Which of the following forms is filed to report annual payroll taxes for small businesses?

The correct choice is associated with the form that small businesses use to report annual payroll taxes. Form 944 is specifically designed for employers who have an estimated annual payroll tax liability of $1,000 or less. This allows smaller businesses to file their payroll taxes on an annual basis rather than quarterly, making the process simpler and more manageable for those with minimal payroll tax obligations.

This form must be submitted to the IRS by January 31 of the following year, detailing the company's withheld federal income tax, Social Security tax, and Medicare tax. The benefit of using Form 944 is that it reduces the frequency of filing for small employers who may not have the resources or capacity to handle quarterly filings.

In contrast, other forms have different purposes or filing frequencies. For example, Form 945 is used to report non-payroll withholding, like backup withholding from payments such as interest and dividends, while Form 941 is the quarterly payroll tax return for employers with larger payroll tax obligations. The W-2 form is utilized to report wages paid to employees and the taxes withheld from them, but it does not serve as a summary of annual payroll taxes for the business itself.