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EXPLANATION SHEET AND WORKSHEET FOR THE VOLUNTARY UI CONTRIBUTION 
NOTICE (DE 2088A) 
 
Eligible employers may make a Voluntary Unemployment Insurance (VUI) contribution to their Unemployment 
Insurance (UI) reserve account for the purpose of reducing their UI contribution rate level for the year. This is a 
voluntary program which may not necessarily provide your company with a savings for the year. To determine if it 
will result in a savings for you, we have provided a worksheet on page 2.The instructions for using the worksheet 
are below. If you elect to make a VUI payment, complete the Voluntary UI Contribution Notice (DE 2088A) coupon 
and return it, along with your payment, to the address shown on the coupon. The coupon must accompany your 
payment to credit your account properly. If a VUI payment will not result in a savings or you feel it is not to your 
advantage, please disregard this form. If your rate is lowered by a VUI payment, you will receive a new Notice of 
Contribution Rates and Statement of UI Reserve Account (DE 2088) reflecting the lower rate. 
 
BEFORE MAKING A VOLUNTARY UI CONTRIBUTION, CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING: 
 
•    A Voluntary UI contribution is an additional payment which is added to your regular UI tax contributions and 
     used to calculate your UI rate. You cannot take credit for Voluntary UI contributions on any Federal 
     Unemployment Taxation Act (FUTA) tax return or Quarterly Contribution Return and Report of Wages      (DE 9). 
 
•    Voluntary UI contributions are not refundable. 
 
•    If you have an existing liability with the Employment Development Department (EDD) and subsequent to this 
     notice you become ineligible to participate, we will apply your payment to the existing liability. 
 
•    If your payment is not for one of the exact amounts shown on the DE 2088A, it will either be applied to any 
     outstanding liabilities or refunded to you. 
 
•    A Voluntary UI contribution might not reduce your annual UI costs. 
 
INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING THE WORKSHEET 
                                                          
1.  Determine your projected UI taxable payroll for the next year (e.g., three employees times the UI taxable wage 
     limit for the year $7,000 equals $21,000). Multiply your projected taxable payroll times your assigned UI rate 
     shown on the enclosed DE 2088A ($21,000 x 3.0% = $630). The resulting figure is your projected cost for UI 
     contributions over the next year. 
 
2.  To determine if making a VUI payment will reduce your projected UI costs for the year, multiply your projected 
     UI taxable payroll by the rate shown as Option 1 on theDE   2088A ($21,000 x 2.8% = $588), then add the VUI 
     figure shown on the DE 2088A needed to reduce the rate by one level (e.g., $588 + $6.65 = $594.65). Subtract 
     this figure from your previously calculated projected UI costs for the year ($630 - $594.65 = $35.35) to 
     determine if you will realize a savings at the end of the year. 
 
3.  To determine if making the second level VUI payment will reduce your projected UI costs for the year, repeat 
     the process using the rate shown as Option 2 on the DE 2088A (2.6%). In this example, it would not be a 
     savings ($21,000 x 2.6% = $546 + $144.32 = $690.32 versus $630). 
 
4.  To determine if making the third level VUI payment will reduce your projected UI costs for the year, repeat the 
     process using the rate shown as Option 3 on the DE 2088A (2.4%). In this example, it would not be a savings 
     ($21,000 x 2.4% = $504 + $281.98 = $785.98 versus $630). 
 
If you have any questions, please contact the Taxpayer Assistance Center at 888-745-3886. 
 
DE 2088VU Rev. 6 (5-15) (INTERNET)                   Page 1 of 2                                              CU 



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                                       VOLUNTARY UI WORKSHEET EXAMPLE 
 
1. $21,000               x             3.0% =  A. $630                       
   Projected UI taxable Your assigned rate       Projected UI contributions 
   wages for the year   from the DE 2088A        due for the year 
 
2. $21,000               x             2.8% = $588                           + $6.65      =  B. $594.65              $35.35    
   Projected UI taxable The rate shown as        Projected UI contributions  VUI payment Total projected UI          Projected savings 
   wages for the year   Option 1on the DE 2088A  due for the year                        contributions for the year  (A - B) 
 
3. $21,000               x             2.6% = $546                           + $144.32    =  C. $690.32              $ 0       
   Projected UI taxable The rate shown as        Projected UI contributions  VUI payment Total projected UI          Projected savings 
   wages for the year   Option 2 on the DE 2088A due for the year                        contributions for the year  (A - C) 
 
4. $21,000               x             2.4% = $504                           + $281.98    =  D. $785.98              $ 0       
   Projected UI taxable The rate shown as        Projected UI contributions  VUI payment Total projected UI          Projected savings 
   wages for the year   Option 3 on the DE 2088A due for the year                        contributions for the year  (A - D) 
 
If B, C, or D is less than A, then a savings may be realized. 
 
                                                 VOLUNTARY UI WORKSHEET 
                                                                   
1. $                     x                 % =  A. $                         
   Projected UI taxable Your assigned rate       Projected UI contributions 
   wages for the year   from the DE 2088A        due for the year 
 
2. $                     x                 % = $                             + $          =  B. $                    $         
   Projected UI taxable The rate shown as        Projected UI contributions  VUI payment Total projected UI          Projected savings 
   wages for the year   Option 1 on the DE 2088A due for the year                        contributions for the year  (A - B) 
 
3. $                     x                 % = $                             + $          =  C. $                    $         
   Projected UI taxable The rate shown as        Projected UI contributions  VUI payment Total projected UI          Projected savings 
   wages for the year   Option 2 on the DE 2088A due for the year                        contributions for the year  (A - C) 
 
4. $                     x                 % = $                             + $          =  D. $                    $         
   Projected UI taxable The rate shown as        Projected UI contributions  VUI payment Total projected UI          Projected savings 
   wages for the year   Option 3 on the DE 2088A due for the year                        contributions for the year  (A - D) 
 
If B, C, or D is less than A, then a savings may be realized. 

DE 2088VU Rev. 6 (5-15) (INTERNET)                            Page 2 of 2 
                                                                                                                              






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