Please share this information with the appropriate members of your staff who file service and compensation reporting forms for employees of your organization.
We have updated the services available on the Employer Reporting System (ERSNet) to now include Form BA-9, Report of Separation Allowance or Severance Pay. Effective April 30, 2022, all employers can sign up to use the Internet version of the BA-9 in order to securely, conveniently, and efficiently transmit separation allowance or severance pay information.
This new addition joins the twenty (20) employer forms and notices currently available in the ERSNet system. For a full list of forms, please refer to Section F of the BA-12 form.
BA-9 Background
Form BA-9, Report of Separation Allowance or Severance Pay, is used by the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) to establish a disqualification period for unemployment and sickness benefits and to calculate any Separation Allowance Lump-Sum benefit due at retirement. In order for employees to be eligible for this benefit, the RRB must collect and maintain records of separation allowances and severance payments which were subject to Tier II taxation. Information on Form BA-9 may also be used to make deemed service month determinations.
General background information about Form BA-9 and its use can be found in Part V, Chapter 6, of both the Rail Employer and the Labor Employer Reporting Instructions.
Detailed instructions on how to use the system are covered in Part VIII of both the Rail Employer and the Labor Employer Reporting Instructions.
Access Levels on the ERSNet Site
Access to ERSNet is role-based, which means that each user's access is tailored to the role or work they do at their company. Access levels are assigned by the company, allowing employers to retain control over the forms their employees can view and submit. If you are not enrolled and want to begin filing your reports on ERSNet follow the instructions below. An Explanation of Access Levels is in the program letter PDF.
Applying for Access
To apply for access do the following:
- File Form BA-12, Application for Employer Reporting Internet Access. Complete Sections A, B, C, and D then have the designated employee sign Item 5 in Section B and return the form to you. The certification in Section E 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 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 https://rrb.gov/Employer/Forms/BA-12 or contact the Quality Reporting Service Center at the telephone number or email address shown below. All employer forms can be accessed on the RRB website.
Within three to five days of receipt of an acceptable application, we 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; original signatures (no reproductions) are needed and it must be transmitted by U.S. or express mail carrier. For security reasons, facsimiles are not acceptable.