Chapter 108

108.16 Annotation There is no statutory requirement for the Department of Workforce Development to contact a business and alert it to a report regarding business transfer. The statutes place compliance with all registration and application requirements squarely on businesses. Friendly Village Nursing & Rehab, LLC v. DWD, 2022 WI 4, 400 Wis. 2d 277, 969 N.W.2d 245, 20-0520.

108.161 108.161 Federal administrative financing account.

108.161(1) (1) The fund’s treasurer shall maintain within the fund an employment security “federal administrative financing account”, and shall credit thereto all amounts credited to the fund pursuant to the federal employment security administrative financing act (of 1954) and section 903 of the federal social security act, as amended.

108.161(1m) (1m) The treasurer of the fund shall also credit to said account all federal moneys credited to the fund pursuant to sub. (8).

108.161(2) (2) The requirements of said section 903 shall control any appropriation, withdrawal and use of any moneys in said account.

108.161(3) (3) Consistently with this chapter and said section 903, such moneys shall be used solely for benefits or employment security administration by the department, including unemployment insurance, employment service, apprenticeship programs, and related statistical operations.

108.161(3e) (3e) Notwithstanding sub. (3), any moneys allocated under section 903 of the federal Social Security Act, as amended, for federal fiscal years 2000 and 2001 and the first $2,389,107 of any distribution received by this state under section 903 of that act in federal fiscal year 2002 shall be used solely for unemployment insurance administration.

108.161(3m) (3m) The fund’s treasurer shall request restoration from the U.S. secretary of labor of amounts credited to the account under this section which have been used to pay benefits, unless these amounts do not exceed the balance in the account, and unless the state does not have a balance of advances outstanding from the federal unemployment account under title XII of the social security act.

108.161(4) (4) Such moneys shall be encumbered and spent for employment security administrative purposes only pursuant to, and after the effective date of, a specific legislative appropriation enactment:

108.161(4)(a) (a) Stating for which such purposes and in what amounts the appropriation is being made to the administrative account created by s. 108.20.

108.161(4)(b) (b) Directing the fund’s treasurer to transfer the appropriated amounts to the administrative account only as and to the extent that they are currently needed for such expenditures, and directing that there shall be restored to the account created by sub. (1) any amount thus transferred which has ceased to be needed or available for such expenditures.

108.161(4)(c) (c) Specifying that the appropriated amounts are available for obligation solely within the 2 years beginning on the appropriation law’s date of enactment. This paragraph does not apply to the appropriations under s. 20.445 (1) (nd) and (ne) or to any amounts expended from the appropriation under s. 20.445 (1) (nb) from moneys transferred to this state on March 13, 2002, pursuant to section 903 (d) of the federal Social Security Act.

108.161(4)(d) (d) Limiting the total amount which may be obligated during any fiscal year to the aggregate of all amounts credited under sub. (1), including amounts credited pursuant to sub. (8), reduced at the time of any obligation by the sum of the moneys obligated and charged against any of the amounts credited.

108.161(5) (5) The total of the amounts thus appropriated for use in any fiscal year shall in no event exceed the moneys available for such use hereunder, considering the timing of credits hereunder and the sums already spent or appropriated or transferred or otherwise encumbered hereunder.

108.161(6) (6) The fund’s treasurer shall keep a record of all such times and amounts; shall charge each sum against the earliest credits duly available therefor; shall include any sum thus appropriated but not yet spent hereunder in computing the fund’s net balance as of the close of any month, in line with the federal requirement that any such sum shall, until spent, be considered part of the fund; and shall certify the relevant facts whenever necessary hereunder.

108.161(7) (7) If any moneys appropriated hereunder are used to buy and hold suitable land, with a view to the future construction of an employment security building thereon, and if such land is later sold or transferred to other use, the proceeds of such sale (or the value of such land when transferred) shall be credited to the account created by sub. (1) except as otherwise provided in ss. 13.48 (14) and 16.848.

