Formulaire 941 Instructions
Instructions pour le formulaire 941, QUARTIEREMENT Déclaration fiscale fédérale
Rév. mars 2024
Formulaires associés
- Formulaire 941 - Trimestriel de l'employeur Déclaration fiscale fédérale
Department of the Treasury
Internal Revenue Service
Instructions for Form 941
Employer's QUARTERLY Federal Tax Return
(Rev. March 2024)
Section references are to the Internal Revenue Code
unless otherwise noted.
Contents
3131, 3132, and 3133 of the Internal Revenue Code, as
enacted under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (the
ARP), for leave taken after March 31, 2021, and before
October 1, 2021, have expired. However, employers that
pay qualified sick and family leave wages in 2024 for leave
taken after March 31, 2020, and before October 1, 2021,
are eligible to claim a credit for qualified sick and family
leave wages in 2024. Effective for tax periods beginning
after December 31, 2023, the lines used to claim the
credit for qualified sick and family leave wages have been
removed from Form 941 because it would be extremely
rare for an employer to pay wages in 2024 for qualified
sick and family leave taken after March 31, 2020, and
before October 1, 2021. Instead, if you're eligible to claim
the credit for qualified sick and family leave wages
because you paid the wages in 2024 for an earlier
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applicable leave period, file Form 941-X, Adjusted
Employer's QUARTERLY Federal Tax Return or Claim for
Refund, after filing Form 941, to claim the credit for
qualified sick and family leave wages paid in 2024. Filing a
Form 941-X before filing a Form 941 for the quarter may
result in errors or delays in processing your Form 941-X.
Part 1: Answer These Questions for This
Part 2: Tell Us About Your Deposit Schedule
Part 4: May We Speak With Your Third-Party
Reminders
Use the March 2024 revision of Form 941 to report
taxes for the first quarter of 2024; don't use an
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CAUTION
earlier revision to report taxes for 2024. At this
Future Developments
For the latest information about developments related to
Form 941 and its instructions, such as legislation enacted
time, the IRS expects the March 2024 revision of Form
941 and these instructions to also be used for the second,
third, and fourth quarters of 2024. If changes in law require
additional changes to Form 941, the form and/or these
instructions may be revised. Prior revisions of Form 941
Form 941 Revisions” under “Other Items You May Find
Useful”).
What's New
Social security and Medicare taxes for 2024. The
social security tax rate is 6.2% each for the employee and
employer. The social security wage base limit is $168,600.
The Medicare tax rate is 1.45% each for the employee
and employer, unchanged from 2023. There is no wage
base limit for Medicare tax.
Social security and Medicare taxes apply to the wages
of household workers you pay $2,700 or more in cash
wages in 2024. Social security and Medicare taxes apply
to election workers who are paid $2,300 or more in cash
or an equivalent form of compensation in 2024.
Unless otherwise noted, references throughout
these instructions to Form W-2 include Forms
W-2AS, W-2CM, W-2GU, W-2VI, and 499R-2/
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W-2PR; references to Form W-2c include Form
499R-2c/W-2cPR; references to Form W-3 include Form
W-3SS and Form W-3 (PR); and references to Form W-3c
include Form W-3C (PR).
Qualified small business payroll tax credit for in-
creasing research activities. For tax years beginning
before January 1, 2023, a qualified small business may
elect to claim up to $250,000 of its credit for increasing
research activities as a payroll tax credit. The Inflation
Reduction Act of 2022 (the IRA) increases the election
amount to $500,000 for tax years beginning after
The COVID-19 related credit for qualified sick and
family leave wages is limited to leave taken after
March 31, 2020, and before October 1, 2021, and may
no longer be claimed on Form 941. Generally, the
credit for qualified sick and family leave wages, as
enacted under the Families First Coronavirus Response
Act (FFCRA) and amended and extended by the
December 31, 2022. The payroll tax credit election must
be made on or before the due date of the originally filed
income tax return (including extensions). The portion of
the credit used against payroll taxes is allowed in the first
calendar quarter beginning after the date that the qualified
COVID-related Tax Relief Act of 2020, for leave taken after
March 31, 2020, and before April 1, 2021, and the credit
for qualified sick and family leave wages under sections
Jan 11, 2024
Cat. No. 14625L
small business filed its income tax return. The election
and determination of the credit amount that will be used
against the employer’s payroll taxes are made on Form
6765, Credit for Increasing Research Activities. The
amount from Form 6765, line 44, must then be reported
on Form 8974, Qualified Small Business Payroll Tax Credit
for Increasing Research Activities.
2024 withholding tables. The federal income tax
withholding tables are included in Pub. 15-T, Federal
Income Tax Withholding Methods.
Certification program for professional employer or-
ganizations (PEOs). The Stephen Beck, Jr., ABLE Act
of 2014 required the IRS to establish a voluntary
certification program for PEOs. PEOs handle various
payroll administration and tax reporting responsibilities for
their business clients and are typically paid a fee based on
payroll costs. To become and remain certified under the
certification program, certified professional employer
organizations (CPEOs) must meet various requirements
described in sections 3511 and 7705 and related
published guidance. Certification as a CPEO may affect
the employment tax liabilities of both the CPEO and its
customers. A CPEO is generally treated for employment
tax purposes as the employer of any individual who
performs services for a customer of the CPEO and is
covered by a contract described in section 7705(e)(2)
between the CPEO and the customer (CPEO contract),
but only for wages and other compensation paid to the
individual by the CPEO. To become a CPEO, the
organization must apply through the IRS Online
Starting in the first quarter of 2023, the payroll tax credit
is first used to reduce the employer share of social
security tax up to $250,000 per quarter and any remaining
credit reduces the employer share of Medicare tax for the
quarter. Any remaining credit, after reducing the employer
share of social security tax and the employer share of
Medicare tax, is then carried forward to the next quarter.
Form 8974 is used to determine the amount of the credit
that can be used in the current quarter. The amount from
Form 8974, line 12 or, if applicable, line 17, is reported on
line 11. For more information about the payroll tax credit,
Forms 941-SS and 941-PR discontinued after 2023.
Form 941-SS, Employer’s QUARTERLY Federal Tax
Return—American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of
the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands;
and Form 941-PR, Planilla para la Declaración Federal
TRIMESTRAL del Patrono, were discontinued after the
fourth quarter of 2023. Instead, employers in the U.S.
territories file Form 941 or, if you prefer your form and
instructions in Spanish, you can file new Form 941 (sp).
Pubs. 51, 80, and 179 discontinued after 2023. Pub.
51, Agricultural Employer’s Tax Guide; Pub. 80, Federal
Tax Guide for Employers in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam,
American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern
Mariana Islands; and Pub. 179, Guía Contributiva Federal
para Patronos Puertorriqueños, were discontinued for tax
years beginning after December 31, 2023. Instead,
information specific to agricultural employers and
employers in the U.S. territories will be included in Pub.
15, Employer's Tax Guide. For tax year 2024, there is a
new Pub. 15 (sp) that is a Spanish-language version of
Pub. 15.
Forms in Spanish. Many forms and instructions
discussed in these instructions have Spanish-language
versions available for employers and employees. Some
examples include Form 941 (sp), Form 944 (sp), Form
SS-4 (sp), Form W-4 (sp), and Form W-9 (sp). Although
these instructions don't reference Spanish-language
forms and instructions in each instance that one is
available, you can see Pub. 15 (sp) and go to IRS.gov to
determine if a Spanish-language version is available.
Payroll tax credit for certain tax-exempt organiza-
tions affected by qualified disasters. Section 303(d) of
the Taxpayer Certainty and Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2020
allows for a payroll tax credit for certain tax-exempt
organizations affected by certain qualified disasters not
related to COVID-19. This credit is claimed on Form
5884-D (not on Form 941). Form 5884-D is filed after the
Form 941 for the quarter for which the credit is being
claimed has been filed. For more information about this
Registration System. For more information or to apply to
CPEOs must generally file Form 941 and Schedule R
(Form 941), Allocation Schedule for Aggregate Form 941
Filers, electronically. For more information about a CPEO’s
requirement to file electronically, see Rev. Proc. 2023-18,
2023-13 I.R.B. 605, available at IRS.gov/irb/
Outsourcing payroll duties. Generally, as an employer,
you're responsible to ensure that tax returns are filed and
deposits and payments are made, even if you contract
with a third party to perform these acts. You remain
responsible if the third party fails to perform any required
action. Before you choose to outsource any of your payroll
and related tax duties (that is, withholding, reporting, and
paying over social security, Medicare, FUTA, and income
taxes) to a third-party payer, such as a payroll service
provider or reporting agent, go to IRS.gov/
OutsourcingPayrollDuties for helpful information on this
topic. If a CPEO pays wages and other compensation to
an individual performing services for you, and the services
are covered by a CPEO contract, then the CPEO is
generally treated for employment tax purposes as the
employer, but only for wages and other compensation
paid to the individual by the CPEO. However, with respect
to certain employees covered by a CPEO contract, you
may also be treated as an employer of the employees
and, consequently, may also be liable for federal
employment taxes imposed on wages and other
compensation paid by the CPEO to such employees. For
more information on the different types of third-party payer
arrangements, see section 16 of Pub. 15.
