Understanding PEO Pricing: SUTA - State Unemployment Taxes

Understanding SUTA

About State Unemployment Taxes (SUTA)

In every state in the USA employers are required to pay state unemployment taxes, commonly referred to as SUTA. SUTA tax rates and caps are usually different in each state where you have employees. Costs are charged to employers and NOT to employees. Tax amounts are calculated for each employee based on the actual wages paid to the employee and the unemployment experience rate of the company. Taxes due for each employee are usually capped at a max wage amount called the cutoff amount. Each state has different SUTA cutoff thresholds. In addition, each state has differing minimum and maximum rates. For new business (businesses without any experience rate) a default rate is established and it also varies by state. Taxes must be reported and paid on a 940 or 941 form (quarterly) and many states now require the employee level wage and tax reports to be submitted on magnetic media (like diskettes or CDs). Get an indepth analysis of how Unemployment Insurance UI and State Unemployment Taxes / SUTA are calculated.

PEO - SUTA Options

In a PEO and/or co-employment arrangement, SUTA may be calculated and paid by the PEO since they are often the employers of record with the state. This alleviates business owners and managers from the tedious and complex task of calculating and reporting SUTA. Companies with employees in multiple states find this service extremely valuable. In addition, in some states the employees may be paid under the experience rate of the PEO. Circumstances vary by state and PEO - HR Outsourcing vendor. In some HR Outsourcing situations the PEO or HR Outsourcing vendor will handle the calculations and reporting but your company will maintain your own experience rating. State Unemployment Laws vary by state and you should investigate how SUTA is handled and reported with any outsourcing vendor you are considering.

2010 SUTA Tax Rates by State:

Note: SUTA rates may change annually. Please see your particular state governmental body for the latest SUTA rates.

State

State

Minimum Rate

Maximum Rate

No SUTA Experience
(New Business or unrated)

Wages Subject to Tax
(Cutoff)

Alaska

AK

1.00%

5.40%

2.10%

$34100

Alabama

AL

2.15%

8.03%

2.90%

$8000

Arkansas

AR

0.10%

10.0%

2.90%

$12000

Arizona

AZ

0.02%

5.90%

2.00%

$7000

California

CA

0.10%

6.20%

3.40%

$7000

Colorado

CO

0.00%

5.40%

1.70%

$10000

Connecticut

CT

0.50%

6.80%

3.00%

$15000

DC

DC

0.10%

6.60%

2.70%

$9000

Delaware

DE

1.00%

8.00%

2.50%

$10500

Florida

FL

0.10%

5.40%

2.70%

$8500

Georgia

GA

0.025%

5.40%

2.62%

$8500

Hawaii

HI

0.00%

5.40%

4.00%

$38800

Iowa

IA

0.00%

8.00%

1.00%- Standard 8.00%- For Construction

$24500

Idaho

ID

0.96%

6.80%

3.36%

$33300

Illinois

IL

0.20%

7.25%

3.35%

$12520

Indiana

IN

0.10%

5.60%

2.70%

$9500

Kansas

KS

0.00%

7.40%

3.52%-5.16% Dependent on the type of business (it is highest for construction)

$8000

Kentucky

KY

0.30%

10.00%

2.70%

$8000

Louisiana

LA

0.09%

6.20%

Dependent on type of business

$7700

Massachusetts

MA

0.80%

12.27%

2.83%

$14000

Maryland

MD

0.30%

7.50%

2.40%- Standard 4.20%- For construction

$8500

Maine

ME

0.01%

5.40%

1.80%

$12000

Michigan

MI

0.06%

10.30%

2.70%- Standard 6.80-8.10%- For construction

$9000

Minnesota

MN

0.10%

10.836%

2.8674%- Standard 8.00%- For construction

$27000

Missouri

MO

0.00%

9.75%

2.70%- Standard 3.832%- For construction

$13000

Mississippi

MS

0.70%

5.4%

2.70%

$7000

Montana

MT

0.00%

6.12%

Varies dependent on type of business

$26000

North Carolina

NC

0.00%

6.84%

1.20%

$19700

North Dakota

ND

0.20%

10.00%

1.60%- Standard 8.09%- For construction

$24700

Nebraska

NE

0.00%

8.66%

Varies dependent on business type, highest for construction

$9000

New Hampshire

NH

0.10%

6.50%

2.70%

$10000

New Jersey

NJ

0.30%

5.40%

2.6825% Plus an employee SUTA contribution of .43%, plus a workforce charge of .12%

$29700

New Mexico

NM

0.30%

5.40%

2.00%

$20800

Nevada

NV

0.25%

5.40%

2.95%

$27000

New York

NY

0.70%

8.70%

4.10%

$8500

Ohio

OH

0.30%

9.20%

2.70%- Standard 5.00%- For construction

$9000

Oklahoma

OK

0.10%

5.50%

1.20%

$14900

Oregon

OR

1.80%

5.40%

2.40%

$32100

Pennsylvania

PA

0.30%

13.5576%

3.7030% Plus an employee SUTA contribution that varies between 0% and .09% of wages, dependent on the current fund balance

$8000

Puerto Rico

PR

1.00%

5.40%

2.90%

$7000

Rhode Island

RI

0.60%

9.79%

2.36% Plus an additional .21% job development tax

$19000

South Carolina

SC

0.54%

6.00%

3.40%

$7000

South Dakota

SD

0.00%

8.50%

1.20%

$10000

Tennessee

TN

0.00%

10.00%

2.70%- Standard 6.10%- For construction

$9000

Texas

TX

0.0%

6.26%

2.70%

$9000

Utah

UT

0.20%

9.20%

9.40%

$28300

Virginia

VA

0.00%

6.28%

2.50%

$8000

Virgin Islands

VI

0.00%

6.0%

1.00

$22200

Vermont

VT

0.40%

7.70%

1.00%

$10000

Washington

WA

0.00%

5.40%

Varies

$36800

Wisconsin

WI

0.00%

8.50%

3.05% For employers with payroll under $500,000 and 3.25% for those over $500,000

$12000

West Virginia

WV

1.50%

7.50%

2.70%- Standard 7.50%- For construction

$12000

Wyoming

WY

0.30%

9.10%

2.70%- Standard 2.58%- For construction

$22800

State Unemployment Benefit Rates

View this link if you are interested in State Unemployment Benefit information. Infomation on this page is meant to be a guide only.  For the most recent rates in your state consult your state authorities or visit the US Department Of Labor for more information.


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