Payroll & Benefits Frequently Asked Questions

Q: When will I get paid?

A: Monthly paid employees are paid on or before the 16th of the month and bi-weekly employees are paid every other Wednesday. For detail information see the appropriate payroll schedule at University Payroll Schedules.

Q: Where do I update my direct deposit information?

A: You can update your direct deposit information at My UI Info. In the My Pay section, select Direct Deposit.  Most changes will be effective the next available pay.

Q: Where do I find my electronic earnings statement?

A: Your earning statement is located at My UI Info. In the My Pay section, select Earnings Statement.

Q: Are there instructions for interpreting my Earnings Statement?

A: It is important that you understand the information provided on your earnings statement.  Many questions you have may be answered by looking at the Sample Earnings Statement.

Q: Where can I find the payroll schedule and payroll deadlines?

A: Find the appropriate payment schedule at University Payroll Schedules.

Q: I don't understand all the columns in the Payroll Schedule. What do they mean?

A:See the resource Decoding the Payroll Schedule for an explanation.

Q: Where do I find resources for using ANA?

A: See ANA Job Aids for instructions on how to do specific transactions.

Q: How do I get access to enter and submit transactions in ANA?

A: Your University Security Contact (USC) must request the appropriate security profile (Department Workflow Originator, Department Workflow Approver, or Department Workflow Proxy) listed in the Workflow Increment for you to have access to ANA.

Q: I am a Department Approver. Can I initiate and approve an adjustment?

A: No. Only Department Originators can initiate adjustments, and Department Approvers can approve adjustments. It is recommended that these roles be kept separate so that you maintain good internal controls. However, if your role is both Department Originator and Department Approver, you can initiate and approve ANA adjustments.

Q: What should we do to make sure the transaction is not returned?

A: First, make sure you select the appropriate adjustment type. Complete any required fields marked with an asterisk (*) and fill in the Comments field with as much detail as is needed to explain your request before approving or submitting it. Be sure to review the job aids for any other requirements.

Q: I need to submit an Employee Recognition Award for an upcoming ceremony, but the approver is also the award recipient. What do I do?

A: If the approver is also the awardee, locate and select your alternate approver’s Chart/Orgn Code from the list. If an alternate Chart/Orgn Code is not available, see Workaround: Submitting Employee Recognition Awards to ANA Approvers.

Q: What are the Activity statuses of adjustment items that I may see in my ANA Worklist?

A: Your worklist will show transactions with activity levels appropriate to your role or requiring action.

• Department Originator: Not Approved, Completed, or Correction.
• Department Approver: Dept Approval.

Q: When does ANA send email notifications?

A: Department Originators receive email notifications when items are returned to them for rework or if they are rejected. Department Approvers receive email notifications when items are submitted to them for approval from the Department Originator.

Q: How can I change to a different FOAPAL in ANA?

A: Use the Comments field to explain the situation including the FOAPAL to be used.

Q: What is the deadline for submitting a Pay Stop?

A: Pay Stops must be received by UPB three business days before payday to guarantee that payment will be prevented. Transactions submitted later cannot be guaranteed and may result in an overpayment.

Q: What happens if a Pay Stop is submitted for an employee with more than one job?

A: The entire payment is stopped, so the employee will not receive pay from any of the jobs on that pay event.

Q: As a Department Approver, I have determined that an adjustment request is not necessary. Will ANA keep a permanent record if I reject it?

A: No. History is not kept on an ANA adjustment item until it is approved by the Department Approver. This action sends the item to UPB or to Human Resources (based on the transaction) and then a historical file entry is created. However, the rejected item will be returned to the Department Originator's Worklist with a status of Not Approved. The Department Originator must delete the item to remove it from the Worklist.

Q: How do I acquire access to PARIS?

A: Access to the Current Pay Adjustments (CPA) and the Prior Underpayment Adjustments (PUA) modules must be requested through your University Security Contact (USC). In addition, access to perform PUAs requires mandatory training. See the PARIS Resource Page for full requirements.

Q: What is the deadline for submitting adjustments in PARIS?