Aggregate Form 941 filers. Approved section 3504
agents and CPEOs must complete and file Schedule R
(Form 941) when filing an aggregate Form 941. Aggregate
Forms 941 are filed by agents approved by the IRS under
section 3504. To request approval to act as an agent for
an employer, the agent files Form 2678 with the IRS
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Instructions for Form 941 (Rev. 3-2024)
unless you're a state or local government agency acting
as an agent under the special procedures provided in Rev.
Proc. 2013-39, 2013-52 I.R.B. 830, available at
To contact EFTPS using Telecommunications Relay
Services (TRS) for people who are deaf, hard of hearing,
or have a speech disability, dial 711 and then provide the
TRS assistant the 800-555-4477 number above or
800-733-4829. Additional information about EFTPS is also
available in Pub. 966.
IRS.gov/irb/2013-52_IRB#RP-2013-39. Aggregate Forms
941 are also filed by CPEOs approved by the IRS under
section 7705. To become a CPEO, the organization must
apply through the IRS Online Registration System at
IRS.gov/CPEO. CPEOs file Form 8973, Certified
For an EFTPS deposit to be on time, you must
submit the deposit by 8 p.m. Eastern time the day
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Professional Employer Organization/Customer Reporting
Agreement, to notify the IRS that they started or ended a
service contract with a customer. CPEOs must generally
file Form 941 and Schedule R (Form 941) electronically.
For more information about a CPEO’s requirement to file
Other third-party payers that file aggregate Forms 941,
such as non-certified PEOs, must complete and file
Schedule R (Form 941) if they have clients that are
claiming the qualified small business payroll tax credit for
increasing research activities.
CAUTION
before the date the deposit is due.
Same-day wire payment option. If you fail to submit a
deposit transaction on EFTPS by 8 p.m. Eastern time the
day before the date a deposit is due, you can still make
your deposit on time by using the Federal Tax Collection
Service (FTCS) to make a same-day wire payment. To use
the same-day wire payment method, you will need to
make arrangements with your financial institution ahead of
time. Please check with your financial institution regarding
availability, deadlines, and costs. Your financial institution
may charge you a fee for payments made this way. To
learn more about the information you will need to give your
financial institution to make a same-day wire payment, go
Timeliness of federal tax deposits. If a deposit is
required to be made on a day that isn't a business day, the
deposit is considered timely if it is made by the close of
the next business day. A business day is any day other
than a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday. The term “legal
holiday” for deposit purposes includes only those legal
holidays in the District of Columbia. Legal holidays in the
District of Columbia are provided in section 11 of Pub. 15.
If both an employer and a section 3504 authorized
agent (or CPEO or other third-party payer) paid
wages to an employee during a quarter, both the
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employer and the section 3504 authorized agent (or
CPEO or other third-party payer, if applicable) should file
Form 941 reporting the wages each entity paid to the
employee during the applicable quarter and issue Forms
W-2 reporting the wages each entity paid to the employee
during the year.
Work opportunity tax credit for qualified tax-exempt
organizations hiring qualified veterans. Qualified
tax-exempt organizations that hire eligible unemployed
veterans may be able to claim the work opportunity tax
credit against their payroll tax liability using Form 5884-C.
Correcting a previously filed Form 941. If you discover
an error on a previously filed Form 941, or if you otherwise
need to amend a previously filed Form 941, make the
correction using Form 941-X. Form 941-X is filed
separately from Form 941. For more information, see the
Instructions for Form 941-X, section 13 of Pub. 15, or go to
Federal tax deposits must be made by electronic
funds transfer (EFT). You must use EFT to make all
federal tax deposits. Generally, an EFT is made using the
Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS). If you
don't want to use EFTPS, you can arrange for your tax
professional, financial institution, payroll service, or other
trusted third party to make electronic deposits on your
behalf. Also, you may arrange for your financial institution
to initiate a same-day wire payment on your behalf.
EFTPS is a free service provided by the Department of the
Treasury. Services provided by your tax professional,
financial institution, payroll service, or other third party
may have a fee.
Electronic filing and payment. Businesses can enjoy
the benefits of filing tax returns and paying their federal
taxes electronically. Whether you rely on a tax
professional or handle your own taxes, the IRS offers you
convenient and secure programs to make filing and paying
easier. Spend less time worrying about taxes and more
time running your business. Use e-file and EFTPS to your
benefit.
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information. A fee may be charged to file electronically.
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provided under Federal tax deposits must be made by
electronic funds transfer (EFT), earlier.
For electronic filing of Forms W-2, Wage and Tax
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to file Forms W-2 electronically. For details, see the
General Instructions for Forms W-2 and W-3. The Social
Security Administration's Business Services Online (BSO)
is an independent program from the Government of
Puerto Rico electronic filing system. Employers in Puerto
information.
If you’re filing your tax return or paying your federal
taxes electronically, a valid employer identification
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CAUTION
number (EIN) is required at the time the return is
For more information on making federal tax deposits,
see section 11 of Pub. 15. To get more information about
of the following numbers.
filed or the payment is made. If a valid EIN isn't provided,
the return or payment won't be processed. This may result
later, for information about applying for an EIN.
800-555-4477.
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Electronic funds withdrawal (EFW). If you file Form
800-244-4829 (Spanish).
303-967-5916 (toll call).
941 electronically, you can e-file and use EFW to pay the
Instructions for Form 941 (Rev. 3-2024)
3
balance due in a single step using tax preparation
software or through a tax professional. However, don't use
EFW to make federal tax deposits. For more information
an employee in excess of $200,000 in a calendar year.
Under the withholding system, taxes withheld from your
employees are credited to your employees in payment of
their tax liabilities.
Credit or debit card payments. You can pay the
balance due shown on Form 941 by credit or debit card.
Your payment will be processed by a payment processor
who will charge a processing fee. Don't use a credit or
debit card to make federal tax deposits. For more
information on paying your taxes with a credit or debit
Online payment agreement. You may be eligible to
apply for an installment agreement online if you can't pay
the full amount of tax you owe when you file your return.
later.
Paid preparers. If you use a paid preparer to complete
Form 941, the paid preparer must complete and sign the
paid preparer's section of the form.
Where can you get telephone help? For answers to
your questions about completing Form 941 or tax deposit
rules, you can call the IRS at 800-829-4933 or
800-829-4059 (TDD/TTY for persons who are deaf, hard
of hearing, or have a speech disability), Monday–Friday
from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time (Alaska and Hawaii
follow Pacific time).
Federal law also requires you to pay any liability for the
employer share of social security and Medicare taxes.
This share of social security and Medicare taxes isn't
withheld from employees.
Who Must File Form 941?
If you pay wages subject to federal income tax withholding
or social security and Medicare taxes, you must file Form
941 quarterly to report the following amounts.
Wages you’ve paid.
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Tips your employees reported to you.
Federal income tax you withheld.
Both the employer and the employee share of social
security and Medicare taxes.
Additional Medicare Tax withheld from employees.
Current quarter's adjustments to social security and
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Medicare taxes for fractions of cents, sick pay, tips, and
group-term life insurance.
Qualified small business payroll tax credit for increasing
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research activities.
Don't use Form 941 to report backup withholding or
income tax withholding on nonpayroll payments such as
pensions, annuities, and gambling winnings. Report these
types of withholding on Form 945, Annual Return of
Withheld Federal Income Tax. Also, don't use Form 941 to
report unemployment taxes. Report unemployment taxes
on Form 940, Employer's Annual Federal Unemployment
(FUTA) Tax Return.
Photographs of missing children. The IRS is a proud
partner with the National Center for Missing & Exploited
Children® (NCMEC). Photographs of missing children
selected by the Center may appear in instructions on
pages that would otherwise be blank. You can help bring
these children home by looking at the photographs and
calling 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) if you
recognize a child.
After you file your first Form 941, you must file a return
for each quarter, even if you have no taxes to report,
unless you filed a final return or one of the exceptions
listed next applies.
