Reminders

Caution: Use the March 2026 revision of Form 941 to report taxes for the first quarter of 2026; don’t use an earlier revision to report taxes for 2026. At this time, the IRS expects the March 2026 revision of Form 941 and these instructions to also be used for the second, third, and fourth quarters of 2026. If changes in law require additional changes to Form 941, the form and/or these instructions may be revised. Prior revisions of Form 941 are available at IRS.gov/Form941 (select the link for “All Form 941 revisions” under “Other items you may find useful”).

References applicable to other forms. Unless otherwise noted, references throughout these instructions to Form W-2 include Forms W-2AS, W-2CM, W-2GU, W-2VI, and 499R-2/W-2PR; references to Form W-2c include Form 499R-2c/W-2cPR; references to Form W-3 include Form W-3SS and Form W-3 (PR); and references to Form W-3c include Form W-3C (PR).

Electronic filing of Form 941-X. You can file Form 941-X, Adjusted Employer’s QUARTERLY Federal Tax Return or Claim for Refund, electronically using Modernized e-File (MeF). For more information on electronic filing, go to IRS.gov/EmploymentEfile .

The COVID-19 related credit for qualified sick and family leave wages is limited to leave taken after March 31, 2020, and before October 1, 2021, and may no longer be claimed on Form 941. Generally, the credit for qualified sick and family leave wages, as enacted under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) and amended and extended by the COVID-related Tax Relief Act of 2020, for leave taken after March 31, 2020, and before April 1, 2021, and the credit for qualified sick and family leave wages under sections 3131, 3132, and 3133 of the Internal Revenue Code, as enacted under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (the ARP), for leave taken after March 31, 2021, and before October 1, 2021, have expired. However, employers that pay qualified sick and family leave wages in 2026 for leave taken after March 31, 2020, and before October 1, 2021, are eligible to claim a credit for qualified sick and family leave wages in 2026. Effective for tax periods beginning after 2023, the lines used to claim the credit for qualified sick and family leave wages have been removed from

Form 941 because it would be extremely rare for an employer to pay wages after 2023 for qualified sick and family leave taken after March 31, 2020, and before October 1, 2021. Instead, if you’re eligible to claim the credit for qualified sick and family leave wages because you paid the wages in 2026 for an earlier applicable leave period, file Form 941-X, after filing Form 941, to claim the credit for qualified sick and family leave wages paid in 2026. Filing a Form 941-X before filing a Form 941 for the quarter may result in errors or delays in processing your Form 941-X.

Qualified small business payroll tax credit for in- creasing research activities. For tax years beginning before 2023, a qualified small business may elect to claim up to $250,000 of its credit for increasing research activities as a payroll tax credit. The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (the IRA) increases the election amount to $500,000 for tax years beginning after 2022. The payroll tax credit election must be made on or before the due date of the originally filed income tax return (including extensions). The portion of the credit used against payroll taxes is allowed in the first calendar quarter beginning after the date that the qualified small business filed its income tax return. The election and determination of the credit amount that will be used against the employer’s payroll taxes are made on Form 6765, Credit for Increasing Research Activities. The amount from Form 6765 must then be reported on Form 8974, Qualified Small Business Payroll Tax Credit for Increasing Research Activities.

Starting in the first quarter of 2023, the payroll tax credit is first used to reduce the employer share of social security tax up to $250,000 per quarter and any remaining credit reduces the employer share of Medicare tax for the quarter. Any remaining credit, after reducing the employer share of social security tax and the employer share of Medicare tax, is then carried forward to the next quarter. Form 8974 is used to determine the amount of the credit that can be used in the current quarter. The amount from Form 8974, line 12 or, if applicable, line 17, is reported on line 11. For more information about the payroll tax credit, go to IRS.gov/ResearchPayrollTC . Also see Adjusting tax liability for the qualified small business payroll tax credit for increasing research activities (line 11) , later.

Forms 941-SS and 941-PR discontinued after 2023. Form 941-SS, Employer’s QUARTERLY Federal Tax Return—American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands; and Form 941-PR, Planilla para la Declaración Federal TRIMESTRAL del Patrono, were discontinued after the fourth quarter of 2023. Instead, employers in the U.S. territories file Form 941 or, if you prefer your form and instructions in Spanish, you can file Form 941 (sp).

Pubs. 51, 80, and 179 discontinued after 2023. Pub. 51, Agricultural Employer’s Tax Guide; Pub. 80, Federal Tax Guide for Employers in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands; and Pub. 179, Guía Contributiva Federal para Patronos Puertorriqueños, were discontinued for tax years beginning after 2023. Instead, information specific to agricultural employers and employers in the U.S.

2 Instructions for Form 941 (Rev. 3-2026)

territories is included in Pub. 15, Employer’s Tax Guide. If you prefer Pub. 15 in Spanish, see Pub. 15 (sp).

