Ohio § 718.03

Full text of Ohio Ohio Revised Code § 718.03, with citation guidance and answers to common questions.

§ 718.03.

(A)(1) Each employer, agent of an employer, or other payer located or doing business in

a municipal corporation that imposes a tax on income in accordance with this chapter

shall withhold from each employee an amount equal to the qualifying wages of the employee

earned by the employee in the municipal corporation multiplied by the applicable rate

of the municipal corporation's income tax, except for qualifying wages for which withholding

is not required under section 718.011 of the Revised Code or division (D) or (F) of this section.  An employer, agent of an employer, or other payer shall deduct and withhold the

tax from qualifying wages on the date that the employer, agent, or other payer directly,

indirectly, or constructively pays the qualifying wages to, or credits the qualifying

wages to the benefit of, the employee. (2) In addition to withholding the amounts required under division (A)(1) of this section,

an employer, agent of an employer, or other payer may also deduct and withhold, on

the request of an employee, taxes for the municipal corporation in which the employee

is a resident. (B)(1) Except as provided in division (B)(2) of this section, an employer, agent of an employer,

or other payer shall remit to the tax administrator of a municipal corporation the

greater of the income taxes deducted and withheld or the income taxes required to

be deducted and withheld by the employer, agent, or other payer according to the following

schedule: (a) Taxes required to be deducted and withheld shall be remitted monthly to the tax administrator

if the total taxes deducted and withheld or required to be deducted and withheld by

the employer, agent, or other payer on behalf of the municipal corporation in the

preceding calendar year exceeded two thousand three hundred ninety-nine dollars, or

if the total amount of taxes deducted and withheld or required to be deducted and

withheld on behalf of the municipal corporation in any month of the preceding calendar

quarter exceeded two hundred dollars.  Payments under division (B)(1)(a) of this section shall be made to the tax administrator

not later than fifteen days after the last day of each month. (b) Any employer, agent of an employer, or other payer not required to make payments

under division (B)(1)(a) of this section of taxes required to be deducted and withheld

shall make quarterly payments to the tax administrator not later than the last day

of the month following the last day of each calendar quarter. (2) Notwithstanding division (B)(1) of this section, a municipal corporation may require,

by resolution, ordinance, or rule, an employer, agent of an employer, or other payer

to do any of the following: (a) Remit taxes deducted and withheld semimonthly to the tax administrator if the total

taxes deducted and withheld or required to be deducted and withheld on behalf of the

municipal corporation in the preceding calendar year exceeded eleven thousand nine

hundred ninety-nine dollars, or if the total amount of taxes deducted and withheld

or required to be deducted and withheld on behalf of the municipal corporation in

any month of the preceding calendar year exceeded one thousand dollars.  The payment under division (B)(2)(a) of this section shall be made to the tax administrator

not later than one of the following: (i) If the taxes were deducted and withheld or required to be deducted and withheld during

the first fifteen days of a month, the third banking day after the fifteenth day of

that month; (ii) If the taxes were deducted and withheld or required to be deducted and withheld after

the fifteenth day of a month and before the first day of the immediately following

month, the third banking day after the last day of that month. (b) Make payment by electronic funds transfer to the tax administrator of all taxes deducted

and withheld on behalf of the municipal corporation if the employer, agent of an employer,

or other payer is required to make payments electronically for the purpose of paying

federal taxes withheld on payments to employees under section 6302 of the Internal Revenue Code , 1 26 C.F.R. 31.6302-1 , or any other federal statute or regulation.  The payment of tax by electronic funds transfer under this division does not affect

an employer's, agent's, or other payer's obligation to file any return as required

under this section. (C) An employer, agent of an employer, or other payer shall make and file a return showing

the amount of tax withheld by the employer, agent, or other payer from the qualifying

wages of each employee and remitted to the tax administrator.  Unless the tax administrator requires all individual taxpayers to file a tax return

under section 718.05 of the Revised Code , a return filed by an employer, agent, or other payer under this division shall be

accepted by a tax administrator and municipal corporation as the return required of

