Collection of WA Cares premiums starts July 1 – On July 1, 2023, employers must begin collecting the WA Cares tax from their employees’ wages and report their wages and hours at the end of each quarter—much like what is done for Paid Leave. Reporting will begin Oct. 1, 2023, and will follow the same reporting process as Paid Leave.
There is no employer share of WA Cares Fund tax. If an employer does not collect the tax from an employee’s paycheck when they are paid, then the employer is responsible for this tax.
The tax is 0.58% of an employee’s gross wages. Unlike Paid Leave, premium contributions are not capped at the taxable maximum as is done for Social Security. Need help determining tax amounts for WA Cares? Check out the WA Cares tax calculator here.
For more info about employer responsibilities, as well as resources for communicating with employees and answering questions about the program, please visit wacaresfund.wa.gov/employers.