Which Payroll Tax Form Do You File? 940 vs 941 vs 944, Plus 943 and 945
Federal payroll taxes come in two groups, and each has its own form. One group is the tax you withhold from paychecks plus Social Security and Medicare, reported on Form 941 (or Form 944 for the smallest employers, Form 943 for farms). The other is federal unemployment tax, which only the employer pays, reported once a year on Form 940.
Most employers file both: Form 941 four times a year and Form 940 once. This guide sorts out which forms apply to you, how 940 and 941 differ in practice, and where the less common forms fit. For the 941 forms themselves, see Form 941, Schedule B and 941-X in one place.
In 940 vs 941 vs 944, Form 941 is the quarterly return for withheld income tax and Social Security and Medicare; Form 944 reports the same taxes once a year, but only if the IRS notifies you; and Form 940 is the separate annual return for federal unemployment (FUTA) tax, which the employer alone pays. Most employers file Form 941 and Form 940.
940 vs 941 vs 944: the payroll tax forms side by side
| Form | What it reports | Who files | How often | Next due date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 941 | Income tax withheld, Social Security and Medicare (both halves) | Most employers | Quarterly | Q3 2026: Nov 2, 2026 |
| 944 | The same taxes as 941 | Only employers the IRS notified in writing, usually $1,000 or less in tax a year | Annually | 2026: Feb 1, 2027 |
| 940 | Federal unemployment (FUTA) tax, employer only | Employers meeting the FUTA wage or 20-week test | Annually | 2026: Feb 1, 2027 |
| 943 | Withheld income tax, Social Security and Medicare for farmworkers | Agricultural employers | Annually | 2026: Feb 1, 2027 |
| 945 | Federal income tax withheld from nonpayroll payments, such as backup withholding and pensions | Payers who withhold on non-wage payments | Annually | 2026: Feb 1, 2027 |
| Schedule H (Form 1040) | Social Security, Medicare and FUTA for household workers | Household employers (nannies, caregivers) | With your personal return | Your 2026 Form 1040 due date |
| CT-1 | Railroad retirement taxes | Railroad employers | Annually | See the CT-1 instructions |
Sources: IRS Instructions for Form 941 (Rev. March 2026); Instructions for Form 940; Instructions for Form 944; Publication 15 (2026). Annual dates reflect January 31, 2027 falling on a Sunday.
Which payroll tax forms apply to your business
| Your situation | Withholding and FICA form | Unemployment form |
|---|---|---|
| Typical business with employees | Form 941 every quarter | Form 940 once a year |
| Very small employer with an IRS Form 944 notice | Form 944 once a year | Form 940 once a year |
| Farm employing farmworkers | Form 943 | Form 940 if the farm FUTA test is met |
| Household employer only | Schedule H with your Form 1040 | Schedule H |
| 501(c)(3) nonprofit | Form 941 (or 944) | Generally none; exempt from FUTA |
| Church paying only a minister, no withholding | Generally none | None; churches aren't liable for FUTA |
| State or local government | Form 941 | None; exempt from FUTA |
| Withholding on pensions, gambling or backup withholding | Form 945 for those payments | Not applicable |
Two rules cut across every row. Once you file your first Form 941, you file one every quarter, zero returns included, until a final return; see zero, seasonal and final Form 941. And payroll and nonpayroll withholding never mix: Form 945 amounts are deposited and reported separately from Form 941.
Form 940 vs 941: what's different
| Feature | Form 940 | Form 941 |
|---|---|---|
| Tax | Federal unemployment (FUTA) | Withheld income tax, Social Security, Medicare |
| Who pays | Employer only; never withheld from pay | Employee and employer (income tax and half of FICA withheld) |
| Rate and base | 6.0% on the first $7,000 per employee, usually cut to 0.6% by the state credit (up to $42 per employee) | 12.4% Social Security to $184,500 and 2.9% Medicare, no cap, in 2026 |
| Who must file | $1,500 or more in wages in any quarter, or an employee in 20 or more weeks, this year or last | Any employer paying wages subject to withholding or FICA |
| Filing | Once a year: 2026 return due Feb 1, 2027 (Feb 10 if all FUTA was deposited on time) | Quarterly: Apr 30, Jul 31, Nov 2, 2026; Feb 1, 2027 |
| Deposits | When undeposited FUTA exceeds $500, by the last day of the month after the quarter | Monthly or semiweekly, from your lookback period |
| Corrections | Amended Form 940 | Form 941-X |
Sources: Instructions for Form 940 ("Who Must File," "When Must You Deposit Your FUTA Tax?"); Instructions for Form 941 (Rev. March 2026). The 6.0% rate and $7,000 base are from the 2025 Form 940 instructions; the 2026 instructions were not yet final when this page was checked.
For 2026, the 0.6% effective rate assumes you paid your state unemployment tax on time and your state isn't a credit reduction state. States that borrowed from the federal unemployment fund and haven't repaid it lose part of the credit, and employers there owe more on Form 940.
