IP 93(6.5)

A Guide to Calculating Your Annualized Estimated Income Tax Installments and Worksheet CT-1040AES

This publication has been obsoleted by IP 99(33)

Purpose

This Informational Publication explains an alternate method of calculating installments of estimated Connecticut income tax. If your income is not received evenly throughout the year because of a seasonal business or for any other reason, you may benefit by using this method. If you use the annualized estimated income tax installment method, your required installment for one or more periods may be less than the amount of the installment calculated using the regular installment method.

Who Should Pay Estimated Tax?

After subtracting your Connecticut income tax withholding, if you expect to owe more than $500 for 1999, after taking any tax credits into account, and you expect your withholding to be less than your required annual payment, you must make estimated Connecticut income tax payments.

What is My Required Annual Payment?

Your required annual payment is the lesser of:

• 90% of the income tax shown on your Connecticut income tax return for the current taxable year; or
• 100% of the income tax shown on your Connecticut income tax return for the preceding taxable year, if you filed a Connecticut income tax return for the preceding taxable year that covered a 12 month period.

You do not have to make estimated income tax payments if you did not file a Connecticut income tax return for the preceding taxable year because you had no Connecticut income tax liability and you were either:

• A resident of Connecticut for the entire preceding taxable year; or
• A nonresident or part-year resident of Connecticut with Connecticut source income.

If you were a nonresident or part-year resident and you did not have Connecticut source income in 1998, then you must use 90% of the income tax shown on your 1999 income tax return as your required annual payment.

When Should I File?

Estimated payments for the 1999 taxable year are due April 15, June 15, September 15, 1999, and January 15, 2000. (Fiscal year filers should follow federal filing dates.) If the due date falls on a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday, the next business day is the due date.

How Much is Due with Each Installment?

You must pay the required annual payment in four equal installments of 25% each. However, if you do not receive income evenly throughout the year because of a seasonal business or for any other reason, you may benefit from using the annualized income installment method. If this method is used, the size of the installments may vary depending upon the amount of income earned during the period preceding the due date of each installment. Using this method, you may be able to reduce or eliminate one or more payments for periods when your income is low and make larger payments during the remaining periods when your income is higher.

How Do I Calculate the Amount of Each Installment Using the Annualized Estimated Income Tax Installment Method?

First complete the worksheet to Form CT-1040ES, Estimated Connecticut Income Tax Payment Coupon for Individuals, to calculate your required annual payment. (You can also use this worksheet to determine your installment payments if you are required to use the regular installment method.) Next, complete Worksheet CT-1040 AES, included in this publication, to calculate the amount of each installment using the annualized estimated income tax installment method.

How Do I Pay My Estimated Tax?

Each payment of estimated tax must be submitted with a coupon from Form CT-1040ES. If you made estimated Connecticut income tax payments in 1998, you will receive 1999 coupons in mid-January preprinted with your name, address and Social Security Number. To ensure that your payments are properly credited, be sure to use the preprinted coupons. If you did not make estimated payments last year, use Form CT-1040ES included in your Connecticut income tax booklet or available from the Department. If you file this form, additional coupons will be mailed to you.

What Happens If I Underestimate My Tax?

If you must make estimated income tax payments and you do not pay enough tax during the year through estimated tax or withholding, or both, by any installment due date, you may be charged interest. This is true even if you are due a refund when you file your tax return. Interest is calculated separately on each installment from the due date of the installment until the earlier of April 15, 2000, or the date on which the underpayment is paid. You may owe interest for an earlier installment even if you paid enough to make up the underpayment with a later installment.

If you file your 1999 return on or before January 31, 2000, and pay the full amount computed on the return as payable on or before that date, you will not owe interest if you fail to pay or underpay your fourth required installment. This does not apply to taxpayers paying estimated Connecticut income taxes as farmers or fishermen. See IP 97(8.1), Farmers' Guide to Sales and Use Taxes, Motor Vehicle Fuels Tax and Estimated Income Taxes, for special estimated income tax rules.

Will Interest Apply if I Use the Annualized Estimated Income Tax Installment Method?

No, if you correctly calculate the required installments by completing Worksheet CT-1040 AES, and you make the required installment payments using Form CT-1040ES on or before the due date.

If your estimated installment payments are based on the annualized income installment method, you must check Box A, Part I, Form CT-2210, Underpayment of Estimated Income Tax by Individuals, Trusts and Estates, and attach it to your income tax return. You must also check the Form CT-2210 box located on your Connecticut income tax return below the Name and Address section. This notifies the Department that your estimated income tax installments were not calculated using the regular installment method.

May I Apply Overpayments in the Prior Year to the Next Year’s Estimated Tax?

