University of Arizona
Financial Services Office

Payroll - Tax Information

 

Form W-2 - Understanding your Forms W-2 and 1042-S

Form W-4 - Employee's Withholding Allowance Certificate

Arizona Form A-4 - Employee’s Arizona Withholding Percentage Election

Arizona WEC - Withholding Exemption Certificate (Arizona Form WEC)

Arizona WECI - Withholding Exemption Certificate Native American (Arizona Form WECI)

FICA - The Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA)

 


Form W-4 - Employee's Withholding Allowance Certificate - Complete Form W-4 to figure the correct amount of federal income tax to have withheld from your paycheck.   You may want to refigure your withholding each year if your tax situation changes.


Form Deadline:  Friday 5:00pm non-pay week.

 

Here's How:
Use Employee Link Self Service System Payroll Info - Tax Forms Online.
Select IRS Form W-4 to complete or to change your Federal Tax withholding allowances.
Select the marital status that applies to your Withholding Status:  Single, Married, Married but withhold at the higher Single Rate.
The name on your social security card and the name on the Form W4 must match.  If your social security card contains the correct name but your university record does not, take your social security card to Financial Services Office, Operations/Payroll, University Services Building, Room 402 to request a name change.
Enter the total number of withholding allowances you want to claim. Use the W-4 Worksheet to calculate the number of allowances to claim or you can also use the IRS Withholding Calculator to calculate your withholding allowances more exactly. 
Enter an additional dollar amount, if any, you want to withhold from each paycheck.
To claim exemption from withholding, you generally would have to have had no tax liability the previous year and expect none in the current year. An exemption certificate is only valid for the current calendar year. Check the exemption box if you meet both conditions.
Click on the Submit button to update your Form W-4.
The withholding will become effective on the next scheduled pay date.


Arizona Form A-4 Employee’s Arizona Withholding Percentage Election - Arizona Revised Statutes (ARS) §43-401 requires your employer to withhold Arizona Income Tax from your compensation paid for services performed in Arizona for application toward your Arizona income tax liability.  Arizona withholding is a percentage of the amount of federal income tax withheld.

 

Form Deadline:  Friday 5:00pm non-pay week

 

Here's How:
Use Employee Link Self Service System Payroll Info - Tax Forms Online.
Select Arizona Form A-4 to complete or to change your Arizona state tax percentage.   Arizona tax withholdings are based on a percentage of the federal income tax withheld.
Select only one option on the Form A-4 that applies to you; then check the desired tax withholding percentage:
Option 1: Select this option if your annual compensation is $15,000 or more.  The minimum withholding percentage is 19%. 
Option 2: Select this option if your annual compensation is less than $15,000.  The minimum withholding percentage is 10%. 
Option 3: Select this option only if you had no Arizona tax liability for the prior taxable year, and expect to have no Arizona tax liability for the current taxable year.  If you select this option you must file a new form each year in January since the form is only valid for the current calendar year.
Click on the Submit button to update your Form A-4.
The withholding will become effective on the next scheduled pay date.

 


Arizona WEC Withholding Exemption Certificate (Arizona Form WEC) - A nonresident employee who performs services for an employer within Arizona may claim an exemption from Arizona income tax withholding providing the following two requirements are met:

1. The employee is a resident of, or domiciled in, one of the following states: California, Indiana, Oregon, or Virginia; and
2. The employee is allowed a tax credit for income taxes paid to the employee’s state of residency or domicile pursuant to Arizona Revised Statute (ARS) §43-1096.

 

Form Deadline:  Friday 5:00pm non-pay week

 

Here's How:
Complete Arizona Form WEC to claim an exemption from Arizona income tax withholding. 
Submit the completed and signed form to FSO Operations/Payroll, University Services Building, PO Box 210158, Rm 402.
The withholding will become effective on the next scheduled pay date.

 

Arizona WECI Withholding Exemption Certificate Native American (Arizona Form WECI)- A tribal enrolled Native American employee who lives and is employed within an Indian reservation established for that tribe and thereby claims that no Arizona state income tax liabilities exist based on the decision by the Supreme Court of the United States in McClanahan vs. Arizona State Tax Commission, 411 U.S. 164, 93 S. Ct. 1257 (1973), may use this form to claim exemption from withholding. 

 

Form Deadline:  Friday 5:00pm non-pay week

 

Here's How:
Complete Arizona Form WECI to claim an exemption from Arizona income tax withholding. 
Submit the completed and signed form to FSO Operations/Payroll, University Services Building, PO Box 210158, Rm 402.
The withholding will become effective on the next scheduled pay date.


FICA - The Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) is a payroll tax withheld from your pay for both Social Security (OASDI - Old Age Survivor and Disability Insurance) and Medicare (Hospital Insurance). Social Security (OASDI) is withheld on taxable gross income up to a certain wage limit each year, but there is no wage limit for Medicare withholding. The current rates of withholding are 6.2 percent for OASDI and 1.45 percent for Medicare. FICA Wage and Tax Limits are included in the table below. 

 

 

FICA Limits


Year

Annual Social Security Wage Base

Social Security Tax Rate

Maximum Annual Social Security Tax Withholding

Annual Medicare Wage Base

Medicare Tax Rate

2007

$97,500

6.2%

$6,045.00

No annual limit

1.45%

2006

$94,200

6.2%

$5,840.40

No annual limit

1.45%

2005

$90,000

6.2%

$5,580.00

No annual limit

1.45%

2004

$87,900

6.2%

$5,449.80

No annual limit

1.45%

2003

$87,000

6.2%

$5,394.00

No annual limit

1.45%

2002

$84,900

6.2%

$5,263.80

No annual limit

1.45%

2001

$80,400

6.2%

$4,984.80

No annual limit

1.45%

2000

$76,200

6.2%

$4,724.40

No annual limit

1.45%

1999

$72,600

6.2%

$4,501.20

No annual limit

1.45%

1998

$68,400

6.2%

$4,240.80

No annual limit

1.45%

1997

$65,400

6.2%

$4,054.80

No annual limit

1.45%

 

FICA withholding rules may differ based on employee types.

 

Student Employee Guidelines
Internal Revenue Service Code Section 3121(b)(10), known as the "student FICA exception," excludes FICA tax withholding from wages paid to a student who is enrolled and regularly attending classes" at a college or university.  The IRS regulations clarifying the student exception to FICA tax for students employed by a school, college, or university where the student is pursuing a course of study are available at: http://www.irs.gov/charities/article/0,,id=120663,00.html

 

Non U.S. Citizen Employee FICA Guidelines
Non U.S. citizen students and scholars in the following visa classifications: F-1, J-1, M-1 and Q-1 are subject to special IRS FICA withholding rules.
 

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