Senators Announce Bill to Make Participation in Payroll Tax Deferral Program Optional
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SUMMARY: Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and colleagues announce legislation to make the payroll tax deferral optional for workers. Today, Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) announced that he will introduce the Protecting Employees from Surprise Taxes Act of 2020 legislation that would make the payroll tax deferral optional for workers. Under the NTEU-endorsed bill, written consent from the employee would be required before any payroll taxes could be deferred under the section of the Tax Code that President Trump used to order this deferral. Should an employer defer payroll tax withholdings without the employee’s consent, the employer would become solely liable for paying those taxes. The bill would also require employers who choose to implement the deferral to provide their employees with information about the tax consequences of the deferral and their right to consent or decline. While this legislation is not retroactive and would have no impact on payroll taxes that have already been deferred, it would address any deferrals going forward, providing employees some relief if they do not want to continue to participate in the program. Senator Van Hollen plans to introduce the bill once the Senate reconvenes. To date, the bill has 16 cosponsors. NTEU has long called for the payroll tax deferral to be optional for federal employees. We commend Senator Van Hollen and the bill’s cosponsors for listening to federal workers and attempting to help them with this ill-conceived plan. I will keep you updated with any developments. |
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