TaxBandits Knowledge Base

How do I file Form 944 in TaxBandits?

Form 944 is an annual tax return form used by certain small employers to report and pay their social security, Medicare, and withheld federal income taxes for their employees.

Generally, employers who have an annual payroll tax liability of $1,000 or less for the year, or new employers who expect to have that amount for the year, are eligible to file Form 944 instead of Form 941, 941-SS, or 941-PR, which is the quarterly payroll tax return.

So, if you’re eligible to file Form 944 or the IRS has notified you to file Form 944, you can file Form 944 instead of Form 941, 941-SS, or 941-PR. Follow the steps below to file 944 in TaxBandits:

• Sign in to your TaxBandits account.
• From the dashboard, click Start New >> Form >> 944.
• Select the employer from the address book if already filed for this employer, or enter the employer information manually and click Save and Continue.

• Choose the Tax year to file Form 944. TaxBandits allows you to file Form 944 for the current and previous tax year.

• Employer information will be pre-filled. Enter Form information such as Federal income, Medicare, and Social Security taxes on Part-1 of Form 944.

• Enter the Deposit Schedule & Tax Liability on part-2 of Form 944 and click Update and Continue.

• Enter Qualified sick leave wages and family leaves wages (if any) taken after March 31, 2021, and before October 1, 2021, on Part-3 of Form 944 and click Update and Continue.

• To confirm whether you want to allow an employee, a paid tax preparer, or another person to discuss this return with the IRS, choose either Yes or NO in Part-4 of Form 944. If Yes, enter the Designee's name, phone number, and the 5-digit Personal Identification Number (PIN) & Click Update and Continue to proceed with transmitting the Form to the IRS.

• Choose the IRS payment methods. In Taxbandits, you have the following payment options to pay the balance due, if any.

1. Electronic Funds Withdrawal (EFW)
2. Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS)
3. Credit/Debit Card
4. Check/Money Order

• Once you complete the form, a summary of the form information will be displayed. Review the form and click Continue to proceed further.
• The Form will then go through our internal audit check.  If there are any errors, click the Fix me button found against the error code to resolve it. If no errors are found in your return, click Next to continue transmitting the Form to the IRS.

Signature:
You must e-sign Form 944 to transmit the form to the IRS. Sign using your Online Signature PIN received from the IRS and proceed to file the return. In case you don’t have the Online Signature PIN, use Form 8453-EMP to sign Form 944.  

With TaxBandits, you can either electronically sign your 8453-EMP Form or manually download the completed form, sign it, and upload it in PDF format.

• Here, you can view the filing fee of Form 944. If you would like to receive text notifications or printed copies of your 944 forms, you can select them from here. Once done, click Next.

• Enter the credit card information and click Pay and Transmit to complete transmitting Form 944 to the IRS.

Once Form 944 has been successfully transmitted to the IRS, we will send you an email notifying you of the form status. Meanwhile, a copy of Form 944 will be available in the Print Center. For step-by-step instructions on accessing a copy of the form, click here.