2016 North Carolina General Statutes
Chapter 96 - Employment Security.
Article 2B - Administration of Employer Accounts.
§ 96-11.7 - Acquisition of employer and transfer of account to another employer.
96-11.7. Acquisition of employer and transfer of account to another employer.
(a) Mandatory Transfer. - When an employer acquires all of the organization, trade, or business of another employer, the account of the predecessor must be transferred as of the date of the acquisition to the successor employer for use in the determination of the successor's contribution rate. This mandatory transfer does not apply when there is no common ownership between the predecessor and the successor and the successor acquired the assets of the predecessor in a sale in bankruptcy. In this circumstance, the successor's contribution rate is determined without regard to the predecessor's contribution rate.
(b) Consent. - When a distinct and severable portion of an employer's organization, trade, or business is transferred to a successor employer and the successor employer continues to operate the acquired organization, trade, or business, the portion of the account of the transferring employer that related to the transferred business may, with the approval of the Division, be transferred by mutual consent from the transferring employer to the successor employer. A successor employer that is a related entity of the transferring employer is eligible for a transfer from the transferring employer's account only to the extent permitted by rules adopted by the Division. No transfer may be made to the account of an employer that has ceased to be an employer under G.S. 96-11.9.
If a transfer of part or all of an account is allowed but is not mandatory, the successor employer requesting the transfer may make a request for transfer by filing an application for transfer with the Division within two years after the date the business was transferred or the date of notification by the Division of the right to request an account transfer, whichever is later. If the application is approved and the application was filed within 60 days after notification from the Division of the right to request a transfer, the transfer is effective as of the date the business was transferred. If the application is approved and the application was filed later than 60 days after notification from the Division, the effective date of the transfer is the first day of the calendar quarter in which the application was filed.
If the effective date of a transfer of an account under this subsection is after the computation date in a calendar year, the Division must recalculate the contribution rate for the transferring employer and the successor employer based on their account balances on the effective date of the account transfer. The recalculated contribution rate applies for the calendar year beginning after the computation date.
(c) Continuity of Control. - Any new employer that has continuity of control with an existing business enterprise shall continue to be the same employer as the existing business enterprise for the purposes of this Chapter as before the existence of the new employer. The Division shall assign any new employer with continuity of control to the account of the existing business enterprise. Any new employer with continuity of control shall not request or maintain an account with the Division other than the account of the existing business enterprise. If a new employer receives a new account and the Division subsequently finds that such new employer has continuity of control with an existing business enterprise, the Division shall recalculate the annual tax rates based on the combined annual account balances of the new employer and the existing business enterprise.
Continuity of control exists if one or more persons, entities, or other organizations controlling the business enterprise remain in control of the new employer. Control may occur by means of ownership of the organization conducting the business enterprise, ownership of assets necessary to conduct the business enterprise, security arrangements or lease arrangements covering assets necessary to conduct the business enterprise, or a contract when the ownership, stated arrangements, or contract provide for or allow direction of the internal affairs or conduct of the business enterprise. Control is not affected by changes in the form of a business enterprise, reorganization of a business enterprise, or expansion of a business enterprise.
(d) Contribution Rate. - Notwithstanding the other provisions in this section, when an account is transferred in its entirety to a successor employer, the transferring employer's contribution rate is the standard beginning rate.
Notwithstanding the other provisions in this section, if a successor employer to whom an account is transferred was an employer as of the date of the business transfer, the account transfer does not affect the successor employer's contribution rate for the calendar year in which the business was transferred. If the successor employer was not an employer as of the date of the business transfer, the successor employer's contribution rate for the year in which the business transfer occurs is the standard beginning rate unless one of the following applies:
(1) The account transfer is a mandatory transfer, in which case the contribution rate of the successor employer is the contribution rate of the transferring employer.
(2) The account transfer is by consent and the successor employer filed an application within 60 days of the business transfer, in which case the contribution rate of the successor employer is the contribution rate of the transferring employer. If the business was transferred from more than one employer and the transferring employers had different contribution rates, the contribution rate of the successor employer is the rate calculated as of the effective date of the account transfers.
(e) Liability for Contributions. - An employer that, by operation of law, purchase, or otherwise is the successor to an employer liable for contributions becomes liable for contributions on the day of the succession. This provision does not affect the successor's liability as otherwise prescribed by law for unpaid contributions due from the predecessor.
(f) Deceased or Insolvent Employer. - When the organization, trade, or business of a deceased person or of an insolvent debtor is taken over and operated by an administrator, executor, receiver, or trustee in bankruptcy, the new employer automatically succeeds to the account and contribution rate of the deceased person or insolvent debtor without the necessity of filing an application for the transfer of the account. (2013-2, s. 4; 2013-224, s. 19; 2016-4, s. 1.)
