Overview
Alabama employers who withhold state income tax must file withholding returns with the Alabama Department of Revenue (ALDOR). Depending on the amount of tax withheld, employers may be required to file monthly Form A-6 in addition to the quarterly Form A-1. Employers must also file the annual Form A-3 reconciliation. Separately, employers subject to Alabama unemployment insurance must file a quarterly contribution and wage report with the Alabama Department of Labor (ADOL).
The TaxBandits Public API supports automating Form A-6, Form A-1
| Form | Type | Filing frequency | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Form A-6 | Withholding | Monthly, when applicable | 15th of the following month |
| Form A-1 | Withholding | Quarterly | Last day of the month following the quarter end |
Form A-6 — Monthly Withholding
Form A-6 is the Employer's Monthly Return of Income Tax Withheld. Employers are required to file an A-6 for a month when Alabama income tax withheld exceeds $1,000 in either the first or second month of a calendar quarter. The monthly return and tax withheld are due by the 15th of the following month.
For example, if an employer withholds more than $1,000 in January, the January A-6 is due by February 15.
Form A-1 — Quarterly Withholding
Form A-1 is the Employer's Quarterly Return of Income Tax Withheld. Employers required to withhold Alabama income tax must file an A-1 for each calendar quarter. The return is due by the last day of the month following the quarter end.
The quarterly filing periods are:
- Q1 — January through March — due April 30
- Q2 — April through June — due July 31
- Q3 — July through September — due October 31
- Q4 — October through December — due January 31
A quarterly A-1 generally must be filed even when no tax was withheld, unless the withholding account has been placed on inactive status.
Key compliance notes
- Monthly withholding threshold. Form A-6 is required when more than $1,000 of Alabama income tax is withheld in either the first or second month of a calendar quarter.
- Quarterly withholding filing. Form A-1 is required for each calendar quarter for employers required to withhold Alabama income tax.
- Electronic filing threshold. Alabama requires withholding returns and payments to be filed electronically when a single withholding tax payment is $750 or more.
- W-2/1099 reporting. Applicable W-2s and 1099s with Alabama income tax withheld must be submitted with Form A-3.
API endpoints
For these forms, the state-specific methods — Create, Update, and Get — differ by form because each form has its own field structure. The utility methods — List, Delete, Transmit, RequestPdfUrls, and Status — are shared across State Withholding and UI reporting.
Form A-1 / A-6 (Alabama Withholding)
- Create — Create a new Alabama withholding return.
- Update — Update an Alabama withholding return that was created but not yet transmitted.
- Get — Retrieve the details of a created Alabama withholding return.
Common endpoints: For the remaining methods — List, Status, Transmit, RequestPdfUrls, and Delete — refer to the common endpoints shared across State Withholding
All endpoints require an OAuth 2.0 access token. Call the Auth method and pass the token as a Bearer token in the request header.
Testing & notifications
Before filing, you can simulate the entire verification flow in our Sandbox environment without submitting real data to state agencies.
As an alternative to polling the Status endpoint, you can configure a webhook for the Status Payroll Filings Status Change event type to receive automated status updates.