Washington Cares Fund - Exemption Details

The window to begin exempting yourself from Washington’s Long-Term Care Tax is quickly approaching. The Washington State Employment Security Department (ESD) will begin accepting applications for exemption on October 1, 2021. Please review the steps to apply for exemption below.

Requirements for Exemption: 

To apply for a permanent exemption, you must: 

• Have purchased a qualifying private long-term care insurance plan before Nov. 1, 2021. 
• Be at least 18 years of age. 
• Create a profile with Secure Access Washington as soon as possible. This will streamline the exemption process when the window opens on October 1, 2021  Secure Access Washington Link
• Submit an exemption application to the Employment Security Department (ESD) on October 1, 2021. 

*Exemption applications will be available starting Oct. 1, 2021. ESD can only accept exemption applications through Dec. 31, 2022. Applications are processed on a first-come basis, so if you would like to be exempted starting January 2022, we suggest that you submit your application as soon as the window opens.

Next steps:

ESD will review your application and notify you if you’re eligible for an exemption from WA Cares coverage.  

If your application is approved, you’ll get an exemption approval letter from ESD, at which point you’ll be:

• Expelled from the program with no option to re-enroll. 
• Disqualified from accessing WA Cares benefits in your lifetime. 
• Required to present your exemption approval letter to all current and future employers. If you fail to present your ESD approval letter, employers will withhold non-refundable WA Cares premiums.

Exemptions will take effect the quarter after your application is approved. Please be aware that the actual exemption from the tax occurs with your company’s payroll department, not the State of Washington. Therefore, you must provide your payroll department with a copy of your exemption certificate. If your exemption is not implemented by your payroll department prior to the beginning of the quarter, you will pay non-refundable tax for the duration of that quarter. If you would like Kaizen to keep a copy of your exemption certificate on file for you, please upload your certificate to our secure portal HERE.

If you have questions on the exemption process, do not hesitate to reach out to your Kaizen advisor or the Washington State Customer Support Line at 833-717-2273, and press 2 to reach Washington Cares. You can learn more about the Washington Cares Act and the exemption process at wacaresfund.wa.gov

http://www.wacaresfund.wa.gov/private-insurance/