When filing your taxes, the IRS has specific guidelines for you to follow. As an individual, you have a different set of forms to fill out, but if you’re a business owner, you need to fill out Form 941. This is a special form requiring you to submit the form every quarter instead of following the regular annual timeline. The purpose of Form 941 is to report income and payroll taxes that you withheld from your employee’s wages. Furthermore, along with details of your employees, you are also expected to submit information on your social security and Medicare taxes.
If you fail to submit these taxes every quarter, the IRS will penalize you. This is bad news for any business because no one likes getting charged additional fees. So what is Form 941, and how should you, as a business, gear up for it? Here’s what you need to know:
1: What is Form 941?
If you operate a business and have employees who work for you, you must fill the Form 941. This is also known as the Employer’s Quarterly Federal Tax Return, and according to the prescribed timeline, you must fill it out at least four times a year. The purpose of this form is to inform the IRS of the federal income and payroll taxes you withheld from each employee’s paycheck. Additionally, this also allows you to claim tax exemptions.
As a business, you’re entitled to the Employee Retention Credit (ERC), a refundable tax credit. Once you report the wages, the IRS will ensure that any leftovers after you’ve paid the liabilities go back to you. To ensure you get a chance to reclaim your credit, use services that allow you to explore and fill out Form 941 online. You can also hire professional services such as ERC Today to take care of your entire filing process. They can assist you with the ERTC IRS Form 941 and ensure you get the maximum refund possible. And all this without having to handle the paperwork yourself.
2: Who Has To File Form 941?
Anyone who owns or runs a business that involves paying wages must file Form 941. You will need to do this each quarter, and even if you had no employees in certain quarters, you could not forgo this submission. You’re only exempted from Form 941 if you have seasonal employees and don’t pay wages for one or more quarters; this rule extends to household and agricultural employees. So unless your employees come under these categories, filing is mandatory for you.
3: What Goes into Form 941?
Form 941 wants a comprehensive outlook into your business, so you need to fill out details on the number of employees you have, the total wages you paid, amount of taxes you withheld. The information you provide must be accurate, precise, and recent. You can’t fabricate details or try to scam the IRS into giving you more.
4: How to Send Form 941?
When you’re done filling out form 941, you can submit this form in two ways. Either you can mail your form to the IRS, or you can use the federal e-file system. E-filing is exceptionally convenient and saves you the hassle of physically submitting your claim. You can also lean on accountants to do the filing for you or consult a CPA to help you. These experts have access to most e-file tools and can make the payment on your behalf.
5: What are the Due Dates of Form 941?
Form 941 must be submitted one month after the last day of reporting to avoid penalties. For example, if the reporting period is the first quarter from January 1st to March 31st, the form is due by April 30th. Similarly, for the second quarter spanning April 1st to June 30th, the deadline is July 31st. The third quarter, covering July 1st to September 30th requires submission by October 31st. Finally, the fourth quarter from October 1st to December 31st necessitates filing by January 31st.
What Steps Go Into Filling Form 941?
The IRS is particular about details. You can easily get penalized if you enter incorrect details or aren’t careful about the information you provide. To prevent that from happening, here are some steps you need to follow:
- Collect the Necessary Information
Details like your business’s employer identification number (EIN), employee wage, tax information, total number of employees, and details of adjustments are all required before you start filling out the form. So ensure you have all of these details in front of you to avoid making a mistake.
- Know Your Filing Period
You must file four times a year according to a strictly defined timeline. You need to know what quarter you’re filing for since the session runs from January to March, April to June, July to September, and October to December. Dates matter, so pay attention to the filing period.
- Retrieve the Right Form
You can get Form 941 online by heading over to the official website of the IRS, or you can facilitate your search by contacting the IRS directly. If you don’t want to handle the filing, you can ask an accountant to do it for you. These professionals have access to authorized tax software, which enables them to retrieve and fill out the form.
- Start Filling Each Section
As you attempt to complete the form, ensure you’re careful about each section. To the top, your legal name, address, the quarter you’re filing for, and your EIN must be entered. Additional details include employee information along with the wages; you also need to mention the total number of employees, who got their wages this quarter, and what portion of these wages were subject to social security and Medicare taxes.
- Calculate Tax Liability
You must calculate the federal income tax, social security tax, and Medicare tax withheld from the employee’s wages. Make sure you’re following the current rates and deducting according to the tax rules laid out for you. Once you calculate the tax liability, you must report the estimated amounts to the appropriate sections. You must also include any adjustments you made to your calculation, credits, and deposits made during this quarter.
- File the Form
After you have filled out the correct details, you must file your form. You can mail it to the IRS or use the e-file system. Ensure you retain a copy of the completed form before handing it to the IRS. If any leftover amount is due after you submit Form 942, pay it along with the form. The IRS will provide you with multiple options to make your payments, including funds transfer, debit or credit card payments, or using a money order.
Final Thoughts
Part of running a business includes filing and submitting your taxes on time. The IRS expects all companies to follow specific guidelines and regulations when submitting their taxes. This is where Form 941 comes into the picture. Form 941 allows the IRS to get an insight into how your business is operating in terms of finances, particularly how you’re paying your taxes and ensuring your employees are getting their fair due after the necessary deductions. Since this is a structured form, you need to be careful about the details you provide and ensure you have all the information on you before you enter them.