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Assessment Notice and Pending Civil Action Letter Video - Unemployment Insurance

The video above provides an overview of the Delinquency Notice and the Assessment Notice and Pending Civil Action letter.

Employer Webinar Chat Questions and Answers

Employer Webinar Chat Questions and Answers

The questions below were taken from employers and employer representatives during a Thursday, May 11, 2023, webinar about the Notice of Assessment and Pending Civil Action process. This notice was temporarily suspended during the Maryland COVID-19 State of Emergency but was reinstated in May 2023.

Note: If you miss a quarterly contribution report and/or fail to pay quarterly UI taxes, the Division will send you a Delinquency Notice.

  • If you do not resolve the missing reports and payments within 45 days, the Maryland Division of Unemployment Insurance (the Division) will send an Assessment Notice and Pending Civil Action letter.
     
  • Each notice will be sent through your preferred communication method and will be available in your BEACON portal. If you are unsure whether your account is delinquent, please check your BEACON portal for this notice.
     
  • To learn more about BEACON, see the BEACON Employer FAQs and the BEACON Account Activation and Registration for Employers and Third-Party Agents.
  1. How can employers access the information presented in the webinar?

    A video of the webinar’s PowerPoint presentation is available above. Please see the Additional Resources section below for more information about the Assessment Notice and Pending Civil Action process.
     
  2. I never received a letter. Where can I find this and where can we pay the fines?

    A correspondence, email, and BEACON pop-up message were sent to all contributory employers and third-party agents to inform employers and agents that the Assessment Notice and Pending Civil Action letter was reinstated.

    NOTE: To learn more about contributory employers, see the Contributory Employers flyer.

    These informational messages are different from the Delinquency Notice and the Assessment Notice and Pending Civil Action letter, which do indicate that your account is delinquent.

    However, the Assessment Notice and Pending Civil Action letter was mailed to the delinquent employers on May 8, 2023. If you are unsure whether your account is delinquent, please check your BEACON portal for the Delinquency Notice or the Assessment Notice and Pending Civil Action letter.

    To Locate the Letter

    If you did not receive any correspondence regarding a Delinquency Notice or the Assessment Notice and Pending Civil Action Letter, please check your communication preferences in the Division’s BEACON employer portal.

    Employer BEACON login: employer.beacon.labor.md.gov
    More information about BEACON is available on the Unemployment Modernization (BEACON) for Employers and Third-Party Agents webpage.

    • To update or verify your contact information on file in BEACON, select the Account Maintenance tab (located on the left side of the screen) and then select the Employer Maintenance tab.

    • You can also download notices previously sent by the Division. To do so, select the Correspondence tab (located on the left side of the screen) and then select the search button.

    To Make a Payment

    To make a payment in your BEACON employer portal, select the Make Payment tab (located on the left side of the screen). There, you will have the option to submit an ACH credit, ACH debit, or manual paper check payment. If you choose to pay by paper check, please include a copy of the Payment Voucher provided. To pay delinquent contribution payments by check, make the check payable to Maryland Division of Unemployment Insurance Fund and mail it to:

    Division of Unemployment Insurance
    PO Box 17291
    Baltimore, MD 21297-0365

    Detailed payment instructions are included in the notices you received (Delinquency Notice and the Assessment Notice and Pending Civil Action letter).

  3. I did not receive a letter. Can I check online to see if my employer unemployment insurance account is in good standing?

    You can check the status of your employer account in your BEACON employer portal.

    You will first need to sign in to your BEACON portal using the link employer.beacon.labor.md.gov. Then, locate the Wage Filing and Payments table displayed on the home screen. Any quarters that have yet to be filed or paid will be indicated with a red X.

    For a more detailed review of your account status, contact the Employer Call Center at 410-949-0033 or toll free 1-800-492-5524, Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. You can also email dluiemployerassistance-labor@maryland.gov.

  4. We have not received a delinquency letter nor missed any payments, but my company is still getting an Assessment Notice and Pending Civil Action letter. I talked to a live person on the phone and was told that the letter was sent in error, and we don't have to do anything.

    A correspondence, email, and BEACON pop-up message were sent to all contributory employers and third-party agents (also called third-party administrators) to inform the employers and agents of the reinstatement of the Assessment Notice and Pending Civil Action letter.

    These informational messages are different from the Delinquency Notice and the Assessment Notice and Pending Civil Action letter, which do indicate that your account is delinquent.

