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A Newsletter for Employers MAY 2022 |
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Thank you all so much for the enormous feedback regarding the Employer Advisor. We will review your thoughtful ideas and incorporate some of your suggestions in the months to come.
Hopefully, you’ve heard that the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) has determined that over 55,000 claimants will not have to pay back approximately $431 million in overpayments of federal pandemic unemployment benefits that the agency previously determined to have been improperly awarded. To date the UIA has waived over $4.3 billion in overpayment debt for more than 400,000 claimants with more to come. We are working hard for all Michiganders.
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We would like to introduce our new Manager in the Tax & Employer Services Division: Kwabena Assenso.
Mr. Assenso is an accomplished leader with 23 years of experience at UIA. His impeccable knowledge of the Michigan Employment Security (MES) Act as well as
his experience in reviewing service determinations makes him a dynamic asset for the UIA.
Kwabena is recognized as the Most Valuable Player for Tax and Employer Services because he leads with integrity, by example and with innovation to accomplish goals. Kwabena is the go-to person for the division when referencing historical and current data in assisting staff and Michigan employers.
If you want to suggest an article or topic for the Employer Advisor newsletter or just want to tell us how much you enjoy reading it, please send a message to:
UIA-EmployerAdvisor@Michigan.gov. You can also view past newsletters on our Tools and Resources webpage.
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Michigan UIA has a YouTube channel!
It is stuffed with interesting information and “How To” videos for employers and claimants. If you want to learn about our Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC), the Work Share Program, How to Register Your Business, reporting identity theft or fraud and much more, you’ll find videos that explain many of the topics that you need to know about when dealing with UIA. Please pass the word and tune in!
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Michigan employers frequently question if they are required to pay unemployment taxes and contribute to the UIA Trust Fund. Employer contributions are used solely to pay unemployment benefits for employees who are separated from their jobs due to no fault of their own until they find new employment.
Thanks to you, in the First Quarter 2022, Michigan employers contributed $729 million into the UIA Trust Fund. This is a 10% increase compared to the same quarter in 2021. Currently, we have more than $1.4 billion in the Trust Fund because of your timely wage reports and contributions.
Additionally, Gov. Whitmer and the Michigan legislature appropriated $100 million to be deposited into the Trust Fund as part of the COVID Relief Fund to offset additional fees and assessments charged to Michigan employers that occurred during previous economic downturns. This money also helps to offset fraudulent activities by scammers during the pandemic.
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UIA has developed an Employer Liability Toolkit to help guide employers through the registration experience. The toolkit covers such areas as:
- Overview of unemployment tax liability.
- How to access the online registration portal.
- The employee payroll requirement threshold before the employing unit becomes liable for UI Tax.
- Which employing units are exempt to contribute in lieu of paying unemployment taxes.
- The 12 steps covering the online registration process.
This toolkit will help to address frequently asked questions from employers and is
a companion piece to our new Registering Your Business with the Unemployment Insurance Agency video.
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