A: A CPA must be received by UPB no later than 10:00 am on the date indicated in the University Payroll Schedules. A PUA that is submitted before 5:00 pm Friday will pay the following Friday. Review communications from UPB around any holidays for potential deadline changes.

Additional information, job aids, and training materials about PARIS can be found within the PARIS job aids.

*University Offices cannot give you tax advice. Contact the Federal or State Internal Revenue Service or your tax counselor for advice.

Q: Where do I complete or update my W-4?

A: You can update your W-4 at My UI Info. In the My Pay section, select W-4 Form. Most changes will be effective the next available pay.

Q: What do I do if I have not received my tax form in the mail by the first week in February?

A: Your tax form was mailed to the mailing address listed on your My Profile in My UI Info as of December 31^st. If you did not have an active mailing address, the form was sent to the home/permanent address listed on that form. If your tax form did not arrive at either of those addresses, you can obtain a duplicate. See the Form W-2, 1042-S, and 1095-C Distribution page and review Reissue Tax Forms for instructions.

Q: How can I review and update my mailing address for receiving tax forms?

A: Current employees can view and edit their mailing address in My Profile at My UI Info. Instructions can be found at Employee Address Change.
Important: If you receive your tax forms (e.g., W-2, 1042-S, 1095C) via US Postal Mail, you must update your mailing address before December 31. Foreign National employees need to update their address with the Foreign National Service Center by submitting a ticket at the UPB Customer Service Portal.

Q: How do I request a duplicate tax form for the current tax year or prior tax year?

A: If you do not receive your Form W-2, Form 1042-S, or Form 1095-C or if you need to replace a lost or misplaced form, you may obtain a duplicate in one of two ways: 

1. For active employees, see the Form W-2, 1042-S, and 1095-C Distribution page and review Reissue Tax Forms for instructions.
2. For terminated or inactive employees, see the Form W-2 & 1042-S & 1095-C Distribution page under Electronic Access.

Q: What do I do if my Social Security Number (SSN) is incorrect on my Form W-2 or Form 1042-S?

A: Do not process your tax return! You will need a corrected tax form in order to accurately process your tax return. Please contact UPB at the UPB Customer Service Portal.
NOTE: Electronic access to tax forms will not be available if you did not update your SSN prior to December 31.

Q: Where do I consent or withdraw consent to receive an electronic W-2, 1095-C and/or 1042-S?

A: If you would like to consent for electronic distribution of your tax statement(s), you must do so prior to the posted deadline by completing an online W-2/1042-S/1095-C Tax Statement Consent Form. Each year the deadline for consenting is communicated through multiple sources such as mass email to employees and departmental newsletter. Instructions for consenting or withdrawing consent can be found at Form W-2, 1042-S, and 1095-C Distribution under Electronic Distribution. A separate consent is required for each tax statement, however once you consent to receive an electronic tax form, that consent will remain in effect until you revoke your consent. You many revoke your consent at any time.
NOTE: For individuals located outside the United States, electronic access to tax forms is not available, regardless of consent.

Q: Why can't I access my tax form online if I consented to receive them electronically?

A: For security purposes, electronic tax forms are not available to those trying to access the forms outside the U.S. If you try to access your tax forms from outside the U.S. you will receive an error, "You currently do not have access to this area. Please try again later."
Please submit a request to have the forms mailed to you through the UPB Customer Service Portal.

Q: Can I be reimbursed for FICA (Medicare & OASDI) taxes?

A: Student employees that are registered for at least half time, 6 credit hours for spring and fall semesters and 3 credit hours for summer semesters, can request a refund of FICA and OASDI. Foreign national non-resident aliens should contact UPB to request a refund.

Q: Why aren’t there any Federal and State taxes being deducted from my paycheck?

A: You may have claimed exempt on your Federal and State withholding allowance certificate. To view the current withholding allowance certificate or make changes, please see My UI Info. In the My Pay section, select W-4 Form. Another possibility is that you do not owe any taxes based on how you completed your Form W-4 in combination with your current amount of pay.

Q: I live outside Illinois and work for the university. How should I be taxed?