General Instructions:
Purpose of Form 941
These instructions give you some background information
about Form 941. They tell you who must file Form 941,
how to complete it line by line, and when and where to file
it.
If you want more in-depth information about payroll tax
topics relating to Form 941, see Pub. 15 or go to IRS.gov/
Exceptions
Special rules apply to some employers.
If you received notification to file Form 944, Employer's
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ANNUAL Federal Tax Return, you must file Form 944
annually; don't file Form 941 quarterly.
Seasonal employers don't have to file a Form 941 for
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quarters in which they have no tax liability because they
have paid no wages. To tell the IRS that you won't file a
return for one or more quarters during the year, check the
box on line 18 every quarter you file Form 941. See
section 12 of Pub. 15 for more information.
References to federal income tax withholding
don't apply to employers in American Samoa,
Employers of household employees don't usually file
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CAUTION
Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern
Form 941. See Pub. 926 and Schedule H (Form 1040) for
more information.
Mariana Islands (CNMI), the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI),
and Puerto Rico, unless you have employees who are
subject to U.S. income tax withholding. Contact your local
tax department for information about income tax
withholding.
Employers of farm employees don't file Form 941 for
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wages paid for agricultural labor. See Form 943 and Pub.
15 for more information.
If none of these exceptions apply and you haven't
filed a final return, you must file Form 941 each
quarter even if you didn't pay wages during the
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Federal law requires you, as an employer, to withhold
certain taxes from your employees' pay. Each time you
pay wages, you must withhold—or take out of your
employees' pay—certain amounts for federal income tax,
social security tax, and Medicare tax. You must also
withhold Additional Medicare Tax from wages you pay to
quarter. Use IRS e-file, if possible.
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Instructions for Form 941 (Rev. 3-2024)
corporation—is considered a transfer. If a transfer occurs,
you may need a new EIN. See Pub. 1635 and section 1 of
Pub. 15 for more information.
Requesting To File Forms 941 Instead of Form
944, or Requesting To File Form 944 Instead of
Forms 941
Attach a statement to your return with:
Requesting to file Forms 941 instead of Form 944.
Employers that would otherwise be required to file Form
944 may contact the IRS to request to file quarterly Forms
941 instead of annual Form 944. To request to file
quarterly Forms 941 to report your social security and
Medicare taxes for the 2024 calendar year, you must
either call the IRS at 800-829-4933 between January 1,
2024, and April 1, 2024, or send a written request
postmarked between January 1, 2024, and March 15,
2024. After you contact the IRS, the IRS will send you a
written notice that your filing requirement has been
changed to Forms 941. You must receive written notice
from the IRS to file Forms 941 instead of Form 944 before
you may file these forms. If you don't receive this notice,
you must file Form 944 for calendar year 2024.
The new owner's name (or the new name of the
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business);
Whether the business is now a sole proprietorship,
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partnership, or corporation;
The kind of change that occurred (a sale or transfer);
The date of the change; and
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The name of the person keeping the payroll records and
the address where those records will be kept.
If Your Business Has Closed . . .
If you permanently go out of business or stop paying
wages to your employees, you must file a final return. To
tell the IRS that Form 941 for a particular quarter is your
final return, check the box on line 17 and enter the final
date you paid wages. Also attach a statement to your
return showing the name of the person keeping the payroll
records and the address where those records will be kept.
Requesting to file Form 944 instead of Forms 941. If
you’re required to file Forms 941 but believe your
employment taxes for calendar year 2024 will be $1,000
or less, you may request to file Form 944 instead of Forms
941 by calling the IRS at 800-829-4933 between January
1, 2024, and April 1, 2024, or sending a written request
postmarked between January 1, 2024, and March 15,
2024. After you contact the IRS, the IRS will send you a
written notice that your filing requirement has been
changed to Form 944. You must receive written notice
from the IRS to file Form 944 instead of Forms 941 before
you may file this form. If you don't receive this notice, you
must file Forms 941 for calendar year 2024.
See Terminating a business in the General Instructions
for Forms W-2 and W-3 for information about earlier dates
for the expedited furnishing and filing of Forms W-2 when
a final Form 941 is filed.
If you participated in a statutory merger or
consolidation, or qualify for predecessor-successor status
due to an acquisition, you should generally file
Schedule D (Form 941), Report of Discrepancies Caused
by Acquisitions, Statutory Mergers, or Consolidations. See
the Instructions for Schedule D (Form 941) to determine
whether you should file Schedule D (Form 941) and when
you should file it.
Where to send written requests. Written requests
should be sent to:
Department of the Treasury
Internal Revenue Service
Ogden, UT 84201-0038
Department of the Treasury
Internal Revenue Service
Cincinnati, OH 45999-0038
or
When Must You File?
File your initial Form 941 for the quarter in which you first
paid wages that are subject to social security and
Medicare taxes or subject to federal income tax
later.
If you would mail your return filed without a payment to
send your request to the Ogden address shown above. If
you would mail your return filed without a payment to
Kansas City, send your request to the address for
Then, you must file for every quarter after that—every 3
months—even if you have no taxes to report, unless you’re
a seasonal employer or are filing your final return. See
earlier.
Cincinnati shown above. For more information about these
procedures, see Rev. Proc. 2009-51, 2009-45 I.R.B. 625,
What if You Reorganize or Close Your Business?
If You Sell or Transfer Your Business . . .
File Form 941 only once for each quarter. If you filed
electronically, don't file a paper Form 941. For more
information about filing Form 941 electronically, see
Electronic filing and payment, earlier.
If you sell or transfer your business during the quarter, you
and the new owner must each file a Form 941 for the
quarter in which the transfer occurred. Report only the
wages you paid.
When two businesses merge, the continuing firm must
file a return for the quarter in which the change took place
and the other firm should file a final return.
Changing from one form of business to another—such
as from a sole proprietorship to a partnership or
Instructions for Form 941 (Rev. 3-2024)
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business was created or organized outside of the United
States or U.S. territories, you may also apply for an EIN by
calling 267-941-1099 (toll call). If you haven't received
your EIN by the due date of Form 941, file a paper return
and write “Applied For” and the date you applied in this
entry space.
When To File Form 941
Your Form 941 is due by the last day of the month that follows the end of the
quarter.
Form 941
The Quarter Includes . . .
Quarter Ends
Is Due
1. January, February, March
2. April, May, June
March 31
April 30
If you’re filing your tax return electronically, a valid
June 30
July 31
EIN is required at the time the return is filed. If a
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3. July, August, September
4. October, November, December
September 30
December 31
October 31
January 31
CAUTION
valid EIN isn't provided, the return won't be
accepted. This may result in penalties.
For example, you must generally report wages you pay
during the 1st quarter—which is January through
March—by April 30. If you made timely deposits in full
payment of your taxes for the quarter, you may file by the
10th day of the 2nd month that follows the end of the
quarter. For example, you may file Form 941 by May 10 if
you made timely deposits in full payment of your taxes for
the 1st quarter.
Always be sure the EIN on the form you file exactly
matches the EIN the IRS assigned to your
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business. Don't use your SSN or ITIN on forms
that ask for an EIN. If you used an EIN (including a prior
owner's EIN) on Form 941 that is different from the EIN
reported on Form W-3, see Box h—Other EIN used this
year in the General Instructions for Forms W-2 and W-3.
On Form W-3 (PR), “Other EIN used this year” is reported
in box f. Filing a Form 941 with an incorrect EIN or using
another business's EIN may result in penalties and delays
in processing your return.
If we receive Form 941 after the due date, we will treat
Form 941 as filed on time if the envelope containing Form
941 is properly addressed, contains sufficient postage,
and is postmarked by the U.S. Postal Service on or before
the due date, or sent by an IRS-designated private
delivery service (PDS) on or before the due date. If you
don't follow these guidelines, we will generally consider
Form 941 filed when it is actually received. For more
If you change your business name, business ad-
dress, or responsible party... Notify the IRS
immediately if you change your business name, business
address, or responsible party.
Write to the IRS office where you file your returns (using
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File, later) to notify the IRS of any business name change.
See Pub.1635 to see if you need to apply for a new EIN.
If any due date for filing falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or
legal holiday, you may file your return on the next business
day.
Complete and mail Form 8822-B to notify the IRS of a
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business address or responsible party change. Don't mail
Form 8822-B with your Form 941. For a definition of
“responsible party,” see the Instructions for Form SS-4.
How Should You Complete Form 941?
