COVID-19 Pay Types

These pay types will assist in ensuring that leave is being taxed appropriately. Please note that the COVID-19 pay types do not have built in limits. It is your responsibility as the employer to track any limits in accordance with the FFCRA.

1. Open the Payroll app from your Zenefits dashboard.
2. Go to the Pay Runs tab from the top navigation bar.
3. Select a draft run.
4. Click Edit for a worker who is utilizing the COVID-19 leave.
5. In the Earnings section, Add Earning.
6. Select from the COVID-19 Earnings categories and Add.
7. Next to the COVID-19 Earnings category in their pay stub, you can enter in the amount of wages the worker will be receiving.
   If you need guidance on the amount of earnings to include, the Department of Labor has provided these resources on the Calculation of Pay.
8. Save.

1. Open the Payroll app from your Zenefits dashboard.
2. Go to the Pay Runs tab from the top navigation bar.
3. Select a draft run.
4. Click Edit next to one of the workers listed.
5. In the Contribution section, +Add Contribution.
   Note that will not affect your worker’s pay stub at all. It is simply the Zenefits system way of tracking how your company avails the credits.
6. Select from the COVID-19 Credits and Add.
7. Next to the selected COVID-19 credit, enter in the amount of the wages/health plan expenses you’ll be claiming.
   If you need guidance on the amount of wages or health plan expenses you can avail, the IRS has provided these resources on Employee Retention and Qualified Health Plan Expense data.
8. The amount you enter in the Contribution will be used to calculate the credit amount, which is 50% of the qualified wages/expenses. The credit amount will be displayed on the next step, Approve Run.
9. Save.

You can see what amounts you ’ve entered in qualified wages and health expenses in the All In One report. The credits resulting from your entries are explained in these IRS resources on Qualified Leave, Qualified Retention and Qualified Health Plan Expense. It is each employer’s responsibility to ensure they are entering only the amounts that qualify for the corresponding credits.

If you ’ve entered an incorrect amount for any entries in payroll, you’ll need our support teams to help you correct the mistake. If the error impacts a tax period that has already been filed with the IRS, amendments to the impacted returns may also be required.

No, this will not affect your employee or be displayed to them at all. In order to expedite making the COVID-19 credits available to our customers, Zenefits relied on existing framework within our system. This means that in order to enter the credits for Employee Retention and Qualified Health Plan Expense, you'll need to use the Contribution section of an employee's pay stub that was previously reserved for employer contributions to the employee.

Note: Employers that wish to take advantage of any  COVID-19 tax relief credit options must make sure they understand:

• Any limits to the amount of credits they can claim
• Reporting requirements when claiming credits through payroll or other IRS Forms
• Restrictions on an employer's ability to claim credits and seek other relief options

For more details see the IRS resources on Employee Retention Credit.

The entry options that Zenefits has provided allows employers to enter both qualified wages and health credits for any applicable second quarter payments and for any qualified employee retention or health expense payments made during the allowable March time frame.

Note: Employers that wish to take advantage of any COVID-19 tax relief credit options must make sure they understand:

• Any limits to the amount of credits they can claim
• Reporting requirements when claiming credits through payroll or other IRS Forms
• Restrictions on an employer's ability to claim credits and seek other relief options

For more details see the IRS resources on Employee Retention Credit.

COVID-19 Codes in Box 14

The IRS requires employers to provide the amounts paid to employees as qualified sick leave wages or qualified family leave wages under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.  To help employers meet this requirement, Zenefits will display these wages in Box 14 per the IRS recommendations for the three specific wage types:

• C19 SLW511: Sick leave wages subject to the $511 per day limit because of care an employee required
• C19 SLW200:  Sick leave wages subject to the $200 per day limit because of care an employee provided to another
• C19 EFLW: Emergency family leave wages

The taxation for the three existing leave earning types has not been changed. 

Three new earning types will be added in Zenefits Payroll to handle the proper taxation and credit treatment.

The IRS published drafts of the new Form  941  and associated instructions as of June 16, 2021.  

Zenefits developers are currently working on the new COBRA Premium Assistance credit pay type, and the respective reporting requirements, to ensure these credits can be reported on an employer’s Form  941  for the second quarter of  2021.

Currently, employers are able to claim credit for the COBRA Premiums if they are entered into Zenefits payroll as qualified health expenses. The credit is applicable for the purposes of an employer claiming Employee Retention Credits (COVID-19  Employee Retention - Qualified Health Plan Expenses contribution type) for any taxable period through December  31, 2021.  

The ability to claim the full COBRA premium credit amount available via Employee Retention Credits may be limited through the eligible expense limitations and caps that are applicable to the Employee Retention Credit. Employers should review the IRS instructions and consult with their tax advisor to determine whether claiming credit for COBRA premiums paid by employer is appropriate for them.

In addition to claiming the COBRA premium credit through the Employee Retention Credit under the CARES Act, Zenefits will also create a new employer contribution pay type specifically for the new COBRA Premium Assistance Credit authorized under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). 

There is no cap to the amount of qualifying premiums that may be entered under this credit.

Any COBRA premium entries made via the existing COVID-19  Employee Retention - Qualified Health Plan Expenses contribution type will be reported as part of the aggregate Employee Retention Credit claimed on an employer’s Form  941, and will not be reported separately.  The new contribution type for the COBRA Premium Assistance Credit will be reported as a separate line item on an employer’s Form  941.  

Employers should consult with their  tax advisor on which credit is appropriate for their needs.  Employers remain responsible for any related  record-keeping required by the IRS for audit purposes.

For the second quarter of 2021, these entries will be reported on the Form  941  and refunded directly from the IRS.  

Once the new contribution type is available in Zenefits Payroll, customers will be able to enter the amounts into payroll and the credits will apply against their  941  deposits for the quarter in which they are entered.