Schedule B (Form 941) — 2015 Tax Year Checklist
Purpose
Schedule B (Form 941) records daily tax liability for employers classified as semiweekly schedule depositors during the quarter. The $100,000 one-day accumulation threshold triggering mandatory semiweekly status remained the deposit classification rule for 2015, with no threshold adjustment occurring that year. Attach this schedule to Form 941 only and do not adjust for any prior-year Forms 941-X corrections when filing the current quarter.
Filing Requirements
Semiweekly Depositor Status Confirmation
Confirm your semiweekly depositor status under the 2015 rules by determining whether your accumulated employment tax liability on any single day during 2015 equaled or exceeded the one-day threshold. You must file Schedule B if you accumulated $100,000 or more in tax liability on any day or if you were already classified as semi-weekly at the start of the year. Reference Internal Revenue Manual deposit classification procedures for 2015 to verify your depositor status.
Quarter and Employer Identification
Identify the correct quarter box (1–4) on page 1 corresponding to the three months: Q1 (January–March), Q2 (April–June), Q3 (July–September), or Q4 (October–December). Enter your nine-digit EIN exactly as it appears on your 2015 Form 941 and all prior employment tax returns filed that year. Mismatches between Schedule B and Form 941 EIN will delay processing and may trigger additional IRS inquiries.
Completion Steps
Record daily tax liability amounts only and never record deposit amounts or adjustments on Schedule B. The 2015 instructions emphasize this distinction because Schedule B documents what you owed, not what you paid. Form 941 line 12 must equal the Schedule B quarterly total for proper reconciliation of your tax reporting.
Write daily liability in the numbered space matching the actual wage payment date for each employee's payroll. The IRS required accurate date alignment for 2015, meaning if you paid wages on the 3rd of the month, you must enter the liability in space 3. Do not shift liability to a different numbered line to match your deposit dates.
Calculate and enter subtotals for each month (Month 1, Month 2, Month 3) by summing all daily liabilities within that calendar month. These intermediate subtotals do not appear on Form 941, but verify your quarterly total. Monthly subtotals help you identify calculation errors before submitting the form.
Sum all three monthly subtotals and enter the result in the "Total liability for the quarter" box. This figure must exactly match Form 941 line 12 reported for the same quarter in 2015. Any discrepancy requires correction via Form 941-X filed in the correct subsequent year with proper documentation of the error.
Attach Schedule B as a document to Form 941 when mailing the return, and do not file Schedule B separately. The 2015 instructions confirmed that Schedule B is a required attachment schedule. Paper filers must use Form 941-V as a payment voucher when including payment with the return.
Daily Liability Calculation
Liability Components for 2015
Daily liability entries must reflect the correct 2015 wage base limits and applicable rates for all employment taxes. Social security tax applies at 6.2% each for employer and employee (12.4% total) on wages up to $118,500 per employee for the year. Medicare tax applies at 1.45% each for employer and employee (2.9% total) on all wages with no wage base limit.
Additional Medicare Tax Withholding
Employers must withhold an additional 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax from employee wages exceeding $200,000 in the calendar year. This additional tax applies only to employees, with no employer share or matching requirement. Calculate daily liability to include the employee-only 0.9% withholding on wages above $200,000, plus federal income tax withheld from all employees for that payroll date.
Year-Specific Regulatory Notes
ACA and Shared Responsibility Reporting
No ACA shared responsibility payment reconciliation appears on Schedule B in 2015. If Form 941 line 12 reflects an adjustment for employer mandate credits or penalties reported on Form 941, you must exclude those amounts from Schedule B's daily liability calculation. Report ACA-related adjustments only on Form 941 itself using the appropriate lines for nonrefundable credits or additional liabilities.
Medicare Tax Rate Structure
The regular Medicare tax rate for 2015 was 1.45% each for employees and employers on all wages. The Additional Medicare Tax of 0.9% applies only to employee wages exceeding $200,000 in a calendar year, with no employer matching requirement. Employers withhold the 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax from employees, but do not contribute an employer share of this additional tax.
Deposit Threshold and Classification
The $100,000 one-day threshold for triggering semiweekly status remained unchanged from prior years in 2015 and applied uniformly to all employers. No temporary relief or threshold suspension was in effect during the 2015 tax year. Monthly schedule depositors who accumulate $100,000 or more in tax liability on any single day become semiweekly schedule depositors on the next day.
Publication 15 Section 11 Guidance
Publication 15 (Circular E) Section 11 for the 2015 edition governed the specific instructions for completing Schedule B. Verify your daily liability calculation method against that publication's deposit rules and payroll tax rate tables published for calendar year 2015. The publication provides detailed examples of liability calculations for various payroll scenarios, including tipped employees, sick pay, and fringe benefits.
Form Submission Requirements
Check the quarter box at the top of Schedule B to match the quarter indicated on Form 941. Ensure all daily liability entries use clear numerals and place amounts in the correct date spaces. Complete all three monthly subtotal calculations and verify the quarterly total before attaching Schedule B to Form 941 for mailing to the appropriate IRS processing center.
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This checklist is for educational purposes only and does not constitute tax or legal advice. Always review official IRS instructions and consult a qualified professional for guidance.
