employees. If you have household employees working in your private home on your farm operated for a profit, they aren't considered to be farm employees. To report social security tax, Medicare tax, Additional Medicare Tax, and federal income tax withholding on the wages of household employees, you may either: File Schedule H (Form 1040) with your Form 1040 or 1040-SR, or Include the wages with your farm employees' wages on Form 943. If you paid wages to other nonfarm workers, don't report these on Form 943. Taxes on wages paid to nonfarm workers are reported on Form 941, Employer's QUARTERLY Federal Tax Return; or Form 944, Employer's ANNUAL Federal Tax Return. See Pub. 926 for more information about household employees. Who Must File Form 943? File Form 943 if you paid wages to one or more farmworkers and the wages were subject to federal income tax withholding or social security and Medicare taxes under the tests discussed next. For more information on farmworkers and wages, see Pub. 15. After you file your first Form 943, you must file a return for each year, even if you have no taxes to report, until you file a final return. You’re encouraged to file Form 943 electronically. Go to IRS.gov/EmploymentEfile for more information on electronic filing. The $150 Test or the $2,500 Test All cash wages that you pay to farmworkers are subject to federal income tax withholding and social security and Medicare taxes for any calendar year for which you meet either of the tests listed next. You pay an employee cash wages of $150 or more in a year for farmwork (count all wages paid on a time, piecework, or other basis). The $150 test applies separately to each farmworker that you employ. If you employ a family of workers, each member is treated separately. Don't count wages paid by other employers. The total (cash and noncash) wages that you pay to all farmworkers is $2,500 or more. If the $2,500-or-more test for the group isn't met, the $150-or-more test for an individual still applies. Similarly, if the $150-or-more test is not met for any individual, the $2,500-or-more test for the group still applies. Exceptions. Special rules apply to certain hand-harvest laborers who receive less than $150 in annual cash wages. For more information, see section 9 of Pub. 15. Final Return If you stop paying wages during the year and don't expect to pay wages again, file a final return for 2024. Be sure to check the box above line 1 on the form indicating that you don't have to file returns in the future. If you later restart paying wages, then resume filing Form 943. Attach a statement to your final return showing the name of the person keeping the payroll records and the address where these records will be kept. If the business has been sold or transferred to another person, the statement should include the name and address of such person and the date on which the sale or transfer took place. If no sale or transfer occurred, or you don't know the name of the person to whom the business was sold or transferred, that fact should be included in the statement. When Must You File? For 2024, file Form 943 by January 31, 2025. However, if you made deposits on time in full payment of the taxes due for the year, you may file the return by February 10, 2025. File Form 943 only once for each calendar year. If you filed Form 943 electronically, don't file a paper Form 943. For more information about filing Form 943 electronically, see Electronic filing and payment , earlier. If we receive Form 943 after the due date, we will treat Form 943 as filed on time if the envelope containing Form 943 is properly addressed, contains sufficient postage, and is postmarked by the U.S. Postal Service on or before the due date, or sent by an IRS-designated private delivery service (PDS) on or before the due date. If you don't follow these guidelines, we will generally consider Form 943 filed when it is actually received. For more information about PDSs, see Where Should You File , later. Forms W-2 and W-3 References to Form W-2 also apply to Form 499R-2/W-2PR and references to Form W-3 also apply to Form W-3 (PR), unless otherwise specified. By January 31, 2025, give Form W-2 to each employee who was working for you at the end of 2024. If an employee stops working for you before the end of the year, give the employee Form W-2 any time after employment ends but no later than January 31, 2025. If the employee asks you for Form W-2, give the employee the completed form within 30 days of the request or the last wage payment, whichever is later. File Copy A of all Forms W-2 with Form W-3, Transmittal of Wage and Tax Statements, with the Social Security Administration (SSA) by January 31, 2025. For electronic filing of Forms W-2, go to SSA.gov/employer. You may be required to file Forms W-2 electronically. For details, see the General Instructions for Forms W-2 and W-3. Note. Employers in Puerto Rico file Form 499R-2/W-2PR with the SSA. If filing by paper with the SSA, make sure to file with Form W-3 (PR). Compensation paid to H-2A visa holders. Report compensation of $600 or more paid to foreign agricultural workers who entered the country on H-2A visas in box 1 of Form W-2. Compensation paid to H-2A workers for agricultural labor performed in connection with H-2A visas isn't