Business Update March 2008

Avoid penalties! Submit accurate and complete reports

You must report all of the following details about each of your employees every quarter:

Name. Include first and last names.
Social Security number. Do not substitute a person’s Tax Identification Number (nine-digit number beginning with eight or nine) for his or her Social Security number.
Gross wages. This is the total amount the person earned, before taxes.
Number of hours worked. Always round up to the next whole hour.

If you repeatedly submit incorrect or incomplete reports, you will have to pay a penalty ranging from $75 to $250. Reporting incorrect or incomplete information may result in higher taxes for you in the future and your workers may not receive the correct amount of unemployment benefits if they lose their jobs.

Verifying Social Security numbers
If you want to verify that your employees’ Social Security numbers are correct, you can do so online.

First, you must register with Social Security Administration's Business Services Online.
Then, visit Social Security Number Verification Service to confirm the employee’s name and number.

Note: This voluntary service is not required by Employment Security Department.

New form to report changes in owners and officers

If you receive paper tax forms, the packet includes a new form located on the back of the Business Change Form. Use this new form to report any changes in your business’ owners or officers. If you do not have any changes, leave the form blank.

If you file your taxes electronically and need to report a change, you can find the new form online. The Amended Tax and Wage Report that was previously included in your packet is now available online.
Both forms are under Forms and Publications in the Unemployment Taxes section of our Web site. The forms also are available at your district tax office.

Tax tip: Update your tax rate for 2008

Don’t forget to use your 2008 tax rate for your tax report this quarter. If you do not know your new rate, check the tax-rate notice we sent you in December 2007. If you can’t find your notice, please call 360-902-9670, or get automated information at 888-836-1900.

Get a tax break for hiring new workers

Businesses that hire hard-to-place job seekers may qualify for large tax breaks from the federal government.

The Work Opportunity Tax Credit provides up to $2,400 in tax savings per worker when you hire qualified veterans, disabled individuals, ex-inmates, high-risk teens and young adults, food-stamp recipients and those who receive Supplemental Security Income. Additionally, you could save up to $9,000 per person over two years if you hire long-term welfare recipients.

In 2007, Washington employers saved an estimated $40 million in federal taxes through the Work Opportunity Tax Credit program.

To learn more, visit the Hire an Employee section of our Web site, your local WorkSource office or call 800-669-9271.

Contact us

District tax offices
Staff at your local office can answer most of your tax questions, including specific questions about your account.
Addresses and E-mail information.

Bellevue – 425-649-4388
Bellingham – 360-676-2070
Lynnwood – 425-774-2380
Seattle North – 206-706-3801
South Sound (serves Grays Harbor, South King, Kitsap, Lewis, Mason, Pacific, Pierce and Thurston counties) – 253-593-7380
Spokane – 509-532-3090
Tri-Cities – 509-735-0939
Vancouver – 360-735-5050
Wenatchee – 509-662-0448
Yakima – 509-574-0137
Native American tribes – 360-902-9623
Out-of-state employers – 360-902-9620

Benefits information
Call for information about benefit payments to your workers.
Phone – 877-504-5607

Report fraud
Let us know if you suspect that a business is not paying its unemployment taxes properly or if a person is collecting benefits to which he or she is not entitled.
Phone – 866-266-1987
E-mail employer fraud

Technical support for Internet tax filers
Phone – 800-565-4660
E-mail technical support

Order tax forms
Phone – 360-902-0916
E-mail tax forms request

Get your tax forms certified
If you have elected to create your own tax forms, you will have to pay a penalty if you use the forms before we certify them.
Phone – 360-902-0902

Local workshops

Attend a local workshop to learn more about unemployment taxes and state services, such as tax requirements for various types of businesses, how to report and pay state taxes properly, requirements for reporting new employees and the services that are available through WorkSource.

Date	Topic	City	Contact
May 14	General tax information	Everett	425-774-2382
May 15	General tax information	Longview	360-735-5050
June 11	General tax information	Everett	425-774-2382
June 19	General tax information	Walla Walla	509-735-0939
June 26	General tax information	Kennewick	509-735-0939
July 9	Electronic filing	Yakima	509-574-0137
July 18	Electronic filing	Yakima	509-574-0137
October 1	Electronic filing	Yakima	509-574-0137