Becoming a Parent

If you have a household employee, you may need to pay state and federal employment taxes. Which forms do you need to file for your household employees? Is your maid, housekeeper, or babysitter covered by the rules? This Financial Guide provides the answers to these and other questions.

This Financial Guide will help you decide whether you have a "household employee," as defined by the IRS, and, if you do, whether you need to pay federal employment taxes. It explains the rules for determining, paying, and reporting Social Security tax, Medicare tax, federal unemployment tax, federal income tax withholding, and state unemployment tax for your household employee. It also explains what records you need to keep. In addition, it provides you with the information you need to find out whether you need to pay state unemployment tax for your household employee.

While many people disregard the need to pay taxes on household employees, they do so at the risk of stiff tax penalties. As you will see below, these rules are quite complex and professional tax guidance is highly recommended.

A basic familiarity with these rules will make it easier to work with your tax advisor, saving you time, reducing tax costs, and avoiding tax penalties and interest charges.

Who is a Household Employee?

The "nanny tax" rules apply to you only if (1) you pay someone for household work and (2) that worker is your employee.

1. A household employee is someone who does work in or around your home. Examples of household employees include baby sitters, nannies, health aides, private nurses, maids, caretakers, yard workers, and similar domestic workers.


2. A household worker is your employee if you can control not only what work is done, but how it is done. If the worker is your employee, it does not matter whether the work is full time or part time, or that you hired the worker through an agency or from a list provided by an agency or association. It also does not matter whether you pay the worker on an hourly, daily, or weekly basis, or by the job.
   
   On the other hand, if only the worker can control how the work is done, the worker is not your employee, but is self-employed. A self-employed worker usually provides his or her own tools and offers services to the general public in an independent business. If an agency provides the worker and controls what work is done and how it is done, the worker is not your employee.

Example: You pay Betty to babysit your child and do light housework four days a week in your home. Betty follows your specific instructions about household and child care duties. You provide the household equipment and supplies that Betty needs to do her work. Betty is your household employee.

Example: You pay John to care for your lawn. John also offers lawn care services to other homeowners in your neighborhood. He provides his own tools and supplies, and he hires and pays any helpers he needs. Neither John nor his helpers are your household employees.

How Do You Verify That an Employee Can Legally Work in the United States?

It is unlawful for you to knowingly hire or continue to employ a person who cannot legally work in the United States.

When you hire a household employee to work for you on a regular basis, he or she must complete USCIS Form I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification. It is your responsibility to verify that the employee is either a U.S. citizen or an alien who can legally work and then complete the employer part of the form. Keep the completed form for your records. Do not return the form to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

Two copies of Form I-9 are contained in the UCIS Employer Handbook. Visit the USCIS website or call 800-767-1833 to order the handbook, additional copies of the form, or to get more information.

Do You Need to Pay Employment Taxes?

If you have a household employee, you may need to withhold and pay Social Security and Medicare taxes, or you may need to pay federal unemployment tax, or you may need to do both. To find out, read the table below.

Note: If neither of these two columns applies, then you do not need to pay any federal unemployment taxes. However, you may still need to pay state unemployment taxes.

You do not need to withhold federal income tax from your household employee's wages. But if your employee asks you to withhold it, you can choose to do so.

Tip: If your household employee cares for your dependent under the age of 13 or your spouse or dependent who is not capable of self-care, so that you can work, you may be able to take an income tax credit of up to 35% (or $1,050) of your expenses for each qualifying dependent. For two or more qualifying dependents, you can claim up to 35% (or $2,100). For higher income earners the credit percentage is reduced, but not below 20%, regardless of the amount of AGI. If you can take the credit, then you can include your share of the federal and state employment taxes you pay, as well as the employee's wages, in your qualifying expenses.

State Unemployment Taxes

To find out whether you need to pay state unemployment tax for your household employee contact your state unemployment tax agency. You'll also need to determine whether you need to pay or collect other state employment taxes or carry workers' compensation insurance.

Note: If you do not need to pay Social Security, Medicare, or federal unemployment tax and do not choose to withhold federal income tax, the rest of this publication does not apply to you.

Social Security and Medicare Taxes

Note: As of January 1, 2013, the employee social security tax rate is 6.2%. The Medicare rate remains unchanged at 1.45%; however, beginning January 1, 2013, Additional Medicare Tax applies to an individual's Medicare wages that exceed a threshold amount based on the taxpayer's filing status. Employers are responsible for withholding the 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax on an individual's wages paid in excess of $200,000 in a calendar year. An employer is required to begin withholding Additional Medicare Tax in the pay period in which it pays wages in excess of $200,000 to an employee. There is no employer match for Additional Medicare Tax.

Both you and your household employee may owe social security and Medicare taxes. Your share is 7.65% (6.2% for social security tax and 1.45% for Medicare tax) of the employee's social security and Medicare wages. Your employee's share is 6.2% for social security tax and 1.45% for Medicare tax for wages below the Additional Medicare Tax threshold (see above).

You are responsible for payment of your employee's share of the taxes as well as your own. You can either withhold your employee's share from the employee's wages or pay it from your own funds.

Social Security and Medicare Wages

You figure Social Security and Medicare taxes on the Social Security and Medicare wages you pay your employee. If you pay your household employee cash wages of $1,900 or more in 2014, all cash wages you pay to that employee in 2014 (regardless of when the wages were earned) up to $117,000 are social security wages and all cash wages are Medicare wages. However, any non-cash wages (food, lodging, clothing, and other non-cash items) you pay do not count as social security and Medicare wages. If you pay the employee less than $1,900 in cash wages in 2014, none of the wages you pay the employee are Social Security and Medicare wages, and neither you nor your employee will owe Social Security or Medicare tax.

