December2015 / The Newsletter of the CenTex Chapter of the American Payroll Association
In This Issue
- Meeting Notice
- President’s Letter
- Guest Speaker and Topic info, plus lunch details
- Membership – Now accepting credit cards
- Important Dates
- Legislative Update
- CenTex Chapter Website
- 2015 CenTex Board Members
- Meeting Location & Times
Speaker and Lunch Details
Membership
Important Dates
Regulatory Alert
New CenTex Chapter Website
2015 Centex APA Board Members
Meeting Time and Location
Contact Us
- By e-mail
- On the web
- By mail
American Payroll Assn
P O Box 143433
Austin TX 78714-3433 /
December Meeting
Thursday, December 10, 201511:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Farm Credit Bank of Texas
4801 Plaza on the Lake Drive
Austin, TX 78746
President’s Letter Jaynette Odegaard
This will be my last letter as president for 2015. I have enjoyed working with and serving you all and have gotten to know so many people. I’m not going anywhere and will still be involved in the chapter, but I turn the title over to Yolanda Davis who is looking forward to 2016. Please introduce yourself to her if you do not know her. I have every confidence that Yolanda will be a dynamic leader for the CenTex Chapter!This past year, we had 11 regular meetings along with a CPP study group that provided a total of 32 possible RCHs for those of you who are maintaining your certification. 2016 should be just as strong and your board will continue to find speakers on a variety of topics so you will be able to earn certification credits and get to know other payroll professionals in the greater Austin area and learn tips that you can take back to your office and/or co-workers. We are always looking to expand the chapter and reach more people, so please let a board member know if you have an idea about how to recruit new people and companies. Wouldn’t it be great if we filled the big conference room where most of the meetings have been held?
The membership fees will not change for 2016 and soon our website will be able to process the renewal through the site rather than completing the paperwork. We are still not able to take credit card payments online, but you will be able to complete the form and have an invoice prepared. The membership fee does go for a calendar year so if you became a member in April (for example), you would have until April 2016 to renew. Remember that members get a discount on the monthly meetings and access to job postings on the website. We are also thinking about additional “perks” for members as well so get your membership renewed! Thank you for your support of the CenTex Chapter!
Our December meeting on Thursday, 12/10/15 will feature Tommy Simmons on the topic of “Legislative Updates and Pay Day Law”. Tommy is a dynamic speaker and very knowledgeable about a topic that could be a little dry. Despite the topic, he will definitely make it an entertaining meeting and will have lots of helpful information for you. Make sure you register by Monday, 12/7/15 so we know how many to expect for the meeting.
Please continue to show your support for the new board of 2016 and get involved with your chapter! Enjoy your holidays and hopefully there won’t be too many headaches with end-of-year, ACA reporting, open enrollment, merit increases, W-2 preparation – I’m getting a headache just reading that list! We all in the payroll profession do a lot for our employers and employees. Please know you are appreciated and the chapter is a great place to “commiserate” and/or “celebrate” all that we do!
Jaynette Odegaard President, CenTex Chapter
Guest Speaker – December 10th
Tommy SimmonsTopic:
Legislative Updates and Pay Day Law
Lunch details:
GARLIC PEPPERCORN PORK ROAST ~ with potatoes & carrots in pan gravy
Served with Garden Salad, Rolls/Bread, Dessert & Iced Tea
Roasted chicken will be available as an alternative for ham.
Centex Chapter Membership
You can now pay your monthly luncheon dues and/or your annual membership using a credit card. At this time, this can only be done in person at the monthly luncheon meetings.
2015Annual Membership Fees (Jan 1-Dec 31)
$45.00 — National APA Member$55.00 — Non-APA Member
Forms available at the Centex Chapter Website
2015Monthly LuncheonDues
$25.00 — Pre-Registered Centex Chapter Members
$35.00 — Walk-Ins and Non-Chapter Members
Chapter members will receive an Evite to the monthly meetings. Please use this opportunity to pre-register; chapter members who pre-register and do not show will be billed $25.00.
