The Federal Unemployment Tax Act, which is more fun to call FUTA, is the law that says the US federal government is allowed to tax businesses that have employees in order to pay for state unemployment programs…mostly covering unemployment insurance, but also job programs.
The US is unique in the way it handles federal and state matters like this. The federal government is the one doing the unemployment tax, so it happens everywhere, in all states, but then it gives that money to state governments, since each state has its own quirky unemployment rules and programs.
Employers know this tax from their annual Form 940 that they fill out for the IRS. The federal unemployment tax is calculated as a percentage of worker income. That way, the federal government is saving up bit by bit to cover you and everyone else when they’re in between jobs. Hey, it happens to the best of us.
So why do you pay it? Well, remember it fondly the next time you are fired and have rent and food bills to cover.
Related or Semi-related Video
Finance: What are Unemployment Benefits?3 Views
Finance Allah Shmoop What are unemployment benefits Well a century
ago and you lost your job This is what happened
to you then this and then this Well the government
decided that America was better than this and that there
should be a shock absorber in the personal economies of
individuals when they were fired And yes sometimes employees did
such a lousy job at work They deserve to get
fired But other times cos downsized into higher divisions so
employees who are at no fault of their own were
fired And other times injuries illness and other factors played
a role in turning this guy into this guy So
the U S Government created an unemployment benefit system that
filtered through out the country And it was a kind
of buffer when an employee went from earning a grand
a week Teo nothing Unemployment benefits comprise a few things
Well first there's the money And in order for there
to be money in the till somewhere too Hey for
that unemployment benefit system the US introduced attacks that basically
socks away money for the future with certainty that well
at some point a whole lot of people will be
unemployed and appreciate the buffer It's a fair question to
ask What about the people who were planners plotters preparers
for a rainy day But why do you tax those
people so that they then pay for workers who got
fired and weren't disciplined enough to save their own damn
money Well it's kind of the price you pay for
being a superpower So yeah the US does have freeloaders
criminals leeches on the system lazy people and bad workers
But we have so many more of the good egg
kind of people that we can at least as faras
today goes afford TTO have a generous unemployment system So
how does one actually qualify for unemployment benefits Well usually
you have to have lived in your state for at
least a year before collecting them and typically you have
to show that you're continually actively seeking employment and not
just binging Handmaid's tale on your sofa And often you
have to show that you were laid off through no
fault of your own Like if you were fired from
RVs for throwing four pounds of roast beef at the
head of a customer No you'll probably need to look
into you know Plan B i e soliciting your family
for alone instead of hoping unemployment covers Yeah And well
don't expect the benefits to allow you to continue your
existing quality of life Generally even if you do qualify
for benefits well you'll get about a third or after
our last of your old salary So you're less likely
to end up on easy street with unemployment benefits than 00:02:29.25 --> [endTime] you are to end up on the streets
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