108.17 Payment of contributions.

(1) Contributions shall accrue and become payable by each employer then subject to this chapter on the first day of July, 1934, and shall be paid thenceforth in accordance with this chapter. Thereafter contributions shall accrue and become payable by any employer on and after the date on which the employer becomes newly subject to this chapter.

(1m) In the case of an employer who becomes newly subject to this chapter based on employment during a given year, contributions based on payrolls through the quarter which includes the date the employer became subject to this chapter shall not be considered as payable for the purposes of s. 108.22 until the close of the month next following the first full quarter occurring after the quarter during which the liability was incurred. In no case may such due date be later than January 31 of the succeeding year.

(2)

(a) Except as provided in par. (b), every employer that is subject to a contribution requirement shall file quarterly reports of contributions required under this chapter with the department, and pay contributions to the department, in such manner as the department prescribes. Each contribution report and payment is due at the close of the month next following the end of the applicable calendar quarter, except as authorized in sub. (2c) or as the department may assign a later due date pursuant to sub. (1m) or general department rules.

(b) The department may electronically provide a means whereby an employer that files its employment and wage reports electronically may determine the amount of contributions due for payment by the employer under s. 108.18 for each quarter. If an employer that is subject to a contribution requirement files its employment and wage reports under s. 108.205 (1) electronically, in the manner prescribed by the department for purposes of this paragraph, the department may require the employer to determine electronically the amount of contributions due for payment by the employer under s. 108.18 for each quarter. In such case, the employer is excused from filing contribution reports under par. (a). The employer shall pay the amount due for each quarter by the due date specified in par. (a).

(2b) The department shall prescribe a form and methodology for filing contribution reports under sub. (2) electronically. Each employer of 25 or more employees, as determined under s. 108.22 (1) (ae), that does not use an employer agent to file its contribution reports under this section shall file its contribution reports electronically in the manner and form prescribed by the department. Each employer that becomes subject to an electronic reporting requirement under this subsection shall file its initial report under this subsection for the quarter during which the employer becomes subject to the reporting requirement. Once an employer becomes subject to a reporting requirement under this subsection, it shall continue to file its reports under this subsection unless that requirement is waived by the department.

(2c)

(a) Except as provided in pars. (d) and (e), an employer that has a first quarter contribution liability of $1,000 or more may elect to defer payment to later due dates beyond the due date established under sub. (1m) or (2) of not more than 60 percent of its first quarter contribution liability, without payment of interest, as follows:

1. The employer shall pay at least 30 percent of the first quarter contribution liability on or before July 31 of the year in which the liability accrues.

2. The employer shall pay at least an additional 20 percent of the first quarter contribution liability on or before October 31 of the year in which the liability accrues.

3. The employer shall pay any remaining balance of the first quarter contribution liability on or before January 31 of the year after the year in which the liability accrues.

(b) An employer that elects to defer a payment under par. (a) may pay more than the specified minimum deferred amount or all of the deferred amount at any time before the due date under par. (a).

(c) If an employer fails to pay at least the specified minimum deferred amount for the first quarter, together with the full amount of contributions payable for any subsequent quarter, or fails to file its employment and wage report in the format prescribed under par. (f), by a specified due date, then all unpaid contribution liability of that employer for the first quarter is delinquent under s. 108.22 and interest thereon is payable from April 30 of the year in which the liability accrues.

(d) If an employer fails to pay at least 40 percent of its first quarter contribution liability on or before April 30 of the year in which the liability accrues, the employer is not permitted to defer the balance of the liability under this subsection.

(e) An employer is not permitted to defer its first quarter contribution liability under this subsection for any year unless the employer pays all delinquent contributions, together with any interest, penalties, and fees assessed under this chapter, prior to April 30 of the year in which the liability accrues.

(f) An employer that elects to defer payment of its first quarter contributions under this subsection shall file the election electronically, shall file its contribution reports under sub. (2) (a) unless excused from filing under sub. (2) (b), and shall file its employment and wage reports under s. 108.205 electronically in the manner and form prescribed by the department.

(2g) An employer agent that prepares reports on behalf of employers under sub. (2) shall file contribution reports electronically in the manner and form prescribed by the department under sub. (2b) unless that requirement is waived by the department.

(2m) When a written statement of account is issued to an employer by the department, showing as duly credited a specified amount received from the employer under this chapter, no other form of state receipt therefor is required.

(3) If an employing unit makes application to the department to adjust an alleged overpayment by the employer of contributions or interest under this chapter, and files such an application within 3 years after the close of the calendar year in which such payment was made, the department shall make a determination under s. 108.10 as to the existence and extent of any such overpayment, and said section shall apply to such determination. Except as provided in sub. (3m), the department shall allow an employer a credit for any amount determined under s. 108.10 to have been erroneously paid by the employer, without interest, against its future contribution payments; or, if the department finds it impracticable to allow the employer such a credit, it shall refund such overpayment to the employer, without interest, from the fund or the administrative account, as the case may be.

(3m) If an appeal tribunal or the commission issues a decision under s. 108.10 (2), or a court issues a decision on review under s. 108.10 (4), in which it is determined that an amount has been erroneously paid by an employer, the department shall, from the administrative account, credit the employer with interest at the rate of 0.75 percent per month or fraction thereof on the amount of the erroneous payment. Interest shall accrue from the month which the erroneous payment was made until the month in which it is either used as a credit against future contributions or refunded to the employer.

(4) An employer's contribution rate for any year, once determined by the department, shall not be redetermined after the last day of February in the year for which the rate was determined unless the rate was determined based on payroll which should have been reported under a different employer's account, in which case the department may redetermine the rates with respect to all affected employers' accounts.

(5) Upon application of an employer, the department may permit employers which are component members of a controlled group of corporations under 26 USC 1563 to combine wages of a single employee for purposes of determining the employers' payroll under s. 108.02 (21) (b) if the employee is subject to transfer between the employers under the terms of a single collective bargaining agreement. The application shall specify the calendar year in which the combination is proposed to occur. This subsection does not apply to any employer for which the department has written off overdrafts under s. 108.16 (7) (c) within the 2 calendar years preceding the year in which the combination is proposed to occur, nor to any employer whose account is overdrawn by 6 percent or more on the computation date for the calendar year preceding the year in which the combination is proposed to occur. If the department approves the application, the department shall specify the calendar year in which the combination is effective and the method by which the component members will report the payroll of the employee to the department.

(6) If the department determines that a trustee paying wage claims for an employer in a state or federal liquidation proceeding in which priority is given to specified wage claims has insufficient funds to pay all wage claims given priority, and contributions on the wage claims given priority, in full, the department may accept less than the full amount of contributions owed by the employer on those wage claims.

(7)

(a) Each employer whose net total contributions paid or payable under this section for any 12-month period ending on June 30 are at least $10,000 shall pay all contributions under this section by means of electronic funds transfer beginning with the next calendar year. Once an employer becomes subject to an electronic payment requirement under this paragraph, the employer shall continue to make payment of all contributions by means of electronic funds transfer unless that requirement is waived by the department.

(b) Each employer agent shall pay all contributions under this section on behalf of each employer that is represented by the agent by means of electronic funds transfer.

History: 1973 c. 247; 1981 c. 36; 1985 a. 29; 1987 a. 38 ss. 112, 134; 1989 a. 77; 1991 a. 89; 1993 a. 492; 2001 a. 35; 2005 a. 86; 2007 a. 59; 2015 a. 197 s. 51; s. 35.17 correction in (2c) (f).