subject to social security and Medicare taxes and therefore shouldn't be reported as wages subject to social security tax (line 2), Medicare tax (line 4), or Additional Medicare Tax withholding (line 6) on Form 943, and shouldn't be reported as social security wages (box 3) or Medicare wages (box 5) on Form W-2 (boxes 20 and 22, respectively, of Form 499R-2/W-2PR). An employer isn't required to withhold federal income tax from compensation paid to an H-2A worker for agricultural labor performed in connection with this visa unless the worker asks for withholding and the employer agrees. In this case, the worker must give the employer a completed Form W-4. Federal income tax withheld is reported on Form 943, line 8, and in box 2 of Form W-2. These reporting rules apply when the H-2A worker provides their taxpayer identification number (TIN) to the employer. For the rules relating to backup withholding and reporting when the H-2A worker doesn't provide a TIN, see the Instructions for Forms 1099-MISC and 1099-NEC and the Instructions for Form 945. For more information on foreign agricultural workers on H-2A visas, go to IRS.gov/H2A. Note. References to federal income tax withholding don't apply to employers in U.S. territories, unless you have employees who are subject to U.S. income tax withholding. Forms 1099-MISC and 1099-NEC Both paper and electronically filed Form 1099-MISC, Miscellaneous Income, and Form 1099-NEC, Nonemployee Compensation, must be filed with the IRS by January 31, 2025. Form 1099-MISC is used to report rents paid in your farming business, and Form 1099-NEC is generally used to report payments to an individual who isn't your employee. Payments made to corporations for medical and health care payments, including payments made to veterinarians, must generally be reported on Form 1099-MISC. Compensation of $600 or more paid in a calendar year to an H-2A visa agricultural worker who didn't give you a valid TIN is also reported on Form 1099-MISC; you must withhold federal income tax from these payments under the backup withholding rules. For more information about filing Forms 1099-MISC and 1099-NEC, see the Instructions for Forms 1099-MISC and 1099-NEC. How Should You Complete Form 943? Enter your EIN, name, and address in the spaces provided. Don't use your social security number (SSN) or individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN). Generally, enter the business (legal) name you used when you applied for your EIN. For example, if you're a sole proprietor, enter “Jamie Smith” on the Name line and “Jamie's Farm” on the Trade name line. Leave the Trade name line blank if it is the same as your Name line. If you use a tax preparer to complete Form 943, make sure the preparer uses your correct business name and EIN. If you don't have an EIN, you may apply for one online by going to IRS.gov/EIN. You may also apply for an EIN by faxing or mailing Form SS-4 to the IRS. If the principal business was created or organized outside of the United States or U.S. territories, you may also apply for an EIN by calling 267-941-1099 (toll call). If you have applied for an EIN but don't have your EIN by the time a return is due, file a paper return and write "Applied For" and the date you applied in the space shown for the number. If you're filing your tax return electronically, a valid EIN is required at the time the return is filed. If a valid EIN isn't provided, the return won't be accepted. This may result in penalties. Always be sure the EIN on the form you file exactly matches the EIN the IRS assigned to your business. Don't use your SSN or ITIN on forms that ask for an EIN. If you used an EIN (including a prior owner's EIN) on Form 943 that is different from the EIN reported on Form W-3, see Box h—Other EIN used this year in the General Instructions for Forms W-2 and W-3 (if different from what was reported on Form W-3 (PR), see Box f: Other EIN used this year in the Instructions for Form W-3 (PR)). Filing a Form 943 with an incorrect EIN or using another business's EIN may result in penalties and delays in processing your return. Completing Form 943 Make entries on Form 943 as follows to enable accurate processing. Don't enter dollar signs and decimal points. Commas are optional. Report dollars to the left of the preprinted line and cents to the right of it. Don’t round entries to whole dollars. Always show an amount for cents, even if it is zero. Enter negative amounts using a minus sign (if possible). Otherwise, use parentheses. Staple multiple sheets in the upper left corner when filing. Reconciliation of Form 943 to Forms W-2 and W-3 Certain amounts reported on Form 943 for 2024 should agree with the Form W-2 totals reported on the 2024 Form W-3. The amounts from Form 943 that should agree with the related boxes on Form W-3 are federal income tax withheld (line 8 and box 2), social security wages (line 2 and box 3), and Medicare wages (line 4 and box 5). If the amounts don't agree, you may be contacted by the IRS or the SSA. For more information, see section 12 of Pub. 15. Keep all records that show why the totals don't match. Note. If filing Form 499R-2/W-2PR, make sure the amounts reported on Form 943 agree with the Form 499R-2/W-2PR totals reported on the 2024 Form W-3 (PR). The amounts from