Frequently Asked Questions
Office of Controller – Payroll
Annual Forms
Your Form W-2 Wage and Tax Statement and additional detail about the form can be found online, via EagleNET. (See Payroll Tutorial for a detailed guide on how to access and print your electronic Form W-2. Payroll Tutorials)
Affordable Care Act: IRS Form 1095-C
Beginning in tax year 2015 the Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires large employers like Eastern Washington University to report to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) whether they offer their full-time employees and their employees’ qualified dependents the opportunity to enroll in minimum essential coverage under an eligible employer-sponsored plan. This information will be reported to the IRS using Form 1095-C.
What is IRS Form 1095-C?
Form 1095-C is a tax document recipients use when preparing their federal tax return to report qualifying medical coverage (known as minimum essential coverage). The ACA requires that most individuals either have minimum essential coverage or pay a fee. Form 1095-C reports, in monthly detail, any offers of health care coverage and other related information.
The employer must provide Form 1095-C to each person who has been a full-time employee for any month of the calendar year. In addition to other qualifying criteria under the ACA, a full-time employee is generally defined as those who work 30 or more hours per week. In addition to filing the forms with IRS, the employer must also provide a copy of Form 1095-C to the employee.
When will IRS Form 1095-C be available?
The due date for mailing IRS Form 1095-C to employees is typically January 31 of the following year. Although you should receive Form 1095-C with plenty of time to file, it is not requiredfor filing your tax return. According to the IRS, you can use other information, such as an insurance card or W-2, to verify healthcare coverage when filing your tax return.
The Health Care Authority (HCA), on behalf of Eastern Washington University, will mail Form 1095-C to employees who are enrolled in Uniform Medical Plan. HCA, on behalf of Eastern Washington University, will also mail Form 1095-C to employees determined “full-time” under ACA regulations.
Employees enrolled in Group Health or Kaiser Permanente will receive Form 1095-B directly from the plan as well as Form 1095-C from HCA (mailed on behalf of Eastern Washington University).
Where to Get More Information
While we are able to provide general information regarding the Affordable Care Act, we cannot provide tax advice. These questions should be addressed by contacting the Internal Revenue Service or your tax advisor. Information provided is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, financial or regulatory advice.
How do I electronically turn in secured documents?
Payroll has set up a OneDrive Folder for a secure method of transmitting sensitive document information. This method allows you to upload your sensitive information to a secured folder in the Payroll Office. Once your information has been uploaded, you do not have access to the folder to make changes. If you need to make changes, you will need to upload your files again.
Click on the following link to submit your sensitive documents to the Payroll department.
Payroll Secure Document Submission
You will see a message saying “Bryant, Kate is requesting files for Payroll Secure Document Submission” and a “select files” box. Click the box and select your files for submission. Enter your first and last name. Click upload. You will see a message that says your upload was successful.
They are postmarked or made available online, via EagleNET by January 31 of the following year.
Employees have two options for receiving form W-2.
Option 1: Consent to receive the annual form W-2 electronically.This consent can be done on EagleNET under Employee Tax Forms. The consent is valid for all subsequent tax years unless revoked by you.
Option 2: Not consenting or revoking consent to the electronic form will result in a paper form being mailed to your permanent address on record.Updates to addresses are done on EagleNET under Personal Information.
(See Payroll Tutorial for a detailed guide on how to update or make changes to your electronic consent)
General Information
Effective January 1, 2024, the Washington State minimum wage is $16.28 per hour.
Hours worked 1st through the 15th of the month are paid on the 25th of the same month.
Hours worked 16th through month end are paid on the 10th of the following month.
Paydays are the 10th and 25th unless:
the 10th or 25th is on a Saturday then payday will be the Friday before.
the 10th or 25th is on Sunday then payday will be the Monday after.
the 10th or 25th is on a holiday then payday will be the previous weekday.
New employees:
If you are a non-student employee, you must establish Direct Deposit or request a Payroll Debit Card within your first month of employment at EWU. Prior to this election of payroll method being active in EWU’s system, you will receive a check mailed to the address you provided on your hiring paperwork. Long-term payment via check is not an option, and you must choose one of the electronic payment methods detailed above. Please refer to the Election of Payroll Method document for more information.
