Nearly 160 million workers will benefit from the extension of the reduced payroll tax rate that has been in effect for 2011. IRS required that employers should implement the new payroll tax rate as soon as possible in 2012 but not later than Jan. 31, 2012.
Following are the instructions from Notice 1036
The employee tax rate for social security is 4.2% on wages paid and tips received before March 1, 2012. The employee tax rate for social security increases to 6.2% on wages paid and tips received after February 29, 2012. The employer tax rate for social security remains unchanged at 6.2%. The social security wage base limit is $110,100. The Medicare tax rate is 1.45% each for the employee and employer, unchanged from 2011. There is no wage base limit for Medicare tax.
Employers should implement the 4.2% employee social security tax rate as soon as possible, but not later than January 31, 2012. After implementing the 4.2% rate, employers should make an offsetting adjustment in a subsequent pay period to correct any overwithholding of social security tax as soon as possible, but not later than March 31, 2012.
EzPayCheck payroll software already included this change in its 2012 version.