Type or print your EIN, name, and address in the spaces
provided. Also enter your name and EIN on the top of
page 2. Don't use your social security number (SSN) or
individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN). Generally,
enter the business (legal) name you used when you
applied for your EIN. For example, if you’re a sole
Check the Box for the Quarter
Under “Report for this Quarter of 2024” at the top of Form
941, check the appropriate box of the quarter for which
you’re filing. Make sure the quarter checked is the same
as shown on any attached Schedule B (Form 941), Report
of Tax Liability for Semiweekly Schedule Depositors, and,
if applicable, Schedule R (Form 941).
proprietor, enter “Haleigh Smith” on the “Name” line and
“Haleigh's Cycles” on the “Trade name” line. Leave the
“Trade name” line blank if it is the same as your “Name.”
If you use a tax preparer to fill out Form 941, make sure
the preparer shows your business name exactly as it
appeared when you applied for your EIN.
Completing and Filing Form 941
Make entries on Form 941 as follows to enable accurate
scanning and processing.
Employer identification number (EIN). To make sure
businesses comply with federal tax laws, the IRS monitors
tax filings and payments by using a numerical system to
identify taxpayers. A unique nine-digit EIN is assigned to
all corporations, partnerships, and some sole proprietors.
Businesses needing an EIN must apply for a number and
use it throughout the life of the business on all tax returns,
payments, and reports.
Your business should have only one EIN. If you have
more than one and aren't sure which one to use, write to
the IRS office where you file your returns (using the
later) or call the IRS at 800-829-4933.
Use 10-point Courier font (if possible) for all entries if
•
you’re typing or using a computer to complete your form.
Portable Document Format (PDF) forms on IRS.gov have
fillable fields with acceptable font specifications.
Don't enter dollar signs and decimal points. Commas
•
are optional. Enter dollars to the left of the preprinted
decimal point and cents to the right of it. Don’t round
entries to whole dollars. Always show an amount for cents,
even if it is zero.
Leave blank any data field (except lines 1, 2, and 12)
•
with a value of zero.
Enter negative amounts using a minus sign (if possible).
•
Otherwise, use parentheses.
Enter your name and EIN on all pages.
•
•
If you don't have an EIN, you may apply for one online
faxing or mailing Form SS-4 to the IRS. If the principal
Enter your name, EIN, “Form 941,” and the tax year and
quarter on all attachments.
6
Instructions for Form 941 (Rev. 3-2024)
Staple multiple sheets in the upper left corner when
•
Connecticut, Delaware, District of Department of Internal
filing.
Columbia, Georgia, Illinois,
Indiana, Kentucky, Maine,
Maryland, Massachusetts,
Michigan, New Hampshire, New
the Treasury
Internal
Revenue
Complete both pages. You must complete both pages
of Form 941 and sign on page 2. Failure to do so may
delay processing of your return.
Service
Revenue
Service
P.O. Box 806532
Cincinnati, OH
45280-6532
Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Kansas City,
Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode
Island, South Carolina,
Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia,
West Virginia, Wisconsin
MO 64999-0005
Required Notice to Employees About the Earned
Income Credit (EIC)
To notify employees about the EIC, you must give the
employees, except for employees in American Samoa,
Guam, Puerto Rico, the CNMI, and the USVI, one of the
following items.
Alabama, Alaska, Arizona,
Department of Internal
Arkansas, California, Colorado,
Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa,
Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota,
Mississippi, Missouri, Montana,
the Treasury
Internal
Revenue
Service
Form W-2 which has the required information about the
•
Revenue
Service
P.O. Box 932100
Louisville, KY
40293-2100
EIC on the back of Copy B.
A substitute Form W-2 with the same EIC information
•
Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Ogden, UT
on the back of the employee's copy that is on Copy B of
the IRS Form W-2.
North Dakota, Oklahoma,
Oregon, South Dakota, Texas,
Utah, Washington, Wyoming
84201-0005
Notice 797, Possible Federal Tax Refund Due to the
•
Earned Income Credit (EIC).
No legal residence or principal
place of business in any state,
Internal
Internal
Your written statement with the same wording as
•
Revenue
Revenue
Notice 797.
including employers in American Service
Service
Samoa, Guam, the CNMI, the
USVI, and Puerto Rico
P.O. Box
409101
Ogden, UT
84409
P.O. Box 932100
Louisville, KY
40293-2100
For more information, see section 10 of Pub. 15, Pub.
Reconciling Forms 941 With Form W-3
The IRS matches amounts reported on your four quarterly
Forms 941 with Form W-2 amounts totaled on your yearly
Form W-3, Transmittal of Wage and Tax Statements. If the
amounts don't agree, you may be contacted by the IRS or
the Social Security Administration (SSA). The following
amounts are reconciled.
Special filing address for
exempt organizations; federal,
state, and local governmental
entities; and Indian tribal
Department of Internal
the Treasury
Internal
Revenue
Service
Revenue
P.O. Box 932100
Louisville, KY
40293-2100
governmental entities, regardless Service
of location
Ogden, UT
84201-0005
Federal income tax withholding.
Social security wages.
•
•
•
•
Your filing address may have changed from that
used to file your employment tax return in prior
years. Don't send Form 941 or any payments to
Social security tips.
!
Medicare wages and tips.
CAUTION
the SSA.
For more information, see section 12 of Pub. 15 and the
Instructions for Schedule D (Form 941).
Depositing Your Taxes
Where Should You File?
You must deposit all depository taxes
You’re encouraged to file Form 941 electronically. Go to
IRS.gov/EmploymentEfile for more information on
electronic filing. If you file a paper return, where you file
depends on whether you include a payment with Form
941. Mail your return to the address listed for your location
in the table that follows.
electronically by EFT. For more information, see
!
CAUTION
Must You Deposit Your Taxes?
You may have to deposit the federal income taxes you
withheld and both the employer and employee social
security taxes and Medicare taxes.
PDSs can't deliver to P.O. boxes. You must use the U.S.
Postal Service to mail an item to a P.O. box address. Go to
IRS.gov/PDS for the current list of PDSs. For the IRS
mailing address to use if you’re using a PDS, go to
IRS.gov/PDSstreetAddresses. Select the mailing address
listed on the webpage that is in the same state as the
address to which you would mail returns filed without a
payment, as shown next.
If your total taxes after adjustments and
•
nonrefundable credits (line 12) are less than $2,500
for the current quarter or the prior quarter, and you
didn't incur a $100,000 next-day deposit obligation
during the current quarter. You don't have to make a
deposit. To avoid a penalty, you must pay any amount due
in full with a timely filed return or you must deposit any
amount you owe by the due date of the return. For more
information on paying with a timely filed return, see the
tax liability for the current quarter will be less than $2,500
(and your liability for the prior quarter wasn't less than
$2,500), make deposits using the semiweekly or monthly
Mailing Addresses for Form 941
If you’re in . . .
Without a
payment . . .
With a
payment . . .
Instructions for Form 941 (Rev. 3-2024)
7
rules so you won't be subject to failure-to-deposit (FTD)
penalties.
Use Form 843 to request abatement of assessed
penalties or interest. Don't request abatement of assessed
penalties or interest on Form 941 or Form 941-X.
If your total taxes after adjustments and
•
nonrefundable credits (line 12) are $2,500 or more
for the current quarter and the prior quarter. You must
make deposits according to your deposit schedule. See
section 11 of Pub. 15 for information about payments
made under the accuracy of deposits rule and for rules
about federal tax deposits.
If you receive a notice about a penalty after you file this
return, reply to the notice with an explanation and we will
determine if you meet reasonable-cause criteria. Don't
attach an explanation when you file your return.
If federal income, social security, and Medicare
taxes that must be withheld (that is, trust fund
!
When Must You Deposit Your Taxes?
CAUTION
taxes) aren't withheld or aren't deposited or paid
to the United States Treasury, the trust fund recovery
penalty may apply. The penalty is 100% of the unpaid trust
fund tax. If these unpaid taxes can't be immediately
collected from the employer or business, the trust fund
recovery penalty may be imposed on all persons who are
determined by the IRS to be responsible for collecting,
accounting for, or paying over these taxes, and who acted
willfully in not doing so. For more information, see section
11 of Pub. 15. The trust fund recovery penalty won't apply
to any amount of trust fund taxes an employer holds back
in anticipation of any credits they are entitled to.
Determine if You’re a Monthly or Semiweekly
Schedule Depositor for the Quarter
The IRS uses two different sets of deposit rules to
determine when businesses must deposit their social
security, Medicare, and withheld federal income taxes.
These schedules tell you when a deposit is due after you
have a payday.