IMPORTANT DATES for 2015
MONTHLY MEETINGS 2015JAN-OPEN JUL 9TH
FEB 12TH AUG 13TH
MAR 12TH SEP 10TH
APR 9TH OCT 8TH
MAY 14TH NOV 12TH
JUN 11TH DEC 10TH
American Payroll Association
33rd Annual Congress
May 5th-9th, 2015
MGM Grand, Las Vegas NV
National Payroll Week (NPW)
September 7th -11th, 2015
IRS Releases 2015 Form 940, FUTA Credit Reduction for 2015 in three states and one territory, etc.
Sheila Courtright
IRS Releases 2015 Form 940. Form 940, Employer's Annual Federal Unemployment (FUTA) Tax Return, Schedule A (Form 940), Multi-State Employer and Credit Reduction Information, and Instructions for Form 940, have been posted on the APA website.
Three States and One Territory Face FUTA Credit Reduction for 2015. Find out which states were not able to pay their outstanding Federal Unemployment Account loans by the November 10 deadline and are therefore FUTA credit reduction states for 2015.
Cents-Per-Mile Maximum Car Value for 2016 Decreases to $15,900. The APA has calculated the maximum car value for purposes of the vehicle cents-per-mile method of valuing an employee's personal use of a company-provided car, as well as the fleet-average valuation rule for 2016.
TIGTA Finds Gaps in IRS Enforcement of Employer Wage Reporting Obligations. In a recently released report, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) presented the results of a review of IRS processes and procedures for working SSA Combined Annual Wage Reporting (CAWR) discrepancy cases – and concluded that employers that do not comply with requests to provide complete and accurate wage documents are not always assessed penalties. TIGTA also made specific recommendations that the IRS is already planning to implement. Audit Report No. 2015-40-090.
IRS Reissues Form W-3c With Clarifications. On November 20, the IRS reposted Form W-3c, which had already been revised earlier in the month. The current Form W-3c, along with fill-in versions of W-2c and W-3c, have been posted on the APA website.
APA Asks for Further Revisions to New York's Revised Wage Payment Rule. See "Inside Washington" for December.
IRS Issues Update on New ACA Electronic Filing System. The IRS has issued updates on the ACA Assurance Testing System (AATS) in connection with the ongoing development of the IRS's new AIR (ACA Information Returns) system for electronic filers of ACA information returns. On November 2, the IRS opened AATS for testing of returns that will be filed in 2016.
IRS Releases Updated Form 8508. The IRS has posted Form 8508, Request for Waiver From Filing Information Returns Electronically, to its website.
USCIS Makes Several Enhancements to E-Verify Program. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently announced a series of enhancements and updates to the E-Verify program including: an automated verification process for temporary status (TPS) individuals whose employment authorization is automatically extended, a redesign of the case details page, and updated Further Action Notices and tentative nonconfirmation (TNC) email messages.
IRS Releases Form 1099-MISC for 2016. The IRS has released Form 1099-MISC, Miscellaneous Income, for 2016. Both the form and the 2016 Instructions for Form 1099-MISC have been posted to the APA website.
IRS Releases Tax Calendars for 2016. Publication 509, Tax Calendars for 2016, has been posted to the APA website.
Final Regulations Issued on Health Coverage for Children Under Age 27. A provision of the ACA requires dependent coverage of children to age 26. In 2010, pursuant to the requirement, Treasury, DOL, and HHS jointly issued interim final regulations. On November 18, the Departments jointly issued final regulations that adopt the interim final regulations without substantial change and incorporate the clarifications issued since then in other guidance. 80 F.R. 72192.
USCIS Invites Comments on I-9 Revision Proposals. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has proposed revisions to Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, that are intended to help reduce technical errors and to provide guidance to users who complete the electronic version of the form. 80 F.R. 73200.
IRS Requests Information on PEO Industry Practices to Plan Certification Program. The IRS is requesting information about current professional employer organization (PEO) practices in an effort to streamline the implementation of a new voluntary PEO certification program scheduled to begin on July 1, 2016. IR 2015-17.