Forms in Spanish. Many forms and instructions discussed in these instructions have Spanish-language versions available for employers and employees. Some examples include Form 941 (sp), Form 944 (sp), Form SS-4 (sp), Form W-4 (sp), and Form W-9 (sp). Although these instructions don’t reference Spanish-language forms and instructions in each instance that one is available, you can see Pub. 15 (sp) and go to IRS.gov/ SpanishForms to determine if a Spanish-language version is available.

2026 withholding tables. The federal income tax withholding tables are included in Pub. 15-T.

Certification program for professional employer or- ganizations (PEOs). The Stephen Beck, Jr., Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act of 2014 required the IRS to establish a voluntary certification program for PEOs. PEOs handle various payroll administration and tax reporting responsibilities for their business clients and are typically paid a fee based on payroll costs. To become and remain certified under the certification program, certified professional employer organizations (CPEOs) must meet various requirements described in sections 3511 and 7705 and related published guidance. Certification as a CPEO may affect the employment tax liabilities of both the CPEO and its customers. A CPEO is generally treated for employment tax purposes as the employer of any individual who performs services for a customer of the CPEO and is covered by a contract described in section 7705(e)(2) between the CPEO and the customer (CPEO contract), but only for wages and other compensation paid to the individual by the CPEO. To become a CPEO, the organization must apply through the IRS Online Registration System. For more information or to apply to become a CPEO, go to IRS.gov/CPEO .

CPEOs must generally file Form 941 and Schedule R (Form 941), Allocation Schedule for Aggregate Form 941 Filers, electronically. For more information about a CPEO’s requirement to file electronically, see Rev. Proc. 2023-18, 2023-13 I.R.B. 605, available at IRS.gov/irb/ 2023-13_IRB#REV-PROC-2023-18 .

Outsourcing payroll duties. Generally, as an employer, you’re responsible to ensure that tax returns are filed and deposits and payments are made, even if you contract with a third party to perform these acts. You remain responsible if the third party fails to perform any required action. Before you choose to outsource any of your payroll and related tax duties (that is, withholding, reporting, and paying over social security, Medicare, FUTA, and income taxes) to a third-party payer, such as a payroll service provider or reporting agent, go to IRS.gov/ OutsourcingPayrollDuties for helpful information on this topic. If a CPEO pays wages and other compensation to an individual performing services for you, and the services are covered by a CPEO contract, then the CPEO is generally treated for employment tax purposes as the employer, but only for wages and other compensation paid to the individual by the CPEO. However, with respect to certain employees covered by a CPEO contract, you may also be treated as an employer of the employees

and, consequently, may also be liable for federal employment taxes imposed on wages and other compensation paid by the CPEO to such employees. For more information on the different types of third-party payer arrangements, see section 16 of Pub. 15.

Aggregate Form 941 filers. Approved section 3504 agents and CPEOs must complete and file Schedule R (Form 941) when filing an aggregate Form 941. Aggregate Forms 941 are filed by agents approved by the IRS under section 3504. To request approval to act as an agent for an employer, the agent files Form 2678 with the IRS unless you’re a state or local government agency acting as an agent under the special procedures provided in Rev. Proc. 2013-39, 2013-52 I.R.B. 830, available at IRS.gov/irb/2013-52_IRB#RP-2013-39 . Aggregate Forms 941 are also filed by CPEOs approved by the IRS under section 7705. To become a CPEO, the organization must apply through the IRS Online Registration System at IRS.gov/CPEO . CPEOs file Form 8973, Certified Professional Employer Organization/Customer Reporting Agreement, to notify the IRS that they started or ended a service contract with a customer. CPEOs must generally file Form 941 and Schedule R (Form 941) electronically. For more information about a CPEO’s requirement to file electronically, see Rev. Proc. 2023-18 .

Other third-party payers that file aggregate Forms 941, such as non-certified PEOs, must complete and file Schedule R (Form 941) if they have clients that are claiming the qualified small business payroll tax credit for increasing research activities.

If both an employer and a section 3504 authorized agent (or CPEO or other third-party payer) paid wages to an employee during a quarter, both the employer and the section 3504 authorized agent (or CPEO or other third-party payer, if applicable) should file Form 941 reporting the wages each entity paid to the employee during the applicable quarter and issue Forms W-2 reporting the wages each entity paid to the employee during the year.

Work opportunity tax credit for qualified tax-exempt organizations hiring qualified veterans. Qualified tax-exempt organizations that hire eligible unemployed veterans may be able to claim the work opportunity tax credit against their payroll tax liability using Form 5884-C. For more information, go to IRS.gov/WOTC .

Correcting a previously filed Form 941. If you discover an error on a previously filed Form 941, or if you otherwise need to amend a previously filed Form 941, make the correction using Form 941-X. Form 941-X is filed separately from Form 941. You can file Form 941-X electronically. For more information, see the Instructions for Form 941-X, section 13 of Pub. 15, or go to IRS.gov/ CorrectingEmploymentTaxes .

