UI Quarterly News
1st Quarter 2004
This is the last UI Quarterly News you will receive by mail. Beginning in April 2004, the most current information regarding unemployment insurance, including current and previous newsletters, will be available via the Internet at www.coworkforce.com/UIT/.
Colorado Department of Labor and Employment
Unemployment Insurance Operations
P.O. Box 8789, Denver, CO 80201-8789
303-318-9100 (Denver-metro area)
1-800-480-8299 (outside Denver-metro area)
| Bill Owens |
 |
Jeffrey M. Wells |
| Governor | Executive Director |
SUPER SYSTEM UPDATE
The UI Program continues to make progress towards full implementation of the State Unemployment Program E-government Resource (SUPER) system. The UI Program is committed to providing a quality product and superior customer service to its customers.
The SUPER system is being released in five phases, three of which have already occurred. The two remaining releases for Benefits and Tax will impact the way you do business with the UI Program. Specific dates of implementation for both of these releases are being finalized.
The Benefits phase of the SUPER system will provide an enhanced method for filing, processing, and paying UI benefits claims. These enhancements serve both claimants and employers in the areas of accuracy, efficiency, and timeliness.
As mentioned in previous newsletters, with the Tax release the format of the current UI employer account numbers will change. Your new UI identification number will be referred to as a UID. A date for issuing the new UID is being finalized.
It has also been mentioned in previous newsletters that a personal identification number (PIN) will be issued to ensure security when accessing and updating your account information. A date for issuing the PIN is being finalized.
Until these dates are finalized, you are advised to continue to file tax-and-wage reports in the current manner until notified to begin filing differently.
Stay tuned as details regarding the Benefits and Tax phases of the SUPER system are announced.
You are welcome to ask questions related to the genesis Project and the SUPER system through our e-mail address established specifically for such inquiries. The genesis Employer e-mail address is uiemployerinquiry@state.co.us. For issues not related to the SUPER system or the genesis Project, please continue to use the unemp.tax@state.co.us e-mail address for faster service.
Current information about the SUPER system is available on our new SUPER System Web page. Visit this Web page by clicking on the SUPER System Information link that is posted on the CDLE Web site at www.coloradoworkforce.com/UIT/.
REMINDERS
Do we have your current address? Over the next several months, we will be mailing you important account information. Please be certain that we have a current address on record so that you receive this information.
2004 TAX-RATE NOTICES
Form UITR-7, Notice of Employer’s Tax Rate, was mailed to employers in November. A new tax-rate schedule and the solvency-tax surcharge are in effect for calendar year 2004. Tax rates for calendar year 2004 have increased due to lower UI Trust Fund levels. Please review your tax-rate notice carefully. The 2004 combined-tax rates will include the base rate, solvency-tax surcharge, and tax surcharge.
The UITR-80, Notice of Solvency Tax Surcharge, was mailed to employers in September. To obtain additional information regarding the solvency-tax surcharge, visit the Tax Web page at www.coloradoworkforce.com/UIT/.
INFORMATION FOR LEASING COMPANIES
REGARDING TAX LIABILITY
Employee-leasing companies are required to file Form UITL-39, Coemployer Annual Report, listing all clients, worksites, and number of employees. Employee-leasing companies have the responsibilities to their clients, to their employees, and to the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE) regarding UI benefits, tax reports, and liability as stated in Colorado statute.
A contract must exist between the employee-leasing company and the client company in order to establish the coemployer relationship. Clients of an employee-leasing company must notify CDLE of their relationship with an employee-leasing company if the client company reports wages under the employee-leasing company’s Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN) or if the client’s UI identification number is inactivated. Colorado statute does not treat an employee-leasing company as a common paymaster (e.g. payroll service).
The Colorado Employment Security Act (CESA) and the Regulations Concerning Employment Security (RCES) contain provisions regarding employee-leasing companies operating in Colorado. Additional information may also be obtained in Publication UI-266, Employer’s Handbook. You may view these three publications by visiting www.coloradoworkforce.com, clicking on eServices, and scrolling down to Unemployment Insurance Benefits & Tax. For a paper copy of the CESA, the RCES, or the Employer’s Handbook, please contact UI Operations by calling the telephone numbers listed in this newsletter or by sending an e-mail to unemp.tax@state.co.us.
EXPLANATION OF THE EMPLOYER IVR SYSTEM
An automated interactive-voice-response (IVR) system has been available since July 2003 for your use. To connect with the IVR system, call 303-318-9100 (Denver-metro area) or 1-800-480-8299 (outside Denver-metro area) between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, except on legal holidays. You can call and inquire about your UI account or a UI claim filed by an employee.
When using the IVR system, be sure to have your UI employer account number and/or employee social security number(s), as these are necessary for some transactions. Before connecting to the Main menu, you must press or speak “2” for English or “3” for Spanish. Once you have reached the IVR system Main menu, press or speak “3” to access the Employer Main menu where the following options are available:
Option 1 – For general employer information – to verify addresses, wages reported, tax rates, and account balances; or to register your business, press or speak “1.”
Option 2 – For information on agriculture, domestic, nonprofit, leasing, seasonal status, or change of address, press or speak “2.”
Option 3 – For information on the status of liens, levies, short checks, installment-payment plans, or bankruptcies, press or speak “3.”
Option 4 – For information on redetermination issues, press or speak “4.”
Option 5 – For information on employee claim issues or benefit charges paid from your account to a past employee, press or speak “5.”
Option 6 – For information regarding notification of an upcoming payroll-tax audit, or for assistance in determining who is an employee versus an independent contractor, press or speak “6.”
WE ARE UNDER CONSTRUCTION
The renovation of our office at 251 East 12th Avenue in Denver has been under way since November 2003. If you are planning to attend an Appeals hearing at this location, please keep in mind that parking will be limited. We expect the renovation to be complete in the first quarter of 2005. Thank you for your patience during this time.
BUSINESS OPTIONS
The SUPER system uses the power and convenience of the Internet. While you can continue to file paper reports, we encourage you to file your quarterly tax-and-wage report online at www.coloradoworkforce.com.
CONTACT US
To contact us, call 303-318-9100 (Denver-metro area) or 1-800-480-8299 (outside Denver-metro area). For tax questions and issues related specifically to your account, send e-mail inquiries to unemp.tax@state.co.us.
Send questions and comments related to the genesis Project and the State Unemployment Program e-Government Resource (SUPER) system to uiemployerinquiry@state.co.us.
For questions relating to the CESA or the RCES, please send e-mails to unemp.tax@state.co.us.