UI / DE 1296E

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Instructions for Benefit Audit

Purpose

The benefit audit process is a federally required collaboration between the California Employment Development Department (EDD) and employers. The purpose is to protect the integrity of the Unemployment Insurance (UI) Trust Fund by identifying fraud and preventing improper unemployment benefit payments.
You previously reported this individual’s employment or wages. We are requesting additional information for the specific weeks listed to verify eligibility for UI benefits. The audit does not mean the employee acted improperly. Your cooperation helps detect and prevent unemployment benefit overpayments and could reduce improper employer benefit charges. This doesn’t mean a claim has impacted your account, and your response won’t result in a determination or ruling.
If we still need more information, we will contact you again.

Complete the Form

Send it back to us within 10 business days, unless the employee had no earnings for the weeks listed in the audit.
For more information or to request an extension:
Return completed forms to: Employment Development Department PO Box 3038 Sacramento, CA 95812-3038

Instructions

Check your records. Find the exact dates the employee worked.
If the employee had no earnings for the weeks listed If the employee had earnings
Keep the form for your records and do not return it to us. Complete items 1 through 6.
  1. Report Gross Earnings: Enter the (pre-tax) amount for the weeks listed based when the work was done, not when it was paid. In order to perform a valid audit, it is necessary to match earnings for work performed to the benefit weeks as listed.
  2. Earnings Type: For each week with earnings, select the types that apply. If the employee is a teacher, professor, or lecturer, check the box. Regular earnings include overtime, double time, shift pay, prevailing wages, piece work, and orientation pay. Other earnings that are not regular earnings include payments that are not for work performed, like vacation pay, bonus pay, sick pay, holiday pay, or severance.
  3. Work Dates: Enter the first day the employee worked.
    • If they are still working, check the box to confirm.
    • If they are no longer working, enter the last day they worked and select the reason (fired, laid off, voluntarily quit, or other).
    • When reporting the “actual” first and last day of work, provide the physical first and last day the work was performed.
  4. Pay Period Details: Tell us when they were paid (weekly, biweekly, monthly). Include the start and end dates of that pay period. Even if the employee was seasonal, match the earnings from work performed to the benefit weeks listed. Use records like timecards to determine earnings as best you can.
  5. Name or Social Security Number (SSN) Differences: Let us know if the name or Social Security Number (SSN) we have is different from what you have in your records.
  6. Sign the Form: Your signature certifies the information you are giving us is accurate to the best of your knowledge.
DE 1296E Rev. 33 (4-25)