108.161(8) (8) If any sums are appropriated and spent hereunder to buy land and to build a suitable employment security building thereon, or to purchase information technology hardware and software, then any federal moneys thereafter credited to the fund or paid to the department by way of gradual reimbursement of such employment security capital expenditures, or in lieu of the estimated periodic amounts which would otherwise (in the absence of such expenditures) be federally granted for the rental of substantially equivalent quarters, shall be credited to the account created by sub. (1), consistently with any federal requirements applicable to the handling and crediting of such moneys.

108.161(8m) (8m) To the extent that employment security moneys finance the capital cost of acquiring office quarters, either in a separate employment security building project or in a larger state building, no rental for the quarters thus financed, or for equivalent substitute quarters, shall be charged the department or its employment security functions at any time. The department shall so certify, in applying for the federal moneys specified in sub. (8).

108.161(9) (9) Any land and building or office quarters acquired under this section shall continue to be used for employment security purposes. Realty or quarters may not be sold or transferred to other use if prior action is taken under s. 13.48 (14) (am) or 16.848 (1) and may not be sold or transferred without the governor’s approval. The proceeds from the sale, or the value of realty or quarters upon transfer, shall be credited to the account established in sub. (1) or credited to the fund established in s. 108.20, or both in accordance with federal requirements. Equivalent substitute rent-free quarters may be provided, as federally approved. Amounts credited under this subsection shall be used solely to finance employment security quarters according to federal requirements.

108.161 History History: 1971 c. 259; 1983 a. 8, 27; 1985 a. 29; 1991 a. 39; 1993 a. 492; 1995 a. 225; 1997 a. 39; 1999 a. 15; 2001 a. 43; 2003 a. 33, 197; 2013 a. 20.

108.162 108.162 Employment security buildings and equipment.

108.162(1) (1) The amounts appropriated under s. 20.445 (1) (na) shall be used for employment security administration, including unemployment insurance, employment service and related statistical operations; for capital outlay to buy suitable parcels of land for buildings designed for employment security operations; and to finance the designing and construction of such buildings, and for such equipment, facilities, paving, landscaping and other improvements as are required for the proper use and operation of buildings occupied by the department for employment security administration.

108.162(2) (2) The treasurer of the fund shall transfer the amounts appropriated under s. 20.445 (1) (na) from the federal administrative financing account under s. 20.445 (1) (n) only as and to the extent that they are currently needed for expenditures under this section. Any amount thus transferred which has ceased to be needed or available for such expenditures shall be restored to that account.

108.162(3) (3) The amount obligated under this section during any fiscal year may not exceed the aggregate of all amounts credited under s. 108.161 (1), including amounts credited under s. 108.161 (8), reduced by the amount obligated under s. 20.445 (1) (nb), (nd) and (ne) and further reduced at the time of any obligation by the sum of the moneys obligated and charged against any of the amounts thus credited.

108.162(4) (4) As to any building project to be financed under this section, the department shall secure advance assurance that the federal bureau of employment security will apply to that project, after its completion and occupancy, the bureau’s policy of gradually reimbursing the fund for the necessary capital costs of any suitable employment security building project thus financed by federal grants covering the amounts which would otherwise be payable during the reimbursement or amortization period for the rental of substantially equivalent office quarters.

108.162(5) (5) The governor, before approving any land purchase or transfer or building project to be financed under this section, shall consult with the building commission as to those cities and sites where early construction of a combined state office building is under active consideration with a view to determining where employment security building projects thus financed would be desirable.

108.162(6) (6) If the building commission with the approval of the governor determines as to any city or site that employment security offices should be part of a combined state office building project, or should be built on state-owned land or on land owned by a Wisconsin state public building corporation, the amounts appropriated under s. 20.445 (1) (na) shall be available to finance such offices or a proper employment security share of such combined project.

108.162(7) (7) Any amount appropriated under s. 20.445 (1) (na) which has not been obligated shall be available for employment security local office building projects, consistent with this section and ss. 108.161 and 108.20.

