Payroll

Self-insured plans, HSAs, HRAs must pay research fees

01/08/2013

To determine what works in providing medical care, the Affordable Care Act health care reform law created the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute. For seven plan years, it will be funded with fees on plan sponsors of self-insured plans, including retiree-only and COBRA plans.

Punch in, punch out: State appeals court allows time clock rounding

01/03/2013

If you use a time clock, you probably also use a rounding method so employees who clock in a little early or clock out slightly late are only paid for their scheduled time. The presumption is that over time, employees will clock in both early and late. Fortunately, a recent California appeals court decision sanctions this common-sense practice.

Fiscal cliff averted: New law sets 2013 withholding rates; ‘payroll tax holiday’ expires

01/02/2013

In the waning hours of New Year’s Day, Congress passed legislation averting a plunge off the “fiscal cliff” and making permanent Bush-era tax rates for all but the highest earners. Now employers can finally make concrete plans for their 2013 payroll operations.

2012 FUTA credit reduction states announced

12/27/2012

The IRS has named the states that will be subject to FUTA credit reductions for 2012 FUTA taxes. FUTA credit reductions arise when states borrow from the federal government to pay regular unemployment benefits and fail to timely repay the loans.

Tax Year 2012 SSA Employer Service Liaison Officers

12/26/2012

Here’s a state-by-state breakdown of employer service liaison officers.

How should we handle 1099s for retirees we can’t track down?

12/26/2012

Question: Three retirees receive monthly pension checks. Two have stopped cashing them and the post office keeps returning the other retiree’s check as undeliverable. We’ve searched the obituaries and looked in our old HR files for their next of kin, but we’ve come up empty. We have to provide Forms 1099-R to them by the end of this month. What do we do?

Fiscal Cliff Watch: IRS OKs using 2012 withholding rate for now

12/21/2012

Employers should continue to use 2012 withholding tables and personal exemption amounts until further notice.

Jan. 31 end-game in sight

12/20/2012

Mark your calendar. By Jan. 31, employees must have their W-2s, and the IRS must have the fourth-quarter 941 form, and annual 940, 944 and 945 forms. Here’s what you must do now.

2013 standard mileage rate increases 1¢, to 56.5¢ per mile

12/19/2012

The standard mileage rate, which you may use to reimburse employees who drive their own cars on business, increases one penny to 56.5 cents a mile for 2013. You can also use the standard mileage rate to value employees’ personal use of moderately priced company cars.

Health plans audited for health care reform compliance

12/18/2012

The health care reform law doesn’t fully kick in for another year. But that hasn’t stopped DOL auditors from scrutinizing group health plans for provisions already in effect, such as the grandfathering rules and children staying on parents’ plan until they turn age 26.