The Labor Department names each year's credit reduction states in November; the 2026 list wasn't out yet when this page was updated, and we'll add it when it is. Our guide to FUTA deposit due dates and the $500 rule has the full deposit calendar.
One employer's year: Forms 941 and 940 together
A business pays one employee $12,000 a quarter in 2026 ($48,000 for the year) and is a monthly depositor. Here's how the two forms play out:
| Quarter | Form 941 | FUTA (Form 940) |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 2026 | Social Security and Medicare $1,836 plus income tax withheld; deposits monthly; return due Apr 30 | First $7,000 of wages reached: $42 at 0.6%; under $500, so carried forward |
| Q2 2026 | Same pattern; return due Jul 31 | $0; the employee is past $7,000 |
| Q3 2026 | Same pattern; return due Nov 2 | $0 |
| Q4 2026 | Same pattern; return due Feb 1, 2027 | $0; pay the $42 with Form 940 or deposit it by Feb 1, 2027 |
Illustrative 2026 figures: $12,000 x 15.3% = $1,836 of Social Security and Medicare per quarter. FUTA assumes the full 5.4% state credit.
The 2026 pattern holds as you grow: Form 941 tracks every paycheck all year, while FUTA is front-loaded into the first $7,000 of each person's pay and is usually a small annual amount. A business with 15 employees who each pass $7,000 in the first quarter would owe $630 of FUTA in Q1, which is over $500, so it would deposit that by April 30. To check the 941 side quarter by quarter, use our Form 941 calculator.
Form 941 vs 944 in brief
Form 944 is Form 941 filed once a year instead of four times. You can't choose it on your own: the IRS has to notify you in writing, and it's meant for employers whose annual Social Security, Medicare and withheld income tax is $1,000 or less, roughly $5,000 or less in wages. Despite reports in early 2025 that it would be retired, the IRS still publishes Form 944 and has a draft 2026 version.
Our full comparison, Form 941 vs 944 in 2026, covers the switching windows, the 944 deposit rules and the dated IRS evidence on its status.
Farms, households, nonprofits and churches
- Farms: farmworker wages go on Form 943, not 941. The farm FUTA test is different: $20,000 in cash wages to farmworkers in any quarter, or 10 or more farmworkers in 20 or more weeks. Wages paid to H-2A workers count for the test but aren't subject to FUTA.
- Households: household employers generally use Schedule H with their own Form 1040. In 2026, Social Security and Medicare apply once you pay a household worker $3,000 or more in cash wages, and FUTA applies if you pay $1,000 or more in cash wages in any quarter.
- 501(c)(3) nonprofits: generally exempt from FUTA, so no Form 940, but they still withhold and file Form 941 for their staff.
- Churches: also not liable for FUTA. Whether a church files Form 941 depends on its staff; see Form 941 for churches and ministers.
- State and local governments: exempt from FUTA, with no Form 940 required.
Payroll form claims to double-check
| What you might read | What IRS guidance says |
|---|---|
| "Form 941 Q3 is due October 31 and Form 940 January 31." | For this cycle those fall on weekends: Q3 2026 is due November 2, 2026, and the 2026 Form 940 is due February 1, 2027. |
| "You pick Form 941 or 944 based on your size." | Form 944 requires written IRS notice; without it, you file Form 941. |
| "Form 944 was eliminated after 2025." | The IRS still publishes it and has a draft 2026 form. |
| "FUTA is withheld from employee paychecks." | FUTA is paid only by the employer. |
| "Nonprofits don't file payroll returns." | 501(c)(3) organizations skip Form 940 but still file Form 941 for employees. |
You can prepare your Form 941 from your payroll totals, then print, sign and file it. ePaystubs prepares the form; it doesn't file it or make deposits for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Most employers do. Form 941 reports withheld income tax and Social Security and Medicare every quarter, and Form 940 reports federal unemployment tax once a year. Nonprofits under 501(c)(3), churches and state or local governments are generally exempt from Form 940.
Form 940 is an annual return for federal unemployment tax, which only the employer pays, on the first $7,000 of each employee's 2026 wages. Form 941 is a quarterly return for income tax withheld from employees and both halves of Social Security and Medicare.
For 2026, an employer that paid $1,500 or more in wages in any calendar quarter, or had at least one employee for some part of a day in 20 or more weeks, in the current or prior year. Farms and household employers have separate tests.
Only if the IRS notifies you in writing. If you expect $1,000 or less in employment taxes for 2027, you can ask the IRS by phone between January 1 and April 1, or by letter by mid-March, and wait for its written approval.
Form 941 is due April 30, July 31 and November 2, 2026, and February 1, 2027 for the fourth quarter. The 2026 Form 940 is due February 1, 2027, or February 10, 2027 if all FUTA tax was deposited on time.