108.162 History History: 1985 a. 29 ss. 490, 1674; 1991 a. 39; 1997 a. 39; 2003 a. 33, 197.

108.17 108.17 Payment of contributions.

108.17(1) (1) Contributions shall accrue and become payable by each employer then subject to this chapter on the first day of July, 1934, and shall be paid thenceforth in accordance with this chapter. Thereafter contributions shall accrue and become payable by any employer on and after the date on which the employer becomes newly subject to this chapter.

108.17(1m) (1m) In the case of an employer who becomes newly subject to this chapter based on employment during a given year, contributions based on payrolls through the quarter which includes the date the employer became subject to this chapter shall not be considered as payable for the purposes of s. 108.22 until the close of the month next following the first full quarter occurring after the quarter during which the liability was incurred. In no case may such due date be later than January 31 of the succeeding year.

108.17(2) (2) 

108.17(2)(a) (a) Except as provided in par. (b), every employer that is subject to a contribution requirement shall file quarterly reports of contributions required under this chapter with the department, and pay contributions to the department, in such manner as the department prescribes. Each contribution report and payment is due at the close of the month next following the end of the applicable calendar quarter, except as authorized in sub. (2c) or as the department may assign a later due date pursuant to sub. (1m) or general department rules.

108.17(2)(b) (b) The department may electronically provide a means whereby an employer that files its employment and wage reports electronically may determine the amount of contributions due for payment by the employer under s. 108.18 for each quarter. If an employer that is subject to a contribution requirement files its employment and wage reports under s. 108.205 (1) electronically, in the manner prescribed by the department for purposes of this paragraph, the department may require the employer to determine electronically the amount of contributions due for payment by the employer under s. 108.18 for each quarter. In such case, the employer is excused from filing contribution reports under par. (a). The employer shall pay the amount due for each quarter by the due date specified in par. (a).

108.17(2b) (2b) The department shall prescribe a form and methodology for filing contribution reports under sub. (2) electronically. Each employer of 25 or more employees, as determined under s. 108.22 (1) (ae), that does not use an employer agent to file its contribution reports under this section shall file its contribution reports electronically in the manner and form prescribed by the department. Each employer that becomes subject to an electronic reporting requirement under this subsection shall file its initial report under this subsection for the quarter during which the employer becomes subject to the reporting requirement. Once an employer becomes subject to a reporting requirement under this subsection, it shall continue to file its reports under this subsection unless that requirement is waived by the department.

108.17(2c) (2c) 

108.17(2c)(a) (a) Except as provided in pars. (d) and (e), an employer that has a first quarter contribution liability of $1,000 or more may elect to defer payment to later due dates beyond the due date established under sub. (1m) or (2) of not more than 60 percent of its first quarter contribution liability, without payment of interest, as follows:

108.17(2c)(a)1. 1. The employer shall pay at least 30 percent of the first quarter contribution liability on or before July 31 of the year in which the liability accrues.

108.17(2c)(a)2. 2. The employer shall pay at least an additional 20 percent of the first quarter contribution liability on or before October 31 of the year in which the liability accrues.

108.17(2c)(a)3. 3. The employer shall pay any remaining balance of the first quarter contribution liability on or before January 31 of the year after the year in which the liability accrues.

108.17(2c)(b) (b) An employer that elects to defer a payment under par. (a) may pay more than the specified minimum deferred amount or all of the deferred amount at any time before the due date under par. (a).

108.17(2c)(c) (c) If an employer fails to pay at least the specified minimum deferred amount for the first quarter, together with the full amount of contributions payable for any subsequent quarter, or fails to file its employment and wage report in the format prescribed under par. (f), by a specified due date, then all unpaid contribution liability of that employer for the first quarter is delinquent under s. 108.22 and interest thereon is payable from April 30 of the year in which the liability accrues.