A: The answer depends on which situation applies to your work with the University of Illinois System:

1. You live in a reciprocal state, and you travel to Illinois to perform your work a majority of the time. If you are a resident of Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, or Wisconsin you may claim exempt from Illinois state tax withholding under the reciprocal withholding agreements between Illinois and the states indicated.
   Complete form IL-W-5-NR, Employee’s Statement of Nonresidence in Illinois and submit to UPB to claim the exemption. Withholdings will be directed to the state indicated on the form. To ensure proper withholding for your state, complete a withholding form if applicable. To cancel the exemption a Form IL-W-4 must be completed and submitted to UPB.
2. You live outside of Illinois, and you perform the majority of your work outside of Illinois. First, review the policy Working Outside of Illinois - System Human Resource Services to make sure you qualify and have been approved for this work.
   You will need to complete the Certificate of Working Outside the State of Illinois form and submit it to UPB. To ensure proper withholding for your state, complete a withholding form if applicable.

*University Offices cannot give you tax advice. Contact the Federal or State Internal Revenue Service or your tax counselor for advice.

For more information about tuition waiver taxation, we recommend the course published by the University Bursar's Student Money Management Center. You can register here: Taxability of Tuition Waivers - STUDENTMONEY (uillinois.edu).

Q: How will I know if my pay will be impacted by tuition taxation?

A: You will be notified via email prior to the taxation taking place.

Q: Who could get taxed for a tuition waiver?

A: Tuition waiver taxation affects graduate assistants (GA), pre-professional graduate assistants (PGA), and any employees receiving tuition waivers as a benefit of employment with the University of Illinois System. The first $5,250.00 in tuition each year is excluded from taxation according to the IRS. Individuals holding a majority of their employment as a research assistant (RA) or teaching assistant (TA) and meeting all IRS and University requirements are excluded from tuition waiver taxation.>

Q: Is the $5,250.00 exclusion applied each semester?

A: No, the $5,250.00 exclusion allowed by the IRS is based on the calendar year not by semester. Once an individual reaches the $5,250.00 limit at any point in the year, the dollar value of all graduate level educational benefits will become taxable. The taxable income will be assessed during the applicable tuition waiver assessment period.

Q: Will I receive a zero net paycheck because of the tax withholding method?

A: It is possible for some GA/PGAs to receive pay checks resulting in a net pay of zero dollars. Students who exceed the $5,250.00 exclusion for the year and do not have sufficient salary to cover the taxes could experience a situation where no take-home pay remains.

Q: Am I responsible for tax withholdings that cannot be collected in entirety from my paycheck due to a zero net check?

A: When an individual does not have enough compensation to satisfy the tax withholding obligations required by law, the taxes that cannot be collected in entirety are in arrears. University Payroll & Benefits will track and continue to pursue the collection of taxes owed on subsequent paychecks for the calendar year.

Q: When can I expect to see the impact of the graduated rate taxation associated with my tuition waiver?

A: The assessment period of tuition waiver tax withholding is as follows:

• Spring semester
  • 1^st tuition waiver run: March and April
  • Spring adjustment run: May
• Summer semester
  • Tuition waiver run: July and August
• Fall semester
  • 1^st tuition waiver run: October and November
  • Fall adjustment run: December

Q: If there is an adjustment to the taxable amount of my tuition waiver, when can I expect to see the correction?

A: All corrections will be processed on the next regularly scheduled tuition waiver assessment period. If a tuition waiver amount is removed or changed, then the taxes withheld based on the initial granting of the tuition waiver will be refunded on the next available tuition waiver run (see schedule above). Any approved exceptions for adjustments outside the normal tuition waiver process will be applied on the next regular payroll cycle.

Q: Who is eligible to make SURS contributions?

A: In most cases, you are eligible if you work continuously for at least one academic term or four months, whichever is less, and your employment is not temporary, intermittent, or irregular. See the State Universities Retirement System (SURS) page for complete information on who is eligible or not eligible.

Q: Who is eligible to participate in the Supplemental Retirement Plans?

A: Any employee receiving compensation from the University may make traditional or Roth contributions to the 403(b) Plan if you elect to contribute a minimum of $200 annually. Participation is voluntary and may be started or stopped at any time (subject to payroll schedules). The Deferred Compensation 457 Plan is another voluntary option for making tax-deferred or Roth contributions as a state employee. The minimum contribution is $10 per pay period or 1% of your gross pay per pay period.

