Not all states allow salary reductions made under Section 125 cafeteria plans or 401(k) to be treated in the same manner as the IRS code allows. In Texas cafeteria plans are taxable for unemployment insurance purposes. 401(k) plan deferrals are taxable unemployment purposes.
The Texas State Agency charged with enforcing the state wage and hour laws is:
The Texas Workforce Commission
101 East 15th St.
Austin, Texas 78778-0001
512-837-9559
www.twc.state.tx.us/
You must file your Texas state W-2s by magnetic media if you are have at least 250 employees and are required to file your federal W-2s by magnetic media.
Except for taxes and student loans there are no garnishments in Texas. No creditor other than the IRS or one of the student loan collection agencies can take money out of your paycheck without your permission.
The agency that collects and pays unemployment benefits is the Texas Workforce Commission.
Its main office is in Austin, Texas. Their address is:
Texas Workforce Commission
101 East 15th Street
Austin, Texas 78778-0001
512-837-9559
www.twc.state.tx.us/
The unemployment rate varies based on your company's experience but the initial rate starts at 2.7% on the first 9000.00 of wages paid to an employee in the state.
There is no requirement in Texas for a company to carry Workers Compensation Insurance. Texas is the only state where it is not required.
Texas now allows mandatory imposition of Direct Deposit. The employer just cannot choose the financial institution the employee has the right to pick any financial institution that accepts direct deposits. There must be no additional fees to the employee for direct deposit.
Another unique aspect of Payroll in Texas is there is no provision in the State law for overtime. All overtime is governed only by FLSA if appropriate. So a purely intrastate employer in Texas does not have to legally pay overtime premium.
The state minimum wage in Texas is $5.15 per hour. It used to be well under federal rates.
In Texas you must pay at least semi-monthly except that FLSA-exempt employee can be paid on a monthly basis.
Payment on termination in Texas is six days for an involuntary termination and the next regular payday for a voluntary resignation
Texas requires the following information on an employee's paystub:
Employee's Name
Pay rate
Gross and net earnings
Amount and purpose of deductions
Hours worked or work done if piece work
Escheat laws in Texas require that unclaimed wages be paid over to the state after one year and 180 days if less than $100.00. The employer is further required in Texas to keep a record of the wages abandoned and turned over to the state for a period of 10 years.
Wages due a deceased employee are not covered by any provision in Texas.
Texas State new hire reporting requirements are that every employer must report every new hire and rehire. The employer must report the federally required elements of:
Employee's name
Employee's address
Employee's social security number
Employer's name
Employers address
Employer's Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN)
Plus they can optionally report
Date of Birth
Date of Hire
Payroll address for Child Support Notice
This information must be reported within 20 days of the hiring or rehiring.
The information can be sent as a W4 or equivalent by mail, fax or electronically.
There is a $25.00 penalty for a late report and $500 for conspiracy in Texas.
The Texas new hire-reporting agency can be reached at 888-839-4473 or on the web at www.newhire.org/tx
There is no provision in the Texas State Payroll laws covering mandatory rest or meal breaks.
Cafeteria Plan and 401(k) deferrals that are exempt from federal income tax are counted as taxable income for unemployment insurance calculation in Texas.
Texas requires magnetic media reporting of earnings and contributions for unemployment insurance purposes if the employer has at least 250 employees to report.
Texas has no State Income tax so no State W2's have to be prepared, distributed or transmitted to the state
Texas has the following provisions for child support deductions:
When to start Withholding? Immediately after receipt of order.
When to send Payment? Payday.
When to send Termination Notice? Within 7 days of termination.
Maximum Administrative Fee? $10 per month.
Withholding Limits? 50% of disposable earnings.
The Texas agency charged with enforcing Child Support Orders and laws is:
Child Support Division
Office of the Attorney General
300 W. 15th Street
Austin, TX 78701
512-460-6000
http://www.oag.state.tx.us/child/#services
States have different requirements for maintaining wage and hour records that vary from the two or three years FLSA requires depending on the type of record. Texas has no provision in the law concerning retention
Banking Law And Practice
State Tax Commission
Withholding Tax Development
210 North 1950 West
Salt Lake City, UT 84134
(801) 297-2200
(800) 662-4335 (in state)
http://tax.utah.gov/
Utah allows you to use the federal form W4 to calculate state income tax withholding.