108.17(2c)(d) (d) If an employer fails to pay at least 40 percent of its first quarter contribution liability on or before April 30 of the year in which the liability accrues, the employer is not permitted to defer the balance of the liability under this subsection.

108.17(2c)(e) (e) An employer is not permitted to defer its first quarter contribution liability under this subsection for any year unless the employer pays all delinquent contributions, together with any interest, penalties, and fees assessed under this chapter, prior to April 30 of the year in which the liability accrues.

108.17(2c)(f) (f) An employer that elects to defer payment of its first quarter contributions under this subsection shall file the election electronically, shall file its contribution reports under sub. (2) (a) unless excused from filing under sub. (2) (b), and shall file its employment and wage reports under s. 108.205 electronically in the manner and form prescribed by the department.

108.17(2g) (2g) An employer agent that prepares reports on behalf of employers under sub. (2) shall file contribution reports electronically in the manner and form prescribed by the department under sub. (2b) unless that requirement is waived by the department.

108.17(2m) (2m) When a written statement of account is issued to an employer by the department, showing as duly credited a specified amount received from the employer under this chapter, no other form of state receipt therefor is required.

108.17(3) (3) If an employing unit makes application to the department to adjust an alleged overpayment by the employer of contributions or interest under this chapter, and files such an application within 3 years after the close of the calendar year in which such payment was made, the department shall make a determination under s. 108.10 as to the existence and extent of any such overpayment, and said section shall apply to such determination. Except as provided in sub. (3m), the department shall allow an employer a credit for any amount determined under s. 108.10 to have been erroneously paid by the employer, without interest, against its future contribution payments; or, if the department finds it impracticable to allow the employer such a credit, it shall refund such overpayment to the employer, without interest, from the fund or the administrative account, as the case may be.

108.17(3m) (3m) If an appeal tribunal or the commission issues a decision under s. 108.10 (2), or a court issues a decision on review under s. 108.10 (4), in which it is determined that an amount has been erroneously paid by an employer, the department shall, from the administrative account, credit the employer with interest at the rate of 0.75 percent per month or fraction thereof on the amount of the erroneous payment. Interest shall accrue from the month which the erroneous payment was made until the month in which it is either used as a credit against future contributions or refunded to the employer.

108.17(4) (4) An employer’s contribution rate for any year, once determined by the department, shall not be redetermined after the last day of February in the year for which the rate was determined unless the rate was determined based on payroll which should have been reported under a different employer’s account, in which case the department may redetermine the rates with respect to all affected employers’ accounts.

108.17(5) (5) Upon application of an employer, the department may permit employers which are component members of a controlled group of corporations under 26 USC 1563 to combine wages of a single employee for purposes of determining the employers’ payroll under s. 108.02 (21) (b) if the employee is subject to transfer between the employers under the terms of a single collective bargaining agreement. The application shall specify the calendar year in which the combination is proposed to occur. This subsection does not apply to any employer for which the department has written off overdrafts under s. 108.16 (7) (c) within the 2 calendar years preceding the year in which the combination is proposed to occur, nor to any employer whose account is overdrawn by 6 percent or more on the computation date for the calendar year preceding the year in which the combination is proposed to occur. If the department approves the application, the department shall specify the calendar year in which the combination is effective and the method by which the component members will report the payroll of the employee to the department.

108.17(6) (6) If the department determines that a trustee paying wage claims for an employer in a state or federal liquidation proceeding in which priority is given to specified wage claims has insufficient funds to pay all wage claims given priority, and contributions on the wage claims given priority, in full, the department may accept less than the full amount of contributions owed by the employer on those wage claims.

108.17(7) (7) 

108.17(7)(a) (a) Each employer whose net total contributions paid or payable under this section for any 12-month period ending on June 30 are at least $10,000 shall pay all contributions under this section by means of electronic funds transfer beginning with the next calendar year. Once an employer becomes subject to an electronic payment requirement under this paragraph, the employer shall continue to make payment of all contributions by means of electronic funds transfer unless that requirement is waived by the department.

