Form 941

Form 941 is the federal quarterly tax return employers generally use to report wages, federal income tax withheld, and Social Security and Medicare taxes.

Most employers that pay wages subject to federal payroll taxes file Form 941 each quarter. The return reconciles payroll tax information for the quarter, but filing the form is separate from making required tax deposits. Accurate payroll records help employers keep reported wages, withholding, deposits, and tax liability aligned.

Employers that follow a semiweekly federal tax-deposit schedule generally attach Schedule B (Form 941) to report their employment-tax liability by date. The schedule reports when the liability arose, rather than the dates or amounts of tax deposits. It is separate from state schedules that share the same name.