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Instructions for Form 940 2006 Tax Year

Instructions for Form 940 - Introductory Material

This is archived information that pertains only to the 2006 Tax Year. If you
are looking for information for the current tax year, go to the Tax Prep Help Area.

No credit reduction states.   The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has announced that there are no credit reduction states for tax year 2006. The lines for credit reduction entries have been shaded out on the 2006 Form 940 and on Part 2 of the 2006 Schedule A (Form 940).

We've revised the form and instructions.   You may notice a number of changes in Form 940, Employer's Annual Federal Unemployment (FUTA) Tax Return. We revised the form and instructions so they are easier for you to read and fill out. At the same time, the new design makes the form easier and faster for us to process. Now we can optically scan Form 940 and will capture data more accurately and efficiently than before. Please read both the form and instructions carefully to become familiar with the changes.

The redesigned Form 940 replaces previous versions of both Form 940-EZ and Form 940.   We have replaced two forms with one simplified form that should make preparing your tax return easier. If you filed Form 940-EZ before, you must now use the redesigned Form 940.

A new schedule was developed for multi-state employers and employers in states that are subject to credit reduction.   In addition to the changes on the Form 940, we developed Schedule A (Form 940), Multi-State Employer and Credit Reduction Information. You must use Schedule A (Form 940) if you paid wages to employees in more than one state or if you paid wages in any state that is subject to credit reduction (if any). However, for 2006 we shaded out the credit reduction part of Schedule A (Form 940) because there are no credit reduction states for 2006.

We've also developed a new worksheet for you to use if some of the wages you paid were excluded from state unemployment tax or if you paid any state unemployment tax late.   On page 8, you'll find an easier, all-inclusive worksheet that you can use to compute the adjustment if you paid any state unemployment tax late. You also use this worksheet to figure the adjustment for additional FUTA tax if your state does not require you to pay state unemployment tax on all your employees, for example, if wages paid to your corporate officers are excluded from state unemployment tax.

We've added a listing of contact information for state unemployment agencies.   You must contact your state unemployment agency to receive your state reporting number, state experience rate, and details about your state unemployment tax obligations. The list, located on page 12, contains the name of each state, telephone number(s), and web address. For the most up-to-date information, visit the Department of Labor's website at www.workforcesecurity.doleta.gov.

You are no longer required to list your state reporting number(s) on Form 940.   When you registered as an employer with your state, the state assigned you a state reporting number. We are not asking for the state reporting numbers on the redesigned Form 940, because the states will provide the state reporting numbers to the IRS.

Reminders

You can file and pay electronically.   Using electronic options available from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) can make filing a return and paying your federal tax easier. You can use IRS e-file to file a return and Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS) to make deposits or pay in full whether you rely on a tax professional or prepare your own taxes.
  • For IRS e-file, visit www.irs.gov for additional information.

  • For EFTPS, visit www.eftps.gov or call EFTPS Customer Service at 1-800-555-4477.

You can pay your balance due by credit card.   You may pay your FUTA tax shown on line 14 using a major credit card. Contact Official Payments Corporation at 1-800-272-9829, or visit www.officialpayments.com to make your payment by credit card. You may also contact Link2Gov Corporation at 1-888-729-1040, or visit their website at www.pay1040.com. However, do not use a credit card to pay taxes that are required to be deposited. (See When Must You Deposit Your FUTA Tax? on page 3.) For more information on paying your taxes with a credit card, see Pub. 15 (Circular E), Employer's Tax Guide, or visit the IRS website at www.irs.gov and type “e-pay” in the search box.

Photographs of missing children.   IRS is a proud partner with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Photographs of missing children selected by the Center may appear in instructions on pages that would otherwise be blank. You can help bring these children home by looking at the photographs and calling 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) if you recognize a child.

How Can You Get More Help?

If you want more information about this form, see Pub. 15 (Circular E), visit our website at www.irs.gov, or call 1-800-829-4933.

For a list of related employment tax topics, visit the IRS website at www.irs.gov and click on the “Businesses” tab.

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