The Connecticut athlete and entertainer withholding tax (“A&E tax”) must be withheld by the University at the rate of 6.99% on payments:
The State of Connecticut considers a wide variety of personal service providers to be performers who are subject to the A&E tax including, for example, public speakers and lecturers, referees, writers, directors, bands, and actors. See Policy 3410 for an extensive list of performers and performing entities subject to the A&E tax. Policy 3410 also describes who is considered a Connecticut resident for purposes of the A&E tax.
If a payment is made to a performer or performing entity, the University is required to withhold A&E tax at the rate of 6.99% unless an exception applies. Several exceptions to the 6.99% A&E tax withholding requirement exist and are explained below.
Note that some exceptions are applicable only to individual performers or only to performing entities.
|
Exception to A&E Tax |
Description |
|---|---|
|
Payment of $5000 or less by an institution to certain speakers |
Payments of $5000 or less for an engagement to a speaker who
|
|
Payment of $1,000 or less for a performance |
Payments of $1,000 or less for a performance (or series of performances) are not subject to the A&E tax. Note: Payments of $1,000 or less for a subsequent performance (or series of performances) during the same calendar year are not subject to A&E tax. |
|
Yale University employee |
Payments made to a performer who is treated as an employee of Yale University for federal income tax withholding purposes with respect to the payment are not subject to the A&E tax. Refer to Policy 3210 and Procedure 3210 PR.1 regarding determining employee or independent contractor status. |
|
Services not performed in Connecticut |
Payments made to a performer or performing entity for services performed outside of Connecticut are not subject to the A&E tax. |
|
Connecticut resident |
Payments made to a performer who is considered a resident of Connecticut for income tax purposes and who has a satisfactory record of filing all required CT tax returns and paying all required CT taxes and estimated CT taxes for the current year are not subject to the A&E tax. See Policy 3410. |
|
Performer will earn $3,000 or less |
Payments to an individual performer who expects to earn not more than $3,000 during the calendar year for services performed in Connecticut are not subject to the A&E tax. |
|
Performing entity maintains office in Connecticut |
Payments to a performing entity are not subject to the A&E tax if the entity is a corporation, limited liability company, limited partnership or partnership that has a satisfactory record of filng all required CT tax returns and paying all required CT taxes and that has an office in Connecticut that is continuously maintained, occupied and used by its regular employees who are regularly in attendance to carry on business in its own name. |
|
Performing entity is registered to withhold Connecticut income tax |
Payments to a performing entity that has registered with the Connecticut Department of Revenue Services (DRS) to withhold income tax as a Connecticut employer and has a satisfactory record of filing all required CT tax returns and paying all required CT taxes are not subject to the A&E tax. |
|
Withholding waiver |
If none of the above exceptions apply, a performer or performing entity may apply to the Connecticut Department of Revenue Services (DRS) for a waiver of the A&E tax. The DRS may grant a waiver if the performer or performing entity has a satisfactory history of filing Connecticut income tax returns or is currently making Connecticut estimated tax payments. |
|
Reduced withholding rate |
If none of the above exceptions apply, a performer or performing entity may apply to the Connecticut Department of Revenue Services (DRS) for a reduced rate of withholding (i.e. less than 6.5%). The DRS may permit the University to withhold A&E tax at a reduced rate if, based on income and expense projections the performer or performing entity provides the the DRS, it believes withholding tax at 6.5% is likely to exceed to a significant degree the performer’s or performing entity’s CT tax liability for the calendar year. |
If the payment satisfies one of the exceptions listed in Step 2, the University may need to obtain certain forms from the performer or performing entity at the time of payment in order to grant the exemption or reduced rate of withholding. The chart below outlines the forms that are required in order to receive the benefit of the exceptions to the A&E tax described in Step 2.
|
Exception to A&E tax |
Required Form(s) |
Who Completes Form |
Where to File Form |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Payment of $5000 or less by an educational institution for an engagement to certain speakers |
No form required |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Payment of $1,000 or less for a performance |
No form required |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Yale University employee |
No form required |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Services not performed in Connecticut |
No form required, but location of services performed should be documented on request for payment |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Connecticut resident |
Form CT-590 *see note 1 |
Performer and department administrator |
Submit to A/P with request for payment |
|
Performer will earn $3,000 or less |
Form CT-590 *see note 2 |
Performer and department administrator |
Submit to A/P with request for payment |
|
Performing entity maintains office in Connecticut |
Form CT-590 *see note 3 |
Performing entity and department administrator |
Submit to A/P with request for Payment |
|
Performing entity is registered to withhold CT income tax |
Form CT-590 *see note 4 |
Performing entity and department administrator |
Submit to A/P with request for payment |
|
Withholding waiver |
Form CT-588 *see note 5 |
Performer or Performing entity and department administrator |
|
|
Reduced withholding rate |
Form CT-588 Form CT-590 if applicable *see note 6 |
Performer or Performing entity and department administrator |
|
The forms referred to in the above chart are:
Forms CT-588 and CT-590 may be obtained from:
Forms CT-595 are issued by the Connecticut Department of Revenue Services.
See Step 2 to determine if an exception to the A&E tax applies and Step 3 to determine which form is required for the University to exempt the payment from tax or withhold at a reduced rate. Once the appropriate completed form is obtained, submit it to Accounts Payable with the request for payment as described below.
The performer or performing entity must complete the appropriate sections of Form CT-590, sign the form where indicated and submit it to the University department that will request payment.
The requesting department should attach the signed Form CT-590 to the request for payment (e.g., Check request form) and indicate clearly on the face of the payment request: “Form CT-590 attached—Payment is exempt from Connecticut athlete and entertainer withholding tax.” Also indicate the performance date(s) on the face of the payment request.
The DRS will send Form CT-595 to the University if it approves a performer’s or performing entity’s request for reduced withholding rate or waiver of the A&E tax. The requesting department should attach the Form CT-595 to the request for payment (e.g., Check Request form) and indicate clearly on the face of the payment request that the DRS has granted a reduced withholding rate or waiver of the A&E tax, as appropriate:
“Form CT-595 attached—Reduced Connecticut athlete and entertainer withholding tax rate applies”
or
“Form CT-595 attached—Payment is exempt from Connecticut athlete and entertainer withholding tax.”