Form 943 that should agree with the related boxes on Form W-3 (PR) are social security wages (line 2 and box 10) and Medicare wages (line 4 and box 12a). Where Should You File? You’re encouraged to file Form 943 electronically. Go to IRS.gov/EmploymentEfile for more information on electronic filing. If you file a paper return, where you file depends on whether you include a payment with Form 943. Mail your return to the address listed for your location in the table that follows. PDSs can't deliver to P.O. boxes. You must use the U.S. Postal Service to mail an item to a P.O. box address. Go to IRS.gov/PDS for the current list of PDSs. For the IRS mailing address to use if you’re using a PDS, go to IRS.gov/PDSstreetAddresses. Select the mailing address listed on the webpage that is in the same state as the address to which you would mail returns filed without a payment, as shown next. Mailing Addresses for Form 943 If you’re in . . . Without a payment . . . With a payment . . . Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin Department of the Treasury Internal Revenue Service Kansas City, MO 64999-0008 Internal Revenue Service P.O. Box 806533 Cincinnati, OH 45280-6533 Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wyoming Department of the Treasury Internal Revenue Service Ogden, UT 84201-0008 Internal Revenue Service P.O. Box 932200 Louisville, KY 40293-2200 No legal residence or principal place of business in any state, including employers in Puerto Rico Internal Revenue Service P.O. Box 409101 Ogden, UT 84409 Internal Revenue Service P.O. Box 932200 Louisville, KY 40293-2200 Special filing address for exempt organizations; federal, state, and local governmental entities; and Indian tribal governmental entities, regardless of location Department of the Treasury Internal Revenue Service Ogden, UT 84201-0008 Internal Revenue Service P.O. Box 932200 Louisville, KY 40293-2200 Your filing address may have changed from that used to file your employment tax return in prior years. Don't send Form 943 or any payments to the SSA. Depositing Your Taxes You must deposit all depository taxes electronically by EFT. For more information, see Federal tax deposits must be made by electronic funds transfer (EFT) under Reminders, earlier. Must You Deposit Your Taxes? You may have to deposit the federal income taxes you withheld and both the employer and employee social security taxes and Medicare taxes. If your total taxes after adjustments and nonrefundable credits (line 13) are less than $2,500 for the year, you can pay the tax due with your return if you file on time. You don't have to make a deposit. To avoid a penalty, you must pay any amount due in full with a timely filed return or you must deposit any amount you owe by the due date of the return. For more information on paying with a timely filed return, see the instructions for line 15, later. If your total taxes after adjustments and nonrefundable credits (line 13) are $2,500 or more for the year. You must make deposits by EFT throughout the year in accordance with your deposit schedule. There are two deposit schedules—monthly or semiweekly—for determining when you must deposit. Before the beginning of each calendar year, you must determine which of the two deposit schedules you must use. See section 11 of Pub. 15 for information and rules concerning federal tax deposits and to determine your status as a monthly or semiweekly schedule depositor. If you're a monthly schedule depositor and accumulate a $100,000 tax liability on any day during the deposit period, you become a semiweekly schedule depositor on the next day and remain so for at least the rest of the calendar year and for the following calendar year. See $100,000 Next-Day Deposit Rule in section 11 of Pub. 15 for more information. The $100,000 tax liability threshold requiring a next-day deposit is determined before you consider any reduction of your liability for nonrefundable credits. What About Penalties and Interest? Avoiding Penalties and Interest You can avoid paying penalties and interest if you do all of the following. Deposit or pay your taxes when they are due. File your fully completed Form 943 on time. Report your tax liability accurately. Submit valid checks for tax payments. Furnish accurate Forms W-2 to employees. File Form W-3 and Copy A of Forms W-2 with the SSA on time and accurately. Penalties and interest are charged on taxes paid late and returns filed late at a rate set by law. See sections 11 and 12 of Pub. 15 for details. Use Form 843 to request abatement of assessed penalties or interest. Don't request abatement of assessed penalties or interest on any other form. If you receive a notice about a penalty after you file your return, reply to the notice with an explanation and we will determine if you meet reasonable-cause criteria. Don't attach an explanation when you file your return. If federal income, social security, and Medicare taxes that must be withheld (that is, trust fund taxes) aren't withheld or aren't deposited or paid to the United States Treasury, the trust fund recovery penalty may apply. The penalty is 100% of the unpaid trust fund tax. If these unpaid taxes can't be immediately collected from the employer or business, the trust fund recovery penalty may be imposed on