Your deposit schedule isn't determined by how often
you pay your employees. Your deposit schedule depends
on the total tax liability you reported on Form 941 during
the previous 4-quarter lookback period (July 1 of the
second preceding calendar year through June 30 of the
preceding calendar year). See section 11 of Pub. 15 for
details. If you filed Form 944 in either 2022 or 2023, your
lookback period is the 2022 calendar year.
Adjustment of Tax on Tips
If, by the 10th of the month after the month you received
an employee's report on tips, you don't have enough
employee funds available to withhold the employee share
of social security and Medicare taxes, you no longer have
to collect it. Report the entire amount of these tips on
line 5b (Taxable social security tips), line 5c (Taxable
Medicare wages and tips), and, if the withholding
Before the beginning of each calendar year, determine
which type of deposit schedule you must use.
If you reported $50,000 or less in taxes during the
•
threshold is met, line 5d (Taxable wages and tips subject
to Additional Medicare Tax withholding). Include as a
employee share of the social security and Medicare taxes.
lookback period, you’re a monthly schedule depositor.
If you reported more than $50,000 of taxes during the
•
lookback period, you’re a semiweekly schedule
depositor.
If you’re a monthly schedule depositor and
Specific Instructions:
accumulate a $100,000 tax liability on any day
!
CAUTION
during the deposit period, you become a
Part 1: Answer These Questions for
This Quarter
semiweekly schedule depositor on the next day and
remain so for at least the rest of the calendar year and for
the following calendar year. See $100,000 Next-Day
Deposit Rule in section 11 of Pub. 15 for more information.
The $100,000 tax liability threshold requiring a next-day
deposit is determined before you consider any reduction
of your liability for nonrefundable credits.
1. Number of Employees Who Received Wages,
Tips, or Other Compensation
Enter the number of employees on your payroll for the pay
period including March 12, June 12, September 12, or
December 12, for the quarter indicated at the top of Form
941. Don't include:
What About Penalties and Interest?
Household employees,
•
•
•
•
•
Avoiding Penalties and Interest
Employees in nonpay status for the pay period,
Farm employees,
You can avoid paying penalties and interest if you do all of
the following.
Pensioners, or
Deposit or pay your taxes when they are due.
File your fully completed Form 941 on time.
Report your tax liability accurately.
•
•
•
•
•
•
Active members of the U.S. Armed Forces.
Employers in American Samoa, Guam, the CNMI,
the USVI, and Puerto Rico can skip lines 2 and 3,
unless you have employees who are subject to
TIP
Submit valid checks for tax payments.
Furnish accurate Forms W-2 to employees.
File Form W-3 and Copy A of Forms W-2 with the SSA
U.S. income tax withholding.
on time and accurately.
2. Wages, Tips, and Other Compensation
Penalties and interest are charged on taxes paid late
and returns filed late at a rate set by law. See sections 11
and 12 of Pub. 15 for details.
Enter amounts on line 2 that would also be included in
box 1 of your employees' Forms W-2. See Box 1—Wages,
8
Instructions for Form 941 (Rev. 3-2024)
tips, other compensation in the General Instructions for
Forms W-2 and W-3 for details. Include sick pay paid by
your agent. Also include sick pay paid by a third party that
isn't your agent (for example, an insurance company) if
you were given timely notice of the payments and the third
party transferred liability for the employer's taxes to you.
an adjustment that you may need to make on Form 941 for
sick pay.
Enter the amount before payroll deductions. Don't
include tips on this line. For information on types of wages
subject to social security taxes, see section 5 of Pub. 15.
For 2024, the rate of social security tax on taxable
wages is 6.2% (0.062) each for the employer and
If you’re a third-party payer of sick pay and not an agent
of the employer, don't include sick pay that you paid to
policyholders' employees here if you gave the
policyholders timely notice of the payments. See section 6
of Pub. 15-A for more information about sick pay reporting
and the procedures for transferring the liability to the
employer.
employee. Stop paying social security tax on and entering
an employee's wages on line 5a when the employee's
taxable wages and tips reach $168,600 for the year.
However, continue to withhold income and Medicare taxes
for the whole year on all wages and tips, even when the
social security wage base of $168,600 has been reached.
line 5a (column 1)
xꢀꢀꢀꢀ0.124
3. Federal Income Tax Withheld From Wages,
Tips, and Other Compensation
line 5a (column 2)
Enter the federal income tax you withheld (or were
required to withhold) from your employees on this
quarter's wages, tips, taxable fringe benefits, and
supplemental unemployment compensation benefits.
Don't include any income tax withheld by a third-party
payer of sick pay even if you reported it on Forms W-2.
You will reconcile this difference on Form W-3. Also
include here any excise taxes you were required to
withhold on golden parachute payments (section 4999).
For information on the employment tax treatment of fringe
benefits, see Pub. 15-B, Employer's Tax Guide to Fringe
Benefits. For information about supplemental
5b. Taxable social security tips. Enter all tips your
employees reported to you during the quarter until the
total of the tips and taxable wages, including wages
reported on line 5a, for an employee reaches $168,600 for
the year. Include all tips your employee reported to you
even if you were unable to withhold the employee tax of
6.2%. You will reduce your total taxes by the amount of
any uncollected employee share of social security and
Medicare taxes on tips later on line 9; see Current
unemployment compensation benefits and golden
parachute payments, see section 5 of Pub. 15-A.
insurance, later. Don’t include service charges on line 5b.
For details about the difference between tips and service
charges, see Rev. Rul. 2012-18, 2012-26 I.R.B. 1032,
If you’re a third-party payer of sick pay, enter the federal
income tax you withheld (or were required to withhold) on
third-party sick pay here.
Your employee must report cash tips to you by the 10th
day of the month after the month the tips are received.
Cash tips include tips paid by cash, check, debit card, and
credit card. The report should include charged tips (for
example, credit and debit card charges) you paid over to
the employee for charge customers, tips the employee
received directly from customers, and tips received from
other employees under any tip-sharing arrangement. Both
directly and indirectly tipped employees must report tips to
you. No report is required for months when tips are less
than $20. Employees may submit a written statement or
electronic tip record.
Don't include allocated tips (described in section 6 of
Pub. 15) on this line. Instead, report them on Form 8027.
Allocated tips aren't reportable on Form 941 and aren't
subject to withholding of federal income, social security, or
Medicare tax.
4. If No Wages, Tips, and Other Compensation
Are Subject to Social Security or Medicare
Tax . . .
If no wages, tips, and other compensation on line 2 are
subject to social security or Medicare tax, check the box
on line 4. If this question doesn't apply to you, leave the
box blank. For more information about exempt wages, see
section 15 of Pub. 15. For religious exemptions, see
section 4 of Pub. 15-A.
If you’re a governmental employer, wages you pay
aren't automatically exempt from social security
!
CAUTION
and Medicare taxes. Your employees may be
covered by law or by a voluntary Section 218 Agreement
with the SSA. For more information, see Pub. 963,
Federal-State Reference Guide.
line 5b (column 1)
xꢀꢀꢀꢀ 0.124
5a–5e. Taxable Social Security and Medicare
Wages and Tips
line 5b (column 2)
5a. Taxable social security wages. Enter the total
wages, sick pay, and taxable fringe benefits subject to
social security taxes you paid to your employees during
the quarter. For this purpose, sick pay includes payments
made by an insurance company to your employees for
which you received timely notice from the insurance
company. See section 6 of Pub. 15-A for more information
5c. Taxable Medicare wages & tips. Enter all wages,
tips, sick pay, and taxable fringe benefits that are subject
to Medicare tax. Unlike social security wages, there is no
limit on the amount of wages subject to Medicare tax.
The rate of Medicare tax is 1.45% (0.0145) each for the
employer and employee. Include all tips your employees
Instructions for Form 941 (Rev. 3-2024)
9
reported during the quarter, even if you were unable to
withhold the employee tax of 1.45%.
Deposit the tax within the time period required under
your deposit schedule to avoid any possible deposit
penalty. The tax is treated as accumulated by the
employer on the “Date of Notice and Demand” as printed
on the Section 3121(q) Notice and Demand. The
employer must include this amount on the appropriate line
of the record of federal tax liability (Part 2 of Form 941 for
a monthly schedule depositor or Schedule B (Form 941)
for a semiweekly schedule depositor).
line 5c (column 1)
x ꢀꢀꢀꢀ0.029
line 5c (column 2)
For more information on tips, see section 6 of Pub. 15.
may need to make on Form 941 for sick pay.
