Correct Answer: benefits that are attributed to a particular service. to answer the question about which supplemental unemployment compensation benefits are not excluded from social security, medicare, and futa withholdings, let's review the options provided and clarify the criteria for exclusions.
supplemental unemployment compensation benefits typically refer to payments made by employers to employees who have been laid off or terminated without cause. these benefits are intended to provide financial assistance during periods of unemployment and are distinct from regular earned wages or company-provided benefits such as health insurance.
for these supplemental benefits to be excluded from withholdings for social security, medicare, and futa taxes, certain conditions must be met:
1. **the benefits must be attributed to a layoff**: this means the benefits are provided because the employee was removed from their job without any fault of their own, such as during company downsizing or economic downturns.
2. **the benefits must not be tied to the performance of particular services**: in other words, the payments should not be based on the employee completing specific tasks or achieving certain performance metrics.
3. **the method of payment can be relevant**: typically, lump-sum payments have different tax implications compared to payments made over time.
considering the above criteria, let's evaluate the options listed in the question:
1. **benefits paid only to former employees that are laid off**: these benefits are likely to be excluded from withholdings since they meet the first criterion of being related to a layoff.
2. **benefits not paid in a lump sum**: while being paid in a lump sum is often a condition for specific tax treatments, the lack of a lump sum payment alone does not automatically include these benefits in withholdings. thus, these may still be excluded if the other conditions are met.
3. **benefits that are attributed to a particular service**: this option clearly does not meet the second criterion, as these benefits are directly tied to specific services performed by the employee. therefore, this is the correct answer as these benefits are not excluded from social security, medicare, and futa withholdings.
4. **benefits based on state unemployment benefits, regular weekly pay, and other state laws**: these benefits generally align with the types of supplemental unemployment compensation intended to be excluded, as long as they are not tied to specific services performed.
in summary, the benefits that are "attributed to a particular service" are not excluded from social security, medicare, and futa withholdings. this is because they do not meet the necessary conditions for exclusion, specifically being unrelated to specific services performed by the employee.
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