Matthew Newton received PayrollOrg’s 2024 Government Partner Award during the 2024 Virtual Congress & Expo.

Newton, who is the Team Leader and Technical Advisor in the SSA’s Office of Earnings and International Operations, began working closely with PayrollOrg’s Government Relations Division in 2018.

“I have been working in one aspect or another of employer wage reporting for the Social Security Administration for most of my 20-year career with the agency,” Newton said.

Newton, who has also been a consistent presence at PayrollOrg’s Capital Summit, held annually in the D.C. area, in March, said he enjoys the mutual respect between PayrollOrg and the SSA.

“Some of the things I most enjoy about our agency’s relationship with PAYO is our ability to get important feedback from PAYO and its members on employer wage reporting issues, partner with PAYO members on pilots for modernization of our agency’s electronic wage reporting applications, and the general collegial relationship that exists between PAYO and the Social Security Administration,” he said.

Alice P. Jacobsohn, Esq., PayrollOrg’s Government Relations Director, gave Newton high marks for his participation in monthly payroll industry calls with the IRS and other government agencies.

“He serves as the voice of the SSA and provides clarity on key compliance issues,” she said. “He has played an instrumental role to ensure PayrollOrg members remain valued partners with the SSA.”

Jacobsohn said that payroll professionals have worked with the SSA through interviews on how that agency’s operations impact payroll management, testing SSA electronic information and filing systems, and reviewing important instructions for employers.

“I have dedicated my career to making employer wage reporting more accurate, less burdensome, as well as educating and informing employers, payroll providers, and third-party wage reporters about our agency’s efforts,” Newton said. “This includes learning from those groups, and the organizations that represent them, on how the Social Security Administration can better serve their interests and the public’s interests as it relates to employer wage reporting. I am honored to receive recognition from PAYO in the form of their Government Partner Award recognizing those efforts.”

 

Bryan Kirk is the Senior Writer and Editor of Membership Publications for PayrollOrg.