Reporting & Payment for Businesses with Employees

Depending on whether or not you have employees, Social Security & Healthcare Fund contributions are reported and paid differently. In this section, we will consider how business with employees should report and pay their quarterly contributions.

If your business does not have any employees, you can read how Businesses without Employees report and pay their quarterly contributions.

Employee Contributions

SS Contributions – Employers must withhold 6% of each employee’s wages each pay period. At the end of the quarter, employers pay 6% of employees’ gross wages earned in that quarter and pay a matching share of 6%. Therefore, a total of 12% of each employee’s wages – not exceeding $5,000 – is reported and paid at the end of each quarter.

HCF Contributions - Employers must withhold 2.5% of each employee’s wages each pay period. At the end of the quarter, employers pay 2.5% of employees’ gross wages earned in that quarter and pay a matching share of 2.5%. Therefore, a total of 5% of each employee’s total gross wages is reported and paid at the end of each quarter.

Owner Share

Employers who have employees are required to report as their presumed income twice the amount of the highest paid employee in any given quarter, whether or not they are actually receiving any income. Under the Law, they are considered both employer and employee at the same time. Therefore, they are required to contribute 12% of taxable income (wages not exceeding $5,000) for SS and 5% of total gross wages for the HCF.

If you own multiple businesses with employees, owner share should be filed under the company which has the highest paid employee. Read more about owner share if you own multiple businesses that do not have any employees.

Contributions for Domestic Helpers

Employers of domestic helpers must report and pay Social Security contributions for their employees on a quarterly basis. SS & HCF contribution rates for the employee remains the same; however, there is no owner share for the employer of a domestic helper. Download the Domestic Employer's Quarterly Tax Report Form.

How to Fill your Quarterly Report Form

Below is a sample of how a business with employees should report and pay SS & HCF Contributions with the Quarterly Report Form.

	Total Gross Revenue
The total gross revenue must match the gross revenue that is reported to Division of Tax & Revenue.

	Owner's Share
Gross wages for owner share is always twice the highest paid employee, whether or not they are actually receiving any income. In this case, $12,000 is the owner share. ($6,000 x 2)

	SS Taxable Wages
The maximum taxable wage subject to SS tax is currently $5,000 per quarter. This will be the basis for how much SS tax must be paid. There is no maximum on how much gross wages is subject to HCF tax.

	SS Tax
Calculate 12% of the amount found in column 4 which is the "wages subject to SS Tax". Remember that $5,000 is the maximum taxable SS wage.

	HCF Tax
HCF tax is 5% of gross wages, with no maximum ceiling. In this case, HCF tax is $600 or 5% of $12,000.

Deadlines

Under the Social Security Law, all employers or business owners are required to submit their completed Quarterly Report Form every quarter. Please ensure that all information submitted on the Quarterly Report Form, such as EIN and employee SSNs, are accurate. Otherwise, a $1.00 per error will be charged to you.

Quarterly Reports are due one full month after the end of each quarter:

Employers who prepare their Quarterly Report form and mail them to the SSA must make sure that the postmarked date stamped on your envelope falls before or on the due date.

Under Part VI, Section 601 of the Social Security Operational Rules & Procedures, the SSA assumes that an employer or business owner is aware of the legal responsibilities of operating businesses within the Republic of Palau. The SSA has no obligation to remind employers of this responsibility. A claim of ignorance by any employer or business owner failing to report shall not be a valid legal defense for not reporting or non-payment of contributions.