Form 941

Form 941, the Employer's Quarterly Federal Tax Return, is the form employers file every quarter to report wages paid, federal income tax withheld, and both the employee and employer shares of Social Security and Medicare.

It is due the last day of the month after each quarter ends: April 30, July 31, October 31 and January 31. The taxes themselves are deposited on a monthly or semiweekly schedule, depending on how much the employer owed in an earlier lookback period. Very small employers may be told to file the yearly Form 944 instead.

The four quarters should add up to the totals on the employees' W-2s. Federal unemployment goes on Form 940. See employer payroll taxes and the payroll calculator.