Federal tax deposits must be made by electronic funds transfer (EFT). You must use EFT to make all federal tax deposits. An EFT can be made using the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS), IRS Direct Pay, or your IRS business tax account. If you don’t want to use one of these methods, you can arrange for your tax professional, financial institution, payroll service, or other third party to make electronic deposits on your

Instructions for Form 941 (Rev. 3-2026) 3

behalf. Also, you may arrange for your financial institution to initiate a same-day wire payment on your behalf. EFTPS is a free service provided by the Department of the Treasury. Payments made using IRS Direct Pay or through your IRS business tax account are also free. Services provided by your tax professional, financial institution, payroll service, or other third party may have a fee.

For more information on depositing taxes, see section 11 of Pub. 15. For more information about IRS Direct Pay, go to IRS.gov/DirectPay . For more information about making a payment through your IRS business tax account, go to IRS.gov/BusinessAccount . For more information about EFTPS or to enroll in EFTPS, go to EFTPS.gov or call one of the following numbers.

• 800-555-4477.

• 800-244-4829 (Spanish).

• 303-967-5916 (toll call). To contact EFTPS using Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS) for people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, dial 711 and then provide the TRS assistant the 800-555-4477 number above or 800-733-4829. Additional information about EFTPS is also available in Pub. 966.

Caution: EFTPS accepts same day payments of $1 million or less if the payment is submitted before 3:00 p.m. Eastern time on a business day. If your payment is more than $1 million, you must submit the deposit by 8:00 p.m. Eastern time the day before the date the deposit is due.

Same-day wire payment option. If you fail to submit a timely deposit transaction on EFTPS, you can still make your deposit on time by using the Federal Tax Collection Service (FTCS) to make a same-day wire payment. To use the same-day wire payment method, you will need to make arrangements with your financial institution ahead of time. Check with your financial institution regarding availability, deadlines, and costs. Your financial institution may charge you a fee for payments made this way. To learn more about the information you will need to give your financial institution to make a same-day wire payment, go to IRS.gov/SameDayWire .

Timeliness of federal tax deposits. If a deposit is required to be made on a day that isn’t a business day, the deposit is considered timely if it is made by the close of the next business day. A business day is any day other than a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday. The term “legal holiday” for deposit purposes includes only those legal holidays in the District of Columbia. Legal holidays in the District of Columbia are provided in section 11 of Pub. 15.

Electronic filing and payment. Businesses can enjoy the benefits of filing tax returns and paying their federal taxes electronically. Whether you rely on a tax professional or handle your own taxes, the IRS offers you convenient and secure programs to make filing and paying easier. Spend less time worrying about taxes and more time running your business. Use e-file and electronic payment options to your benefit.

• For e-file, go to IRS.gov/EmploymentEfile for additional information. A fee may be charged to file electronically.

• For electronic payment options, see the instructions for

line 14, later, and go to IRS.gov/Pay .

• For electronic filing of Forms W-2, Wage and Tax Statement, go to SSA.gov/employer . You may be required

to file Forms W-2 electronically. For details, see the General Instructions for Forms W-2 and W-3. The SSA’s Business Services Online (BSO) is an independent program from the Government of Puerto Rico electronic filing system. Employers in Puerto Rico must go to Hacienda.pr.gov for additional information.

Caution: If you’re filing your tax return or paying your federal taxes electronically, a valid employer identification number (EIN) is required at the time the return is filed or the payment is made. If a valid EIN isn’t provided, the return or payment won’t be processed. This may result in penalties. See Employer identification number (EIN) , later, for information about applying for an EIN.

Electronic funds withdrawal (EFW). If you file Form 941 electronically, you can e-file and use EFW to pay the balance due in a single step using tax preparation software or through a tax professional. However, don’t use EFW to make federal tax deposits. For more information on paying your taxes using EFW, go to IRS.gov/EFW .

Credit or debit card payments. You can pay the balance due shown on Form 941 by credit or debit card. Your payment will be processed by a payment processor who will charge a processing fee. Don’t use a credit or debit card to make federal tax deposits. For more information on paying your taxes with a credit or debit card, go to IRS.gov/PayByCard .

Online payment agreement. You may be eligible to apply for an installment agreement online if you can’t pay the full amount of tax you owe when you file your return. For more information, see What if you can’t pay in full , later.

Paid preparers. If you use a paid preparer to complete Form 941, the paid preparer must complete and sign the paid preparer’s section of the form.

Where can you get telephone help? For answers to your questions about completing Form 941 or tax deposit rules, you can call the IRS at 800-829-4933 or 800-829-4059 (TDD/TTY for persons who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability), Monday–Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time (Alaska and Hawaii follow Pacific time).

Photographs of missing children. The IRS is a proud partner with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children® (NCMEC) . Photographs of missing children selected by the Center may appear in instructions on pages that would otherwise be blank. You can help bring these children home by looking at the photographs and calling 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) if you recognize a child.