Withholding Computations for Unusual Circumstances to avoid under withheld Tax Penalties

Why Should You Attend:

The purpose of income tax withholding is to approximate the amount of the employee’s tax for the year based on wage payments made during the year. The wage bracket and percentage methods are the primary methods used to compute withholding based on the employee’s marital status and allowances claimed on Form W-4. Generally those methods work pretty well, but in some situations, they just don’t seem to get the right result. The aggregate and optional flat rate methods used to compute withholding for supplemental wages often result in far too much or too little withholding. The IRS developed several alternatives to the traditional withholding methods designed to provide a closer estimate to the correct amount of withholding required to meet the employee’s tax obligation. Employers may even design their own methods so long as the results fall within certain parameters.

This webinar will explore, in detail, these often overlooked methods and how they may be applied in situations where the regular methods just don’t seem to work the way they should.

Learning Objectives:

• Know how to compute the correct or target annual withholding to avoid underwithheld tax penalties.
• Test employer designed withholding methods for compliance with IRS requirements.
• Compute withholding using the four alternative methods provided by the IRS.
• Know how to use the alternative wage bracket and percentage method tables provided by the IRS.
• Know which alternative methods may only be used if the employee requests that the method be used.
• Identify which methods smooth out withholding when compensation varies from pay period to pay period.
• Identify which methods soften the impact of a bonus payment on withholding without making changes to the W-4.

Areas Covered in the Webinar:

• The requirement to withhold and Form W-4 claims.
• The percentage and wage bracket methods with an example of use of the daily or miscellaneous withholding tables.
• Methods used to compute withholding on supplemental pay including examples.
• Automated systems tables.
• Annualized wage method – what it does, when and how to use it.
• Average wage method – what it does, when and how to use it.
• Cumulative wage method - what it does, when and how to use it.
• Part year employment method - what it does, when and how to use it.
• Other methods and maximum permissible deviations rules.
• Non-resident alien withholding rules.

Who Will Benefit:

• Payroll Supervisors and Personnel
• Payroll Consultants
• Payroll Service Providers
• Public Accountants
• Internal Auditors
• Tax Compliance Officers
• Enrolled Agents
• Employee Benefits Administrators
• Officers and Managers with Payroll or Tax Compliance Oversight
• Company/Business Owners
• Managers/Supervisors
• Public Agency Managers
• Audit and Compliance Personnel/Risk Managers

Patrick A Haggerty
Owner, Patrick A. Haggerty, Tax and Accounting Services

Patrick A. Haggerty is a tax practitioner, author, and educator. His work experience includes non-profit organization management, banking, manufacturing accounting, and tax practice. He began teaching accounting at the college level in 1988. He is licensed as an Enrolled Agent by the U. S. Treasury to represent tax payers at all administrative levels of the IRS and is a Certified Management Accountant. He has written numerous articles and a monthly question and answer column for payroll publications. In addition, he regularly develops and presents webinars and presentations on a variety of topics including payroll tax issues, FLSA compliance, and information return reporting.

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