Wages Not Counted

Do not count wages you pay to any of the following individuals as Social Security and Medicare wages:

1. Your spouse.
2. Your child who is under age 21.
3. Your parent.

Note: However, you should count wages to your parent if both of the following apply: (a) your child lives with you and is either under age 18 or has a physical or mental condition that requires the personal care of an adult for at least 4 continuous weeks in a calendar quarter, and (b) you are divorced and have not remarried, or you are a widow or widower, or you are married to and living with a person whose physical or mental condition prevents him or her from caring for your child for at least 4 continuous weeks in a calendar quarter.

4. An employee who is under age 18 at any time during the year.

Note: However, you should count these wages to an employee under 18 if providing household services is the employee's principal occupation. If the employee is a student, providing household services is not considered to be his or her principal occupation.

Also, if your employee's Social Security and Medicare wages reach $117,000 in 2014, do not count any wages you pay that employee during the rest of the year as Social Security wages to figure Social Security tax. (But continue to count the employee's cash wages as Medicare wages to figure Medicare tax.)

You figure federal income tax withholding on both cash and non-cash wages (based on their value). However, do not count as wages any of the following items:

• Meals provided at your home for your convenience.
• Lodging provided at your home for your convenience and as a condition of employment.
• $130 a month in 2014 for transit passes that you give your employee or, in some cases, for cash reimbursement you make for the amount your employee pays to commute to your home by public transit. A transit pass includes any pass, token, fare card, voucher, or similar item entitling a person to ride on mass transit, such as a bus or train.
• Up to $250 a month in 2014 to reimburse your employee for the cost of parking at or near your home or at or near a location from which your employee commutes to your home.

Withholding the Employee's Share

You should withhold the employee's share of Social Security and Medicare taxes if you expect to pay your household employee Social Security and Medicare wages of $1,900 or more in 2014. However, if you prefer to pay the employee's share yourself; see "Not Withholding the Employee's Share" in the next section.

You may withhold the employee's share of the taxes even if you are not sure your employee's Social Security and Medicare wages will be $1,900 or more in 2014. If you withhold the taxes but then actually pay the employee less than $1,900 in Social Security and Medicare wages for the year, you should repay the employee.

You pay withheld taxes as part of your regular income tax obligation. You don't deposit them periodically-subject to an exception for business owners. See "Payment Options for Business Employers" below.

Withhold 7.65% (6.2% for Social Security tax and 1.45% for Medicare tax) from each payment of Social Security and Medicare wages. Wages exceeding the $200,000 (single filer) threshold amount are subject to the additional Medicare tax or 0.9%. Instead of paying this amount to your employee, you will pay it to the IRS 7.65% for your share of the taxes. Do not withhold any social security tax after your employee's social security wages for the year reach $117,000 (2014).

If you make an error by withholding too little, you should withhold additional taxes from a later payment. If you withhold too much, you should repay the employee.

Example: You hire a household employee (who is an unrelated individual over age 18) to care for your child and agree to pay cash wages of $100 every Friday. You expect to pay your employee $1,900 or more for the year. You should withhold $7.65 from each $100 wage payment and pay your employee the remaining $92.35. The $7.65 is the sum of $6.20 ($100 x 6.2%) for your employee's share of Social Security tax and $1.45 ($100 x 1.45%) for your employee's share of Medicare tax (for wages under $200,000 for single filers). You will pay $7.65 you withhold with $7.65 from your own funds when you pay the taxes.

Not Withholding the Employee's Share

If you prefer to pay your employee's Social Security and Medicare taxes from your own funds, you do not have to withhold them from your employee's wages. The Social Security and Medicare taxes you pay to cover your employee's share must be included in the employee's wages for income tax purposes. However, they are not counted as Social Security and Medicare wages or as federal unemployment (FUTA) wages.

Example: You hire a household employee (who is an unrelated individual over age 18) to care for your child and agree to pay cash wages of $100 every Friday. You expect to pay your employee $1,900 or more for the year. You decide to pay your employee's share of Social Security and Medicare taxes from your own funds. You pay your employee $100 every Friday without withholding any Social Security or Medicare taxes. For each wage payment you will pay $15.30 when you pay the taxes. This is $7.65 ($6.20 for Social Security tax plus $1.45 for Medicare tax) to cover your employee's share plus the $7.65 for your share. For income tax purposes, your employee's wages each payday are $107.65 ($100 plus the $7.65 that you will pay to cover your employee's share of Social Security and Medicare taxes).

Federal Unemployment (FUTA) Tax

The federal unemployment tax is part of the federal and state program under the Federal Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA) that pays unemployment compensation to workers who lose their jobs. Like most employers, you may owe both the federal unemployment tax (the FUTA tax) and a state unemployment tax. Or, you may owe only the FUTA tax or only the state unemployment tax. To find out whether you will owe state unemployment tax, contact your state's unemployment tax agency. See the list of state unemployment agencies at the end of this Guide for the address.

The FUTA tax is 6.0% of your employee's FUTA wages. However, you may be able to take a credit of up to 5.4% against the FUTA tax, resulting in a net tax rate of 0.6%. Your credit for 2014 is limited unless you pay all the required contributions for 2014 to your state unemployment fund by April 15, 2015. The credit you can take for any contributions for 2014 that you pay after April 15, 2015, is limited to 90% of the credit that would have been allowable if the contributions were paid by April 15, 2015.

