Iowa Admin. Code r. 871-23.29 - Transfer of entire business

(1) Notice of acquisition.
a. Whenever an employing unit in any manner succeeds to or acquires from an employer either the organization, trade or business or substantially all the assets thereof, and continues such organization, trade or business, such employing unit shall notify the department to transfer the account of the predecessor employer to the successor employing unit. The notification must include the name and address of the predecessor, the date of transfer, and the name and address of the successor. When the department receives the notice, or alternatively, when the department receives through other means information establishing the acquisition, the actual contribution and benefit experience and taxable payrolls of the predecessor will be transferred to the successor employing unit to determine its rate of contribution. Thereafter, benefits chargeable are charged to the account of the successor. The predecessor must notify the department of the status change.
b. Where one or more employing units have been reorganized, merged or consolidated into a single employing unit and the successor employing unit continues to operate the merged or consolidated enterprise, the employing units involved shall notify the department within 30 days from the date of the transaction. All entities involved in the merger shall provide the articles of merger or, if there are no articles of merger, a statement advising of the merger.
(1) The predecessor business or businesses involved in the merger shall each file a final quarterly payroll report form as soon as possible after the merger has occurred but in no case later than 30 days after the close of the quarter in which the merger was effective.
(2) The successor entity shall indicate whether the experience rates of all accounts are to be combined and the rate recomputed for the balance of the calendar year in which the merger took place.
(2) Contribution rate. The successor's contribution rate for the remainder of the calendar year in which an acquisition took place is determined as follows:
a. If the successor had no account prior to the transfer and the successor purchased the business of only one predecessor, or more than one predecessor with identical rates, the rate assigned will be the rate of the predecessor employer or employers.
b. If the successor had no account prior to the transfer and purchased the business of more than one predecessor with the same legal date of transfer, the rate assigned will be a computed rate based on the combined experience of all the predecessor employers.
c. If the successor in a merger had an account prior to the transfer, the rate assigned will be the successor's current rate. However, the successor may apply for a recomputed rate based on the combined experience of all predecessors and the experience of the successor only if the legal date of transfer is prior to October 1 in the year it took place.

This rule is intended to implement Iowa Code section 96.7(2) "b."

Notes

Iowa Admin. Code r. 871-23.29
Amended by IAB August 30, 2017/Volume XL, Number 5, effective 10/4/2017 Adopted by IAB January 22, 2025/Volume XLVII, Number 15, effective 2/26/2025

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