FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: Q: I missed the deadlines, what should I do? EVERY ECU employee (including EPA, SPA, CSS, Graduate Assistants, Student, Temp, Casual and Occasional employees) MUST complete a new NC-4EZ or NC-4 Form. You can submit changes to your NC-4 at any time and the changes will be effective for the next available payroll. Until you make a change, your wages will be subject to the maximum withholding status of Single with 0 (zero) allowances as mandated by the NC DOR. Q: Who must complete a new NC-4 Form? EVERY ECU employee (including EPA, SPA, CSS, Graduate Assistants, Student, Temp, Casual and Occasional employees) MUST complete a new NC-4EZ or NC-4 Form. As mandated by the NCDOR, all ECU employees have been set to the maximum withholding status of Single with 0 (zero) allowances for pay beginning January 1, 2014. To change that status, you must complete a NC-4EZ or NC-4 Employee Withholding Allowance Certificate through Self Service Banner OR submit a paper NC-4EZ or NC-4 Form to your divisional representative. Even if you wish to remain at Single Zero you MUST certify that status through Self Service Banner OR submit a paper NC-4EZ or NC-4 Form with that election. Q: Can t you just make it simpler? Give me the step by step instructions: Through One-Stop select Banner Self Service, Select Employee Select Tax Forms Select NC-4 State Employee s Withholding Allowance Certificate Select Update Choose your Filing Status Choose your Number of Allowances Choose any Additional Amount if desired Select Certify Changes Click in the check box to certify your changes Click Submit View your confirmation YOU RE DONE! Page 1
Q: How will this impact my take home pay? The best way to estimate what will be deducted from your pay is to utilize the semi-monthly withholding tables found in the NC-30 2014 Income Tax Withholding Table and instructions for Employers document. If you have elected Single, Married or Qualifying Widow(er) use the tables on pages 24-26. If you have elected Head of Household use the tables on pages 38-40. Alternately, you can utilize the Annualized Method-Formula Tables found on page 16 and 17 of the same document using 24 pay periods. Remember to use your semi-monthly wage reduced be any pre-tax deductions such as contributions to 401K, 403b or Retirement plans, flex benefits (marked as pre-tax on your pay stub) and health insurance premiums. That taxable amount is found in the Current Taxable Gross box on your One-Stop Pay Information record. Q: My filing status and allowances is already set to Single Zero or I wish to leave my filing status at the NC DOR mandated Single Zero do I need to take any action? Even if you wish to remain at Single Zero you MUST certify that status through Self Service Banner OR submit a paper NC-4EZ or NC-4 Form with that election. Q: How can I see my current NC-4 status? You can see your current NC-4 status through Banner Self Service. Complete instructions for Banner Self Service are available at this link: NC-4 Banner Self Service Instructions. Through One-Stop select Banner Self Service, Select Employee Select Tax Forms Select NC-4 State Employee s Withholding Allowance Certificate The screen that appears shows your current Filing Status, # of Allowances and any additional amount. You can select the HISTORY tab at the bottom of the screen to review your history of changes. Page 2
Q: Can you verify that my changes were accepted? You can verify the changes through the History tab in Banner Self-Service. Q: I m a student employee and can t see the Employee option when logging onto Banner Self Service through One-Stop. As a student employee, you have two Pirate IDs. Log into One-Stop using your employee Pirate ID and passphrase, not your student login and password. Q: I m an out of state Student; do I need to complete a NC-4 form? EVERY ECU employee (including EPA, SPA, CSS, Graduate Assistants, Student, Temp, Casual and Occasional employees) MUST complete a new NC-4EZ or NC-4 Form. Even though you are an out of state student, the work you perform through the work study or graduate program is taxable in NC, the state in which the services are performed. Please follow the instructions on the Payroll web site to complete a new NC-4EZ or NC-4 Form. Q: Do ECU retirees need to complete a new NC-4 Form? Page 3
Retirees should expect to receive notification from the NC State retirement system regarding the requirement to complete a new NC-4 Form. A NEW NC-4 Form is NOT required by the ECU Payroll Office for retirees. Q: I need some help with determining the number of allowances I should choose. Neither the Payroll Office nor the University is able to give advice on the completion of the Form. You should review the resources available on the ECU Payroll Web Site, consult with your tax advisor or contact the NC DOR at 877-252-3052 if you have any questions. Q: If I complete the form through Banner Self Service, do I need to submit a paper form? If you complete your NC-4 Form through Banner Self Service you DO NOT need to submit a paper form Q: What form am I completing through Banner Self Service...the NC-4EZ or the NC-4? Through Banner Self Service you are simply selecting your filing status and number of allowances and it is being certified as changes to your 2014 NC Employee Withholding Allowance Certificate. The NC DOR provides employees with two paper form choices to attempt to simplify the process. The NC-4EZ form can be used by anyone. The NC-4 is intended to be used by employees who wish to utilize the additional schedules and worksheets to provide a more precise withholding figure. The outcome for both paper forms is the same as the Banner Self Service option. Employees are selecting their filing status and number of allowances. Q: I m not able to complete the forms The instructions to complete the form through Banner Self Service are available on the Payroll Web Site. The forms on the NC DOR web site are only able to be printed, completed and submitted to your Divisional Collection Representative. Page 4
Q: Do I qualify for Head of Household? The following message is extracted from the NC-4 Form. You should consult your tax advisor if you have any questions regarding this status. HEAD OF HOUSEHOLD - Generally you may claim head of household status on your tax return only if you are unmarried and pay more than 50% of the costs of keeping up a home for yourself and your dependent(s) or other qualifying individuals. Note: Head of Household for State tax purposes is the same as for federal tax purposes. Q: Do I qualify as a Qualifying Widow(er)? The following message is extracted from the NC-4 Form. You should consult your tax advisor if you have any questions regarding this status. QUALIFYING WIDOW(ER) - You may claim qualifying widow(er) status only if your spouse died in either of the two preceding tax years and you meet the following requirements: 1. Your home is maintained as the main household of a child or stepchild for whom you can claim a federal exemption; and 2. You were entitled to file a joint return with your spouse in the year of your spouse s death. Q: What is the difference between the two forms? Form NC-4 EZ Simpler form that can be used by most employees Use this form if you plan to claim the NC standard deductions AND plan to claim no tax credits or only the credit for children Use this form if filing as exempt Can be used even if you plan to itemize deductions during tax filing. Form NC-4 Extended form which will provide more precise withholding figures, but will require historical tax return information and estimation of 2014 income, deductions, and credits. Page 5
Q: Can I submit my W-4 through Banner Self Service? E-mailed or fax copies of the NC-4 or W-4 forms are not acceptable. We must have an original signature. You may update your NC-4 form through Banner Self Service. We anticipate that the Federal W-4 form will be available for updating through Banner Self Service by no later than mid- January. If you choose to complete a paper NC-4 or W-4 form, you may follow the submission and collection directions outlined on pages 7-9 of the ECU Employee Instructions 2014 NC Withholding document for both the NC-4 and W-4. To ensure the confidentiality of your personally identifiable information (including social security numbers) found on the W-4 and NC-4 forms, do NOT send these documents through e- mail. Q: The start date on my NC-4 State Employee s Withholding Allowance record is wrong. This date is reflective of the first NC deduction record set up for you as an employee and is not your starting employment date. Page 6