WARNING: Do not withhold the FUTA tax from your employee's wages. You must pay it from your own funds.

You figure the FUTA tax on the FUTA wages you pay. If you pay cash wages to all of your household employees totaling $1,000 or more in any calendar quarter of 2013 or 2014, the first $7,000 of cash wages you pay to each household employee in 2014 is FUTA wages. (A calendar quarter is January through March, April through June, July through September, or October through December.) If your employee's cash wages reach $7,000 during the year, do not figure the FUTA tax on any wages you pay that employee during the rest of the year. For a discussion of "cash wages," see the section on Social Security Wages, above.

If you pay less than $1,000 cash wages in each calendar quarter of 2014, but you had a household employee in 2013, the cash wages you pay in 2013 may still be FUTA wages. They are FUTA wages if the cash wages you paid to household employees in any calendar quarter of 2013 totaled $1,000 or more.

Do not count wages you pay to any of the following individuals as FUTA wages:

1. Your spouse.
2. Your child who is under age 21.
3. Your parent.

Example: You hire a household employee (not related to you) on January 1, 2014, and agree to pay cash wages of $200 every Friday. During January, February, and March, you pay the employee cash wages of $2,600. Because you pay cash wages of $1,000 or more in a calendar quarter of 2014, the first $7,000 of cash wages you pay the employee (or any other employee) in 2013 or 2014 is FUTA wages. The FUTA wages you pay may also be subject to your state's unemployment tax.

During 2014, you pay your household employee cash wages of $10,400. You pay all the required contributions for 2014 to your state unemployment fund by April 15, 2015. Your FUTA tax for 2014 is $42 ($7,000 x 0.6%).

Do You Need to Withhold Federal Income Tax?

You are not required to withhold federal income tax from wages you pay a household employee. You should withhold federal income tax only if your household employee asks you to withhold it and you agree. The employee must give you a completed Form W-4, Employee's Withholding Allowance Certificate.

If you agree to withhold federal income tax, you are responsible for paying it to the IRS.

Wages

You figure federal income tax withholding on both cash and non-cash wages you pay. Measure wages you pay in any form other than cash by the value of the non-cash item.

Do not count as wages any of the following items:

• Meals provided at your home for your convenience.
• Lodging provided at your home for your convenience and as a condition of employment.

• Up to $130 a month in 2014 for bus or train tokens (passes) you give your employee, or for any cash reimbursement you make for the amount your employee pays to commute to your home by public transit.
• Up to $250 a month in 2014 for the value of parking you provide your employee at or near your home or at or near a location from which your employee commutes to your home.

Paying Tax without Withholding

Any income tax you pay for your employee without withholding it from the employee's wages must be included in the employee's wages for federal income tax purposes. It is also counted as Social Security and Medicare wages and as federal unemployment (FUTA) wages.

How Do You Handle the Earned Income Credit (EIC)?

Certain workers can take the earned income tax credit (EIC) on their federal income tax return. This credit reduces their tax or allows them to receive a payment from the IRS if they do not owe tax. You may have to make advance payments of part of your household employee's EIC along with the employee's wages. You also may have to give your employee a notice about the EIC.

Notice about the EIC

The employee's copy (Copy B) of the IRS 2013 Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement has a statement about the EIC on the back.

Tip: If you give your employee that copy by January 31, 2014 (as discussed under Form W-2), you do not have to give the employee any other notice about the EIC.

Otherwise, you must give your household employee a notice about the EIC only if you agree to withhold federal income tax from the employee's wages but the income tax withholding tables show that no tax should be withheld. Even if not required, you are encouraged to give the employee a notice about the EIC if his or her 2013 wages are less than the amount shown in the instructions to 2014 Form W-5.

If you do not give your employee Copy B of the IRS Form W-2, your notice about the EIC can be any of the following:

• A substitute Form W-2 with the same EIC information on the back of the employee's copy that is on Copy C of the IRS Form W-2,
• Notice 797, Possible Federal Tax Refund Due to the Earned Income Credit (EIC), or
• Your own written statement with the same wording as Notice 797.

If you give your employee a substitute Form W-2 on time which lacks the required EIC information, you must give notice about the 2014 EIC to the employee within one week of the date you gave him or her the substitute Form W-2. If Form W-2 is required, but not given on time, you must give the employee notice about 2014 EIC by January 31, 2015. If Form W-2 is not required, you must give your notice to the employee by February 2, 2015.

How do You Make Tax Payments?

When you file your 2014 federal income tax return in 2015, attach Schedule H, Household Employment Taxes. Use this Schedule, discussed further below, to figure your household employment taxes. You will add the federal employment taxes on the wages you pay to your household employee in 2014, less any advance earned income credit payments you make to the employee, to your income tax. The amount you owe with your return is due to the IRS by April 15, 2015.

Tip: You can avoid owing tax with your return if you pay enough federal income tax before you file to cover the employment taxes for your household employee, as well as your income tax. If you are employed, you can ask your employer to withhold more federal income tax from your wages in 2014. If you get a pension or annuity, you can ask for more federal income tax withholding from your benefits. Or you can make estimated tax payments for 2014 to the IRS, or increase your payments if you already make them.

Asking for More Federal Income Tax Withholding

If you are employed and want more federal income tax withheld from your wages to cover the employment taxes for your household employee, give your employer a new Form W-4, Employee's Withholding Allowance Certificate. Complete it as before, but show the additional amount you want withheld from each paycheck on line 6.

