Effective January 1, 2013, an additional Medicare tax will impact employers and payroll service providers. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) increases the Medicare tax rate on wages by 0.9% (from the current rate of 1.45% to 2.35%) for higher-income individuals starting in 2013. This Medicare payroll tax increase applies to wages over $200,000 for single tax filers and $250,000 for couples filing jointly ($125,000 for a married individual filing separately). The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) plans to release revised Forms 941, 943 and the tax return schemas for the Form 94X series of returns. For additional information, contact your payroll provider, a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), or visit the HR Support Center.