UC opts out of payroll tax deferral

On Aug. 8, 2020, President Trump signed an executive order for U.S. employers to have the option to defer the collection of employee payroll taxes through Dec. 31, 2020.

Two weeks ago, the Internal Revenue Service issued guidance on this optional program. This program would call for the OASDI Social Security taxes deferred from the employees' wages through Dec. 31, 2020, to be repaid by the employees during the January through April pay period of 2021 in addition to their regular OASDI Social Security withholdings for that period. 

After this guidance from the IRS and the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO), and in consultation with the controllers at every UC location, UCOP has decided that the University of California system should not participate in this optional program at this time.

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