If you get a pension or annuity and want more federal income tax withheld to cover the employment taxes for your household employee, give the payer a new Form W-4P, Withholding Certificate for Pension or Annuity Payments (or a similar form provided by the payer). Complete it as before, but show the additional amount you want withheld from each benefit payment on line 3.

Paying Estimated Tax

If you want to make estimated tax payments to cover the employment taxes for your household employee, get Form 1040-ES, Estimated Tax for Individuals. Use its payment vouchers to make your payments. You can pay all of the employment taxes at once or in installments. If you have already made estimated tax payments for 2014, you can increase your remaining payments to cover the employment taxes. Estimated tax payments for 2014 are ordinarily due April 15, June 16, September 15, 2014 and January 15, 2015.

Payment Option for Business Employers

If you own a business as a sole proprietor or your home is on a farm operated for profit, you can choose either of two ways to pay the 2014 federal employment taxes for your household employee. You can pay them with your federal income tax as described above, or you can include them with your federal employment tax deposits or other payments for your business or farm employees.

If you pay the employment taxes for your household employee with business or farm employment taxes, you must report them with those taxes on Form 941 or Form 943 and on Form 940 (or 940-EZ).

What Forms Must You File?

You must file certain forms to report your household employee's wages and the federal employment taxes for the employee if you pay the employee:

1. Social Security and Medicare wages,
2. FUTA wages, or
3. Wages from which you withhold federal income tax.

The employment tax forms and instructions you need for 2014 will be sent to you automatically in January 2015 if you reported employment taxes for 2013 on Schedule H (Form 1040), Household Employment Taxes.

Employer Identification Number (EIN)

You must include your employer identification number (EIN) on the forms you file for your household employee. An EIN is a 9-digit number issued by the IRS--not the same as a Social Security number.

Tip: You ordinarily will have an EIN if you previously paid taxes for employees, either as a household employer or in a business you own as a sole proprietor, or if you have a Keogh Plan. If you already have an EIN, use that number. If you do not have an EIN, get Form SS-4, Application for Employer Identification Number. The instructions for Form SS-4 explain how you can get an EIN immediately by telephone or in about 4 weeks if you apply by mail.

Form W-2

A separate 2014 Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement, must be filed for each household employee to whom you pay:

• Social Security and Medicare wages of $1,900 or more, or
• Wages from which you withhold federal income tax.

You must complete Form W-2 and give Copies B, C, and 2 to your employee by January 31, 2015. You must send Copy A of Form W-2 with Form W-3, Transmittal of Wage and Tax Statements, to the Social Security Administration by February 28, 2015 (March 31, 2015, if you file your Form W-2 electronically).

Schedule H

Use Schedule H (Form 1040), Household Employment Taxes, to report the federal employment taxes for your household employee if you pay the employee:

1. Social Security and Medicare wages of $1,900 or more in 2014,
2. FUTA wages, or
3. Wages from which you withhold federal income tax.

File Schedule H with your 2014 federal income tax return by April 15, 2015. If you get an extension to file your return, the extension will also apply to your Schedule H.

If you are not required to file a 2014 tax return, you must file Schedule H by itself. See the Schedule H instructions for details.

Business Employment Tax Returns

Do not use Schedule H (Form 1040) if you choose to pay the employment taxes for your household employee with business or farm employment taxes. Instead, include the Social Security, Medicare, and withheld federal income taxes for the employee on the Forms 941, Employer's Quarterly Federal Tax Return, that you file for your business or on the Form 943, Employer's Annual Tax Return for Agricultural Employees, that you file for your farm. Include the FUTA tax for the employee on your Form 940 (or 940-EZ), Employer's Annual Federal Unemployment (FUTA) Tax Return.

If you report the employment taxes for your household employee on Form 941 or Form 943, file Form W-2 for the employee with the Forms W-2 and Form W-3 for your business or farm employees.

What Records Must You Keep?

Keep your copies of Schedule H or other employment tax forms you file and related Forms W-2, W-3, W-4, and W-5. You must also keep records to support the information you enter on the forms you file. If you are required to file Form W-2, you will need to keep a record of your employee's name, address, and Social Security number.

Wage and Tax Records

On each payday you should record the date and amounts of:

• Your employee's cash and non-cash wages,
• Any employee Social Security tax you withhold or agree to pay for your employee,
• Any employee Medicare tax you withhold or agree to pay for your employee,
• Any federal income tax you withhold,
• Any advance EIC payments you make, and
• Any state employment taxes you withhold.

Employee's Social Security Number

You must keep a record of your employee's name and Social Security number exactly as they appear on his or her Social Security card if you pay the employee:

• Social Security and Medicare wages, or
• Wages from which you withhold federal income tax.

You must ask for your employee's Social Security number no later than the first day on which you pay the wages. You may wish to ask for it when you hire your employee.

An employee who does not have a Social Security number must apply for one on Form SS-5, Application for a Social Security Card. An employee who has lost his or her Social Security card or whose name is not correctly shown on the card should apply for a new card. Employees may get Form SS-5 from any Social Security Administration office or by calling l-800-772-1213.

How Long To Keep Records

Keep your employment tax records for at least four years after the due date of the return on which you report the taxes or the date the taxes were paid, whichever is later.