all persons who are determined by the IRS to be responsible for collecting, accounting for, or paying over these taxes, and who acted willfully in not doing so. For more information, see section 11 of Pub. 15. The trust fund recovery penalty won't apply to any amount of trust fund taxes an employer holds back in anticipation of any credits they are entitled to. Specific Instructions Line 1. Number of Agricultural Employees Enter the number of agricultural employees on your payroll during the pay period that included March 12, 2024. Don't include: Household employees, Employees in nonpay status for the pay period, Pensioners, or Active members of the U.S. Armed Forces. Line 2. Wages Subject to Social Security Tax Enter the total cash wages, sick pay, and taxable fringe benefits subject to social security taxes you paid to your employees for farmwork during the calendar year. For this purpose, sick pay includes payments made by an insurance company to your employees for which you received timely notice from the insurance company. See section 6 of Pub. 15-A for more information about sick pay reporting. See the instructions for line 10 for an adjustment that you may need to make on Form 943 for sick pay. Enter the amount before payroll deductions. Cash wages include checks, money orders, etc. Don't include the value of noncash items, such as food or lodging, or pay for services other than farmwork. See section 5 of Pub. 15 for information on cash and noncash wages. See Purpose of Form 943 , earlier, for household employee information. For 2024, the rate of social security tax on taxable wages is 6.2% (0.062) each for the employer and employee. Stop paying social security tax on and entering an employee's wages on line 2 when the employee's taxable wages reach $168,600 for the year. However, continue to withhold income and Medicare taxes for the whole year on all wages, even when the social security wage base limit of $168,600 has been reached. If you, as a qualifying employer, receive an approved Form 4029, Application for Exemption From Social Security and Medicare Taxes and Waiver of Benefits, from one or more of your employees, enter “Form 4029” on the dotted line next to the entry space. Line 3. Social Security Tax Multiply line 2 by 12.4% (0.124) and enter the result on line 3. Line 4. Wages Subject to Medicare Tax Enter the total cash wages, sick pay, and taxable fringe benefits that are subject to Medicare tax that you paid to your employees for farmwork during the calendar year. Enter the amount before deductions. Don't include the value of noncash items, such as food or lodging, or pay for services other than farmwork. Unlike social security wages, there is no limit on the amount of wages subject to Medicare tax. If you, as a qualifying employer, receive an approved Form 4029 from one or more of your employees, enter “Form 4029” on the dotted line next to the entry space. Line 5. Medicare Tax Multiply line 4 by 2.9% (0.029) and enter the result on line 5. Line 6. Wages Subject to Additional Medicare Tax Withholding Enter all wages, sick pay, and taxable fringe benefits that are subject to Additional Medicare Tax withholding. You're required to begin withholding Additional Medicare Tax in the pay period in which you pay wages in excess of $200,000 to an employee and continue to withhold it each pay period until the end of the calendar year. Additional Medicare Tax is only imposed on the employee. There is no employer share of Additional Medicare Tax. All wages that are subject to Medicare tax are subject to Additional Medicare Tax withholding if paid in excess of the $200,000 withholding threshold. For more information on what wages are subject to Medicare tax, see the chart, Special Rules for Various Types of Services and Payments, in section 15 of Pub. 15. For more information on Additional Medicare Tax, go to IRS.gov/ADMTfaqs. Line 7. Additional Medicare Tax Withholding Multiply line 6 by 0.9% (0.009) and enter the result on line 7. Line 8. Federal Income Tax Withheld References to federal income tax withholding don't apply to employers in U.S. territories, unless you have employees who are subject to U.S. income tax withholding. Contact your local tax department for information about income tax withholding. Enter the federal income tax you withheld from your employees on this year's wages. Generally, you must withhold federal income tax from employees from whom you withhold social security and Medicare taxes. See section 9 of Pub. 15 for more information on withholding rules. Line 9. Total Taxes Before Adjustments Add the total social security tax (line 3), Medicare tax (line 5), Additional Medicare Tax withholding (line 7), and federal income tax withheld (line 8). Enter the result on line 9. Line 10. Current Year's Adjustments Use line 10 to: Adjust for rounding of fractions of cents, or Adjust for the uncollected employee share of social security and Medicare taxes on third-party sick pay or group-term life insurance premiums paid for former employees. See section 13 of Pub. 15. Use a minus sign (if possible) to show an adjustment that decreases the total taxes shown on line 9. Otherwise, use parentheses. Adjustment for fractions of cents. If there is a small difference between total taxes after adjustments and