Q: When will SURS Last Pay Information (LPI) be released?

A: Upon separation, the department, UPB, and Campus HR offices will work together to complete the separation processes. This includes UPB reporting the LPI on the HR Front End transaction that will then be reported to SURS by HR. SURS will be notified by HR as to when the Last Payroll Contribution will be posted to the SURS file. Shortly after that date the employee should expect a letter from SURS.

Q: Who is responsible for submitting Last Pay Information (LPI) to SURS?

A: UPB submits the LPI to SURS. Before that can be done, the employing Department is responsible for completing the following:

1. HR Front End Separation
2. If applicable, the PARIS PUA for a Terminal Benefits Payout (unused vacation, half of compensable sick time, and any compensable time in lieu of overtime).
3. If applicable, the PARIS PUA for any Deferred Compensation due (for example, a 9-month employee being paid over 12 months).

These transactions must be routed to the payroll stop for UPB to process the payout and submit the LPI.

Q: When can I expect my Terminal Benefits Payouts?

A: Employees with unused vacation or compensable sick time should receive a Terminal Benefits payout for full vacation hours and half of the comp sick hours left in their leave buckets. Any Compensable Time (in lieu of overtime) will also be paid out at this time. This will be paid upon the submission of the HR Front End Separation Transaction and PARIS PUA transaction. This payment will be processed after the last regular pay is issued.

Q: What documentation is required from the deceased employee's family or beneficiary?

A: In order for UPB to process the payout for a deceased employee the documentation required includes:

• Small Estate Affidavit or copy of the last will and testament
• Vendor Information Form
• Copy of the Original Death Certificate
• Beneficiary's government-issued photo ID card.

On the UIC Campus the information will be requested by UPB. At UIUC and UIS, Human Resources will request the information from the beneficiary.

Q: What happens to a deceased employee's final payroll?

A: Upon notification of the employee's death, UPB will stop any payments to be paid for hours worked. This payment will be processed to the estate of employee. If a Terminal Benefits payout is due, UPB will wait until the required documentation, the HR Front End separation transaction, and the PARIS PUA have been submitted before processing the payout to the beneficiary. It is imperative that the required documentation (mentioned in the previous question above) is sent to the requesting party in a timely manner so that the payment can be processed to the beneficiary.

Q: What happens with the taxes on a deceased employee's final payroll?

A: The final payout will not have taxes such as State and Federal taken since these will be paid by the estate. The beneficiary can request the employee's tax forms after January 31^st by contacting UPB through the UPB Customer Service Portal (under Services, select Non-University Personnel) or calling UIC 312-996-7200, UIUC 217-265-6363 or UIS 217-206-7144.

Q: What needs to be done about retirement and insurance agencies?

A: Agencies such as SURS, Met Life and if appropriate Fidelity, TIAA or 457 Deferred Compensation will be notified after UPB receives notification that the employee is deceased. The agency will contact the beneficiary on file.

Q: What if I overpaid insurance premiums or other deductions (I need a refund)?

• Health, Life, Dental & Flexible Spending- If a refund is due, the employee should contact UPB Customer Service through the UPB Customer Service Portal. Customer Service staff will review the situation and verify that a deduction has been overpaid. UPB will then submit a request for a refund to CMS. If a refund is due, active employees will receive the refund through the normal payroll cycle, or the state of Illinois will mail a check to separated employees.
• Parking – Contact your campus Parking Office.
• Other Benefits – Contact UPB through the UPB Customer Service Portal if you are unsure who to contact. UPB will put you in touch with the correct entity to address the issue.

Q: Where can I find answers to insurance and benefit questions not handled by UPB?

A: Here is a list of links where you can find answers to most of your insurance and benefit questions:

• State Employee Group Insurance Program Health/Vision and Dental
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA) Program
• Life & Disability Insurance
• Retirement & Investment Plans: includes SURS and supplemental retirement plans
• New Hire Benefits Overview Webinar Registration
• CMS: Other Programs
• MyBenefits FAQs - System Human Resource Services
• MyBenefits Plus - Corestream
• My UI Info - System Human Resource Services