Please distribute this notice to all individuals within your organization who may need the information in connection with their work.
The U.S. Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) will eliminate the use of the paper Form BA-3, Annual Reports of Credible Compensation, by employers covered under the Railroad Retirement (RRA) and Railroad Unemployment Insurance (RUIA) Acts. The RRB will no longer accept the paper form BA-3 beginning with the 2013 service and compensation reports that are due to the RRB no later than February 28, 2014. Annual service and compensation reports are to be filed through the Employer Reporting System (ERSNet). ERSNet is much more reliable, secure, user friendly, and offers users benefits not available to employers using other filing methods. ERSNet provides automatic system edits to identify errors, pre-filled data fields, the ability to create detailed and summary reports, automated email form/file receipt responses and file upload capability. Also, if you use the ERSNet system, you do not need to file Form G-440, Report Specifications Sheet, because the system authenticates the report. We previously informed users that the RRB eliminated technical support for the obsolete Employer Reporting (PC) Program. We will not issue any new or replacement copies of the program, but we will continue to process the service and compensation reports the program generates. Please note that the elimination of the use of the paper form does not affect employers that currently file reports via the other RRB approved automated processes. You can continue to file your reports using the following methods:
- CD-ROM
- Secure E-mail
- File Transfer Protocol (FTP)
However, if you previously filed your reports on paper or via the PC Reporting Program, you should now begin using ERSNet to file your BA-3, annual reports. The current services and forms available to users via ERSNet are as follows:
- BA-3, Annual Report of Creditable Compensation
- BA-4, Report of Creditable Compensation Adjustments
- BA-6a, BA-6 Address Report
- BA-11, Report of Gross Earnings
- GL-129a, Record of Employer Determination on Employee Protest
- ID-4K, Prepayment Notice of Employee's Applications and Claims for Benefits under the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act (RUIA)
- Form ID-4E, Notice of RUIA Claim Determinations
- ID-6, Monthly Report of Tier I Tax Transactions
- ID-6Y, Summary Report of Tier I Yearly Tax Transactions
- ID-40Q, Quarterly Notice to Employers - RUIA
- ID-40R/S, Annual Notice to Employers - RUIA
See Program Letter 2012-05 and 2012-08 http://www.rrb.gov/AandT/pl/pl_index.asp to learn about the available forms (and their capabilities), offered on the ERSNet system. To apply for access to the ERSNet system, please do the following:
- Read the Security Guidelines leaflet. The leaflet explains your responsibilities as a user of the ERSNet system and is available at http://www.rrb.gov/AandT/ERI/Part8/chapter8.asp.
- File Form BA-12, Application for Employer Reporting Internet Access, a copy of which is attached. Complete Sections A, B, C and have the designated employee sign Item 5, Section B. The certification in Section D must be completed by an official of the company who has authority to sign official RRB forms. If you have signature authority, sign the certification. Otherwise, the company president and those persons designated on the Form G-117A, Designation of Contact Official, are assumed to have signature authority. For additional copies of Form BA-12 or information on how to complete it, go directly to http://www.rrb.gov/pdf/AandT/ba12.pdf. All employer forms can be accessed on the RRB website at www.rrb.gov.
Within three to five days of receipt of an acceptable application, the RRB will mail your user ID and password along with instructions for accessing the site. To deter fraudulent use of ERSNet, the Form BA-12 cannot be completed or filed on our website as original signatures (no reproductions) are needed. The completed Form BA-12 must be transmitted by US or express mail carrier. For security reasons, facsimiles are not acceptable. For more information about applying for access and using ERS.net, please access Part VIII "Employer Reporting System (ERS) Internet User Instructions" located in the Employer Reporting Instructions or Labor Employer Reporting Instructions. You may also contact the Quality Reporting Service Center (QRSC) at the telephone number and e-mail address shown above.