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California Employer News and Updates

Find the latest tax news, annual updates, and resources to support you and your business.

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Payroll Tax News

Stay up to date on payroll tax news.

December 2024

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Employer Updates

We’re excited to announce that our updated payroll tax seminar registration system is now available. This user friendly system allows you to easily register for free seminars to learn how to stay in compliance with state payroll tax laws. Some features of this new system include:

  • A new modernized look and feel.
  • The ability to add seminars to Google, Apple, or Outlook calendar.
  • The ability to modify user information or cancel registrations.
  • Friendly email reminders about upcoming registrations and more.

Explore upcoming payroll tax seminars and register today!

Support is available for employers affected by the firestorms and severe wind conditions in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties. You may request an extension of up to 60-days to file your payroll tax reports and deposit payroll taxes. You may request an extension by calling the Taxpayer Assistance Center at 1-888-745-3886 or in writing. For additional information, refer to Information Sheet: State of Emergency or Disaster (DE 231SED) (PDF).

For in-person assistance, find the nearest Disaster Recovery Center at CA.gov/LAfires or find the nearest EDD Tax Offices located in Anaheim, Santa Fe Springs, and Van Nuys. EDD representatives are onsite to help.

Your business can find additional in-person help at local Business Recovery Centers. Visit Help Your Business on CA.gov/LAfires for a list of resources and support available for businesses impacted by the wildfires.

Your 2025 Notice of Contribution Rates and Statement of Unemployment Insurance (UI) Reserve Account (DE 2088) will be mailed by December 31, 2024. Review the DE 2088 for your 2025 tax rates and UI reserve account activity. The DE 2088 also notifies employers if they are subject to ETT.

For 2025, the UI taxable wage limit and the Employment Training Tax (ETT) taxable wage limit is $7,000 per employee. The ETT rate will remain at 0.1 percent (.001).

See the reverse side of your DE 2088 for more information about the DE 2088 and your protest rights. You can also refer to the Explanation of the Notice of Contribution Rates and Statement of UI Reserve Account (DE 2088) for the Period Shown on Your DE 2088 (DE 2088C).

To get specific rate information, change your address, or update your agent, go to e-Services for Business or call the department at 1-888-745-3886.

Did you know you can submit a benefit charge or UI rate protest online? We encourage you to take advantage of our e-Services for Business protest feature. It’s a quick, safe, and easy way to file your protest and receive a confirmation.

You can submit the following types of protests:

Benefit Charge

  • Statement of Charges to Reserve Account (DE 428T)
  • Statement of Reimbursable Benefit Charges (DE 428R)
  • School Employees Fund Employer Statement of Benefit Charges (DE 428F)

UI Rate

  • Notice of Contribution Rates and Statement of UI Reserve Account (DE 2088)

For more information, visit the e-Services for Business FAQs.

As an employer, you play an important role in the success of the New Employee Reporting and Independent Contractor Reporting programs. These reports are checked against child support records. This helps locate parents so that wage withholding orders can be set up or to enforce existing orders. The information is also sent to the National Directory of New Hires to find parents who owe child support in other states. Nearly 30 percent of child support cases involve parents who do not live in the same state as their children.

As part of the New Employee Registry (NER) program, all employers must report new hires, or employee(s) rehired after a separation of 60 consecutive days, to the Employment Development Department (EDD) within 20 days of their first day of work.

As part of the Independent Contractor Reporting (ICR) program, you must report information about independent contractors to the EDD if you hire an independent contractor and all the following conditions apply:

  • You have filed or are required to file a Form 1099-MISC or 1099-NEC for the services performed by the independent contractor.
  • You pay the independent contractor $600 or more or enter into a contract for $600 or more.
  • The independent contractor is an individual, sole proprietor, or single- member LLC.

For more information on the new hire and independent contractor programs or the reporting requirements, please visit Reporting Requirements.

For information on how to make child support payments to the California State Disbursement Unit, please visit childsupport.ca.gov/state-disbursement-unit/.

We‘ve updated our online services for employers so that it is easier to use and more secure than ever before:

  • Employer Services Online:
    • A new design that makes it easier to navigate.
    • Added a new password indicator feature to let you know in real time if you meet the requirements for creating a secure password.
  • e-Services for Business:
    • Improved the security questions to help protect your account from unauthorized access.

To help with these changes, we’ve updated our enroll as an employer and enroll as representative webpages that include step by step instructions for enrolling in e-Services for Business. You can also view our e-Services for Business tutorials for further guidance.

Annual Updates

Resources