Jan. 15, 1998
Deadlines
Tuition bills were mailed Jan. 2. If you have not received your tuition statement by Jan. 16, please contact the Student Accounts & Cashiers Office, telephone 543-4695.
Jan. 23, Tuition due date, Winter Quarter 1998. Payments made after Jan. 23 require a late payment fee. Failure to pay by Feb. 25, will result in registration cancellation. Student Accounts & Cashiers Office
Other News
No Limit on Medicare Wage Base
The Social Security Administration has announced that the 1998 social security wage base will be $68,400, up from the 1997 wage limit of $65,400. There is no limit on the wages subject to the Medicare tax, therefore, all covered wages are subject to the 1.45 percent Medicare tax.
The FICA tax rate, which is the combined social security tax rate of 6.2 percent and the Medicare tax rate of 1.45 percent, remains 7.65 percent for 1998. The maximum social security tax employees will pay in 1998 is $4,240.80. This is an increase of $186 from the 1997 maximum of $4,054.80. Payroll Office
Small rate increase for medical aid
The Department of Labor and Industries has announced a rate increase for Medical Aid, the State of Washington's worker's compensation program. Effective with the payroll of Jan. 115 (paid on Jan. 26), payroll deductions will increase from 0.0410 to 0.0413 per hour for a maximum of 80 hours per semi-monthly pay period. Therefore, for full-time employees, the typical Medical Aid deduction will increase from $3.28 to $3.30 per pay period. Payroll Office
Federal Income Tax Withholding
You must file a new Form W-4, "Employee's Withholding Allowance Certificate" if your filing status, exemption allowances, or exempt status has changed since the last filing of your Form W-4.
If you claimed exemption from federal income tax withholding during 1997, determine if you are eligible to renew your claim for 1998. If you are eligible to renew your claim for exemption, you must submit a new Form W-4, "Employee's Withholding Allowance Certificate," to the Payroll Office by Jan. 30. Otherwise, the University is required by law to withhold federal income tax from your wages as if you were single and claimed no withholding allowances.
To obtain a Form W-4, please call the Payroll Forms Request Line at 543-9203. Payroll Office
Nonresident Alien Federal Income Tax Withholding
If you claimed exemption from federal income tax withholding under a U.S. income tax treaty, it is time to determine if you are eligible to renew your claim for exemption. All claims for exemption expire annually on Feb. 15.
If you are eligible to renew your claim for exemption, you must submit a new Form 8233, "Exemption From Withholding on Compensation for Independent (and Certain Dependent) Personal Services of a Nonresident Alien Individual" to the Payroll Office by Jan. 30. Otherwise, the University is required by law to withhold federal income tax from your wages.
If you have questions regarding Form 8233 or require a blank form, please contact Lisa Edlin at 543-9186. Payroll Office
Annual Attendance Incentive Program
Each January all classified staff, professional staff, professional librarians, and educators participating in a sick leave program who have a year-end balance exceeding 480 hours, may elect to be paid a portion of the sick leave which was accrued but not used in the previous calendar year. Payment is made at the rate of 25 percent and all hours compensated are then deducted from the employee's sick leave balance.
Example: An employee had a 480-hour balance at the end of 1996 and during 1997 accrued, but did not use, an additional 96 hours. The 1997 year-end balance is 576 hours. In January, 1998, the employee requests payment for the unused time and is paid for 96 hours at 25 percent of the regular hourly rate. The 96 hours are then subtracted from the permanent sick leave record, reducing the balance to 480 hours as of Dec. 31, 1997.
This program is open for participation only during the month of January. Program information is available at all the area personnel offices, on UWIN, and in the Personnel Services web site under Attendance Incentive Review (home page address: http://www.washington.edu/admin/emprel/attendance.incentive.html). The necessary forms are available through Central Stores; "Request For Payment of Year-End Unused Sick Leave" (UoW 1502). Participants are responsible for submitting the forms and the completed forms must be received in the UW Payroll Office no later than the last working day in January; Thursday, Jan. 30, 1998. Payment may be expected to be issued no later than the second pay check in February. Questions pertaining to the attendance incentive program should be directed to your department's area personnel office. Staff Personnel Office