Payroll

Fair Labor Standards Act: Overview

01/03/2015

HR Law 101: The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) covers the federal minimum wage, rules on overtime pay and child labor regulations. Since the U.S. Department of Labor recently overhauled the overtime rules, it’s critical to make sure you’re properly classifying workers as exempt or nonexempt …

FLSA: Calculating Hours Worked

01/02/2015

HR Law 101: To ensure you’re in compliance with the FLSA, it’s important to understand the definition of “hours of work.” Any hour when an employee’s on duty is considered time worked. The only period usually excluded: when an employee uses the time for personal reasons …

Must we file a new Form W-2 to correct a newlywed’s name?

01/01/2015

Q: An employee worked for us during 2013, left the company last year, got married and changed her name. So her 2013 W-2 form was issued in her maiden name. She now wants us to reissue her a new W-2 in her married name. Do we have to do this?

January 2015: Employer’s business tax calendar

12/31/2014

Here’s your monthly guide to critical payroll due dates. This time around, you can also download our full, free Payroll Checklist to guide you through the entire year.

New timetable on the way for W-2s?

12/30/2014

The Government Accountability Office is urging the IRS to move up its W-2 filing deadline for employers to Jan. 31 and to raise the threshold for mandatory electronic filing of W-2s.

FLSA: The Minimum Wage

12/30/2014

HR Law 101: Passage of the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007 marked the first boost to the federal minimum wage since 1997. In July 2007, the federal minimum wage increased from $5.15 to $5.85 per hour. Additional raises took effect over the next two years: to $6.55 on July 24, 2008, and to $7.25 on July 24, 2009.

7 states subject to FUTA credit reductions for 2014

12/29/2014

Seven states are on the 2014 FUTA credit reduction hit list. Employers will have their maximum FUTA credit reduced on their 2014 Form 940 because their states haven’t repaid loans they took out to shore up their state unemployment trust funds.

Can a friend or relative pick up a paycheck?

12/24/2014

Q. Some of the employees in my company’s Texas office have inquired about alternative payment delivery options. Among other things, they have asked if they may have a friend or relative come to the office to pick up their paychecks. Is this permissible?

On-premises fringes: Is there such a thing as a free lunch?

12/24/2014

The IRS has begun to examine the tax treatment of employer-provided free meals, such as those famously provided by Silicon Valley tech firms like Google.

How do we enter a gross-up on a W-2?

12/23/2014

Q: The company offers stock to employees, which becomes taxable at a later date. Employees who terminate during the year are still eligible for the stock, but, since there are no longer wages from which we can withhold, we gross up the FICA taxes. On their W-2s, we make entries in Boxes 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6. Management is questioning why, if we’re only paying the FICA taxes, all of those boxes are increased. Now we’re not so sure if we’ve been doing this right. Who’s correct?