Returning employees: If you worked within the three months previous to your current job, your previous pay distribution information may still be on file. Contact the payroll office to confirm your distribution.
What are my options for pay distribution?
All non-student employees are required to receive their pay via the Automated Clearing House (ACH) network. EWU offers two methods for receiving pay via ACH.
Option 1: The preferred method is to set up Direct Deposit. Direct Deposit is a highly secure and reliable method to automatically deposit your pay into your bank account on payday.
Option 2: Alternatively, a Payroll Debit Card can be issued as a means of receiving pay. Payroll Debit Cards also use the ACH network, but the funds are deposited onto a debit card rather than in a bank account.
Electing for payment via Direct Deposit is recommended, and the timeframe for establishing Direct Deposit in EWU’s payroll system is approximately two weeks faster than establishing a Payroll Debit Card. Please use the following link to review pertinent disclosures related to the Payroll Debit Card option including associated fees and transaction limits: https://www.usbankfocus.com/documentLocator?docId=focusblack87265212disclosure
You must establish Direct Deposit or request a Payroll Debit Card within your first month of employment at EWU.
How do I set up or change my Direct Deposit?
You can enter your banking information for Direct Deposit by logging into your EagleNet account and selecting: Employee/Pay Information/Direct Deposit Allocation. If you would like step by step screen shots, please see the Direct Deposit Setup or Change Tutorial on our website.
Once you have entered your direct deposit information, there is a prenote cycle where your banking information is tested and, on that payroll, you will receive a check by mail. Checks are mailed to your current Mailing address in EagleNet so be sure your address is up to date. Once your new direct deposit information is tested, your future payments will be directly deposited to your account.
If you have any questions, please call or email Payroll at:
Phone (509)-359-2325
Other Questions on Direct Deposit for Payroll
- I received an email that states: “Recent changes have been made to your direct deposit information at Eastern Washington University. The change was made at … Date & time” What should I do? If you made changes to your direct deposit information on EagleNet, you will receive this email and know it was you. If you turn in a paper form and Payroll enters your information, you will also receive an email. If you suspect a problem, contact Payroll as soon as possible. (509) 359-2325.
- What if I receive an error message, after entering my bank routing number, that states: “An invalid routing number was entered. Please enter a valid routing number”. Not all banks are set up in our system. Verify that you entered the correct routing number and if so, email payroll@ewu.edu and request that we set up your bank in our system so you can enter your direct deposit information. We only need your bank name and routing number to set up your bank. Never email your bank account number as email is not secure.
- Can I turn in a paper direct deposit form? Yes, you can drop off your completed form in our payroll office at SHW 322 or you can submit it electronically by following the instructions on our website for turning in an electronic document securely. https://test-inside.ewu.edu/financialservices/office-of-controller/payroll/faq/
- Can I deposit my pay to more than one bank? Yes, by following the instructions on our tutorial to Set up or Change my Direct Deposit on our website.
Direct Deposit is an easy, safe and secure way to have your money in the bank on payday. No waiting for your paycheck to be delivered. Your money will be posted to your account automatically on payday.
Benefits of direct deposit include:
- You don’t have to be in the office to get paid. If an employee works remotely, is out of town, or takes a sick day, you can be assured the deposit will be made. Moreover, that money will be immediately accessible.
- You don’t need to worry about asking to re-issue lost or stolen checks. By choosing direct deposit you eliminate the possibility of a check being damaged or delayed in the mail. It also removes the risk of a check being lost or stolen.
- You can control where your money goes. Having control over where your pay goes is another way direct deposit provides flexibility and convenience. You can direct funds to go toward one or more checking or savings accounts.
- It saves university resources and costs less. Paper checks cost more to generate and are less environmentally friendly.
We encourage all employees to take advantage of the benefits of having your pay directly deposited into a bank or credit union account.
How to set up or update your direct deposit
Direct Deposit Authorization Form
For questions please call (509) 359-2325 or email the Payroll Office at: payroll@ewu.edu
No, all pay will be issued to you in one check.
No, it will be paid on the next available payroll along with the current period’s pay.
