Instructions For Form 941 - Employer'S Quarterly Federal Tax Return - 2017 Page 3

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Seasonal employers don't have to file a Form 941 for
Where can you get telephone help? For answers to your
quarters in which they have no tax liability because they have
questions about completing Form 941 or tax deposit rules,
paid no wages. To tell the IRS that you won't file a return for
you can call the IRS at 1-800-829-4933 or 1-800-829-4059
one or more quarters during the year, check the box on
(TDD/TTY for persons who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have
line 18 every quarter you file Form 941. See section 12 of
a speech disability), Monday–Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00
Pub. 15 for more information.
p.m. local time (Alaska and Hawaii follow Pacific time).
Employers of household employees don't usually file
Photographs of missing children. The IRS is a proud
Form 941. See Pub. 926 and Schedule H (Form 1040) for
partner with the
National Center for Missing & Exploited
more information.
Children®(NCMEC). Photographs of missing children
Employers of farm employees don't usually file Form 941.
selected by the Center may appear in instructions on pages
See Form 943 and Pub. 51 for more information.
that would otherwise be blank. You can help bring these
If none of the above exceptions applies and you
children home by looking at the photographs and calling
haven't filed a final return, you must file Form 941
1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) if you recognize a child.
TIP
each quarter even if you didn't pay wages during the
quarter. Use IRS e-file, if possible.
General Instructions:
What if You Reorganize or Close Your
Purpose of Form 941
Business?
These instructions give you some background information
If You Sell or Transfer Your Business . . .
about Form 941. They tell you who must file Form 941, how
If you sell or transfer your business, you and the new owner
to complete it line by line, and when and where to file it.
must each file a Form 941 for the quarter in which the transfer
If you want more in-depth information about payroll tax
occurred. Report only the wages you paid.
topics relating to Form 941, see Pub. 15 or visit IRS.gov and
enter “employment taxes” in the search box.
When two businesses merge, the continuing firm must file
a return for the quarter in which the change took place and
Federal law requires you, as an employer, to withhold
the other firm should file a final return.
certain taxes from your employees' pay. Each time you pay
wages, you must withhold – or take out of your employees'
Changing from one form of business to another—such as
pay – certain amounts for federal income tax, social security
from a sole proprietorship to a partnership or corporation—is
tax, and Medicare tax. You must also withhold Additional
considered a transfer. If a transfer occurs, you may need a
Medicare Tax from wages you pay to an employee in excess
new EIN. See section 1 of Pub. 15. Attach a statement to
of $200,000 in a calendar year. Under the withholding
your return with:
system, taxes withheld from your employees are credited to
The new owner's name (or the new name of the business);
your employees in payment of their tax liabilities.
Whether the business is now a sole proprietorship,
partnership, or corporation;
Federal law also requires you to pay any liability for the
The kind of change that occurred (a sale or transfer);
employer's portion of social security and Medicare taxes.
The date of the change; and
This portion of social security and Medicare taxes isn't
The name of the person keeping the payroll records and
withheld from employees.
the address where those records will be kept.
Who Must File Form 941?
If Your Business Has Closed . . .
Use Form 941 to report the following amounts.
If you go out of business or stop paying wages to your
Wages you’ve paid.
employees, you must file a final return. To tell the IRS that
Tips your employees reported to you.
Form 941 for a particular quarter is your final return, check
Federal income tax you withheld.
the box on line 17 and enter the date you last paid wages.
Both the employer's and the employee's share of social
Also attach a statement to your return showing the name of
security and Medicare taxes.
the person keeping the payroll records and the address
Additional Medicare Tax withheld from employees.
where those records will be kept.
Current quarter's adjustments to social security and
Medicare taxes for fractions of cents, sick pay, tips, and
See the General Instructions for Forms W-2 and W-3 for
group-term life insurance.
information about earlier dates for the expedited furnishing
Qualified small business payroll tax credit for increasing
and filing of Forms W-2, Wage and Tax Statement, when a
research activities.
final Form 941 is filed.
Don't use Form 941 to report backup withholding or
If you participated in a statutory merger or consolidation,
income tax withholding on nonpayroll payments such as
or qualify for predecessor-successor status due to an
pensions, annuities, and gambling winnings. Report these
acquisition, you should generally file Schedule D (Form 941),
types of withholding on Form 945, Annual Return of Withheld
Report of Discrepancies Caused by Acquisitions, Statutory
Federal Income Tax.
Mergers, or Consolidations. See the Instructions for
After you file your first Form 941, you must file a return for
Schedule D (Form 941) to determine whether you should file
each quarter, even if you have no taxes to report, unless you
Schedule D (Form 941) and when you should file it.
filed a final return or one of the exceptions listed next applies.
Exceptions
Special rules apply to some employers.
­3­
Instructions for Form 941 (Rev. 1­2017)

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