State Unemployment Tax Agencies

Alabama
Department of Industrial Relations
649 Monroe St.
Montgomery, AL 36131-0099
(334) 242-8830

Alaska
Employment Security Tax
Department of Labor and Workforce Development
PO Box 11509
Juneau, AK 99811-5509
(888) 448-3527

Arizona
Unemployment Tax - 911B
Department of Economic Security
PO Box 6028
Phoenix, AZ 85005-6028
(602) 771-6601

Arkansas
Department of Workforce Services
PO Box 2981
Little Rock, AR 72203-2981
(501) 682-3798

California
Account Services Group, MIC-90
PO Box 942880
Sacramento, CA 94280
(888) 745-3886

Colorado
Unemployment Insurance Operations
Department of Labor and Employment
PO Box 8789
Denver, CO 80201-8789
(800) 480-8299

Connecticut
Connecticut Department of Labor
200 Folly Brook Blvd.
Wethersfield, CT 06109-1114
(860) 263-65504

Delaware
Division of Unemployment Insurance
Department of Labor
PO Box 9950
Wilmington, DE 19809-0950
(302) 761-8484

District of Columbia
Department of Employment Services
Office of Unemployment Compensation Tax Division
609 H Street, NE, 3rd Floor
Washington, DC 20001-4347
(202) 698-7550

Florida
Unemployment Compensation Services
Agency for Workforce Innovation
107 E. Madison Street MSC 229
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0180
(800) 482-8293

Georgia
Department of Labor
148 Andrew Young International Blvd., Suite 800
Atlanta, GA 30303
(404) 232-3301

Hawaii
Department of Labor and Industrial Relations
830 Punchbowl Street, Rm. 437
Honolulu, HI 96813
(808) 586-8913

Idaho
Department of Employment
317 Main Street
Boise, ID 83735-0002
(800) 448-2977

Illinois
Department of Employment Security
33 South State Street
Chicago, IL 60603
(800) 247-4984

Indiana
Department of Workforce Development
10 North Senate Avenue
Room SE 106 Indianapolis, IN 46204-2277
(317) 232-7436

Iowa
Workforce Development
1000 East Grand Avenue
Des Moines, IA 50319-0209
(515) 281-5339

Kansas
Department of Human Resources
401 SW Topeka Blvd.
Topeka, KS 66603-3182
(785) 296-5027

Kentucky
Division for Employment Services
PO Box 948
Frankfort, KY 40602-0948
(502)564-2272

Louisiana
Louisiana Workforce Commission
PO Box 94094
Baton Rouge, LA 70804
(225) 342-2944

Maine
Department of Labor
PO Box 259
Augusta, ME 04332-0259
(207) 621-5120

Maryland
Department of Labor, Licensing & Regulation
1100 North Eutaw Street
Baltimore, MD 21201-2201
(800) 492-5524

Massachusetts
Division of Employment and Training
19 Staniford Street
Boston, MA 02114-2589
(617) 626-5050

Michigan
Department of Labor & Economic Growth
3024 W. Grand Boulevard
Detroit, MI 48202-6024
(313) 456-2180

Minnesota
Department of Employment & Economic Development
332 Minnesota Street
Suite E200
St. Paul, MN 55101-1351
(651) 296-6141

Mississippi
Department of Employment Security
PO Box 1699
Jackson, MS 39215-1699
(866) 806-0272

Missouri
Division of Employment Security
PO Box 59
Jefferson City, MO 65104-0059
(573) 751-3340

Montana
Unemployment Insurance Division
PO Box 6339
Helena, MT 59604-6339
(406) 444-3834

Nebraska
Department of Labor
PO Box 94600
State House Station
Lincoln, NE 68509-4600
(402) 471-9940

Nevada
Department of Employment Training and Rehabilitation
500 East Third Street
Carson City, NV 89713-0030
(775) 684-6300

New Hampshire
Department of Employment Security
32 South Main Street
Concord, NH 03301-4857
(603) 228-4033

New Jersey
Department of Labor & Workforce Development
P.O. Box 947
Trenton, NJ 08625-0947
(609) 633-6400

New Mexico
Department of Workforce Solutions
PO Box 2281
Albuquerque, NM 87103-2281
(505) 841-8576

New York
Department of Labor
State Campus, Building 12
Room 500
Albany, NY 1224-03390
(518) 457-4179

North Carolina
Employment Security Commission
PO Box 26504
Raleigh, NC 27611-6504
(919) 707-1150

North Dakota
Job Service of North Dakota
PO Box 5507
Bismarck, ND 58506-5507
(701) 328-2814

Ohio
Department of Job & Family Services
PO Box 182404
Columbus, OH 43218-2404
(614) 466-2319

Oklahoma
Employment Security Commission
PO Box 52003
Oklahoma City, OK 73152-2003
(405) 557-5362

Oregon
Employment Department
875 Union Street, NE
Room 107
Salem, OR 97311-0030
(503) 947-1488

Pennsylvania
Department of Labor and Industry
7th and Forster Street
Room 915
Harrisburg, PA 17121-0001
(717) 787-7679

Puerto Rico
Department of Labor and Human Resources
PO Box 1020
San Juan, PR 00919-1020
(787) 754-5818

Rhode Island
Division of Taxation
One Capitol Hill, Suite 36
Providence, RI 02908-5829
(401) 574-8700

South Carolina
Employment Security Commission
PO Box 995
Columbia, SC 29202-0995
(803) 737-3075

South Dakota
Department of Labor
PO Box 4730
Aberdeen, SD 57402-4730
(605) 626-2312

Tennessee
Department of Labor and Workforce Development
220 French Landing Drive
Nashville, TN 37243-1002
(615) 741-2486

Texas
Workforce Commission
PO Box 149037
Austin, TX 78714
(512) 463-2700

Utah
Department of Workforce Services
PO Box 45288
Salt Lake City, UT 84145-0288
(801) 526-9400

