144 tagged with "Payroll"
Payroll management, processing, and compliance for businesses of all sizes
Hiring Your Children in Your Family Business: The Tax Strategy That Pays a Family Twice
A 2026 guide for family business owners on legally hiring their children: how a sole proprietorship can pay a child up to $16,100 federal-tax-free, when FICA and FUTA exemptions apply, the documentation the IRS expects, and how a Roth IRA stacks on top.
The R&D Tax Credit for Startups and Small Businesses: How to Claim Up to $500,000 Against Payroll Taxes
Section 41 lets qualified small businesses offset up to $500,000 of annual payroll taxes with the federal R&D credit. This guide covers the four-part qualification test, qualifying wages and cloud spend, the QSB election on Form 6765, and what OBBBA changed for 2025 and 2026 filings.
Restaurant Accounting Demystified: Prime Cost, Tip Pooling, and COGS
A working guide to the three numbers that decide whether a restaurant makes money — prime cost, food and beverage COGS, and tip pooling — with 2026 benchmarks, FLSA rules, and a weekly accounting cadence.
Coronavirus Relief Bills: A Small Business Guide to PPP, ERC, and EIDL Taxes
How the CARES Act, Consolidated Appropriations Act, and American Rescue Plan reshaped small business taxes—covering PPP forgiveness, the Employee Retention Credit, EIDL loans, deferred payroll taxes, and the April 15, 2025 deadline for 2021 ERC claims.
Employee Retention Credit Update 2026: Pending Refunds, New Compliance Rules, and What to Do Next
As of 2026, most outstanding Employee Retention Credit claims sit in audit, appeal, or litigation rather than ordinary processing queues. The One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act blocked late 2021 Q3/Q4 claims filed after January 31, 2024, and extended the IRS audit window for ERC claims to six years.
Form 1120-S Explained: The Complete Guide to Filing Your S Corporation Tax Return
Form 1120-S is the annual federal return every active S corporation must file, with a 2026 deadline of March 16. This guide covers who must file, the schedules involved, the five mistakes that cost owners the most, and a month-by-month filing workflow.
W-2 vs W-4: The Two Tax Forms Every Employee and Employer Must Know
A practical comparison of Form W-4 (the withholding certificate employees give employers) and Form W-2 (the year-end wage statement employers send the IRS), with 2026 OBBBA updates—$2,200 Child Tax Credit, qualified tips and overtime deductions—and the filing mistakes that quietly cost workers refunds.
Doing Business in Wyoming: The 2026 Tax and Compliance Guide
A 2026 operating guide to Wyoming business taxes and compliance—4% sales tax with a $100,000 economic nexus threshold, the anniversary-month annual report, registered agent rules, and the federal layer that catches foreign-owned LLCs.
Hiring an Out-of-State Employee: The Payroll Tax Setup Playbook
A step-by-step checklist for setting up payroll taxes when you hire a remote employee in a new state — SUTA, income tax withholding, workers' comp, local taxes, reciprocity forms, and the convenience-of-the-employer rule.
Small Business Health Care Tax Credit: The Complete Employer's Guide to Claiming Up to 50%
Employers with fewer than 25 FTEs and average annual wages below the IRS cap can claim up to 50% of health insurance premiums through the Small Business Health Care Tax Credit. This guide covers 2026 eligibility, the sliding-scale math, Form 8941 mechanics, and the mistakes that kill otherwise valid claims.
Social Security Tax Explained: A Complete Guide for Employees, Employers, and the Self-Employed
A 2026 reference for Social Security tax: the 6.2% employee and employer rate, the $184,500 wage base, the 15.3% self-employment rate with its 92.35% adjustment, Form 941 deposit rules, and the six mistakes that most often trigger IRS payroll penalties against small businesses.
SUTA Tax Explained: The Complete Employer's Guide to State Unemployment Tax
SUTA is the state-level payroll tax that funds unemployment insurance. Every U.S. employer owes it, rates range from under 1% to over 10%, and late payments can cost the 5.4% FUTA credit — turning a $42 federal bill into $420 per employee.