nonrefundable credits (line 13) and total deposits (line 14), it may be caused by rounding to the nearest cent each time you figured payroll. This rounding occurs when you figure the amount of social security and Medicare taxes to be withheld from each employee's wages. If the fractions-of-cents adjustment is the only entry on line 10, enter “Fractions Only” on the dotted line to the left of the entry space for line 10. This adjustment may be a positive or a negative adjustment. Adjustment for sick pay. If your third-party payer of sick pay that isn't your agent (for example, an insurance company) transfers the liability for the employer share of the social security and Medicare taxes to you, enter a negative adjustment on line 10 for the employee share of social security and Medicare taxes that were withheld and deposited by your third-party sick pay payer on the sick pay. If you’re the third-party sick pay payer and you transferred the liability for the employer share of the social security and Medicare taxes to the employer, enter a negative adjustment on line 10 for any employer share of these taxes required to be paid by the employer. The sick pay should be included on line 2, line 4, and, if the withholding threshold is met, line 6. No adjustment is reported on line 10 for sick pay that is paid through a third party as an employer’s agent. An employer’s agent bears no insurance risk and is reimbursed on a cost-plus-fee basis for payment of sick pay and similar amounts. If an employer uses an agent to pay sick pay, the employer reports the wages on line 2, line 4, and, if the withholding threshold is met, line 6, unless the employer has an agency agreement with the third-party payer that requires the third-party payer to do the collecting, reporting, and/or paying or depositing employment taxes on the sick pay. See section 6 of Pub. 15-A for more information about sick pay reporting. Line 11. Total Taxes After Adjustments Combine the amounts shown on lines 9 and 10 and enter the result on line 11. Line 12. Qualified Small Business Payroll Tax Credit for Increasing Research Activities Enter the amount of the credit from Form 8974, line 12 or, if applicable, line 17. If you enter an amount on line 12, you must attach Form 8974. Line 13. Total Taxes After Adjustments and Nonrefundable Credits Subtract line 12 from line 11 and enter the result on line 13. The amount entered on line 13 can't be less than zero. Line 14. Total Deposits Enter your deposits for this year, including any overpayment that you applied from filing Form 943-X, in the current year. Also include in the amount shown any overpayment from a previous period that you applied to this return. Line 15. Balance Due If line 13 is more than line 14, enter the difference on line 15. Otherwise, see the instructions for line 16, later. Never make an entry on both lines 15 and 16. You don't have to pay if line 15 is less than $1. Generally, you should have a balance due only if your total taxes after adjustments and nonrefundable credits (line 13) are less than $2,500, and you didn't incur a $100,000 next-day deposit obligation during the year. However, see section 11 of Pub. 15 for information about payments made under the accuracy of deposits rule. If you were required to make federal tax deposits, pay the amount shown on line 15 by EFT. If you weren't required to make federal tax deposits or you're a monthly schedule depositor making a payment under the accuracy of deposits rule (see section 11 of Pub. 15), you may pay the amount shown on line 15 by EFT, credit card, debit card, check, money order, or EFW. For more information on electronic payment options, go to IRS.gov/Payments. If you pay by EFT, credit card, or debit card, file your return using the Without a payment address under Where Should You File , earlier, and don’t file Form 943-V, Payment Voucher. If you pay by check or money order, make it payable to “United States Treasury.” Enter your EIN, “Form 943,” and “2024” on your check or money order. Complete Form 943-V and enclose it with Form 943. If you're required to make deposits and instead pay the taxes with Form 943, you may be subject to a penalty. What if you can't pay in full? If you can't pay the full amount of tax you owe, you can apply for an installment agreement online. You can apply for an installment agreement online if: You can't pay the full amount shown on line 15, The total amount you owe is $25,000 or less, and You can pay the liability in full in 24 months. To apply using the Online Payment Agreement Application, go to IRS.gov/OPA. Under an installment agreement, you can pay what you owe in monthly installments. There are certain conditions you must meet to enter into and maintain an installment agreement, such as paying the liability within 24 months, and making all required deposits and timely filing tax returns during the length of the agreement. If your installment agreement is accepted, you will be charged a fee and you will be subject to penalties and interest on the amount of tax not paid by the due date of the return. Line 16. Overpayment If line 14 is more than line 13, enter the difference on line 16. Never make an entry on both lines 15 and 16. If you deposited more than the correct amount for the year, you can choose