Importing State Tax Rates (SUTA)

You can import changes to Client State Tax Rates (SUTA) to reduce the amount of manual work required.

Note: This import template is only available to service providers who have full access to the State Tax Rates (SUTA) form enabled for their user role and for non-client reporting states.

To upload and import state tax rates:

1. Select Client.
2. From Client|Change, select State Tax Rates (SUTA).
3. On the State Tax Rates (SUTA) form, click Import to launch the Data Import Tool form. (This button displays for all user roles except Inquiry Only.)

The State Tax Rates (SUTA) import template option and its tabs/fields automatically display when you access this template directly from the State Tax Rates (SUTA) form.

You can also navigate directly to the Data Import Tool by clicking (Back Office), then select Data Import Tool on the Operations|Import Processing menu.

When you select the import template that you want, the required file layout displays in the form. Before you can upload and import data, your file must be saved in either comma-separated values (.csv) tabular format or text tab delimited (.txt) format with no spaces or special characters in the file name. (Note: You can click Download Sample Header File to download a sample Excel data file in .csv format, which can be saved in either .csv or .txt format before importing it.)

Note the following:

• Importing only creates/adds new entries and does not edit or update existing state tax rate entries.
• If you try to import a record with the same state code and effective date combination as an existing record the following message displays, "A record already exists for Client <Client ID> for <state code> with an effective date of <effective date>. Updates to existing records should be done on the State Tax Rates (SUTA) form."
• You can import at the operations level for single clients or for multiple clients at once.

The layout requirements are:

Field Description

Column Number

The corresponding column number for the imported data.

Category Description
• Client ID (required): Unique identifier for the client.
• State Code (required): The two-character state code.
• Effective Date (required): The date when the rate goes into effect.
• SUTA Bill Rate: The SUTA Bill Rate for the state that applies to the client.
• Officer SUTA Rate: The Officer SUTA Rate, if it is different for officers.
• SDI Rate: The employer's SDI Rate, if the employer pays disability insurance in this state.
• Wage Base Override: The taxable Wage Base Override the system should use for SUTA billing calculations for the state.
• State Misc 3 Employee Rate: The State Misc 3 Employee Rate to set employee tax rates for codes 22-40 (Massachusetts) or 48-40 (Washington) paid family medical leave. For example, you can decrease the tax rate paid by employees.

The following fields indicate the miscellaneous override rates for employer-paid taxes. (Note: If you leave any of State Misc fields blank, the system uses the default rate.)

• State Misc1 Rate: The State Misc1 Rate (Tax ID 26).
• State Misc2 Rate: The State Misc2 Rate (Tax ID 28).
• State Misc3 Rate: The State Misc3 Rate to set employer tax rates for tax codes 22-41 (Massachusetts) and 48-41 (Washington).

Required?

Indicates if the field is required.

Note the following when using the State Tax Rates (SUTA) import template:

• If you select a state code based on settings on the State Rules form and on the Tax tab on the Client Details form a warning displays on the Messages tab in this import template before you select Import, which prevents you from adding an unnecessary record if the state is not set up as a client reporting state.

For example:

• If the SUTA PEO/Client Based field is set to SUTA is PEO Based on the State Rules form the following message displays, "Warning: <state code> is not a client reporting state. There should not be a client reporting entry required for Client <Client ID>. Row <row number>."
• If there is no state code set on the Tax tab in the State Tax Setup panel on the Client Details form the following message displays, "Warning: The State Information for <Client ID>/<State Code> is not on Client Details State Tax Setup section. Row <row number>."
• If the SUTA PEO/Client Based field is set to SUTA is PEO Based on the State Rules form AND you select the Officer SUTA Client Based field the following message displays, "Warning: Client Reporting is required for Officers only in <state code> for Client <Client ID>. Row <row number>."

Note: These warnings are informational only and when you select Import, the system imports the data unless there are other failure messages. In addition, the warning messages display in the Confirmation Report after the import finishes with the "Success" import status.

• Two failure errors occur in conjunction with the Wage Base Override column:
• If the amount is less than zero (0) the following error displays, "You can't set an override wage base less than zero - Client <Client ID> Row <row number>."
• If the amount is equal to zero (0) the following error displays, "You can't set an override wage base of zero - Client <Client ID> Row <row number>."
• Users whose user role is set to DENY for the State Tax Rates (SUTA) form cannot import data using the State Tax Rates (SUTA) import template and subsequently, the Data Import Tool icon will not display on this form.
• Users whose user role is set to FULL or INQUIRY for the State Tax Rates (SUTA) form, but whose user role is also set to DENY for the Data Import Tool cannot view the Import icon on the State Tax Rates (SUTA) form.
• Users whose user role is set to INQUIRY for the State Tax Rates (SUTA) form can view the State Tax Rates (SUTA) import template, but cannot import data.
• Users whose user role is set to INQUIRY for the Data Import Tool can view the form and import template options, but cannot import data.
• Users who do not have access to a particular company through client access groups are unable to import data into that company.