6. Total Taxes Before Adjustments
Add the total federal income tax withheld from wages, tips,
and other compensation (line 3); the total social security
and Medicare taxes before adjustments (line 5e); and any
tax due under a Section 3121(q) Notice and Demand
(line 5f). Enter the result on line 6.
5d. Taxable wages & tips subject to Additional Medi-
care Tax withholding. Enter all wages, tips, sick pay,
and taxable fringe benefits that are subject to Additional
Medicare Tax withholding. You’re required to begin
withholding Additional Medicare Tax in the pay period in
which you pay wages in excess of $200,000 to an
employee and continue to withhold it each pay period until
the end of the calendar year. Additional Medicare Tax is
only imposed on the employee. There is no employer
share of Additional Medicare Tax. All wages that are
subject to Medicare tax are subject to Additional Medicare
Tax withholding if paid in excess of the $200,000
withholding threshold.
For more information on what wages are subject to
Medicare tax, see section 15 of Pub. 15. For more
adjustment that you may need to make on Form 941 for
sick pay.
7–9. Tax Adjustments
Enter tax amounts on lines 7–9 that result from current
quarter adjustments. Use a minus sign (if possible) to
show an adjustment that decreases the total taxes shown
on line 6 instead of parentheses. Doing so enhances the
accuracy of our scanning software. For example, enter
“-10.59” instead of “(10.59).” However, if your software
only allows for parentheses in entering negative amounts,
you may use them.
Current quarter's adjustments. In certain cases, you
must adjust the amounts you entered as social security
and Medicare taxes in column 2 of lines 5a–5d to figure
your correct tax liability for this quarter's Form 941. See
section 13 of Pub. 15.
7. Current quarter's adjustment for fractions of
cents. Enter adjustments for fractions of cents (due to
rounding) relating to the employee share of social security
and Medicare taxes withheld. The employee share of
amounts shown in column 2 of lines 5a–5d may differ
slightly from amounts actually withheld from employees'
pay due to the rounding of social security and Medicare
taxes based on statutory rates. This adjustment may be a
positive or a negative adjustment.
8. Current quarter's adjustment for sick pay. If your
third-party payer of sick pay that isn't your agent (for
example, an insurance company) transfers the liability for
the employer share of the social security and Medicare
taxes to you, enter a negative adjustment on line 8 for the
employee share of social security and Medicare taxes that
were withheld and deposited by your third-party sick pay
payer on the sick pay. If you’re the third-party sick pay
payer and you transferred the liability for the employer
share of the social security and Medicare taxes to the
employer, enter a negative adjustment on line 8 for any
employer share of these taxes required to be paid by the
employer. The sick pay should be included on line 5a,
line 5c, and, if the withholding threshold is met, line 5d.
Once wages and tips exceed the $200,000 withholding
threshold, include all tips your employees reported during
the quarter, even if you were unable to withhold the
employee tax of 0.9%.
line 5d (column 1)
x ꢀꢀꢀꢀ0.009
line 5d (column 2)
5e. Total social security and Medicare taxes. Add the
column 2 amounts on lines 5a–5d. Enter the result on
line 5e.
5f. Section 3121(q) Notice and Demand—Tax
Due on Unreported Tips
Enter the tax due from your Section 3121(q) Notice and
Demand on line 5f. The IRS issues a Section 3121(q)
Notice and Demand to advise an employer of the amount
of tips received by employees who failed to report or
underreported tips to the employer. An employer isn't
liable for the employer share of the social security and
Medicare taxes on unreported tips until notice and
demand for the taxes is made to the employer by the IRS
in a Section 3121(q) Notice and Demand. The tax due
may have been determined from tips reported to the IRS
on employees' Forms 4137, Social Security and Medicare
Tax on Unreported Tip Income, or other tips that weren't
reported to their employer as determined by the IRS
during an examination. For additional information, see
No adjustment is reported on line 8 for sick pay that is
paid through a third party as an employer’s agent. An
employer’s agent bears no insurance risk and is
reimbursed on a cost-plus-fee basis for payment of sick
pay and similar amounts. If an employer uses an agent to
pay sick pay, the employer reports the wages on line 5a,
line 5c, and, if the withholding threshold is met, line 5d,
unless the employer has an agency agreement with the
10
Instructions for Form 941 (Rev. 3-2024)
third-party payer that requires the third-party payer to do
the collecting, reporting, and/or paying or depositing
employment taxes on the sick pay. See section 6 of Pub.
15-A for more information about sick pay reporting.
9. Current quarter's adjustments for tips and
group-term life insurance. Enter a negative adjustment
for:
shown on Schedule B (Form 941). For more information,
For more information and rules about federal tax
11 of Pub. 15.
If you’re a semiweekly schedule depositor, you
must complete Schedule B (Form 941). If you fail
Any uncollected employee share of social security and
•
!
CAUTION
to complete and submit Schedule B (Form 941),
Medicare taxes on tips, and
the IRS may assess deposit penalties based on available
information.
The uncollected employee share of social security and
•
Medicare taxes on group-term life insurance premiums
paid for former employees.
13. Total Deposits for This Quarter
See the General Instructions for Forms W-2 and W-3
for information on how to report the uncollected employee
share of social security and Medicare taxes on tips and
group-term life insurance on Form W-2.
Prior quarter's adjustments. If you need to correct any
adjustment reported on a previously filed Form 941,
complete and file Form 941-X. Form 941-X is an adjusted
return or claim for refund and is filed separately from Form
941. See section 13 of Pub. 15.
Enter your deposits for this quarter, including any
overpayment from a prior quarter that you applied to this
return. Also include in the amount shown any
overpayment that you applied from filing Form 941-X,
941-X (PR), or 944-X in the current quarter.
14. Balance Due
If line 12 is more than line 13, enter the difference on
10. Total Taxes After Adjustments
Combine the amounts shown on lines 6–9 and enter the
result on line 10.
Never make an entry on both lines 14 and 15.
You don't have to pay if line 14 is under $1. Generally,
you should have a balance due only if your total taxes after
adjustments and nonrefundable credits (line 12) for the
current quarter or prior quarter are less than $2,500, and
you didn't incur a $100,000 next-day deposit obligation
during the current quarter. However, see section 11 of
Pub. 15 for information about payments made under the
accuracy of deposits rule.
11. Qualified Small Business Payroll Tax Credit
for Increasing Research Activities
Enter the amount of the credit from Form 8974, line 12 or,
if applicable, line 17.
If you enter an amount on line 11, you must attach
Form 8974. The December 2023 revision of Form
!
If you were required to make federal tax deposits, pay
the amount shown on line 14 by EFT. If you weren't
depositor making a payment under the accuracy of
deposits rule, you may pay the amount shown on line 14
by EFT, credit card, debit card, check, money order, or
EFW. For more information on electronic payment options,
CAUTION
8974 instructs you to enter the amount from Form
8974, line 12 or, if applicable, line 17, on Form 941,
line 11a. Instead, the amount from Form 8974, line 12 or, if
applicable, line 17, should be entered on Form 941,
line 11.
12. Total Taxes After Adjustments and
Nonrefundable Credits
Subtract line 11 from line 10 and enter the result on
line 12. The amount entered on line 12 can’t be less than
zero.
If you pay by EFT, credit card, or debit card, file your
Payment Voucher.
If line 12 is less than $2,500 or line 12 on the prior
•
quarterly return was less than $2,500, and you didn't
incur a $100,000 next-day deposit obligation during
the current quarter. You may pay the amount with Form
941 or you may deposit the amount. To avoid a penalty,
you must pay any amount you owe in full with a timely filed
return or you must deposit any amount you owe before the
due date of the return. For more information on paying
later.
If you pay by check or money order, make it payable to
“United States Treasury.” Enter your EIN, “Form 941,” and
the tax period (“1st Quarter 2024,” “2nd Quarter 2024,”
“3rd Quarter 2024,” or “4th Quarter 2024”) on your check
or money order. Complete Form 941-V and enclose it with
Form 941.
If line 12 is $2,500 or more on both your prior and
current quarter Forms 941, and you’ve deposited all taxes
when due, the balance due on line 14 should be zero.
If line 12 is $2,500 or more and line 12 on the prior
•
quarterly return was $2,500 or more, or if you
incurred a $100,000 next-day deposit obligation
during the current quarter. You must make required
deposits according to your deposit schedule. The amount
shown on line 12 must equal the “Total liability for quarter”
shown on line 16 or the “Total liability for the quarter”
If you’re required to make deposits and instead
pay the taxes with Form 941, you may be subject
!
CAUTION
earlier.
