Technology is advancing rapidly when it comes to an employee verification request, and many companies are moving away from the more traditional methods for quicker, more secure, and more accurate methods. Rather than dealing with pay stubs, employment verification letters, and digging up former contracts, you should find a trusted partner to handle your employment verification. This isn’t just a HR issue – verification of employment (VOE) is vital in the government sector and for financial institutions as well.

But who should you choose? And what are some of the most important aspects to keep in mind when doing so? In this article, we’re going to give you some of the most important tips for finding the best voe provider.

1. Be Certain it’s Secure

When it comes to employment verification, the accuracy and quality of the information are essential or the entire process breaks down. You need to find a trusted partner who not only has accurate and up-to-date data, but also takes data privacy, security, and compliance seriously. Be sure that any solution you look at is FCRA compliant, and has SOC I & II certifications. Additionally, always opt for at-rest encryption, proactive threat screening, and masked PII.

2. Be Sure it’s Easy to Use

It doesn’t matter how advanced an employment verification tool is– if it’s too difficult to use easily, it’s only going to slow down your team. More and more, software can be bloated and complex, so make sure that whatever you’re using to handle your employment verification requests it’s not cumbersome to perform simple tasks like confirming an employee’s annual salary, job title, employment history, and other details.

3) Be Sure the Reporting Options are Solid

One shortcoming of many VOE providers is their lack of meaningful reporting options within their solutions. You’ll want a system that allows for you to keep an eye on how many verifications are being requested and why. Is a current or former employee needing voe for a loan? Is a Federal government agency inquiring? Be sure that any solution you choose gives you powerful reporting options. This is especially important for loan origination and KYC (Know Your Customer) functions when drawing up risk profiles.

4) Put Users in Control

This is a simple concept, but it can save your organization lots of time. If you find a solution that allows users to log in and make requests and see certain information on their own, it will limit smaller clerical tasks that your HR team has to handle. We recommend PIN-based solutions that will put the user in control and also limit who can access personal data.

Let Quentelle Handle Your Next Employee Verification Request

Not only is Quentelle the best in class when it comes to your company’s data privacy and security handling employment verification, but we offer the most powerful and simple user experience on the market and excellent reporting. We also allow for PIN-based log-ins for your employees. Not only will we help you handle every aspect of your company’s employment verification, but if anyone in your human resources department has questions we have unmatched client support to help you in any way you need.

Our software is smart and simple and is the perfect tool for your company no matter how many employees you have. Do you have any additional questions? Do you need an employment verification method that you can trust? Let’s talk about how we can help. Schedule a demo today by filling out a form, or giving us a call.

If you’re a business owner, hiring manager, or higher-up, you need to know about the Work Opportunity Tax Credit program made available by the Internal Revenue Service. Often abbreviated as the WOTC program, this could be an incredible opportunity for your business to receive a tax break. Here are some important ways that your business can maximize from the WOTC program.

What is the Work Opportunity Tax Credit?

At a high level, the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) is a Federal tax credit that employers can take advantage of by hiring people from certain target groups. The people that the WOTC requires you to hire typically face hardships when it comes to finding a job, so the government incentivizes businesses like yours to give these people a chance by providing you with tax credits. Many business owners find that once hired, these individuals are some of their finest employees who are grateful for an opportunity.

So how can your business make use of the WOTC tax credit program?

1. Screen Every Potential Employee

Many companies don’t maximize on the WOTC because they don’t screen everyone they hire for a potential tax credit. Many employers don’t have the extra time and bandwidth to follow the simple process the IRS lays out, and they miss out on their opportunity for tax credits. If you are vigilant and screen every potential employee, and then file your paperwork in a timely manner, you can be sure you don’t miss any credit opportunities.

2. Use Form 8850 Properly

To earn your tax savings, you’ll have to follow a process set forth by the IRS that requires you to file Form 8850 within 28 days after anyone eligible for the credit begins work. It’s a sad fact, but it’s common that a business that doesn’t file in time or files incorrectly won’t receive the income tax break they’re expecting.

3. Educate Yourself on Who Qualifies

The WOTC is in place so that potential employees who consistently face significant barriers to employment have an opportunity to work. Some examples are qualified veterans, designated community residents, and ex-felons just to name a few. The full list is on the IRS website. When you educate yourself on who is eligible, you can even tailor specific job listings seeking these types of individuals to give them a chance to work for you. You’re not only helping needy families, but you’ll also reduce your business income tax liability. It’s important to remember that the tax credit varies for the different target groups within the WOTC.

Quentelle is the Best Way to Maximize the WOTC Program

Truly, the easiest and fastest way to do all three of the tips listed above is to use the turnkey WOTC software that we here at Quentelle provide.

Through our partnership with Walton (a leading provider of tax credits), our software will provide you with a streamlined solution that will screen every potential employee easily and virtually automatically. Additionally, you’ll be able to E-sign and file your Form 8850 electronically.

When you use Quentelle, you’ll have a WOTC program that is effortless and gets you the maximum tax credit for your income tax liability. We can also help tax-exempt employers claim their WOTC benefits properly.

Our software is smart and simple. Schedule a demo today by filling out a form, or giving us a call.

