Navigating EDD Audits: Your Essential Guide

As a California corporate tax attorney with expertise in Employment Development Department (EDD) audits, I understand the intricacies and challenges these audits can present. This comprehensive guide is designed to demystify the EDD audit process, providing you with crucial insights into what triggers an audit, the actual audit process, associated penalties, and more. If you’re facing an EDD audit or want to be prepared, you’re in the right place.

What Triggers an EDD Audit?

The Employment Development Department collects and conducts payroll tax audits on a daily, weekly and quarterly basis. This EDD benefit audit process is designed to detect fraudulent business practices and unemployment insurance funds.

An EDD audit notice can be triggered by various factors, often related to discrepancies in payroll tax filings or misclassification of workers. Common triggers include:

• Random selection by the EDD.
• Employee complaints to the EDD
• Workers compensation claims
• Discrepancies between reported wages and tax payments.
• Classification of workers as independent contractors rather than employees.

Understanding these triggers can help businesses maintain compliance and avoid unexpected audits by the EDD task force.

What is the EDD Task Force?

The EDD Task Force is a specialized group focused on identifying and addressing tax evasion and fraud in California. It works to ensure businesses comply with state payroll tax regulations, particularly concerning worker classification. The task force’s efforts aim to level the playing field for all businesses and protect workers’ rights.

Employee vs. Independent Contractor Misclassification

One of the most critical aspects that the EDD scrutinizes during an audit is the classification of your workforce. Misclassification of employees as independent contractors can lead to significant legal repercussions, financial penalties, and back payment of employment taxes. Understanding the distinction is crucial for any business owner to ensure compliance with state tax laws.

Key Differences Between Employees and Independent Contractors:

• Control: Employees typically work under the employer’s control regarding how, when, and where work is completed. In contrast, independent contractors usually have more freedom to determine their work processes.
• Financial Dependency: Employees often depend on the business for their regular income, whereas independent contractors usually operate their own business and serve multiple clients.
• Equipment and Supplies: Employers generally provide employees with the necessary tools, materials, and equipment, while independent contractors typically use their own resources.

Implications of Employee Misclassification:

• Back Taxes and Penalties: If the EDD determines that workers have been misclassified, your business could be liable for the unpaid payroll taxes, along with fines and interest.
• Labor Law Violations: Misclassified employees might be entitled to retroactive employment benefits, including overtime, rest breaks, and other California labor law protections.

Preventive Measures:

• Regular Reviews: Conduct regular audits of your workforce classifications to ensure compliance with evolving laws and regulations.
• Clear Contracts: Ensure that contracts with independent contractors are clear, detailed, and reflect the nature of the independent relationship.
• Consult Experts: Consider seeking advice from legal or tax professionals specializing in employment law to navigate the complexities of worker classification.

By staying informed and vigilant about these distinctions, businesses can avoid the pitfalls of misclassification and ensure a compliant and efficient workforce.

What is the California EDD Audit Process?

The Employment Development Department or EDD audit process typically involves several key steps:

1. Notification: The EDD sends a notice to inform you of the upcoming audit. This notice, sent via mail, should include a lost of documents the commission would like you to respond with as supporting evidence, an explanation as to why your company is being audited, and a list of questions to help you prepare for the audit process.
2. Entrance Interview: The commission schedules an interview with your company and selected representatives, for example, a CPA or experienced California tax attorney. The commission will explain the audit process while you will provide the previously requested documents for examination.
3. Examination: An EDD auditor reviews your records, looking for inaccuracies or discrepancies in payroll taxes and worker classifications.
4. Findings: After the review, the auditor presents their findings via a proposed notice of assessment (PNA) to taxpayers. The PNA may include adjustments to tax liabilities.

While no audit process is identical, this provides a general overview. Cooperation and organization are crucial throughout this process to ensure a smooth audit experience, while partnering with an experienced tax lawyer who can help minimize admissions is advisable.

California EDD Audit Penalties

When the California Employment Development Department (EDD) audits a business, it’s typically to ensure that payroll taxes have been correctly calculated, reported, and paid, and that employees are properly classified. Failure to meet these obligations can result in substantial penalties, interest charges, and more.

Potential consequences of EDD audits include:

1. Back Taxes and Interest:

• If the EDD determines that your business owes back taxes due to underreporting or non-payment, you will be required to pay the outstanding amount. This can include taxes not withheld from employees, taxes not paid on behalf of the business, or both. Additionally, interest accrues on these unpaid taxes, increasing the amount owed over time.