What if you can't pay in full? If you can't pay the full
amount of tax you owe, you can apply for an installment
Instructions for Form 941 (Rev. 3-2024)
11
agreement online. You can apply for an installment
agreement online if:
Check the second box on line 16 and enter your tax
liability for each month in the quarter. Enter your tax
liabilities in the month that corresponds to the dates you
paid wages to your employees, not the date payroll
liabilities were accrued or deposits were made. Add the
amounts for each month. Enter the result in the “Total
liability for quarter” box.
Note that your total tax liability for the quarter must
equal your total taxes shown on line 12. If it doesn't, your
tax deposits and payments may not be counted as timely.
Don't change your tax liability on line 16 by adjustments
reported on any Forms 941-X.
You’re a monthly schedule depositor for the calendar
year if the amount of your Form 941 taxes reported for the
lookback period is $50,000 or less. The lookback period is
the 4 consecutive quarters ending on June 30 of the prior
year. For 2024, the lookback period begins July 1, 2022,
and ends June 30, 2023. For details on the deposit rules,
see section 11 of Pub. 15. If you filed Form 944 in either
2022 or 2023, your lookback period is the 2022 calendar
year.
You can't pay the full amount shown on line 14,
The total amount you owe is $25,000 or less, and
You can pay the liability in full in 24 months.
•
•
•
To apply using the Online Payment Agreement
Under an installment agreement, you can pay what you
owe in monthly installments. There are certain conditions
you must meet to enter into and maintain an installment
agreement, such as paying the liability within 24 months,
and making all required deposits and timely filing tax
returns during the length of the agreement.
If your installment agreement is accepted, you will be
charged a fee and you will be subject to penalties and
interest on the amount of tax not paid by the due date of
the return.
15. Overpayment
If line 13 is more than line 12, enter the difference on
line 15.
The amounts entered on line 16 are a summary of
Never make an entry on both lines 14 and 15.
your monthly tax liability, not a summary of
!
If you deposited more than the correct amount for the
quarter, you can choose to have the IRS either refund the
overpayment or apply it to your next return. Check only
one box on line 15. If you don't check either box or if you
check both boxes, we will generally apply the
CAUTION
deposits you made. If you don't properly report
your liabilities when required or if you’re a semiweekly
schedule depositor and enter your liabilities on line 16
instead of on Schedule B (Form 941), you may be
assessed an “averaged” FTD penalty. See Deposit
Penalties in section 11 of Pub. 15 for more information.
overpayment to your next return. Regardless of any boxes
you check or don't check on line 15, we may apply your
overpayment to any past due tax account that is shown in
our records under your EIN.
Reporting adjustments from lines 7–9 on line 16. If
your net adjustment during a month is negative and it
exceeds your total tax liability for the month, don't enter a
negative amount for the month. Instead, enter "-0-" for the
month and carry over the unused portion of the
adjustment to the next month.
Semiweekly schedule depositor. If you reported more
than $50,000 of taxes for the lookback period, you’re a
semiweekly schedule depositor. Check the third box on
line 16.
If line 15 is under $1, we will send a refund or apply it to
your next return only if you ask us in writing to do so.
Part 2: Tell Us About Your Deposit
Schedule and Tax Liability for This
Quarter
16. Tax Liability for the Quarter
You must complete Schedule B (Form 941) and submit
it with your Form 941. Don't file Schedule B (Form 941)
with your Form 941 if you’re a monthly schedule depositor.
Check one of the boxes on line 16. Follow the instructions
for each box to determine if you need to enter your
monthly tax liability on Form 941 or your daily tax liability
on Schedule B (Form 941).
Don't change your tax liability on Schedule B (Form
941) by adjustments reported on any Forms 941-X.
De minimis exception. If line 12 is less than $2,500 or
line 12 on the prior quarterly return was less than $2,500,
and you didn't incur a $100,000 next-day deposit
obligation during the current quarter, check the first box on
line 16 and go to Part 3.
Adjusting tax liability for the qualified small business
payroll tax credit for increasing research activities
(line 11). Monthly schedule depositors and semiweekly
schedule depositors must account for the qualified small
business payroll tax credit for increasing research
activities (line 11) when reporting their tax liabilities on
line 16 or Schedule B (Form 941). The total tax liability for
the quarter must equal the amount reported on line 12.
Failure to account for the qualified small business payroll
tax credit for increasing research activities on line 16 or
Schedule B (Form 941) may cause line 16 or Schedule B
(Form 941) to report more than the total tax liability
reported on line 12. Don't reduce your monthly tax liability
reported on line 16 or your daily tax liability reported on
Schedule B (Form 941) below zero.
If you meet the de minimis exception based on the
prior quarter and line 12 for the current quarter is
!
CAUTION
$100,000 or more, you must provide a record of
your federal tax liability. If you’re a monthly schedule
depositor, complete the deposit schedule on line 16. If
you’re a semiweekly schedule depositor, attach
Schedule B (Form 941).
Monthly schedule depositor. If you reported $50,000 or
less in taxes during the lookback period, you’re a monthly
schedule depositor unless the $100,000 Next-Day
Deposit Rule discussed in section 11 of Pub. 15 applies.
12
Instructions for Form 941 (Rev. 3-2024)
Beginning with the first quarter of 2023, the qualified
small business payroll tax credit for increasing research
activities is first used to reduce the employer share of
social security tax (up to $250,000) for the quarter and any
remaining credit is then used to reduce the employer
share of Medicare tax for the quarter until it reaches zero.
In completing line 16 or Schedule B (Form 941), you take
into account the payroll tax credit against the liability for
the employer share of social security tax starting with the
first payroll payment of the quarter that includes payments
of wages subject to social security tax to your employees
until you use up to $250,000 of credit against the
remaining after reducing its share of social security tax (up
to $250,000) and Medicare tax for the third quarter, the
remainder would be treated as a payroll tax credit against
its share of social security tax (up to $250,000) and
Medicare tax on wages paid in the fourth quarter. If the
amount of the payroll tax credit remaining exceeded Rose
Co.'s share of social security tax (up to $250,000) and
Medicare tax on wages paid in the fourth quarter, it could
be carried forward and treated as a payroll tax credit for
the first quarter of 2025.
Part 3: Tell Us About Your Business
employer share of social security tax and you then take
into account any remaining payroll tax credit against the
liability for the employer share of Medicare tax starting
with the first payroll payment of the quarter that includes
payments of wages subject to Medicare tax to employees.
Consistent with the entries on line 16 or Schedule B (Form
941), the payroll tax credit should be taken into account in
making deposits of employment tax. If any payroll tax
credit is remaining at the end of the quarter that hasn’t
been used completely because it exceeds $250,000 of
the employer share of social security tax and the employer
share of Medicare tax for the quarter, the excess credit
may be carried forward to the succeeding quarter and
allowed as a payroll tax credit for the succeeding quarter.
The payroll tax credit may not be taken as a credit against
income tax withholding, the employee share of social
security tax, or the employee share of Medicare tax. Also,
the remaining payroll tax credit may not be carried back
and taken as a credit against wages paid from preceding
quarters.
In Part 3, answer only those questions that apply to your
business. If the questions don't apply, leave them blank
and go to Part 4.
17. If Your Business Has Closed . . .
If you go out of business or stop paying wages, you must
file a final return. To tell the IRS that a particular Form 941
is your final return, check the box on line 17 and enter the
final date you paid wages in the space provided. For
additional filing requirements, including information about
Business Has Closed, earlier.
18. If You’re a Seasonal Employer . . .
If you hire employees seasonally—such as for summer or
winter only—check the box on line 18. Checking the box
tells the IRS not to expect four Forms 941 from you
throughout the year because you haven't paid wages
regularly.
Generally, we won't ask about unfiled returns if at least
one taxable return is filed each year. However, you must
check the box on line 18 on every Form 941 you file.
Otherwise, the IRS will expect a return to be filed for each
quarter.
Example. Rose Co. is an employer with a calendar tax
year that filed its timely 2023 income tax return on April
15, 2024. Rose Co. elected to take the qualified small
business payroll tax credit for increasing research
activities on Form 6765. The third quarter of 2024 is the
first quarter that begins after Rose Co. filed the income tax
return making the payroll tax credit election. Therefore, the
payroll tax credit applies against Rose Co.'s share of
social security tax (up to $250,000) and Medicare tax on
wages paid to employees in the third quarter of 2024.
