Payroll is a cash-basis event. The FUTA and FICA reporting all use Pay date. Not Pay period, which might be all of last year. But, that also is one of the things IRS examines; dates they took any funds from the business compared to payroll. In essence, the IRS has the right to declare all takings were supposed to be payroll, and that allows them to assess interest and late fees/penalties, because this is considered an attempt to avoid paying taxes, which is not legal.