    If you previously contacted the Employer Call Center and received confirmation that your account is in good standing, no further action is required.

  5. Can the employers who did not receive the notice get some leniency on these fines, as we are just coming up to speed with the requirements?

    The Division encourages employers to request interest and penalty waiver and/or opt into a payment plan to resolve a delinquent account. Employers and third-party agents can request interest and penalty waivers in BEACON. Also, employers and agents can request a payment plan in BEACON.

    See the Maryland's Unemployment Insurance Payment Plans webpage for details about requesting payment plans. To learn more about requesting interest/penalty waivers, see Question 12 in the BEACON Employer FAQs.

  6. How can I locate the BEACON portal? We never had anyone on unemployment before, do we have to start filing quarterly contribution reports and making contribution payments now?

    You can access the BEACON employer portal at employer.beacon.labor.md.gov. If you have not already done so, you must create a BEACON account to use the employer portal.

    If you are a new employer, you must register for a Maryland UI employer account number before you can create a BEACON account.

    For information about whether you are liable to file quarterly contribution reports and make contribution payments, contact the Employer Call Center:

  7. Where do people get activation codes for BEACON?

    The Division may need to provide you with an activation code so you can create an account in BEACON. A code may not be required if you previously filed quarterly contributions and submitted payments to the Division.

    To activate an account in BEACON as an employer, you must navigate to the BEACON employer login page, select the “I need to activate my account” link and enter:

    • Your Maryland employer account number, and one of the three options below:

      • the total amount of the last payment you submitted to the Division; or,
      • the total gross wages reported on your most-recently filed UI contributions (tax) report; or,
      • an account activation code.

    For more information, please contact the Employer Call Center:

  8. I use a payroll processing company to handle all payroll issues. I was surprised to get a notice. Should I reach out to my payroll company to see if they missed payments?

    You can view the status of your account in the BEACON employer portal. To access the portal, please navigate to employer.beacon.labor.md.gov.

    Once logged in, you can download notices previously sent by the Division by selecting the Correspondence tab (located on the left side of the page). Then, select the search button. This will provide you with a downloadable copy of any documents that pertain to your business.

    If you experience any difficulties accessing or navigating the BEACON portal, please contact the Employer Call Center at 410-949-0033 or toll free 1-800-492-5524, Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. You can also contact the call center by email at dluiemployerassistance-labor@maryland.gov.
     
  9. We use a payroll company for processing all unemployment payments. Is this payroll company considered a third-party agent?

    In Maryland, an employer can designate third-party agents to complete certain unemployment insurance tasks on the employer’s behalf, such as submitting quarterly contribution reports and making payments.

    Your payroll service provider company may be an agent if you granted the company a Power of Attorney and approved it to submit quarterly contribution reports and payments on behalf of your organization.

    To designate a third-party agent for your business, complete this Power of Attorney Authorization form and submit it to the Division.

    After the Power of Attorney is granted, an employer can log in to BEACON to authorize the roles the agent will fulfill on your behalf. To learn more, see the BEACON Employer Agent Authorization tutorial video.
     
  10. Why can’t I submit a contribution report with zero wages?

    You can submit a report in BEACON reflecting no wages paid in a given quarter.

    • To do so, please sign in to your BEACON employer portal and select the Wage Submission tab (located on the left side of the screen).
       
    • The following screen will allow you to set the parameters for the report. Under the Submission Type section, select the No Wage Report option and follow the prompts to submit the report.

    For help navigating the BEACON portal, contact the Employer Call Center:

  11. My business closed, and I did not file a quarterly contribution report after the closure. How do I legally close my account with the Maryland Division of Unemployment Insurance?

    You can close your account with the Division in your BEACON employer portal or by contacting the Employer Call Center.

    BEACON
    To close your account in BEACON, sign in to your employer portal. From within the portal, select the Account Maintenance tab on the left side of the screen. Then select the Inactivate Employer Account link.

    Employer Call Center
    You can contact the Employer Call Center to request that your account be deactivated:

  12. If my business license is in hold, how can I release my account?

    You can contact the Employer Call Center by phone at 410-949-0033 or toll free 1-800-492-5524, Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or by email at dluiemployerassistance-labor@maryland.gov.

    The Division encourages employers to request interest and penalty waiver and/or opt into a payment plan to resolve a delinquent account.
 

Additional Resources