What Form 941 reports
| Section | What’s Reported |
|---|---|
| Part 1 | Total wages, tips, and other compensation |
| Part 2 | Federal income tax withheld |
| Part 3 | Social Security wages and tax |
| Part 4 | Medicare wages and tax |
| Part 5 | Adjustments and prior quarter corrections |
| Part 6 | Total tax liability and deposits made |
Filing schedule
Form 941 is due quarterly:| Quarter | Period | Due Date |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 | January - March | April 30 |
| Q2 | April - June | July 31 |
| Q3 | July - September | October 31 |
| Q4 | October - December | January 31 |
If a due date falls on a weekend or holiday, the deadline moves to the next business day.
How Pluvel handles 941
You review (optional)
Go to Payroll → Tax Filings to review before we submit. You’ll see a draft 941.
Viewing your 941
Go to Payroll → Tax Filings → 941 to see:- Draft 941 — For the current quarter (before filing)
- Filed 941s — Historical returns with confirmation numbers
- Amended 941s — If corrections were needed
Key figures on the form
| Line | Description | Your Data |
|---|---|---|
| Line 2 | Wages, tips, other compensation | Total gross wages |
| Line 3 | Federal income tax withheld | Total withholding |
| Line 5a | Taxable Social Security wages | Usually equals Line 2 |
| Line 5c | Taxable Medicare wages | Usually equals Line 2 |
| Line 12 | Total taxes after adjustments | Sum of all taxes |
| Line 13 | Total deposits for quarter | Should match Line 12 |
If Line 12 and Line 13 match, you’ve made correct deposits. A difference means you owe or overpaid.
Common 941 situations
Correction needed (941-X)
Correction needed (941-X)
If you discover an error after filing:
- We prepare Form 941-X (amended return)
- Explain the correction and reason
- File with the IRS
- Pay any additional tax or claim a refund
- Retroactive pay adjustments
- Employee classification corrections
- Wrong withholding rates applied
No wages paid this quarter
No wages paid this quarter
If you didn’t run payroll in a quarter:
- We still file a 941 with zeros
- This maintains your filing status
- Alternatively, we can file final 941 if you’re closing
Balance due on Line 14
Balance due on Line 14
If your deposits don’t cover your liability:
- The difference appears on Line 14
- We include payment with the return (debited from your funding account)
- Late payments may incur penalties
Third-party sick pay
Third-party sick pay
If a third party (insurance company) paid sick pay:
- Report it on Schedule B if applicable
- Coordinate with your provider on who reports which taxes
- We can help you set this up correctly
Schedule B
If you’re a semi-weekly depositor, you must also file Schedule B with your 941:- Shows tax liability for each day of the quarter
- We generate this automatically based on your payroll dates
- Attached to Form 941
Penalties for late filing or payment
| Violation | Penalty |
|---|---|
| Late filing (up to 5 days) | 2% of unpaid tax |
| 6-15 days late | 5% of unpaid tax |
| More than 15 days late | 10% of unpaid tax |
| 10+ days after first notice | 15% of unpaid tax |
| Late payment | Varies based on time and amount |
Trust fund recovery penalty
A special risk: if payroll taxes go unpaid, the IRS can hold business owners personally liable for the “trust fund” portion (employee withholding). This applies even if the business closes. Pluvel prevents this by:- Collecting taxes with each payroll
- Making timely deposits
- Alerting you to any issues immediately
Accessing filed returns
To download a filed 941:- Go to Payroll → Tax Filings
- Find the quarter you need
- Click Download PDF
What we need from you
For accurate 941 filing:- Accurate employee data — Names, SSNs, addresses matching W-4s
- Timely payroll submissions — Run payroll before deadlines
- Funding account balance — Sufficient funds for taxes
- Corrections reported — Tell us about any errors discovered
Form 940 (FUTA)
Learn about your annual unemployment tax return.