The Internal Revenue Service released information on how employees now have until the end of the year to repay any payroll taxes they deferred from last year.
Former President Trump issued a presidential memorandum last August allowing Social Security taxes to be deferred for the rest of 2020, but under the order they had to be repaid by April 30, 2021. The coronavirus relief package that Congress passed last month extended the repayment period until the end of this year.
Relatively few companies actually implemented the payroll deferral for their employees because there was no guarantee that the deferred payroll taxes would ultimately be forgiven by Congress. However, federal employees and military service members were still required to accept the payroll tax deferral, meaning those taxpayers will be facing smaller paychecks later this year.
Timothy Keith is the founder and CEO of Propense.ai.
N Shashidhar is an accomplished VP and Global Platform Head of AssistEdge with an illustrious tenure spanning more than 25 years in the software industry. Not only is he a founding member of EdgeVerve, but he also had the distinction of being a part of the vanguard team that conceptualized and established EdgeVerve as a dynamic product subsidiary of Infosys. Shashidhar's diverse experience in product and platform domains is unparalleled. Throughout his career at Infosys, he has donned various influential roles gracefully, showcasing his expertise across Technology, Client Engagement, and Functional Leadership sectors. Passionate about Strategy and Business Transformation, Shashidhar has left indelible footprints in the sands of business architecture. His remarkable contribution in transforming the Engineering Business and, later, during the nascent stages of Infosys's Products & Platforms business speaks volumes of his strategic acumen and leadership skills. As the Head of Strategy and Operations for the Edge Portfolio, he was at the helm of transforming EdgeVerve. His relentless pursuit of refining the EdgeVerve portfolio strategy has been pivotal in the organization's evolution. Academically brilliant, Shashidhar was bestowed with the University Gold Medal in Engineering. He also holds an MBA from the prestigious Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore. In the realm of software and business transformation, Shashidhar's journey and achievements stand as a beacon of inspiration and a testament to his prowess.
In Notice 2021-11, the IRS on Tuesday explained how employers who deferred payroll taxes on behalf of their employees can withhold and pay the deferred taxes throughout 2021 instead of just within the first four months of the year.
The deferral applied to employees who were paid less than $4,000 every two weeks, or an equivalent amount for other pay periods, with each pay period considered separately. The taxes, which are technically called Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance, or OASDI, are calculated at 6.2 percent of employees’ wages.
Notice 2021-11 makes changes to last year’s Notice 2020-65 to reflect the extended payment period. Payments made by Jan. 3, 2022, will be considered to be timely because Dec. 31, 2021, is a legal holiday. However, any penalties, interest and additions to tax will now start to apply on Jan. 1, 2022, for any unpaid balances
The IRS cautioned that employees could see their deferred taxes being collected immediately, so employees should check with their organization’s payroll point of contact on what their collection schedule will be.