an employee whose sole income subject to the tax under this chapter is the qualifying

wages reported by the employee's employer, agent of an employer, or other payer. (D) An employer, agent of an employer, or other payer is not required to withhold municipal

income tax with respect to an individual's disqualifying disposition of an incentive

stock option if, at the time of the disqualifying disposition, the individual is not

an employee of either the corporation with respect to whose stock the option has been

issued or of such corporation's successor entity. (E)(1) An employee is not relieved from liability for a tax by the failure of the employer,

agent of an employer, or other payer to withhold the tax as required under this chapter

or by the employer's, agent's, or other payer's exemption from the requirement to

withhold the tax. (2) The failure of an employer, agent of an employer, or other payer to remit to the

municipal corporation the tax withheld relieves the employee from liability for that

tax unless the employee colluded with the employer, agent, or other payer in connection

with the failure to remit the tax withheld. (F) Compensation deferred before June 26, 2003, is not subject to any municipal corporation

income tax or municipal income tax withholding requirement to the extent the deferred

compensation does not constitute qualifying wages at the time the deferred compensation

is paid or distributed. (G) Each employer, agent of an employer, or other payer required to withhold taxes is

liable for the payment of that amount required to be withheld, whether or not such

taxes have been withheld, and such amount shall be deemed to be held in trust for

the municipal corporation until such time as the withheld amount is remitted to the

tax administrator. (H) On or before the last day of February of each year, an employer shall file a withholding

reconciliation return with the tax administrator listing the names, addresses, and

social security numbers of all employees from whose qualifying wages tax was withheld

or should have been withheld for the municipal corporation during the preceding calendar

year, the amount of tax withheld, if any, from each such employee, the total amount

of qualifying wages paid to such employee during the preceding calendar year, the

name of every other municipal corporation for which tax was withheld or should have

been withheld from such employee during the preceding calendar year, any other information

required for federal income tax reporting purposes on Internal Revenue Service form

W-2 or its equivalent form with respect to such employee, and other information as

may be required by the tax administrator. (I) The officer or the employee of the employer, agent of an employer, or other payer

with control or direct supervision of or charged with the responsibility for withholding

the tax or filing the reports and making payments as required by this section, shall

be personally liable for a failure to file a report or pay the tax due as required

by this section.  The dissolution of an employer, agent of an employer, or other payer does not discharge

the officer's or employee's liability for a failure of the employer, agent of an employer,

or other payer to file returns or pay any tax due. (J) An employer is required to deduct and withhold municipal income tax on tips and gratuities

received by the employer's employees and constituting qualifying wages only to the

extent that the tips and gratuities are under the employer's control.  For the purposes of this division, a tip or gratuity is under the employer's control

if the tip or gratuity is paid by the customer to the employer for subsequent remittance

to the employee, or if the customer pays the tip or gratuity by credit card, debit

card, or other electronic means. (K) A tax administrator shall consider any tax withheld by an employer at the request

of an employee when such tax is not otherwise required to be withheld by this chapter

to be tax required to be withheld and remitted for the purposes of this section. 1

 26 U.S.C.A. § 6302.

Frequently Asked Questions About Ohio § 718.03

What does Ohio Revised Code § 718.03 cover?

Section 718.03 is part of the Ohio Revised Code, the codified statutory law of Ohio. It sets out the legal rule or procedure described in the text above. Statutes are amended regularly, so always verify against the official source.

How do I cite Ohio § 718.03?

A common citation format is "Ohio Revised Code § 718.03" (Ohio). Legal writing may require the code abbreviation, section number, and year or edition. Match the style required by your court, professor, or publisher.

Is this the official text of Ohio law?

No. This page is for research and education and may not include the most recent amendments. For official current law, check the Ohio official source linked on this page or consult a licensed Ohio attorney.

How does Ohio § 718.03 apply to my situation?

Statutes are interpreted in context, and application depends on your specific facts. Only a licensed attorney in Ohio can advise on how this section applies to you. Contact your state or local bar association for a referral.

Sources & Verification

Not legal advice. Verify against the official source and consult a licensed attorney in Ohio.