For many businesses, paying taxes means filing federal, state, and local income taxes. Many companies overlook unemployment taxes.  Because they are paid quarterly, it’s easy to forget in the middle of hectic day-to-day operations. There’s no media presence reminding organizations to pay these taxes. It’s up to businesses to ensure that these taxes are paid on time.

Unemployment Taxes

Employers pay federal unemployment taxes (FUTA) and state unemployment taxes (SUTA). Only Alaska, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania require employees to pay a state unemployment tax. The taxes are used to fund benefits for unemployed individuals. 

Taxes are placed in a trust fund that states use to pay benefits to qualified individuals. If a state has insufficient funds, it may draw on the federal fund to help bridge the gap. Each state is responsible for administering unemployment benefits.

Unemployment taxes are paid quarterly on dates established by the IRS. Failure to pay taxes on time can result in penalties and fines. Delays in paying these taxes may result in state or federal audits. To ensure that taxes or paid on time and in full, be sure to avoid the following common mistakes.

Poor Hiring Policies

Tax planning begins before a candidate becomes an employee. Unemployment tax rates are partially based on the number of filed claims. To ensure the lowest rates possible, businesses need to minimize the number of unemployment claims. That means hiring the right candidate. When evaluating potential new hires, make sure to:

• Evaluate how well candidates fit the corporate culture. Include individuals from across the enterprise in the interview process. Diverse interviewers provide different perspectives on how a potential employee fits with the culture.
• Vet a candidate. Companies must perform their due diligence when it comes to checking an employee’s background. In a rush to hire, critical pieces of information can be missed.
• Define job requirements. Take the time to review the position requirements. Using an old job description can have unfortunate consequences. No position stays the same as technologies, markets and customers change.
• Provide training. Making sure a new hire has all the resources necessary to succeed increases the chances of a good hire. It also serves as documentation should the employee claim they were not adequately trained.

No matter how comprehensive the hiring process, companies may have to terminate an employee. How the process is handled can impact unemployment tax rates. Offering outplacement assistance may reduce the time an ex-employee is out of work. Severance packages may also minimize the eligibility period. Knowing how unemployment taxes are assessed can help organizations make informed decisions on how or when to terminate employees.

Employee Misclassification

The most common misclassification is classifying a person as a contractor rather than an employee. According to the IRS, a person is an employee if:

• A business dictates how, when, where, and how long a person performs job responsibilities.
• An individual is reimbursed for expenses or is provided supplies or tools without charge.
• An individual receives defined benefits such as insurance, pension, vacation, or sick time.
• A business considers the position to be ongoing with duties critical to the success of the company.

However, there are other classifications based on residency status, type of work, and work location. With a growing gig economy, some states such as California are attempting to enact legislation that may change employee classifications. If successful, these state laws could impact employee classifications.

Miscalculation of Taxes

Calculating state unemployment taxes depends on the state in which the employee works. If a company has employees working in different states, the tax must be calculated and paid according to its regulations. Federal taxes are calculated according to the following:

• Taxes are based on gross pay.
• Taxes are applied on the first $7,000 per employee per year.
• Taxes are based on a published rate.

For example, an employee is paid $1,000 per week before any withholding or deductions are made. The tax rate is currently 6%, so the amount of tax due is $60 for a total of $420 per year. 

The IRS, which controls the federal unemployment tax, does allow certain exemptions when calculating gross pay. Some of these exemptions include fringe benefits, expense reimbursements, life and health insurance payments, and employer contributions to retirement plans.

Late or Not Filing

 What happens if you don’t have the funds to pay quarterly taxes? File anyway. If tax forms are not filed, the IRS assesses a failure-to-file penalty. The amount of the penalty is 5% of the unpaid amount. The 5% penalty is charged per month until the balance is paid in full.

To avoid filing penalties, place the weekly amounts in a separate account. If the tax payment amount is maintained in a separate account, it is less likely to be used to pay for ordinary expenses. Even with a different account, businesses, especially in the startup phase, borrow from the account to cover the costs with every intention of paying back the “loan.” Unfortunately, the repayment doesn’t happen.

Instead of not filing, organizations should file and pay whatever they can. Companies can file for extensions or contact the IRS to negotiate an installment payment plan.

Poor Record Keeping

Businesses know to keep records to support their income tax payments. They also need to keep records to support how unemployment payments were calculated. For example, how was gross pay determined for all employees? What criteria were applied to determine employee status? When did raises go into effect? Answers to these questions impact the amount of taxes to be paid.

Proper record-keeping extends beyond tax payments. Human resources must make sure that complete records are maintained on all employees. This means tracking time off, recording training performance, and documenting disciplinary actions. These records can help dispute an employee claim for unemployment.

Not Using Professionals

Unemployment taxes are more complicated than many companies realize. Unlike the federal tax laws, states differ in how they collect and process unemployment taxes and claims. Keeping up with the tax laws can be overwhelming, especially if a business has employees in multiple states. Making sure your organization complies with state and federal regulations means finding knowledgeable professionals to help. If you need a partner to help, schedule a demo to see how our solution can take the worry out of unemployment taxes.