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Some taxpayers may be required to pay an Additional Medicare Tax if their income exceeds certain limits. Here are some things that you should know about this tax:

1. Tax Rate. The Additional Medicare Tax rate is 0.9 percent.

2. Income Subject to Tax. The tax applies to the amount of certain income that is more than a threshold amount. The types of income include your Medicare wages, self-employment income, and railroad retirement (RRTA) compensation. If you’re not sure if you have income subject to these rules, please call the office.

3. Threshold Amount. You base your threshold amount on your filing status. If you are married and file a joint return, you must combine your spouse’s wages, compensation or self-employment income with yours. Use the combined total to determine if your income exceeds your threshold. The threshold amounts are:

• Married filing jointly: $250,000
• Married filing separately: $125,000
• Single: $200,000
• Head of household: $200,000

3. Withholding/Estimated Tax. Employers must withhold this tax from your wages or compensation when they pay you more than $200,000 in a calendar year. If you are self-employed you should include this tax when you figure your estimated tax liability.

4. Underpayment of Estimated Tax. If you had too little tax withheld, or did not pay enough estimated tax, you may owe an estimated tax penalty. For more on this, please call.

5. Form 8959. If you owe this tax, file Form 8959, Additional Medicare Tax, with your tax return. You also report any Additional Medicare Tax withheld by your employer on Form 8959.

Questions?

If you have any questions about the Additional Medicare Tax, help is just a phone call away.

• By Leon Clinton
• June 22, 2016

During January

All employers – Give your employees their copies of Form W-2 for 2014 by February 2, 2015. If an employee agreed to receive Form W-2 electronically, post it on a website accessible to the employee and notify the employee of the posting by February 2.

January 12

Employees – who work for tips. If you received $20 or more in tips during December, report them to your employer. You can use Form 4070, Employee’s Report of Tips to Employer.

January 15

Employers – Social Security, Medicare, and withheld income tax. If the monthly deposit rule applies, deposit the tax for payments in December 2014.

Individuals – Make a payment of your estimated tax for 2014 if you did not pay your income tax for the year through withholding (or did not pay in enough tax that way). Use Form 1040-ES. This is the final installment date for 2014 estimated tax. However, you do not have to make this payment if you file your 2014 return (Form 1040) and pay any tax due by February 2, 2015.

Employers – Nonpayroll Withholding. If the monthly deposit rule applies, deposit the tax for payments in December 2014.

Farmers and Fisherman – Pay your estimated tax for 2014 using Form 1040-ES. You have until April 15 to file your 2014 income tax return (Form 1040). If you do not pay your estimated tax by January 15, you must file your 2014 return and pay any tax due by March 2, 2015, to avoid an estimated tax penalty.

February 2

Employers – Give your employees their copies of Form W-2 for 2014 by February 2, 2015. If an employee agreed to receive Form W-2 electronically, post it on a website accessible to the employee and notify the employee by February 2, 2015.

Businesses – Give annual information statements to recipients of 1099 payments made during 2014.

Employers – Federal unemployment tax. File Form 940 for 2014. If your undeposited tax is $500 or less, you can either pay it with your return or deposit it. If it is more than $500, you must deposit it. However, if you already deposited the tax for the year in full and on time, you have until February 10 to file the return.

Employers – Social Security, Medicare, and withheld income tax. File Form 941 for the fourth quarter of 2014. Deposit any undeposited tax. (If your tax liability is less than $2,500, you can pay it in full with a timely filed return.) If you deposited the tax for the quarter in full and on time, you have until February 10 to file the return.

Employers – Nonpayroll taxes. File Form 945 to report income tax withheld for 2014 on all nonpayroll items, including backup withholding and withholding on pensions, annuities, IRAs, gambling winnings, and payments of Indian gaming profits to tribal members. Deposit any undeposited tax. (If your tax liability is less than $2,500, you can pay it in full with a timely filed return.) If you deposited the tax for the year in full and on time, you have until February 10 to file the return.

Individuals – who must make estimated tax payments. If you did not pay your last installment of estimated tax by January 15, you may choose (but are not required) to file your income tax return (Form 1040) for 2014. Filing your return and paying any tax due by February 2, 2015 prevents any penalty for late payment of last installment.

Payers of Gambling Winnings – If you either paid reportable gambling winnings or withheld income tax from gambling winnings, give the winners their copies of Form W-2G.

Certain Small Employers – File Form 944 to report Social Security and Medicare taxes and withheld income tax for 2014. Deposit or pay any undeposited tax under the accuracy of deposit rules. If your tax liability is $2,500 or more from 2014 but less than $2,500 for the fourth quarter, deposit any undeposited tax or pay it in full with a timely filed return.

All businesses – Give annual information statements to recipients of certain payments you made during 2014. You can use the appropriate version of Form 1099 or other information return. Form 1099 can be issued electronically with the consent of the recipient.

Forms 1099-B, 1099-S, and certain reporting on Form 1099-MISC, Miscellaneous Income, are due to recipients by February 17. Payments that may be covered include the following:

• Cash payments for fish (or other aquatic life) purchased from anyone engaged in the trade or business of catching fish.
• Compensation for workers who are not considered employees (including fishing boat proceeds to crew members).
• Dividends and other corporate distributions.
• Interest.
• Rent.
• Royalties.
• Payments of Indian gaming profits to tribal members.
• Profit-sharing distributions.
• Retirement plan distributions.
• Original issue discount.
• Prizes and awards.
• Medical and health care payments.
• Debt cancellation (treated as payment to debtor).
• Cash payments over $10,000. See the instructions for Form 8300, Report of Cash Payments Over $10,000 Received in a Trade or Business.

• By Leon Clinton
• January 3, 2015