108.17(7)(b) (b) Each employer agent shall pay all contributions under this section on behalf of each employer that is represented by the agent by means of electronic funds transfer.

108.17 History History: 1973 c. 247; 1981 c. 36; 1985 a. 29; 1987 a. 38 ss. 112, 134; 1989 a. 77; 1991 a. 89; 1993 a. 492; 2001 a. 35; 2005 a. 86; 2007 a. 59; 2015 a. 197 s. 51; 2021 a. 238 s. 45.

108.17 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See also ss. DWD 110.07 and 110.08, Wis. adm. code.

108.18 108.18 Contributions to the fund.

108.18(1) (1) Total rate.

108.18(1)(a) (a) Unless a penalty applies under s. 108.16 (8) (m), each employer shall pay contributions to the fund for each calendar year at whatever rate on the employer’s payroll for that year duly applies to the employer pursuant to this section.

108.18(1)(b) (b) An employer’s contributions shall be credited to the employer’s account in the fund, but only after any solvency contribution or special contribution paid or payable by the employer under subs. (8) to (9m) has been credited to the fund’s balancing account.

108.18(2) (2) Initial rates.

108.18(2)(a) (a) Except as provided in pars. (c) and (d), an employer’s contribution rate shall be 2.5 percent on its payroll for each of the first 3 calendar years with respect to which contributions are credited to its account, except as additional contributions apply under this section.

108.18(2)(c) (c) An employer engaged in the construction of roads, bridges, highways, sewers, water mains, utilities, public buildings, factories, housing, or similar construction projects shall pay contributions for each of the first 3 calendar years at the average rate for construction industry employers as determined by the department on each computation date, rounded up to the next highest rate. This rate may in no case be more than the maximum rate specified in the schedule in effect for the year of the computation under sub. (4).

108.18 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See also ch. DWD 102, Wis. adm. code.

108.18(2)(d) (d) No later than 90 days after the department issues an initial determination that a person is an employer, any employer other than an employer specified in par. (c), having a payroll exceeding $10,000,000 in a calendar year may elect that its contribution rate shall be one percent on its payroll for the first 3 calendar years with respect to which contributions are credited to its account. In such case, the department shall credit the amount collected in excess of this amount against liability of the employer for future contributions after the close of each calendar year in which an election applies. If an employer qualifies for and makes an election under this paragraph, the employer shall, upon notification by the department, make a special contribution after the close of each quarter equivalent to the amount by which its account is overdrawn, if any, for the preceding quarter. The department shall credit any timely payment of contributions to the employer’s account before making a determination of liability for a special contribution under this paragraph. An employer does not qualify for an alternate contribution rate under this paragraph at any time during which the employer’s special contribution payment is delinquent. An employer that is the transferee of a business enterprise but does not qualify to be treated as a successor under s. 108.16 (8) (im) does not qualify for an alternate contribution rate under this paragraph.

108.18(3) (3) Requirements for reduced rate. As to any calendar year, an employer shall be permitted to pay contributions to the fund at a rate lower than the standard rate on its payroll for that year only when, as of the applicable computation date:

108.18(3)(a) (a) Benefits have been chargeable to the employer’s account during the 18 months preceding such date; and

108.18(3)(b) (b) Such lower rate applies under this section; and

108.18(3)(c) (c) Permitting the employer to pay such lower rate is consistent with the relevant conditions then applicable to additional credit allowance for such year under 26 USC 3303 (a), any other provision to the contrary notwithstanding.

108.18(3m) (3m) Application of schedules. For purposes of subs. (4) and (9):

108.18(3m)(a) (a) “Schedule A” is in effect for any calendar year whenever, as of the preceding June 30, the fund has a cash balance of less than $300,000,000.

108.18(3m)(b) (b) “Schedule B” is in effect for any calendar year whenever, as of the preceding June 30, the fund has a cash balance of at least $300,000,000 but less than $900,000,000.

