IP 92(5.2)

Estimated Connecticut Income Taxes for 1993

BACKGROUND:  In October 1992, the Department issued IP 92(5.1) to assist taxpayers in calculating their 1992 estimated Connecticut income taxes.  IP 92(5.2) has been updated and revised for taxable year 1993.

PURPOSE: This publication explains filing requirements for paying 1993 estimated income tax.  Connecticut taxpayers can be charged penalties and interest for underpaying their estimated income tax, even though they pay all the Connecticut income tax they owe by the April 15 filing deadline.  Connecticut law requires taxpayers to pay state income tax during the year, through withholding or estimated tax payments.  Most employees have these taxes automatically withheld from their paychecks.  If you are self-employed, or receive a pension or annuity and have not elected Connecticut pension plan withholding, or you receive any other income from which state income tax is not withheld, you should probably be making estimated income tax payments.

WHAT IS ESTIMATED TAX? Estimated tax is tax on income in excess of  that income on which a sufficient amount of tax has been withheld.  Because it is difficult to determine your exact tax bill before the end of the year, you make estimated tax payments during the year based upon what you expect to earn in the current year or based upon what you actually earned in the prior year. When you file your annual income tax return, you report your estimated tax payments. If you have overpaid your estimated tax during the year, you will receive a refund. If you have underpaid your taxes during the year, you will have to pay the tax you owe and you may have to pay a penalty and interest.

WHO SHOULD PAY ESTIMATED TAX? In general, you must make estimated payments of Connecticut income tax if you expect to owe, after subtracting Connecticut income tax withheld in 1993, more than $200 and expect your Connecticut income tax withholding to be less than the smaller of 

• 90% of your 1993 Connecticut income tax liability or
• 100% of your assumed tax.

NOTE:  You do not have to make estimated income tax payments if you had no Connecticut income tax liability for 1992.  (This applies to residents, part-year residents, and nonresidents.)

WHAT IS MY ASSUMED TAX?  In general, assumed tax means your prior year's tax (recalculated, if necessary, using the current year's rate).  However, if your filing status changed from the status you used in filing your 1992 Connecticut income tax return, follow these rules:

• If you will file a joint return in 1993 but filed a separate return in 1992, you must combine 1992 separate tax liabilities to determine your assumed tax.
• If you will file a separate return in 1993, but filed a joint return in 1992, your assumed tax is your share of 1992 tax.  Your share of 1992 tax is calculated by multiplying 1992 joint income tax by a percentage which equals your share of 1992 Connecticut adjusted gross income.

INCOME NOT SUBJECT TO WITHHOLDING:  The checklist below includes many (although not all) of the types of income that is not subject to Connecticut income tax withholding and that may require you to pay estimated tax: 

• self-employment;
• pensions and annuities (if no Connecticut income tax is withheld);
• prize winnings;
• capital gains;
• interest income;
• dividend income;
• gambling winnings (if no Connecticut income tax is withheld);
• rental income;
• unemployment compensation;
• federally taxable social security;

To avoid the filing of an estimated tax, you may request your employer to withhold additional amounts from your wages or pension income to cover the taxes on other income.  You can make this change by providing your employer with a revised Form CT-W4 or Form CT-W4P.

HOW DO I ESTIMATE MY TAX?  To figure your estimated tax payments, you will need Form CT-1040ES, 1993 Individual Estimated Income Tax Payment Coupon. The instructions include a worksheet for computing your estimated tax payments, exemption and credit tables, and coupons to be mailed in with your estimated payments.

WHEN DO I PAY MY ESTIMATED INCOME TAX?  Generally, you must make your first estimated income tax payment for 1993 by April 15,1993. You can pay all of your estimated tax with the first payment or pay the tax in four installments, due April 15, June 15, September 15,  1993, and January 15, 1994.  (Taxpayers who file their returns on a fiscal year should follow federal filing dates.)

If your liability for estimated payments begins after April 1, 1993, consult the instructions for Form CT-1040ES to determine the payment schedule and the percentage to pay with each installment.

HOW MUCH SHOULD I PAY WITH EACH INSTALLMENT?  To calculate the proper amount of each estimated payment, you may use one of the following methods:

1.  Assumed Tax:  You may base your estimate on your assumed tax.  or
2.  Current Year's Tax:  You may base your estimate on the Connecticut income tax you will owe for 1993.

The amount of your required installment depends upon the method you choose.

• Installment #1 should equal the lesser of 30% of the assumed tax or 22.5% of the current year's tax.
• Installment #2 should equal the lesser of 25% of the assumed tax or 22.5% of the current year's total tax.  (A total of 55% of the assumed tax or 45% of the current year's tax should be paid in by Installment #2.)
• Installment #3 should equal the lesser of 25% of the assumed tax or 22.5% of the current year's tax.  (A total of 80% of the assumed tax or 67.5% of the current year's tax should be paid in by Installment #3.)
• Installment #4 should equal the lesser of 20% of the assumed tax or 22.5% of the current year's tax.  (A total of 100% of the assumed tax or 90% of the current year's tax should be paid in by Installment #4.)

WHAT IF MY INCOME CHANGES DURING THE YEAR? Changes in income, deductions or exemptions during the year may require you to revise the  original amount of your estimated Connecticut income tax installments.  If you will owe additional tax, you may wish to recalculate your earlier installments and pay the additional amount you owe as soon as possible.  Penalty and interest apply to underpayments of each installment even if you pay all you owe by the end of the taxable year.

WHAT HAPPENS IF I UNDERESTIMATE MY TAX?  If you are required to make estimated income tax payments and you do not pay enough tax during the year through estimated tax payments and withholding or if you do not make the payments on time, penalty and interest may be charged.  The penalty for late payment or underpayment of any required installment is 10% of the amount due.  Interest of 1 1/4% per month or fraction thereof will also apply to the underpayment(s). 

MAY I APPLY OVERPAYMENT IN THE PRIOR YEAR TO THE NEXT YEAR'S ESTIMATE?  When you file a final return for 1993, you may request that overpayments of Connecticut income tax be applied to your 1994 estimated tax. If you file your Connecticut income tax return on or before April 15 (or if you file a timely request for extension of time to file and your income tax return is filed within the extension period) the overpayment will be treated as an estimate filed on April 15.

EFFECT ON OTHER DOCUMENTS:  IP 92(5.1) issued 10/6/92 is superseded and may no longer be relied upon.

RELATED FORMS AND PUBLICATIONS:  

• Form CT-1040ES, 1993 Individual Estimated Income Tax Payment Coupon
• IP 92(9), Is My Connecticut Withholding Correct?

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Please call the Department of Revenue Services during business hours, Monday through Friday:

• 1-800-382-9463 (toll-free within Connecticut), or
• 860-297-5962 (from anywhere).

TTY, TDD, and Text Telephone users only may transmit inquiries 24 hours a day by calling 860-297-4911.