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State specific payroll information

Pennsylvania local tax rate updates - Real-time register vs. Official register

For payroll compliance (annually licensed)

Pennsylvania maintains 2 local tax rate registers, a
Real-time register
 and an
Official register
.
  • Real-time register: Changes to Pennsylvania localities are recorded on an ongoing basis, at any point during the year, to the Real-time register. The  Real-time register includes any updates to the Official register that are provided by school districts and municipalities throughout the year.  Employers aren't required to withhold at the rates noted in the Real-time register.
  • Official register: The Official register is updated only twice a year (June 15 and December 15). All the rate changes that have occurred in the Real-time Register are recorded in the Official register. Employers are required to withhold taxes that are released on the Official Register.

Accounting CS policy

We update the tax rates in Accounting CS Payroll Compliance based on changes that are made to the
Official Register
. Releases are scheduled to accommodate these updates as quickly as is feasible.
Occasionally a locality updates a rate on the Real-Time Register with an effective date that falls before the rate will be updated in the Official Register. These situations are rare and are isolated to individual jurisdictions. We’ll evaluate these changes on a case by case basis to determine if the rate can be updated individually in Accounting CS. This decision will be based on the feasibility, safety, severity, and timing of the needed change. We'll also need a copy of the tax notice sent out by the Tax Collection Agency.
To compare rates between the Real-Time and Official Registers, view the following link. After searching for the county/municipal locality, you can select to view the rate from either register.
Internal use only
In some circumstances, we have made exceptions and updated individual rates when they are reflected in the Real-Time Register but before they are reflected in the Official Register. However, there are ongoing maintenance and risk issues in making these exceptions, so we don't do this as a rule.
What to do if you encounter this situation
If you get notification from a user, or another source, that a PA locally has updated a rate with an effective date prior to the next update of the Official Register:
  1. Gather as much information as you can (the tax type, school district name, county, new rate, effective date) from your source.
  2. Get a copy of the official letter the customer received from the jurisdiction notifying them of the new rate. It's okay if they want to redact client information from the letter before providing it to us.
    1. If we have a copy of the letter, it makes Development's review process go much faster.
  3. Visit the Resolver with this information to obtain permission to enter a ADO item.
  4. Write the information up for Development's review in ADO. Include all of the information you have gathered about the situation. From there, it will be verified and entered into Development's Database (ADO). Development will research, evaluate and decide if/when to update.

This article applies to:

  • PRODUCT: Accounting CS
  • State: Pennsylvania
  • Subject: Payroll checks,Payroll tax forms

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