Schutte & Hilgendorf – Prescott CPAs

The Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA) rate was reduced from 6.2% to 6.0% effective July 1, 2011. This makes all employers who are subject to Arizona unemployment insurance tax also subject to the .10% Arizona Job Training Tax (JTT) on taxable wages paid after June 30, 2011.

Consequently, the above-mentioned JTT exemptions for certain tax-rated employers expired on July 1, 2011, so those exemptions are no longer in effect with respect to taxable wages that are paid after June 30, 2011. Therefore, ALL tax-rated employers, regardless of their UI Tax rate and whether they are “new employers” or experience-rated, are subject to JTT on taxable wages they pay after June 30, 2011.

Employers who were exempt from JTT in the first and second quarters of 2011 continue to be exempt from JTT on taxable wages they paid in those quarters. In other words, for 2011: (1) if such an employer did not meet the $7,000 taxable wage base of an employee in the first or second quarter, the employer is subject to JTT only on taxable wages paid to that employee in the third and fourth quarter; (2) if the employer did meet the taxable wage base of an employee in the first or second quarter, the employer is not subject to JTT on wages paid to that employee in the third or fourth quarter. Reimbursement employers continue to be exempt from JTT after June 30, 2011.

From Arizona Department of Economic Security Change in FUTA Rate and Job Training Tax Exemptions

If you need more information about the article above, contact Schutte & Hilgendorf, CPAs serving all of Yavapai County with accounting, tax preparation and planning, auditing, bookkeeping, payroll, and QuickBooks  consulting.