Rose Co. is a semiweekly schedule depositor. Rose Co.
completes Schedule B (Form 941) by reducing the
amount of liability entered for the first payroll payment in
the third quarter of 2024 that includes wages subject to
social security tax by the lesser of (1) its share of social
security tax (up to $250,000) on the wages, or (2) the
available payroll tax credit. If the payroll tax credit elected
is more than Rose Co.'s share of social security tax on the
first payroll payment of the quarter, the excess payroll tax
credit would be carried forward to succeeding payroll
payments in the third quarter until it is used against up to
$250,000 of Rose Co.'s share of social security tax for the
quarter. If the amount of the payroll tax credit exceeds
Rose Co.'s share of social security tax (up to $250,000) on
wages paid to its employees in the third quarter, any
remaining credit is used against Rose Co.'s share of
Medicare tax on the first payroll payment of the quarter
and then the excess payroll tax credit would be carried
forward to succeeding payroll payments in the third
quarter until it is used against Rose Co.'s share of
Also, when you complete Form 941, be sure to check
the box on the top of the form that corresponds to the
quarter reported.
Part 4: May We Speak With Your
Third-Party Designee?
If you want to allow an employee, a paid tax preparer, or
another person to discuss your Form 941 with the IRS,
check the “Yes” box in Part 4. Enter the name, phone
number, and five-digit personal identification number
(PIN) of the specific person to speak with—not the name
of the firm that prepared your tax return. The designee
may choose any five numbers as their PIN.
By checking “Yes,” you authorize the IRS to talk to the
person you named (your designee) about any questions
we may have while we process your return. You also
authorize your designee to do all of the following.
Give us any information that is missing from your return.
Call us for information about processing your return.
Respond to certain IRS notices that you’ve shared with
•
•
•
your designee about math errors and return preparation.
The IRS won't send notices to your designee.
You’re not authorizing your designee to bind you to
Medicare tax for the quarter. If Rose Co. still has credit
anything (including additional tax liability) or to otherwise
Instructions for Form 941 (Rev. 3-2024)
13
represent you before the IRS. If you want to expand your
designee's authorization, see Pub. 947.
if the preparer was paid to prepare Form 941 and isn't an
employee of the filing entity. Paid preparers must sign
paper returns with a manual signature. The preparer must
give you a copy of the return in addition to the copy to be
filed with the IRS.
The authorization will automatically expire 1 year from
the due date (without regard to extensions) for filing your
Form 941. If you or your designee wants to terminate the
authorization, write to the IRS office for your location using
File, earlier.
If you’re a paid preparer, enter your Preparer Tax
Identification Number (PTIN) in the space provided.
Include your complete address. If you work for a firm,
enter the firm's name and the EIN of the firm. You can
apply for a PTIN online or by filing Form W-12. For more
information about applying for a PTIN online, go to
of the tax preparation firm.
Part 5: Sign Here (Approved Roles)
Complete all information and sign Form 941. The following
persons are authorized to sign the return for each type of
business entity.
Sole proprietorship—The individual who owns the
•
Generally, don't complete this section if you’re filing the
return as a reporting agent and have a valid Form 8655 on
file with the IRS. However, a reporting agent must
complete this section if the reporting agent offered legal
advice, for example, advising the client on determining
whether its workers are employees or independent
contractors for federal tax purposes.
business.
Corporation (including a limited liability company
•
(LLC) treated as a corporation)—The president, vice
president, or other principal officer duly authorized to sign.
Partnership (including an LLC treated as a
•
partnership) or unincorporated organization—A
responsible and duly authorized partner, member, or
officer having knowledge of its affairs.
How To Get Forms, Instructions, and
Publications
Single-member LLC treated as a disregarded entity
•
for federal income tax purposes—The owner of the
LLC or a principal officer duly authorized to sign.
You can view, download, or print most of the
forms, instructions, and publications you may
IRS.gov/OrderForms to place an order and have them
mailed to you. The IRS will process your order for forms
and publications as soon as possible. Don't resubmit
requests you've already sent us. You can get forms and
publications faster online.
Trust or estate—The fiduciary.
•
Form 941 may be signed by a duly authorized agent of
the taxpayer if a valid power of attorney has been filed.
Alternative signature method. Corporate officers or
duly authorized agents may sign Form 941 by rubber
stamp, mechanical device, or computer software program.
For details and required documentation, see Rev. Proc.
2005-39, 2005-28 I.R.B. 82, available at IRS.gov/irb/
Paid Preparer Use Only
A paid preparer must sign Form 941 and provide the
information in the Paid Preparer Use Only section of Part 5
14
Instructions for Form 941 (Rev. 3-2024)
Privacy Act and Paperwork Reduction Act Notice. We ask for the information on these forms to carry out the
Internal Revenue laws of the United States. You’re required to give us the information. We need it to ensure that you’re
complying with these laws and to allow us to figure and collect the right amount of tax. Section 6011 requires you to
provide the requested information if the tax is applicable to you. Section 6109 requires you to provide your identification
number. You’re not required to provide the information requested on a form that is subject to the Paperwork Reduction
Act unless the form displays a valid OMB control number. Books or records relating to a form or its instructions must be
retained as long as their contents may become material in the administration of any Internal Revenue law. Generally, tax
returns and return information are confidential, as required by section 6103. However, section 6103 allows or requires the
IRS to disclose or give the information shown on your tax return to others as described in the Code. For example, we may
disclose your tax information to the Department of Justice for civil and criminal litigation, and to cities, states, the District
of Columbia, and U.S. commonwealths and territories for use in administering their tax laws. We may also disclose this
information to other countries under a tax treaty, to federal and state agencies to enforce federal nontax criminal laws, or
to federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies to combat terrorism.
Estimates of taxpayer burden. These estimates include forms in the Form 941 series, including attachments; Forms
CT-1, CT-2, SS-8, W-2, W-3, 940, 945, 2032, 2678, 8027, 8027-T, 8453-EMP, 8850, 8879-EMP, 8922, 8952, and 8974,
and their schedules; and all the forms employers attach to employment-related tax returns and related wage statements
to employees.
The following table shows burden estimates based on current statutory requirements as of April 15, 2023, for
employers filing employment tax reporting forms and wage statement forms. Time spent and out-of-pocket costs are
presented separately. Time burden is the time spent to comply with employer reporting responsibilities, including
recordkeeping, preparing and submitting forms, and preparing and providing wage statements to employees.
Out-of-pocket costs (“money”) include any expenses incurred to comply with employer reporting responsibilities. The
amount of taxes paid isn’t included in reporting burden.
The time and money burden reported below includes all associated forms and schedules, across all tax return
preparation methods and employer reporting. They are national averages and don’t necessarily reflect a ““typical”
employer’s reporting burden. Most employers experience lower than average burden, with burden varying considerably
by the number of Forms W-2 that an employer files. For instance, the estimated average burden for an employer who
issues four Forms W-2 is 63 hours (15.8 hours x 4) and $2,304 ($576 x 4). The estimated average burden for a large
employer who issues 2,000 Forms W-2 is 800 hours (2,000 x 0.4) and $28,000 (2,000 x $14).
Annual Average Burden
Total Time (hours)
Recordkeeping Time
(hours)
Time Spent on W-2
Activities (hours)
All Other Time
(hours)
Out-of-Pocket
Costs
Total Monetized
Burden*
Filers with Form 941
Filers with Form 943
Filers with Form 944
65
57
24
19
16
4
4
6
3
42
35
18
$2,710
$935
$368
$4,799
$1,955
$619
*Total monetized burden = Monetized hours + Out-of-pocket costs.
Annual Average Burden per Employee by Number of Employees (Form W-2 Count)
Number of Employees
Total Time (hours)
Out-of-Pocket Costs
Total Monetized Burden*
All
1 to 5
6 to 10
11 to 25
26 to 50
51 to 100
101 to 250
251 to 500
501 to 1,000
10.7
15.8
5.9
4.4
3.5
2.7
1.8
1.3
0.8
$404
$576
$264
$190
$126
$97
$90
$70
$48
$700
$998
$444
$327
$237
$185
$159
$119
$79
Over 1,000
0.4
$14
$28
Filers with Form 941
Filers with Form 943
Filers with Form 944
10.5
19.2
12
$408
$269
$198
$705
$562
$334
*Total monetized burden = Monetized hours + Out-of-pocket costs.
Comments. If you have comments concerning the accuracy of these time estimates or suggestions for making Form
941 simpler, we would be happy to hear from you. You can send us comments from IRS.gov/FormComments. Or you can
send your comments to Internal Revenue Service, Tax Forms and Publications Division, 1111 Constitution Ave. NW,
IR-6526, Washington, DC 20224. Don’t send Form 941 to this address. Instead, see Where Should You File, earlier.
Instructions for Form 941 (Rev. 3-2024)
15