ARKANSAS – 2025 UNEMPLOYMENT TAX RATES AND TAXABLE WAGE BASE ANNOUNCED, WILL REMAIN THE SAME
Arkansas base unemployment tax rates will remain the same for experience rated employes, ranging from 0.100% to 10.000% in 2025. The rate for new employers will also remain the same at 1.9%. Employers will, however, see a reduction in their overall rate as the administrative assessment fee, which replaced the stabilization rate, is reduced from 0.125% to 0.100% for 2025.
The taxable wage base will remain at $7,000.
FEDERAL – IRS REMINDS EMPLOYERS OF NOVEMBER EMPLOYEE RETENTION TAX CREDIT DEADLINE
The deadline to apply for the Employee Retention Credit (ERC) Voluntary Disclosure Program (VDP) is November 22, 2024. This applies to ERC claims for the 2021 tax year only, and the employer cannot already be under IRS investigation or have received a repayment demand notice. The program allows businesses to voluntarily correct improper ERC claims from the 2021 tax year by repaying 85% of the received credit without facing penalties or interest.
Requires submission of Form 15434 through the IRS Document Upload Tool. Employers can also set up installment payment plans if full repayment is not feasible immediately.
NEW MEXICO – DISASTER UNEMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE FOR AUGUST FLOODING
Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) is available to individuals who were affected by recent flooding in New Mexico. Benefits may be available to individuals who live or work in Chaves County.
Individuals should complete the first step of the DUA process by filing a regular UI claim either online at https://www.jobs.state.nm.us or by phone at 1-877-664-6984. When applying for benefits, individuals will be asked if the work separation is related to a declared disaster in New Mexico, to which they should indicate “Yes” if employment was impacted by the flooding in the declared area.
The application deadline for impacted individuals is December 31.
OHIO – 2025 UNEMPLOYMENT TAX RATES AND TAXABLE WAGE BASE ANNOUNCED, WILL REMAIN THE SAME
Ohio unemployment experience rates will remain the same, ranging from 0.4% to 10.1%. The mutualized rate, added to an employer’s experience rate, will decrease from 0.5% in 2024 to 0.1% in 2025. Therefore, total 2025 tax rates will range from 0.5% to 10.2%. The new employer rate will remain at 2.7%, except for construction employers which will remain at 5.6%. The delinquency rate will also decrease from 13.3% to 12.8%.
The taxable wage base will remain at $9,000.
OREGON – 2025 TAX RATE SCHEDULE, TAXABLE WAGE BASE ANNOUNCED
The Oregon Employment Department (OED) mailed tax rate information to employers for both Paid Leave Oregon and Unemployment Insurance on November 15. Thomas & Company should receive all Unemployment Insurance tax rate correspondence directly from the state; however, should you receive a notice, please forward to Thomas & Company for processing. Notices can be sent to [email protected].
Tax Schedule 3 will remain in effect for 2025. However, due to the expiration of House Bill 3389, which was passed to support Oregon employers negatively impacted by the pandemic, the OED will be returning to the standard rules that were in place pre-pandemic for 2025. While HB 3389 required the state to use employer’s 2020 experience rating to calculate tax rates, the procedure for 2025 calculations will now revert with wages and benefit charges from 3Q21-2Q24 being used to calculate 2025 tax rates.
For 2025, the taxable wage base will increase to $54,300, up from $52,800 in 2024.
SOUTH CAROLINA – 2025 UNEMPLOYMENT TAX RATES AND TAXABLE WAGE BASE ANNOUNCED, WILL REMAIN THE SAME OR DECREASE
South Carolina base unemployment tax rates will remain the same or decrease in 2025, with rates ranging from 0.00% to 5.400%, depending on an employer’s benefit ratio. The Solvency Surcharge and Departmental Administrative Contingency Assessment will remain at 0.00% and 0.060%, respectively, and will be added to the base rate.
The taxable wage base will remain at $14,000.
WYOMING – TAXABLE WAGE BASE INCREASE
Wyoming’s taxable wage base will increase to $32,400 in 2025, up 4.9% from $30,900 in 2024.
