Household Employer

• Baby-Sitters
• Butlers
• Caretakers
• Chauffeurs
• Cooks
• Crews of private yachts
• Gardeners
• Governesses/Governors
• Home health care workers
• Housekeepers
• Janitors
• Laundry workers
• Maids
• Pilots of private airplanes for family use
• Pool maintenance persons
• Valets
• Waiters/Waitresses

• Carpenters
• Electricians
• Librarians
• Musicians
• Nurses leased from a nursing registry
• Painters
• Plumbers
• Private secretaries
• Tutors
• Workers leased from an employee leasing service
• Workers provided by independent businesses (e.g., a janitorial service, catering service, gardening service, or pool maintenance service)

Annual:

• Reports wages quarterly and pays taxes annually.
• Pays household wages of $20,000 or less annually and chooses to be an annual household employer.

Quarterly:

• Reports wages quarterly and pays taxes quarterly.
• Pays household wages that exceed $20,000 annually or pays household wages of $20,000 or less annually, and does not choose to be an annual household employer.

The amount of wages you pay in a calendar quarter will determine the payroll taxes you are required to withhold and pay.

*If wages are below $750 in a following quarter, you must continue to withhold SDI from your employees’ wages through the rest of the current year and through the following calendar year.

**If wages are below $1,000 in a following quarter, you must continue to withhold SDI from your employees’ wages and pay UI and ETT through the rest of the current year and through the following calendar year.

Household employers are not required to withhold Personal Income Tax (PIT); however, they are required to report PIT wages for each household employee. If a household employee wishes to have PIT withheld from his or her wages and you agree to withhold it, you need to report and send the PIT withheld to the EDD. The California Withholding Schedules are available online.

If you are a household employer you must report when you employ one or more people and pay cash wages of $750 or more in a calendar quarter. Cash wages include both checks and cash. Do not include noncash wages, such as meals and lodging, when calculating if you have reached $750 in cash wages.

You must register with us within 15 days after paying $750 in total cash wages. Register online with e-Services for Business.

The following examples will help you decide when you must register with us and begin paying payroll taxes:

Use e-Services for Business to register for your employer payroll tax account number. It’s fast, easy, secure, and available at all times.

1. Create a username and password.

• Go to e-Services for Business.
• Select Enroll.
• Enter the required information and select Next.
• Choose your security questions and answer each question, then select Continue.
• Review the Enrollment Summary and print a copy for your records, then select Submit.
• Select the verification link in the email we sent you to complete the enrollment process.

Important: If you do not verify your email address within 24 hours, you will need to restart the enrollment process.

2. Log in to e-Services for Business.

• Select New Employer, then select Next.
• Select Register for Employer Payroll Tax Account Number.
• Complete the online registration application.
• Select Submit.

This process will create an employer payroll tax account number.

If you have already registered online, do not use this alternate method.

Complete the registration form Employers of Household Workers Registration and Update Form (DE 1HW) (PDF). Annual household employers must also complete the Employer of Household Worker Election Notice (DE 89) (PDF) if election is made after filing DE 1HW. Mail or fax your completed registration form to the address or fax number below.

Mail to:
Employment Development Department
Account Services Group, MIC 28
PO Box 826880
Sacramento CA 94280-0001

Fax: 1-916-654-9211

Note: Registration by mail can take 10-14 days to process.

All employers are required to electronically submit employment tax returns, wage reports, and payroll tax deposits to the EDD. You can use e-Services for Business to comply with the e-file and e-pay mandate. It’s a fast, easy, and secure way to file, pay, and manage your employer payroll tax accounts online. For more information and approved electronic filing and payment methods, visit E-file and E-pay Mandate for Employers.

Quarterly Household Employers

Quarterly household employers will file the Quarterly Contribution Return and Report of Wages (DE 9) and Quarterly Contribution Return and Report of Wages (Continuation) (DE 9C) each quarter and submit payroll tax deposits electronically.

Annual Household Employers

Annual household employers are required to file an Employer of Household Worker(s) Quarterly Report of Wages and Withholding (DE 3BHW) each quarter and an Employer of Household Worker(s) Annual Payroll Tax Return (DE 3HW) annually.

DE 3BHW

DE 3BHW is used to report employee quarterly wages subject to Unemployment Insurance (UI), Employment Training Tax (ETT), State Disability Insurance (SDI) taxes, and Personal Income Tax (PIT) wages. If PIT is withheld, that amount is also reported on this form. Even though taxes are paid just once a year, wages must be reported each quarter by state law. For any quarter that you do not pay wages, you must still file the report.

DE 3HW

DE 3HW is used by household employers who elect to pay taxes annually. DE 3HW is used to send withheld UI, ETT, and SDI to the EDD. If PIT is withheld, that amount is also sent to the EDD with this form. If your total accumulated wages exceed $20,000 during the year, you must notify the EDD immediately that you need to change to a quarterly household employer.

Quarter Reporting Format for Forms and Deposits

Many EDD forms require you to specify the quarter on the report and/or deposit. The date format used on forms for reporting and/or making deposits is the last 2 digits of the year and then one digit representing each quarter. Entering the incorrect format may cause delays, penalties, interest, and/or misapplication of funds.

For example, if you're submitting in 2024:

• 1st quarter of 2024 is entered as 241, which is 24 for 2024 and 1 for the first quarter.
• Subsequent quarters would be 242, 243, and 244.

For due dates, visit the Payroll Tax Calendar.

To be considered on time, electronic forms must be submitted on or before the due date. Paper forms must be postmarked on or before the due date.

Penalty and interest will be charged on late reports. For more information, visit the Interest Rate page.

Note: If you didn’t pay any wages during a quarter, you are still considered an employer and are required to sign and file the DE 9C and DE 9 for quarterly employers and DE 3BHW for annual employers. Check the No Payroll box in Item B, then sign and mail the report. If you do not expect to pay wages within the next year, complete a Commercial Employer Account Registration and Update Form (DE 1) (PDF).

Still have questions? Additional information is available through our no-fee payroll tax seminars, or by calling the Taxpayer Assistance Center at 1-888-745-3886.

Household employers can obtain more information on reporting requirements from the following:

• E-file and E-pay Mandate for Employers
• Information Sheet – Household Employment (DE 231L) (PDF)
• Household Employer’s Guide (DE 8829) (PDF)
• Required Filings and Due Dates
• How to Determine Taxable Wages
• How to Calculate Unemployment Insurance and Employment Training Tax
• How to Calculate State Disability Insurance Tax
• How to Correct Prior Reports or Deposits