USCIS Announces Automated Form I-94 Processing for Refugees. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services advises that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has automated Form I-94 (Arrival/Departure Record) processing for refugees. The stamped paper form will no longer be provided to a refugee upon arrival, except in limited circumstances. A refugee may obtain a copy of the I-94 from the "Get I-94 Information" page on the CBP website.
IRS 'Reminds' Employers of Employment Tax Obligations. The IRS has released a fact sheet that provides information on worker classification, the voluntary classification settlement program, fringe benefits, officer compensation, and penalties associated with backup withholding and information returns. FS 2015-25.
IRSAC Recommendations Include Adequate IRS Funding and Measures to Reduce Tax Fraud. Among the issues raised in IRSAC's annual report are the need for adequate funding of the IRS and measures to prevent tax fraud, including accelerating the W-2 filing deadline.
U.S. Treasury Launches myRA. Treasury has announced the nationwide launch of the myRA savings program. The myRA program has also been expanded to accommodate three account funding methods: payroll direct deposit, checking or savings account, and through a federal tax refund.
Wisconsin Joins E-Verify RIDE Program. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has announced that Wisconsin has agreed to become the seventh state to participate in the Records and Information from DMVs for E-Verify program.
Capitol Hill Update. Read about some of the payroll-related developments on Capitol Hill from October – November 2015 – including a bill intended to prevent tax refund fraud that would accelerate the Form W-2 filing deadline, allow the use of an "identifying number" rather than an employee's SSN on Form W-2, and authorize IRS access to the National Directory of New Hires. Other highlights include bills that would repeal major provisions of the ACA, amend the FLSA to reinstate the companionship services exemption, and define additional types of medical expenses that would be reimbursable under health FSAs, Archer MSAs, HRAs, and HSAs.
State and Local News.
•California – meals and lodging treated as taxable wages for UI, SDI purposes; San Francisco employer health care spending requirement increased; SDI taxable wage base increased; withholding tables issued
•Kentucky – withholding tables issued
•Louisiana – tax amnesty program announced
•Missouri – minimum wage and tip credit unchanged
•New Jersey – meals and lodging treated as taxable wages for UI, TDI purposes; UI, TDI, FLI employer and employee contribution rates announced
•New York – New York City commuter benefits law effective January 1; wage deduction law expiration date extended
•Pennsylvania – employer and employee UC contribution rates unchanged
•West Virginia – electronic filing and payment threshold lowered
source: APA News Update - PAYROLL CURRENTLY Issue No. 12
New Website:
Due to a change in webhost, our website has been improved for less cost. Soon, we will convert a lot of administrative functions thru the website such as :
- filling out on-line membership form to join
- registering for meetings in advance (no more Evite invitations)
- see job postings
- printing badges for meeting
- receiving email receipts instead of paper ticket receipts for payments
- invoicing no-show attendees
- sending announcements
- creating and sending newsletters
- Plus much more as the board gets trained in all the functions of our new webhost STARCHAPTER. (However, we won’t be using the on-line credit card payment function of website – payments can be checks sent by mail or paid in person at meetings by cash, check or credit card)
CPP certifications – If your CPP designation is not showing up as a suffix on your name on your website profile/emails, please send a message to so that your profile can be edited. There are times when certain emails/announcements may be sent to only those with CPP certifications.
2015 CenTex APA Chapter Board Members
Jaynette Odegaard, President /
Yolanda Davis, President-Elect /
Veronica Alderete, Secretary /
Maggie Fowler, Treasurer /
Alaina Scaglione, Membership Coordinator /
Sheila Courtright, Government Liaison / his e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
DecemberMeeting
Thursday, December 10th, 201511:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Farm Credit Bank of Texas
4801 Plaza on the Lake Drive
Austin, TX 78746
Chapter Meeting Time & Location
CenTex Chapter luncheons are held on the second Thursday of each month except January. Wemeet at Farm Credit Bank of Texas at4801 Plaza on the Lake Drive, Austin, TX from 11:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
CenTex is an independent and autonomous chapter of the American Payroll Association.