Yes. If you file your 1999 Connecticut income tax return on or before April 15, 2000 (or if you file a timely request for extension of time to file and your income tax return is filed within the extension period), you may request that any overpayment be applied as an estimated income tax payment for your 2000 taxable year. The overpayment will be treated as estimated income tax paid on April 15, 2000. Your request to apply overpayments to next year's estimated tax is irrevocable.

Effect on Other Documents

IP 93(6.5) is effective for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 1999, and modifies and supersedes IP 93(6.4).

Related Forms and Publications

Form CT-1040ES, Estimated Connecticut Income Tax Payment Coupon for Individuals
IP 92(5.8), Estimated Connecticut Income Tax
IP 97(8.1), Farmers' Guide to Sales and Use Taxes, Motor Vehicle Fuels Tax and Estimated Income Taxes

For Further Information

If you have questions about Connecticut taxes, please call the Department of Revenue Services, Taxpayer Services Division during business hours, Monday through Friday:

• 1-800-382-9463 (within Connecticut); or
• 860-297-5962 (anywhere)

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

Example for Annualized Estimated Tax:

See below for the completed Worksheet CT-1040 AES for this example showing Tonia Gonzalez’s required installment payments for each period.

Worksheet CT-1040 AES
Sample Connecticut Annualized Estimated Tax Worksheet

The example on above is the basis for this sample worksheet.

Worksheet CT-1040 AES Instructions

Before you begin, be sure you have a copy of Form CT-1040ES, Estimated Connecticut Income Tax Payment Coupon for Individuals. You need the worksheet to assist you in calculating your Connecticut adjusted gross income, your estimated tax due, and your required annual payment. You also need the coupon for making your installment payment.

At the end of each payment period, complete the column on Worksheet CT-1040 AES for the period from the beginning of the taxable year through the end of that payment period to figure how much estimated tax to pay by the payment due date. (For calendar year filers, the payment periods are listed at the top of each column of the worksheet. Fiscal year filers, use the same payment periods required for federal income tax purposes.)

Line 1. Figure your total income for the period plus or minus your adjustments to income for the period. (See instructions for Form CT-1040ES, Lines 1, 2, and 3, for guidance in figuring your Connecticut adjusted gross income. Nonresidents and part-year residents, follow the instructions to Line 3, Form CT-1040ES.)

Estates and trusts should use Connecticut taxable income and the following period ending dates: 2/28/99, 4/30/99, 1/31/99 and 11/30/99.

Line 2. Estates and trusts: do not use the amounts shown in Columns (a) - (d). Instead use 6, 3, 1.71429 and 1.09091, as the annualized amounts.

Line 4. Resident individuals must compute the tax for Line 3, using the tax calculation schedule on Form CT-1040ES. Resident estates and trusts multiply Line 3 by 4.5% (.045).

Nonresidents and part-year residents must use the schedules and worksheets for Form CT-1040NR/PY to determine Connecticut source income. Nonresident trusts and estates and part-year resident trusts must use the schedules and worksheets for Form CT-1041 to determine Connecticut source income. To calculate the tax, complete the worksheet below: (A separate worksheet should be completed for each period.)

Line 5. Residents and part-year residents: Enter your allowable credit for income taxes paid to other jurisdictions. (Follow the instructions to Schedule 2, Form CT-1040 or Form CT-1040NR/PY to calculate the credit.)

Line 7. If you expect to owe federal alternative minimum tax, you may also owe Connecticut alternative minimum tax. Enter your estimated Connecticut alternative minimum tax liability for each period. (See instructions for Form CT-6251, Connecticut Alternative Minimum Tax Return, for instructions on figuring this tax.)

Line 9. Include the adjusted net Connecticut minimum tax credit you can claim because of events that occurred during the period.

Line 15. Enter 25% of your required annual payment as calculated on the worksheet to Form CT-1040ES.

Line 19a. If Line 17 is smaller than Line 14 and Line 15 is based on an estimate of your 1999 tax, the amount of which is not certain, enter the amount from Line 14.

Line 19c. Include all estimated tax payments and Connecticut withholding through the payment due date for the period.

Your withholding is considered paid in four equal installments, one on the due date of each payment period. To figure the amount to include on Line 19c for each period, multiply your total expected withholding for the taxable year by:

25% (.25) for the first period
50% (.50) for the second period
75% (.75) for the third period
100% (1.00) for the fourth period

You may also choose to include your actual Connecticut withholding through the due date for each period on Line 19c.

(See Worksheet CT-1040 AES of this publication.)

Worksheet CT-1040 AES
Connecticut Annualized Estimated Tax Worksheet
(Keep for your records)

IP 93(6.5)
Income tax
Issued: 1/12/99
Supersedes: IP 93(6.4) Issued 1/27/98