Vermont
Department of Labor
PO Box 488
Montpelier, VT 05601-0488
(802) 828-4252

Virgin Islands
Department of Labor
PO Box 302608
St. Thomas, VI 00803-2608
(340) 776-1440

Virginia
Employment Commission
PO Box 1358
Richmond, VA 23218-1358
(804) 371-7159

Washington
Employment Security Department
PO Box 9046
Olympia, WA 98507-9046
(360) 902-9360

West Virginia
Bureau of Employment Programs
112 California Avenue
Charleston, WV 25305-0016
(304) 558-2676

Wisconsin
Department of Workforce Development
PO Box 7942
Madison, WI 53707-7942
(608) 261-6700

Wyoming
Unemployment Tax Division
PO Box 2760
Casper, WY 82602-2760
(307) 235-3217

Household Employers Checklist

You may need to do the following things when you have a household employee: When you hire a household employee:

• Find out if the person can legally work in the United States.
• Find out if you need to pay state taxes.

When you pay your household employee:

• Withhold Social Security and Medicare taxes.
• Withhold federal income tax.
• Make advance payments of the earned income credit.
• Decide how you will make tax payments.
• Keep records.

By January 31, 2015:

• Get an employer identification number, if needed.
• Give your employee Copies B, C, and 2 of Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement.

By February 28, 2015:

• Send Copy A of Form W-2 to the Social Security Administration.

By April 15, 2015:

• File Schedule H (Form 1040), Household Employment Taxes, with your tax return.

How much life insurance do you need? What type is appropriate? You should review your life insurance needs each time you have a major life event. Here is what you need to know to properly plan for your life insurance needs-to buy enough and to get the most for your money.

The prospect of planning for your family's life insurance needs may seem daunting. The array of confusing products available, coupled with the calculations needed to find the right amount of insurance, would put anyone off.

Yet the hard fact is that life insurance is an essential part of your family's financial well-being. The more you know about it before you go to your agent, the better your coverage will be. If you don't plan for your life insurance needs, the result could be a waste of thousands of dollars on inappropriate or ineffective life insurance or, worse, financial hardship due to not having enough insurance.

We've tried to make the process of buying life insurance easier and more informed by providing you with objective, unbiased information and a plan of action. This Financial Guide gives you some basic guidelines about whether and when you should purchase life insurance, and provides you with a system for determining how much you need. It also discusses the types of insurance available, their suitability for various situations, and how to comparison shop for a policy.

Do You Need Life Insurance?

The purpose of life insurance is to provide a source of income, in case of your death, for your children, dependents, or other beneficiaries. Life insurance can also serve other estate planning purposes, such as giving money to charity on your death, paying for estate taxes, or providing for a buy-out of a business interest. However we won't go into these other purposes in this guide.

Related Guide: Please see the Financial Guide: ESTATE PLANNING: How To Get Started.

Whether you need to buy life insurance depends on whether anyone is depending on your income. If you have a spouse, child, parent, or some other individual who depends on your income, you probably need life insurance. (You might also need life insurance for estate planning or business succession planning purposes.) Here are some typical insurance situations along with typical insurance needs:

Situation 1. Families or single parents with young children or other dependents. The younger your children, the more insurance you need. If both spouses earn income, then both spouses should be insured, with insurance amounts proportionate to salary amounts. If the family cannot afford to insure both wage earners, the primary wage earner should be insured first, and the secondary wage earner should be insured later on. A less expensive term policy might be used to fill an insurance gap. If one spouse does not work outside the home, insurance should be purchased to cover the absence of the services being provided by that spouse (child care, housekeeping, and bookkeeping). However, if funds are limited, insurance on the non-wage earner should be secondary to insurance on the life of the wage earner.

Situation 2. Adults with no children or other dependents. If your spouse could live comfortably without your income, then you will need less insurance than the people in situation (1). However, you will still need some life insurance. At a minimum, you will want to provide for burial expenses, for paying off whatever debts you have incurred, and for providing an orderly transition for the surviving spouse. If your spouse would undergo financial hardship without your income, or if you do not have adequate savings, you may need to purchase more insurance. The amount will depend on your salary level and that of your spouse, on the amount of savings you have, and on the amount of debt you both have.

Situation 3. Single adults with no dependents. You will need only enough insurance to cover burial expenses and debts, unless you want to use insurance for estate planning purposes.

Situation 4. Children. Children generally need only enough life insurance to pay burial expenses and medical debts. In some cases, a life insurance policy might be used as a long-term savings vehicle.

Situation 5. Retirees. There is less of a need for life insurance after retirement, unless it is to be used for other estate planning purposes. You may need to provide an income for the second spouse to die if your retirement assets are not large enough. Further, you will need some insurance to pay burial expenses, final medical costs, and debts.

How Much Life Insurance Do You Need?

Determining how much insurance to buy requires you to invest some time in calculating...

• Your current annual household expenses

• Your assets, debts, and other sources of income.

We've provided a work sheet, which we will refer to in our discussion.

Tip: Find out how much insurance you need before considering which type of insurance to buy. Having enough is more important than having the right type. You should provide for your insurance needs immediately, although you can always switch to a more cost-effective or investment-oriented type of insurance later.

The ideal amount of coverage is the amount that would allow your dependents to invest the insurance proceeds after your death and maintain their desired standard of living without touching the principal. Although the old rule of thumb-to buy five, six or seven times your annual salary-may serve as a starting point, it is no substitute for making the calculations to find out how much you really need.

By using the worksheet and our explanations, you will be able to make a fairly good estimate of your insurance coverage needs. You will need to make some assumptions about your family's future.  It's important to be as accurate as possible in filling out the worksheet, since an underestimation could lead to your being underinsured, and an overestimation will lead to money wasted on unnecessary coverage.

