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Employers: IRS Changes Payroll Tax Form 941 For Q1 of 2022

Dont Miss These 5 Key Tax Tips

The IRS changed Form 941 for the first quarter of 2022 and warns taxpayers not to use an earlier version of the form. The IRS also indicated there is going to be a different Form 941 every quarter of 2022.

Recall, Form 941, Employer’s Quarterly Federal Tax Return, is the federal form employers use to report income taxes, social security tax, or Medicare tax withheld from employee’s paychecks. The form also is used to report the employer’s portion of social security or Medicare tax employee wages, payroll taxes and information the IRS deems important.  In general, if you pay employees (even yourself as an employee) then you will be required to use this form to report information to the IRS.

The key 2022 Q1 changes are:

  • The social security wage base limit for 2022 is increased to $147,000 (up from $142,800).
  • The Employee Retention Credit has expired.
  • The Advance Payment of COVID-19 Credits on Form 7200, Advance Payment of Employer Credits Due to COVID-19, has expired.
  • The credit for qualified sick and family leave credits is limited to employers that pay qualified sick and family leave wages in 2022 for leave taken after March 31, 2020 and before Oct. 1, 2021.

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Mechanical Changes to Form 941

Form 941 Line No. 2022 Q1 2021 Q4
Report for this Quarter of 2022 Checkbox Q2-Q4 grayed out

(Highlights more changes are coming)

Q1 grayed out
Line 11c Reserved for future use Nonrefundable portion of employee retention credit
Line 13d Reserved for future use Reserved for future use

(Refundable portion of employee retention credit before being reserved)

Line 13h Reserved for future use Total advances received from filing Form(s) 7200 for the quarter
Line 13i Reserved for future use Total deposits and refundable credits less advances
Line 18 Indicate if you are a seasonal employer and don’t have to file a return for every quarter of the year Previously, two lines existed:

18a: Indicate if you are a seasonal employer and don’t have to file a return for every quarter of the year

18b: Indicate it you are eligible for the employee retention credit solely because your business is a recovery startup business

Line 21 Reserved for future use Qualified wages for the employee retention credit
Line 22 Reserved for future use Qualified health plan expenses for the employee retention credit
Worksheet 1 Credit for qualified sick and family leave wages paid in 2022 for leave taken after March 31, 2020, and before April 1, 2021 Credit for qualified sick and family leave wages for leave taken before April 1, 2021
Worksheet 2 Credit for qualified sick and family leave wages paid in 2022 for leave taken after March 31, 2021, and before October 1, 2021. Employee Retention Credit for the Second Quarter of 2021 Only (Wages Paid After March 31, 2021, and Before July 1, 2021)
Worksheet 3 COBRA Premium Assistance Credit Credit for Qualified Sick and Family Leave Wages for Leave Taken After March 31, 2021, and Before October 1, 2021
Worksheet 4 Deleted. Employee Retention Credit for Third and Fourth Quarters of 2021 Only (Qualified Wages Paid After June 30, 2021)
Worksheet 5 Deleted. COBRA Premium Assistance Credit

Employer Compliance & Form 941

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Published: April 4, 2022
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damian karjane

Damian Karjane

Damian Karjane is a Virginia-based tax attorney and co-founder of PayME, Payroll-filing Made Easy, which was founded in 2018 to help small businesses digitally file (or “e-file”) their payroll tax returns, with special emphasis on Form 941, Employer’s Quarterly Federal Tax Return, and Form 940: Employer’s Annual Federal Unemployment (FUTA) Tax Return. To learn more about PayME’s services or to contact an employment tax expert, please visit the company website. You can email Damian at info@paymellc.com. Damian is also licensed in New York and Massachusetts, and has earned degrees and diplomas from Lafayette College, Rutgers - Camden Law School, Boston University School of Law, and the University of Limerick in Ireland.

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