to have the IRS either refund the overpayment or apply it to your next return. Check only one box on line 16. If you don't check either box or if you check both boxes, we will generally apply the overpayment to your next return. Regardless of any box you check or don't check on line 16, we may apply your overpayment to any past due tax account that is shown in our records under your EIN. If line 16 is less than $1, we will send you a refund or apply it to your next return only if you ask us in writing to do so. Line 17. Monthly Summary of Federal Tax Liability This is a summary of your monthly tax liability, not a summary of deposits made. If line 13 is less than $2,500, don't complete line 17 or Form 943-A. Complete line 17 only if you were a monthly schedule depositor for the entire year and line 13 is $2,500 or more. The amount entered on line 17M must equal the amount reported on line 13. If it doesn't, your tax deposits and payments may not be counted as timely. Don't change your current year tax liability reported on line 13 by adjustments reported on any Forms 943-X. See section 11 of Pub. 15 for details on the deposit rules. You're a monthly schedule depositor for the calendar year if the amount of your total taxes after adjustments and nonrefundable credits (line 13) reported for the lookback period is $50,000 or less. The lookback period is the second calendar year preceding the current calendar year. For example, the lookback period for 2025 is 2023. If you were a semiweekly schedule depositor during any part of the year, don't complete line 17. Instead, complete Form 943-A. Reporting adjustments from line 10 on line 17. If your net adjustment during a month is negative and it exceeds your total liability for the month, don't enter a negative amount for the month. Instead, enter “-0-” for the month and carry over the unused portion of the adjustment to the next month. Adjusting tax liability for the qualified small business payroll tax credit for increasing research activities (line 12). Monthly schedule depositors and semiweekly schedule depositors must account for the qualified small business payroll tax credit for increasing research activities (line 12) when reporting their tax liabilities on line 17 or Form 943-A. The total tax liability for the year must equal the amount reported on line 13. Failure to account for the qualified small business payroll tax credit for increasing research activities on line 17 or Form 943-A may cause line 17 or Form 943-A to report more than the total tax liability reported on line 13. Don't reduce your monthly tax liability reported on lines 17A through 17L or your daily tax liability reported on Form 943-A below zero. Beginning with the first quarter of 2023, the qualified small business payroll tax credit for increasing research activities is first used to reduce the employer share of social security tax (up to $250,000) for the quarter and any remaining credit is then used to reduce the employer share of Medicare tax for the quarter until it reaches zero. In completing line 17 or Form 943-A, you take into account the payroll tax credit against the liability for the employer share of social security tax starting with the first payroll payment of the quarter that includes payments of wages subject to social security tax to your employees until you use up to $250,000 of credit against the employer share of social security tax and you then take into account any remaining payroll tax credit against the liability for the employer share of Medicare tax starting with the first payroll payment of the quarter that includes payments of wages subject to Medicare tax to employees. Consistent with the entries on line 17 or Form 943-A, the payroll tax credit should be taken into account in making deposits of employment tax. If any payroll tax credit is remaining at the end of the quarter that hasn’t been used completely because it exceeds $250,000 of the employer share of social security tax and the employer share of Medicare tax for the quarter, the excess credit may be carried forward to the succeeding quarter and allowed as a payroll tax credit for the succeeding quarter. The payroll tax credit may not be taken as a credit against income tax withholding, the employee share of social security tax, or the employee share of Medicare tax. Also, the remaining payroll tax credit may not be carried back and taken as a credit against wages paid from preceding quarters that are reported on the same Form 943 or on Forms 943 for preceding years. If an amount of payroll tax credit is unused at the end of the calendar year because it is in excess of the applicable employer share of social security tax and employer share of Medicare tax on wages paid during the applicable quarters in the calendar year, the remaining payroll tax credit may be carried forward to the first quarter of the succeeding calendar year as a payroll tax credit against the applicable employer share of social security tax and employer share of Medicare tax on wages paid in that quarter. Example. Rose Co. is an employer with a calendar tax year that filed its timely 2023 income tax return on April 15, 2024. Rose Co. elected to take the qualified small business payroll tax credit for increasing research activities on Form 6765. The