Choose the payment method that fits your district. All contribution payments must be remitted no later than five business days after each pay date in eSERS.
Direct Pay employers pay employee and employer charges directly to SERS. Payment of employer contributions must be remitted to SERS no later than five business days from the pay date. Direct Pay employers also pay the Surcharge directly.
If a Direct Pay employer wishes to pay employer charges through the Foundation Program, contact Employer Services to initiate the change.
Foundation participating districts pay employer charges through the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce School Foundation Program. Payment of employer contributions for employers using the Foundation Program is always considered on time.
Note: Employer Statements are NOT paid through the Foundation Program. Community Schools are required to use the Foundation Program to pay employer liabilities.
ACH Debit (preferred): An electronic funds transfer initiated in eSERS through the Payment Remittance application, indicating the date and amount to be withdrawn from the employer’s designated account.
EFT: An electronic wire transfer initiated with the bank. Contact the bank and provide SERS account information. Contact Employer Services at 1-877-213-0861 for wiring instructions.
Checks and money orders must be mailed to: SERS L-1617, Columbus, Ohio 43260-1617. Do NOT send checks to the SERS office on Broad St.
Expedited payments for same-day processing must be delivered prior to 11 a.m. to: Huntington National Bank, 7 Easton Oval, Attention: Wholesale Lockbox L-1617, Columbus, Ohio 43219.
All payment remittance information must be entered electronically through eSERS. The payment remittance provides a record of payments and ensures proper allocation to the correct SERS accounts.
Employers must remit employee and employer contributions to SERS no later than five business days after each pay date in eSERS. If remitting payments for more than one employer, separate remittance documents must be entered for each employer.
Payment remittance in eSERS is required for all payments including: employee and employer contributions, service credit purchase payroll deductions, and surcharge. To avoid a penalty, submit the payment remittance with the payment.
Once the employer is issued a letter billing for compulsory or noncontributed/optional service credit, payment must be received no later than June 15, or the cost is subject to additional interest.
Employers can make direct payment to SERS. Foundation-qualified employers can also notify SERS to use funds from Foundation Program deductions to make payment.
Alternative Retirement Plan (ARP) payments are due on the same terms and conditions that other employer contributions are due.
Once the employer is issued a Final Certification of Cost to Employer letter, the employer can make a direct payment by June 30 of the fiscal year in which the service is purchased to avoid interest, or make a direct payment over an extended period of time not to exceed the number of service years purchased (with interest). Contact Employer Services for more information.
Ohio law requires SERS to impose reporting and payment penalties for lateness. SERS may extend a due date for good cause if the request is received before the due date, but there is no allowance for one-time forgiveness after the due date.
Employee Contributions: Must be remitted no later than five business days from the pay date in eSERS. Employers are penalized $100 per business day for each day employee contributions are not transmitted on time. This penalty accrues until the contribution is received.
Employer Trust Fund: Covers all employer payments to SERS including employer contributions, Surcharge, the Annual Employer Statement Balance, Service Credit Purchase, and Early Retirement Incentive. Employers are penalized $100 per business day for any amount not transmitted on time.
Payroll (contribution) reporting is due no later than five business days from the pay date in eSERS. Employers are penalized $100 per business day for failure to submit, complete, or correct contribution reporting including the Payment Remittance. This penalty cannot exceed $1,500 per report.
For Foundation Program employers, the penalty may be deducted from employer contribution amounts. For all other employers, the penalty is paid directly through the Payment Remittance application in eSERS.
It is the employer’s obligation to report to SERS for its employees and contractors. The employer is required to reimburse SERS for any penalties that SERS incurs as a result of an employer reporting error. This includes when the tax basis for contributions is incorrectly reported.