Please refer to the Request for Payroll Debit Card Form.
- Type of pay, hours and amount: Pay is summarized by earning type.
- Benefits and Deductions: Items are listed by type for Personal Deductions and Employer contributions. Employer Contributions are your benefits paid by Eastern.
Typical deduction items include:
FICA Tax – This is Social Security. This is collected from all employees other than students enrolled for 6 or more credits and international employees with certain visa types.
FICA Medicare – This amount funds the federal Medicare program. Employees who are subject to OASI deductions also have Medicare deductions.
Washington MedAid&SupPen – This is the abbreviation for “Medical Aid and Supplemental Pension”. These are programs administered by the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries. All employees pay an amount that is based on the number of hours worked
Update your address on EagleNet (Employee Self Service)- Select Personal Information.
Use EagleNet- Employee Self Service to record hours for pay period and submit timesheet to approver. Time sheets are due as soon as possible after you have worked your last hours for the pay period. Submit your timesheet to approver no later than 3pm of the first week day after the pay period ends.
Deductions
Use the IRS Tax Calculator. You need your most recent pay stub and last year’s tax return to fill in required information.
Here is the IRS’s Form W-4. Take the updated form to the Payroll Department.
The Internal Revenue Services posted FAQ’s on their website at: https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/faqs-on-the-2020-form-w-4
The WA Cares Fund (LTC) is a mandatory long-term care insurance benefit established by Washington state law in 2019. A change in law delayed the start of premium collection to July 1, 2023. Starting July 1, 2026, benefits can be used to purchase long-term care services which may include professional care, equipment, home safety evaluations, and/or compensation for family members who provide care.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Long Term Care (LTC) and Long-Term Disability (LTD) are different insurance types, and declining LTD through EWU does not exempt you from the LTC deduction.
The WA Cares Fund LTC is administered by the Employment Security Department ESD, not EWU, so any questions will need to be directed to them.
Premiums are collected from employees whose work is located in Washington State. The premium is calculated by taking the current rate multiplied times gross wages. (Gross wages do not include Paid Family & Medical Leave supplemental benefit payments). See the WA Cares website for the current rate and a calculator to calculate your premiums.
See the next question for information on qualifying and filing for an exemption.
Beginning January 1, 2023, Washingtonians may be eligible for a permanent or conditional exemption from the WA Cares Fund. An employee with a permanent exemption from the WA Cares Fund premium is permanently ineligible from receiving benefits under the program and cannot rejoin the program at a later date. An employee with a conditional exemption does not contribute premiums to the program while their conditional exemption is in effect.
To apply for an exemption please go to the WA Cares Fund site and complete the application. Applications are available on an on-going basis. Employees with an approved permanent or conditional exemption must provide EWU with a copy of the exemption letter from ESD in order to ensure premiums are not deducted from their paycheck. It is the employee’s responsibility to provide their letter to EWU Payroll and refunds will not be available if submissions are not received timely. Please send a copy of your exemption approval letter to payroll@ewu.edu.
The following employees may have or can choose to apply for an exemption:
- Employees whose permanent home address is not in Washington (Conditional exemption – Notify ESD and EWU Payroll, within 90 days, if your address changes to Washington State and your work location is in Washington State)
- Employees working in the U.S. temporarily with a nonimmigrant visa (Conditional exemption – Notify ESD and EWU Payroll, within 90 days, if your immigrant status changes)
- Employees who are married to or in a domestic partnership with an active-duty military member (Conditional exemption – Notify ESD and EWU Payroll, within 90 days, if your circumstance changes)
- Veterans with a 70% service-connected disability rating or higher (Permanent exemption)
- Workers who had private long-term care insurance before Nov. 1, 2021, were able to apply for a permanent exemption until Dec. 31, 2022. (Permanent exemption) The timeframe for applying for this type of exemption has closed. If you have an approved private insurance exemption, you will continue to be exempt permanently.
- If the conditional exemption changes and the employee fails to notify ESD and EWU within 90 days, the employee will be assessed the balance of their unpaid premiums with interest at the rate of 1% per month.
- Be sure to send a copy of your exemption letter or conditional exemption change to payroll@ewu.edu.