Here is a line-by-line discussion of how to prepare the worksheet.

Line 1: Calculate The "Annual Income Needed"

Line 1 of the worksheet, "Annual Income Needed," is the amount that your survivors would need to live comfortably. It is important not to underestimate this amount. If there are recurring expenses that your family incurs but that are not shown on the list below, do not neglect to include these.

To arrive at the "Annual Income Needed," find the following amounts paid monthly. Then multiply the figure you arrive at by 12 to arrive at an annual amount. Add the following amounts:

Line 2: Subtract "Other Sources"

The next item on the worksheet represents the income that your survivors will have. If there are sources of income other than the ones listed, do not neglect to include them.

Tip: To calculate Social Security benefits, you may wish to obtain an estimate of your benefit from the Social Security Administration. You can obtain a request form by calling SSA's toll-free number-800-772-1213.

Since you cannot predict the amount your survivors will receive (it will depend on your age at death, your earnings, and the ages of your children), you may use the following as rough estimates: $4,000 per year if you have one child under 16, or $5,000 for two or more children under 16.

Do not include other insurance proceeds here; this will be accounted for later.

Line 3: Determine The "Shortfall"

Line 3 represents the shortfall, i.e., the amount you need your insurance proceeds to replace. This is determined by subtracting the "Annual Income From Other Sources" amount from the "Annual Income Needed."

Line 4: Determine the "Amount Of Proceeds Needed"

Line 4 is the amount that will generate the investment income needed to make up the annual "Shortfall" in Line 3.

The amount by which you should divide line represents the after-tax rate of return you can expect on the invested life insurance proceeds. The amount you choose to divide by depends on how conservative you want to be. It is reasonable for most people to expect an after-tax rate of return of at least 6%. But if you want to ensure that you are protected from inflation risk and interest rate risk, use the lower divisor of 4%. The middle divisor of 5% represents a "middle of the road" approach.

The amount you arrive at is the amount of death benefit (proceeds) you will need. The amount will be further adjusted as you work through the worksheet.

Line 5: Add the "Lump-Sum Expenses"

These are the items your family will have to pay for at the time of death. They differ from the "annual income needs" amounts in that they are not part of the family's everyday living expenses. Further, unlike the annual income amounts, they represent pure guesswork. If you wish to strive for a higher rate of accuracy, you can try to adjust these items for inflation, but this is not strictly necessary.

The estimate for funeral expenses should be at least $5,000. Depending on your desires and those of your family, you can adjust this figure upward.

The final medical expenses will be minimal if you have adequate health insurance. You can estimate this amount by finding out how much your policy requires you to contribute per illness.

The estate administration and probate costs can be estimated at 5% of your estate for the sake of simplicity. Your estate is the total value of your assets at death.

You will only owe federal estate taxes if your taxable estate exceeds the amount of the unified credit exemption equivalent. Your state inheritance taxes will depend on the laws in your state.

The "emergency living expenses" amount can range from three to six months' worth of family living expenses.

The "debts" amount represents debts that your family desires to pay off at your death. Normally, it does not include items that make up the "annual living expenses"-e.g., mortgage payments, car payments. However, if you decide that you wish to use insurance proceeds to pay off such expenses, then add in the amounts you estimate will be needed to pay off such debts.

As for future education expenses, it is suggested that you use an annual cost of $20,000 per child, per year, for the sake of simplicity.

Line 6: Determine the "Interim Insurance Proceeds Amount"

Subtract the "future expenses" on line 5 from the "proceeds needed" amount on line 4. This is the amount of insurance you will need to buy on your life. The amount will be further adjusted.

Line 7: Subtract the "Assets That Can Be Sold and Other Insurance"

For line 7, determine the amounts that represent assets that your survivors could liquidate to pay future expenses. Do not include any assets your survivors will be using to produce income that you included in "other sources." Also, note that you should include insurance payments and pension death benefits here, and not on the line for "other sources." This is because such proceeds will represent one-time payments, and not sources of annual income.

Line 8: Determine the "Total Insurance Needed"

Subtract the "assets that can be sold and other insurance" on line 7 from the interim insurance proceeds amount" on line 6. This is an estimate of the amount of insurance coverage you need.

Life Insurance Worksheet

Types Of Insurance

• Term, whereby you pay for coverage for a specified amount of time, and if you die during that time the insurer pays your survivors the death benefit specified; and

• Cash value, usually referred to as whole life, universal life, or permanent life insurance, where, in addition to paying a death benefit, it also provides you with some other redeemable value.

Term Insurance

For individuals age 40 or less, a term policy will almost always be less costly than a whole life policy. Although term policies do not build cash values, many are convertible to whole life policies without a physical exam. Thus, a term convertible policy may be a good option for someone who is under 40. There are various types of term insurance, which we will discuss briefly here.

• Renewable. Renewable term policy is the most common type of life insurance where the policy renews automatically on a renewable term, e.g. every year, every 5 years, every 10 years, or every 20 years--the most popular renewal term. You do not need to take a physical or verify the fact that you are employed. The premium goes up at the beginning of each new term to reflect the fact that you are older. Most renewable term policies can be renewable until you reach age 70 or so.

• Re-entry. With this type of policy, you must undergo a physical exam after a certain period, or pay an extra premium.

• Level. With level term policies, the premium is guaranteed to stay the same over a certain period. This period may be shorter than the term of the policy. Nearly all life insurance bought today is level term.

