PRINTER'S NO. 1239
No. 1093 Session of 1997
INTRODUCED BY HANNA, YOUNGBLOOD, KREBS, DALEY, LEH, PESCI AND VAN HORNE, APRIL 2, 1997
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT, APRIL 2, 1997
AN ACT 1 Amending the act of December 31, 1965 (P.L.1257, No.511), 2 entitled "An act empowering cities of the second class, 3 cities of the second class A, cities of the third class, 4 boroughs, towns, townships of the first class, townships of 5 the second class, school districts of the second class, 6 school districts of the third class and school districts of 7 the fourth class including independent school districts, to 8 levy, assess, collect or to provide for the levying, 9 assessment and collection of certain taxes subject to maximum 10 limitations for general revenue purposes; authorizing the 11 establishment of bureaus and the appointment and compensation 12 of officers, agencies and employes to assess and collect such 13 taxes; providing for joint collection of certain taxes, 14 prescribing certain definitions and other provisions for 15 taxes levied and assessed upon earned income, providing for 16 annual audits and for collection of delinquent taxes, and 17 permitting and requiring penalties to be imposed and 18 enforced, including penalties for disclosure of confidential 19 information, providing an appeal from the ordinance or 20 resolution levying such taxes to the court of quarter 21 sessions and to the Supreme Court and Superior Court," 22 further providing for collection of earned income tax. 23 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania 24 hereby enacts as follows: 25 Section 1. Division IV of section 13 of the act of December 26 31, 1965 (P.L.1257, No.511), known as The Local Tax Enabling 27 Act, is amended to read:
1 Section 13. Earned Income Taxes.--On and after the effective 2 date of this act the remaining provisions of this section shall 3 be included in or construed to be a part of each tax levied and 4 assessed upon earned income by any political subdivision levying 5 and assessing such tax pursuant to this act. The definitions 6 contained in this section shall be exclusive for any tax upon 7 earned income and net profits levied and assessed pursuant to 8 this act, and shall not be altered or changed by any political 9 subdivision levying and assessing such tax. 10 * * * 11 IV. Collection at Source 12 (a) Every employer having an office, factory, workshop, 13 branch, warehouse, or other place of business [within the taxing 14 jurisdiction imposing] with employes subject to a tax on earned 15 income or net profits [within the taxing district] under this 16 act who employs one or more persons, other than domestic 17 servants, for a salary, wage, commission or other compensation, 18 who has not previously registered, shall, within fifteen days 19 after becoming an employer, register with the officer his name 20 and address and such other information as the officer may 21 require. 22 (b) Every employer having an office, factory, workshop, 23 branch, warehouse, or other place of business [within the taxing 24 jurisdiction imposing] with employes subject to a tax on earned 25 income or net profits [within the taxing district] under this 26 act who employs one or more persons, other than domestic 27 servants, for a salary, wage, commission, or other compensation, 28 shall deduct at the time of payment thereof, the tax imposed by 29 ordinance or resolution on the earned income due to his employe 30 or employes, and shall, on or before April 30, of the current 19970H1093B1239 - 2 -
1 year, July 31, of the current year, October 31, of the current 2 year, and January 31, of the succeeding year, file a return and 3 pay to the officer the amount of taxes deducted during the 4 preceding three-month periods ending March 31, of the current 5 year, June 30, of the current year, September 30, of the current 6 year, and December 31, of the current year, respectively. Such 7 return unless otherwise agreed upon between the officer and 8 employer shall show the name and social security number of each 9 such employe, the earned income of such employe during such 10 preceding three-month period, the tax deducted therefrom, the 11 political subdivisions imposing the tax upon such employe, the 12 total earned income of all such employes during such preceding 13 three-month period, and the total tax deducted therefrom and 14 paid with the return. 15 Any employer who for two of the preceding four quarterly 16 periods has failed to deduct the proper tax, or any part 17 thereof, or has failed to pay over the proper amount of tax to 18 the taxing authority, may be required by the officer to file his 19 return and pay the tax monthly. In such cases, payments of tax 20 shall be made to the officer on or before the last day of the 21 month succeeding the month for which the tax was withheld. 22 (c) On or before February 28, of the succeeding year, every 23 employer shall file with the officer: 24 (1) An annual return showing the total amount of earned 25 income paid, the total amount of tax deducted, and the total 26 amount of tax paid to the officer for the period beginning 27 January 1, of the current year, and ending December 31, of the 28 current year. 29 (2) A return withholding statement for each employe employed 30 during all or any part of the period beginning January 1, of the 19970H1093B1239 - 3 -
1 current year, and ending December 31, of the current year, 2 setting forth the employe's name, address and social security 3 number, the amount of earned income paid to the employe during 4 said period, the amount of tax deducted, the political 5 subdivisions imposing the tax upon such employe, the amount of 6 tax paid to the officer. Every employer shall furnish two copies 7 of the individual return to the employe for whom it is filed. 8 (d) Every employer who discontinues business prior to 9 December 31, of the current year, shall, within thirty days 10 after the discontinuance of business, file the returns and 11 withholding statements hereinabove required and pay the tax due. 12 (e) Except as otherwise provided in section 9, every 13 employer who wilfully or negligently fails or omits to make the 14 deductions required by this section shall be liable for payment 15 of the taxes which he was required to withhold to the extent 16 that such taxes have not been recovered from the employe. 17 (f) The failure or omission of any employer to make the 18 deductions required by this section shall not relieve any 19 employe from the payment of the tax or from complying with the 20 requirements of the ordinance or resolution relating to the 21 filing of declarations and returns. 22 * * * 23 Section 2. The amendment of Division IV of section 13 of the 24 act shall apply to the calendar quarter beginning after the 25 effective date of this act and to calendar quarters beginning 26 thereafter. 27 Section 3. This act shall take effect immediately. B11L53JS/19970H1093B1239 - 4 -