2. Penalties for Late Payment:

• Businesses that fail to pay their payroll taxes on time may incur significant late penalties. The EDD can impose a variety of fines, such as a percentage of the unpaid taxes for each month or part of a month the taxes are late, up to a maximum limit.

3. Fraud Penalties:

• If the EDD finds that a business intentionally evaded tax payments (for example, by misclassifying employees deliberately to reduce tax liabilities), the penalties can be even more severe. This might include a fine of up to 15% of the unpaid taxes, in addition to the standard penalties and interest.

4. Worker Misclassification Penalties:

• Misclassifying employees as independent contractors can lead to severe penalties, especially if the EDD determines the misclassification was intentional. Penalties can include paying back taxes, covering what should have been the employee’s payroll contributions, and paying steep fines that can escalate based on the number of employees misclassified and the duration of the misclassification.

5. Additional Consequences:

• Beyond financial penalties, businesses found in violation may face increased scrutiny in future audits, damage to their reputation, and even legal action if the state deems it necessary. There may also be repercussions related to labor law violations, such as unpaid overtime or missed meal and rest breaks.

6. Liens or Asset Seizures:

• In extreme cases, if a business fails to pay the assessed taxes and penalties, the EDD can place a lien on the business’s property or even seize assets to recover the owed amounts.

Understanding these potential penalties underscores the importance of compliance and accurate payroll tax reporting.

California Payroll Taxes

California’s payroll taxes for companies encompass several components, each designed to fund specific state programs.

Here’s an overview of the main three payroll taxes businesses in California are typically responsible for:

1. State Income Tax Withholding (PIT):
   • Employers are required to withhold state income tax from their employees’ wages based on the rates provided by the California Employment Development Department (EDD). The exact amount withheld depends on the employee’s earnings and the information provided on their Form W-4 or DE 4.
2. Unemployment Insurance (UI):
   • The UI tax is paid by employers and funds the unemployment benefits provided to workers who have lost their jobs. The rate varies for each employer, usually ranging from 1.5% to 6.2% on the first $7,000 of wages paid to each employee in a calendar year. New employers generally pay at a rate of 3.4% for a period of time.
3. Employment Training Tax (ETT):
   • This tax is also employer-funded and is designed to finance training programs for workers in industries susceptible to unemployment. The standard rate is 0.1% on the first $7,000 of each employee’s wages per year.
4. State Disability Insurance (SDI):
   • SDI includes Disability Insurance (DI) and Paid Family Leave (PFL). It is funded through employee payroll deductions and provides short-term benefits to eligible workers who have lost wages due to disability or family leave. The SDI rate is subject to change annually; as of 2023, the rate was 1.1% on the first $145,600 of wages.
5. California Paid Sick Leave:
   • While not a tax, California law requires employers to provide paid sick leave to employees. This isn’t a payroll tax per se but an employer obligation that impacts payroll calculations.
6. Local Taxes and Assessments:
   • Depending on the location of your business, there may be additional local taxes and assessments. For example, San Francisco has a city payroll expense tax that businesses must pay.
7. Federal Taxes:
   • In addition to state taxes, employers must also consider federal payroll taxes, which include Social Security, Medicare, and federal unemployment tax (FUTA).

Certain industries may follow different payroll tax rules or have additional tax obligations based on the specific requirements of their industry, the nature of the work, or the workforce they employ. A few examples include:

• Construction workers: Some construction projects require the payment of prevailing wages that may include specific benefits affecting the overall payroll tax calculation.
• Hospitality workers: Employers must ensure that tips are accurately reported for income tax and FICA (Social Security and Medicare) tax purposes.
• Medical Residents: Specific rules apply to medical residents’ stipends, affecting how FICA taxes are applied.

Employers are responsible for accurately calculating these taxes, withholding them from employees’ paychecks as necessary, and remitting them to the appropriate state and federal agencies, or they risk facing payroll tax audits.

It’s crucial for businesses to stay updated with the current tax rates and regulations, as they can change yearly. Employers may also need to consider other deductions like retirement contributions, health benefits, and garnishments, which can affect the overall payroll process.

Hiring a California EDD Audit Tax Attorney

Navigating the Employment Development Department and an EDD audit can be challenging, but you don’t have to do it alone. Evolution Tax & Legal specializes in assisting clients through EDD audits, ensuring compliance and minimizing any potential penalties.

If you’re facing an EDD audit reach out to our experienced tax attorney, Alton Moore, for support.