• Decreasing. With a decreasing term policy-a good option for insuring mortgage payments-the face amount of the policy decreases over time while the premium payments remain the same.

• Return of Premium. Some insurers offer term life with "return of premium". Typically, premiums are significantly higher and they require keeping the policy in force to its term.

Cash Value Insurance

There are four types of cash value life insurance: (1) whole life, (2) universal life, (3) variable universal life and (4) variable whole life. The first two types are the most common and have a guaranteed cash surrender value; in the last two types, the cash surrender value is not guaranteed.

Whole Life. This is the traditional life insurance policy. It provides a death benefit, has a cash value build-up, and sometimes pays dividends. You do not need to renew a whole life policy. As long as you pay your premiums, you will have coverage, usually until your death. The premium for a whole life policy remains the same for the amount of time you own the policy; the premium is "level" in insurance parlance. Thus, when you are younger, the premium you pay for whole life will be greater than what you would pay for term, but when you are older, the premium will be much less than a term premium. Part of each premium goes into the cash value of your policy. Your cash value, which is actually an investment, is guaranteed to grow at a fixed rate. You do not have to pay current income taxes on the growth in the cash value-it is tax-deferred.

Tip: You can borrow against your cash value at a rate that is usually better than the prevailing consumer lending rates. If you die with an outstanding loan amount, the loan amount, plus interest, will be subtracted from your death benefit.

Dividend-paying whole life policies-termed "participating" policies-are usually offered by mutual life insurance companies. Mutual life insurance companies are generally owned by policyholders, while other insurance companies are owned by shareholders. The dividends are refunds of insurance premiums that exceed a certain level. They are paid when the insurance company does well during a quarter or a year. Of course, premiums for participating policies are usually higher than those paid for non-participating policies.

Note: Term policies can also be participating, but the dividends paid are usually minimal.

Universal Life. Universal life, also known as "flexible premium adjustable life," is similar to whole life, but offers more flexibility in terms of payment of premiums and cash value growth. With a universal life policy, your monthly premium amount is first credited to your cash value. The company then deducts the cost of your death benefit and the expenses of the policy. These costs are about equal to what it would cost to buy term coverage. As with whole life, your cash value grows at a fixed minimum rate of interest. The growth of the cash value is tax-deferred, and you can borrow against it or make partial withdrawals.

Caution: A special feature of universal life is that you can vary the premium paid from month to month. You can pay more or less-within certain limits-without jeopardizing your coverage. You can even let the cash value absorb the premium. However, the danger here is that if the premium payments fall too low, your policy may lapse. While some states require the insurer to tell you when your cash value is at a dangerously low point, you will, if you live in another state, have to maintain a careful watch on the amount of cash value if premiums are skipped.

Variable Universal Life. Variable universal life allows you to choose the investment for your cash value. You have a potentially greater cash value growth, but you also have added risk, depending on the type of investment you choose.

Variable Whole Life. With variable whole life, the death benefit and cash value will depend on the performance of an investment fund that you choose. Again, you have potentially greater reward, with its accompanying risks.

How Insurance Products Differ

Here, in table form, is a summary of the different features of the various types of life insurance.

How To Shop For Insurance

In order to be able to shop for the best premiums, it's a good idea to know how premiums are calculated by insurers. Bear in mind that premiums vary among insurance companies, and it is a good idea to ask several insurers for their rates.

Insurance companies place individuals into four risk groups: preferred, standard, substandard, or uninsurable. The premiums charged will be commensurate with the category you are placed in. Thus, a standard risk will pay an average premium for similarly situated insurers.

If you have a high risk job or hobby, you will be considered substandard, a high risk. A terminal illness at the time you apply for insurance will render you uninsurable. Having some type of chronic illness will place you in the substandard category. People with conditions such as diabetes or heart disease can be insured, but will pay higher premiums.

Tip: One company's category for you may not hold with another company. Thus, it still pays to shop for insurance with other companies even though one may have labeled you "substandard."

Tip: Once an insurance company approves you for coverage, you cannot be dropped unless you stop paying your premium.

Shopping For A Policy

In most states, there are rules, set by a group of state insurance regulators, requiring the agent to calculate two types of cost indexes that can help you to shop for a policy. You can use the indexes to compare policy costs.

One type of index, the net payment index, gauges the cost of carrying your policy for the next ten or twenty years. The lower the number is the less expensive the policy will be. This index is useful if you are most interested in the death benefit aspect of a policy, as opposed to the investment aspect. The other type of index, the surrender cost index, is useful to those who have a high level of concern about the cash value. This index may be a negative number. The lower the number, the less expensive the policy.

These two indexes apply to term and whole life policies. With universal life policies, focus on the cash value growth and the cash surrender value to make comparisons. Cash surrender value is the amount you receive if you cancel the policy. It is not the same as cash accumulation value. If you are shown two universal life policies, and they have the same premium, death benefit, and interest rate, then the one with the higher cash surrender value is generally the better policy.

Here are some questions to ask about policies:

• How do cash values accumulate? An early, rapid build-up is generally preferable.

• How has the policy's cash value performed in the past? You can get this information from a publication called Best Review, Life and Health. Determine how the policy performed in comparison with the company's projection and with other insurers.

• Are any special features merely bells and whistles, or do they add value for you?

• What is the company's rating with Best, Standard & Poor's, and Moody's? You can find these publications in public libraries. The rankings should be in the top three to ensure that a company has financial stability.

Government and Non-Profit Agencies

• National Insurance Consumer Helpline
  1001 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
  Washington, DC 20004
  Phone: (800) 942-4242