Not all states allow salary reductions made under Section 125 cafeteria plans or 401(k) to be treated in the same manner as the IRS code allows. In Utah cafeteria plans are not taxable for income tax calculation; not taxable for unemployment insurance purposes. 401(k) plan deferrals are not taxable for income taxes; taxable for unemployment purposes.
In Utah supplemental wages are required to be aggregated for the state income tax withholding calculation.
You must file your Utah State W-2s by magnetic media if you are required to file your federal W-2s by magnetic media.
The Utah State Unemployment Insurance Agency is:
Department of Workforce Services
140 E. 300 South
P.O. Box 45288
Salt Lake City, UT 84145
(801) 536-7400
http://jobs.utah.gov/employer/emservices.asp
The State of Utah taxable wage base for unemployment purposes is wages up to $22,700.00.
Utah requires Magnetic media reporting of quarterly wage reporting if the employer has at least 250 employees that they are reporting that quarter.
Unemployment records must be retained in Utah for a minimum period of three years. This information generally includes: name; social security number; dates of hire, rehire and termination; wages by period; payroll pay periods and pay dates; date and circumstances of termination.
The Utah State Agency charged with enforcing the state wage and hour laws is:
Labor Commission
Anti-Discrimination and Labor Division
P.O. Box 146630
Salt Lake City, UT 84114-6630
(801) 530-6801
www.labor.state.ut.us/
The minimum wage in Utah is $5.15 per hour.
There is no general provision in Utah State Law covering paying overtime in a non-FLSA covered employer.
Utah State new hire reporting requirements are that every employer must report every new hire and rehire. The employer must report the federally required elements of:
Employee's name
Employee's address
Employee's social security number
Employer's name
Employers address
Employer's Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN)
This information must be reported within 20 days of the hiring or rehiring.
The information can be sent as a W4 or equivalent by mail, fax or mag media.
There is a $25.00 penalty for a late report and $500 for conspiracy in Utah.
The Utah new hire-reporting agency can be reached at 801-526-4361 or on the web at http://jobs.utah.gov/newhire/
Utah does not allow compulsory direct deposit except for large employers with 2/3 of employees already on direct deposit.
Utah requires the following information on an employee's pay stub:
itemized deductions
Utah requires that employee be paid no less often than semimonthly; monthly if employee hired for yearly salary.
Utah requires that the lag time between the end of the pay period and the payment of wages to the employee not exceed ten days; wages paid monthly-7th of next month.
Utah payroll law requires that involuntarily terminated employees must be paid their final pay with in 24 hours and that voluntarily terminated employees must be paid their final pay by the next regular payday.
Deceased employee's wages must be paid when normally due to successor after affidavit stating estate does not exceed $25,000 at least 30 days since death, no petition for executor is pending, and entitlement to payment.
Escheat laws in Utah require that unclaimed wages be paid over to the state after one year.
The employer is further required in Utah to keep a record of the wages abandoned and turned over to the state for a period of 5 years.
Utah payroll law mandates no more than $3.02 may be used as a tip credit.
In Utah the payroll laws covering mandatory rest or meal breaks are only that all employees must have a 30-minute meal period after 5 hours; 10 minutes rest each 4 hours.
Utah statute requires that wage and hour records be kept for a period of not less than three years. These records will normally consist of at least the information required under FLSA.
The Utah agency charged with enforcing Child Support Orders and laws is:
Office of Recovery Services
Department of Human Services
515 E. 100 S.
P.O. Box 45011
Salt Lake City, UT 84145-0011
(801) 536-8901
http://www.ors.state.ut.us/
Utah has the following provisions for child support deductions:
When to start Withholding? First pay period after 5 working days from service.
When to send Payment? Within 7 days of Payday.
When to send Termination Notice? Within 5 days of termination.
Maximum Administrative Fee? one-time $25 fee
Withholding Limits? Federal Rules under CCPA.
Please note that this article is not updated for changes that can and will happen from time to time.
Charles J. Read has sinced written about articles on various topics from Accounting Guide, Legal Matters and Accounting Guide. Charles J. Read, CPA has been in the payroll, accounting and tax business for 30 years, the last fifteen in private practice. Mr. Read is the author of "Tax and Accounting Issues in Forming a New Business."To find professional payroll services at a budge. Charles J. Read's top article generates over 22200 views. Bookmark Charles J. Read to your Favourites.
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