third quarter of 2024 is the first quarter that begins after Rose Co. filed the income tax return making the payroll tax credit election. Therefore, the payroll tax credit applies against Rose Co.’s share of social security tax (up to $250,000) and Medicare tax on wages paid to employees in the third quarter of 2024. Rose Co. is a semiweekly schedule depositor. Rose Co. completes Form 943-A by reducing the amount of liability entered for the first payroll payment in the third quarter of 2024 that includes wages subject to social security tax by the lesser of (1) its share of social security tax (up to $250,000) on the wages, or (2) the available payroll tax credit. If the payroll tax credit elected is more than Rose Co.'s share of social security tax on the first payroll payment of the quarter, the excess payroll tax credit would be carried forward to succeeding payroll payments in the third quarter until it is used against up to $250,000 of Rose Co.'s share of social security tax for the quarter. If the amount of the payroll tax credit exceeds Rose Co.'s share of social security tax (up to $250,000) on wages paid to its employees in the third quarter, any remaining credit is used against Rose Co.'s share of Medicare tax on the first payroll payment of the quarter and then the excess payroll tax credit would be carried forward to succeeding payroll payments in the third quarter until it is used against Rose Co.'s share of Medicare tax for the quarter. If Rose Co. still has credit remaining after reducing its share of social security tax (up to $250,000) and Medicare tax for the third quarter, the remainder would be treated as a payroll tax credit against its share of social security tax (up to $250,000) and Medicare tax on wages paid in the fourth quarter. If the amount of the payroll tax credit remaining exceeded Rose Co.'s share of social security tax (up to $250,000) and Medicare tax on wages paid in the fourth quarter, it could be carried forward and treated as a payroll tax credit for the first quarter of 2025. Third-Party Designee If you want to allow an employee, a paid tax preparer, or another person to discuss your Form 943 with the IRS, check the “Yes” box in the Third-Party Designee section. Enter the name, phone number, and five-digit personal identification number (PIN) of the specific person to speak with—not the name of the firm that prepared your tax return. The designee may choose any five numbers as their PIN. By checking “Yes,” you authorize the IRS to talk to the person you named (your designee) about any questions we may have while we process your return. You also authorize your designee to do all of the following. Give us any information that is missing from your return. Call us for information about processing your return. Respond to certain IRS notices that you’ve shared with your designee about math errors and return preparation. The IRS won't send notices to your designee. You’re not authorizing your designee to bind you to anything (including additional tax liability) or to otherwise represent you before the IRS. If you want to expand your designee’s authorization, see Pub. 947. The authorization will automatically expire 1 year from the due date (without regard to extensions) for filing your Form 943. If you or your designee wants to terminate the authorization, write to the IRS office for your location using the Without a payment address under Where Should You File , earlier. Who Must Sign (Approved Roles) Complete all information and sign Form 943. The following persons are authorized to sign the return for each type of business entity. Sole proprietorship—The individual who owns the business. Corporation (including a limited liability company (LLC) treated as a corporation)—The president, the vice president, or another principal officer duly authorized to sign. Partnership (including an LLC treated as a partnership) or unincorporated organization—A responsible and duly authorized partner, member, or officer having knowledge of its affairs. Single-member LLC treated as a disregarded entity for federal income tax purposes—The owner of the LLC or a principal officer duly authorized to sign. Trust or estate—The fiduciary. Form 943 may also be signed by a duly authorized agent of the taxpayer if a valid power of attorney has been filed. Alternative signature method. Corporate officers or duly authorized agents may sign Form 943 by rubber stamp, mechanical device, or computer software program. For details and required documentation, see Rev. Proc. 2005-39, 2005-28 I.R.B. 82, available at IRS.gov/irb/2005-28_IRB#RP-2005-39. Paid Preparer Use Only A paid preparer must sign Form 943 and provide the information in the Paid Preparer Use Only section if the preparer was paid to prepare Form 943 and isn't an employee of the filing entity. Paid preparers must sign paper returns with a manual signature. The preparer must give you a copy of the return in addition to the copy to be filed with the IRS. If you're a paid preparer, enter your Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN) in the space provided. Include your complete address. If you work for a firm, enter the firm's name and the EIN of the firm. You can apply for a PTIN online or by filing Form W-12. For more information about applying