108.18(3m)(c) (c) “Schedule C” is in effect for any calendar year whenever, as of the preceding June 30, the fund has a cash balance of at least $900,000,000 but less than $1,200,000,000.

108.18(3m)(d) (d) “Schedule D” is in effect for any calendar year whenever, as of the preceding June 30, the fund has a cash balance of at least $1,200,000,000.

108.18(4) (4) Experience rates. Except as otherwise specified in this section, an employer’s contribution rate on the employer’s payroll for a given calendar year shall be based on the reserve percentage of the employer’s account as of the applicable computation date, as follows: [See Figure 108.18 (4) following]

108.18(5) (5) Limitation. Except as provided in subs. (2) and (8), the contribution rate for any calendar year of an employer whose reserve percentage equals or exceeds zero may in no case exceed by more than one percent on the employer’s payroll the rate which applied to the employer at the close of the preceding calendar year, and the contribution rate for any calendar year of an employer whose reserve percentage is less than zero may in no case exceed by more than 2 percent on the employer’s payroll the rate which applied to the employer at the close of the preceding calendar year.

108.18(5m) (5m) Limitation, computation. The limitation of sub. (5) shall be computed from the employer’s experience rate assigned to it under subs. (4), (5) and (6), rounded to the next highest rate.

108.18(6) (6) Computation in special cases. If during the year ending on a computation date an employer has been liable for contributions but has had no payroll, the employer’s reserve percentage as of that computation date shall be computed on the basis of the employer’s most recent year (ending on a computation date which applied to the employer) of some payroll; but the employer’s contribution rate for the calendar year following the computation date shall in no case be less than one percent.

108.18(7) (7) Voluntary contributions.

108.18(7)(a) (a)

108.18(7)(a)1. 1. Except as provided in pars. (b) to (i), any employer may make payments to the fund during the month of November in excess of those required by this section and s. 108.19 (1), (1e), and (1f). Each payment shall be credited to the employer’s account for the purpose of computing the employer’s reserve percentage as of the immediately preceding computation date.

108.18(7)(a)2. 2. Each payment shall be treated as a contribution required and irrevocably paid under this chapter with respect to payrolls preceding the date it is credited except as a refund or credit is authorized under par. (b), (e), (h), or (i).

108.18(7)(b) (b) Except as provided in par. (i), no employer may, by means of a voluntary contribution under par. (a), reduce the employer’s contribution rate to a rate lower than the next lower rate which would have applied to the employer for the following calendar year. Any contributions in excess of the amount required to reduce an employer’s rate to the extent permitted under this paragraph shall be applied against any outstanding liability of the employer, or if there is no such liability shall be refunded to the employer or established as a credit, without interest, against future contributions payable by the employer, at the employer’s option.

108.18(7)(c) (c) No employer whose overdrafts have been charged to the fund’s balancing account under s. 108.16 (7) (c) may make a voluntary contribution under par. (a) prior to the 5th calendar year commencing after the date of the most recent such charge. Any voluntary contribution made prior to that year shall be treated as an excess contribution under par. (b).

108.18(7)(d) (d) A payment under this subsection is timely if it is received by the department no later than November 30 following the computation date for the calendar year to which it applies.

108.18(7)(e) (e) The department may refund a voluntary contribution made under par. (a) if, due to an error of the department or an employer, the department makes an adjustment after the computation date or the November voluntary contribution period to the employer’s account or payroll used to calculate the employer’s reserve percentage that nullifies the rate reduction obtained by the voluntary payment. No refund may be authorized after the close of the calendar year for which the rate changed by the voluntary contribution applied.

108.18(7)(f) (f) Notwithstanding par. (a), the department shall authorize an employer to make a voluntary contribution for the purpose of computing the employer’s reserve percentage as of the immediately preceding computation date after the month of November, but in no case later than 120 days after the beginning of the calendar year to which the reserve percentage applies, in an amount sufficient to obtain a contribution rate that was: