Z-1056.2 _______________________________________________
SENATE BILL 6414
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State of Washington 54th Legislature 1996 Regular Session
By Senators Pelz and Newhouse; by request of Employment Security Department
Read first time 01/15/96. Referred to Committee on Labor, Commerce & Trade.
AN ACT Relating to the voluntary withholding of federal income tax from unemployment insurance benefit payments; adding a new section to chapter 50.20 RCW; creating new sections; and providing an effective date.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that:
(1) The unique federal and state partnership of the unemployment insurance program places a special responsibility on states, and selected Congressional legislation requires conforming legislation at the state level;
(2) The most recent conformity legislation requires states to offer unemployed workers the option of having the employment security department withhold federal income tax from unemployment insurance benefits;
(3) Unemployment benefits have been subject to income tax for several years, and voluntary withholding is a reasonable strategy some claimants will use to spread the payment of their federal income tax liability over several weeks or months rather than a single payment at income tax time; and
(4) Conformity with federal law supports the federal and state partnership and responds to the needs of this state's unemployed workers.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 50.20 RCW to read as follows:
(1) An individual filing a new claim for unemployment insurance must, at the time of filing such claim, be advised that:
(a) Unemployment insurance is subject to federal income tax;
(b) Requirements exist pertaining to estimated tax payments;
(c) The individual may elect to have federal income tax deducted and withheld from the individual's payment of unemployment insurance at the amount specified in the federal internal revenue code; and
(d) The individual is permitted to change a previously elected withholding status.
(2) Amounts deducted and withheld from unemployment compensation must remain in the unemployment fund until transferred to the federal taxing authority as a payment of income tax.
(3) The commissioner shall follow all procedures specified by the United States department of labor and the federal internal revenue service pertaining to the deducting and withholding of income tax.
(4) The commissioner shall adopt rules to implement this section. Amounts shall be deducted and withheld in accordance with the priorities established in rules adopted by the commissioner.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. If any part of this act is found to be in conflict with federal requirements that are a prescribed condition to the allocation of federal funds to the state or the eligibility of employers in this state for federal unemployment tax credits, the conflicting part of this act is hereby declared to be inoperative solely to the extent of the conflict, and such finding or determination shall not affect the operation of the remainder of this act. The rules under this act shall meet federal requirements that are a necessary condition to the receipt of federal funds by the state or the granting of federal unemployment tax credits to employers in this state.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. This act shall take effect December 31, 1996, and shall apply to payments made after December 31, 1996.
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