for a PTIN online, go to IRS.gov/PTIN. You can't use your PTIN in place of the EIN of the tax preparation firm. Generally, don't complete this section if you're filing the return as a reporting agent and have a valid Form 8655 on file with the IRS. However, a reporting agent must complete this section if the reporting agent offered legal advice, for example, advising the client on determining whether its workers are employees or independent contractors for federal tax purposes. How To Get Forms, Instructions, and Publications You can view, download, or print most of the forms, instructions, and publications you may need at IRS.gov/Forms. Otherwise, you can go to IRS.gov/OrderForms to place an order and have forms mailed to you. Instructions for Form 943 - Notices Privacy Act and Paperwork Reduction Act Notice. We ask for the information on these forms to carry out the Internal Revenue laws of the United States. You’re required to give us the information. We need it to ensure that you’re complying with these laws and to allow us to figure and collect the right amount of tax. Section 6011 requires you to provide the requested information if the tax is applicable to you. Section 6109 requires you to provide your identification number. You’re not required to provide the information requested on a form that is subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act unless the form displays a valid OMB control number. Books or records relating to a form or its instructions must be retained as long as their contents may become material in the administration of any Internal Revenue law. Generally, tax returns and return information are confidential, as required by section 6103. However, section 6103 allows or requires the IRS to disclose or give the information shown on your tax return to others as described in the Code. For example, we may disclose your tax information to the Department of Justice for civil and criminal litigation, and to cities, states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. commonwealths and territories for use in administering their tax laws. We may also disclose this information to other countries under a tax treaty, to federal and state agencies to enforce federal nontax criminal laws, or to federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies to combat terrorism. Estimates of taxpayer burden. These estimates include forms in the Form 943 series, including attachments; Forms SS-8, W-2, W-3, 940, 945, 2032, 2678, 8453-EMP, 8850, 8879-EMP, 8922, 8952, and 8974, and their schedules; and all the forms employers attach to employment-related tax returns and related wage statements to employees. The following table shows burden estimates based on current statutory requirements as of April 15, 2023, for employers filing employment tax reporting forms and wage statement forms. Time spent and out-of-pocket costs are presented separately. Time burden is the time spent to comply with employer reporting responsibilities, including recordkeeping, preparing and submitting forms, and preparing and providing wage statements to employees. Out-of-pocket costs (“money”) include any expenses incurred to comply with employer reporting responsibilities. The amount of taxes paid isn’t included in reporting burden. The time and money burdens reported below include all associated forms and schedules, across all tax return preparation methods and employer reporting. They are national averages and don’t necessarily reflect a “typical” employer’s reporting burden. Most employers experience lower than average burden, with burden varying considerably by the number of Forms W-2 that an employer files. For instance, the estimated average burden for an employer who issues four Forms W-2 is 63 hours (15.8 hours x 4) and $2,304 ($576 x 4). The estimated average burden for a large employer who issues 2,000 Forms W-2 is 800 hours (2,000 x 0.4) and $28,000 (2,000 x $14). Annual Average Burden Total Time (hours) Recordkeeping Time (hours) Time Spent on W-2 Activities (hours) All Other Time (hours) Out-of-Pocket Costs Total Monetized Burden* Filers with Form 941 65 19 4 42 $2,710 $4,799 Filers with Form 943 57 16 6 35 $935 $1,955 Filers with Form 944 24 4 3 18 $368 $619 *Total monetized burden = monetized hours + out-of-pocket costs. Annual Average Burden per Employee by Number of Employees (Form W-2 Count) Number of Employees Total Time (hours) Out-of-Pocket Costs Total Monetized Burden* All 10.7 $404 $700 1 to 5 15.8 $576 $998 6 to 10 5.9 $264 $444 11 to 25 4.4 $190 $327 26 to 50 3.5 $126 $237 51 to 100 2.7 $97 $185 101 to 250 1.8 $90 $159 251 to 500 1.3 $70 $119 501 to 1,000 0.8 $48 $79 Over 1,000 0.4 $14 $28 Filers with Form 941 10.5 $408 $705 Filers with Form 943 19.2 $269 $562 Filers with Form 944 12 $198 $334 *Total monetized burden = monetized hours + out-of-pocket costs. Comments. If you have comments concerning the accuracy of these time estimates or suggestions for making Form 943 simpler, we would be happy to hear from you. You can send us comments from IRS.gov/FormComments. Or you can send your comments to Internal Revenue Service, Tax Forms and Publications Division, 1111 Constitution Ave. NW, IR-6526, Washington, DC 20224. Don’t send Form 943 to this address. Instead, see Where Should You File , earlier.
