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Payroll

The rise of third places and how payroll must tax them

06/20/2024
Private clubs used to be for the rich, and many still are. But there’s a new type of private club—those charging as little as $2,500 annually—and many employees are joining. Employees often conduct business in their clubs, which means you must know the payroll rules.

July 2024: Employer’s business tax calendar

05/31/2024
Here’s your monthly guide to critical payroll due dates.

Employees reclassified? Time to start training managers

05/20/2024
You say you have already responded to the Department of Labor’s new overtime salary threshold by reclassifying some white-collar employees as overtime-eligible nonexempts? Congratulations! Now comes the hard part—training managers in the finer points of the Fair Labor Standards Act before the new rules take effect on July 1.

Food for thought: What can health FSAs reimburse for?

05/15/2024
Some aggressive marketers say employees’ food bills can be reimbursed tax-free through their health flexible spending accounts. The IRS says no.

In the Payroll Mailbag: June ’24

05/15/2024
Are old laptops given to employees for their personal use taxable? … Must we tax employees who bring spouses to a company event?

Too hot to handle: Teen labor & summer jobs

05/15/2024
Wage-and-hour enforcement is a delicate balance between federal and state law. Federal law always overrides state law when it provides more protection to employees, like teens working longer hours than the Fair Labor Standards Act allows, or in jobs prohibited by the FLSA’s hot-goods provision. It’s wise to keep this interplay in mind if you’ll be hiring teens this summer.

I now pronounce you married filing jointly

05/15/2024
June weddings may bring unintended problems with the Social Security Administration. Newlyweds who change their names or couples who hyphenate their names must get new Social Security cards with their new names.

Hire first, then ask the IRS about the worker’s status

05/15/2024
So far, lawsuits have not been able to stop the Department of Labor’s new regulations on workers’ status as employees or independent contractors. The IRS, arguably the more powerful agency, also has a lot to say about workers’ status, and it recently announced it won’t say anything before a worker is hired.

You’re in the Army now

05/15/2024
Employees who are in the National Guard and Reserves usually serve their two weeks during the summer. Others may be called away suddenly to clean up the remnants of a natural disaster. Here’s what you need to know to plan accordingly.

Taxpayer can’t prove timely filing with unapproved PDS

05/15/2024
You can e-file your Tax Court petition, take your chances by dropping it in the mail or use a private delivery service, like FedEx. But if you choose a PDS, you must be sure it’s on the IRS’ list of approved services. A taxpayer who wasn’t so careful had his petition bounced out of Tax Court and was unable to contest his tax deficiency.