San Jose’s Measure D, which will increase the current city’s minimum wage from $8 to $10 per hour effective March 2013, passed with overwhelming voter support. 

San Jose is now one of the two cities in California whose minimum wage has gone up independently of the state's.  San Francisco has enforced its own minimum wage for many years.  There are only a handful of other cities nationwide that set their own minimum wages: Washington, D.C., Santa Fe and Albuquerque, N.M.

Household employers in San Jose whose pay their employees minimum wage need to adjust their salary to reflect this new rate in March 2013.

Stay tuned for more updates from The Nanny Tax Experts.

IRS and states recently affected by Hurricane Sandy will extend tax deadlines and waive some penalties to tax payers affected by this natural disaster.

Tax Commissioner Craig M. Burns has announced that Virginia will provide a penalty waiver to those individuals and businesses affected by Hurricane Sandy. This penalty waiver applies to any late returns filed or payments made by affected taxpayers between October 29, 2012 and November 9, 2012. To notify the Department of Taxation that you were affected by Hurricane Sandy, you must write “Hurricane Sandy” at the top of your return. The Department of Taxation will then abate any late-filing or late-payment penalties that would otherwise apply.

To qualify for this penalty waiver, taxpayers must be unable to meet their filing obligations because the financial books and records they need to file their taxes are unavailable because of hurricane damage or power outage.

Kentucky Tax Amnesty

If you are a Kentucky resident and have unpaid state taxes, penalties, fees and interests … we may have good news for you!

The Kentucky Department of Revenue has put in place a Tax Amnesty Program.  Tax payers with past due bills from December 1, 2001 to October 1, 2011 have the opportunity to clear their delinquencies and start over with the department. 

From October 1st 2012 to November 30th 2012, you can apply for Tax Amnesty from the Kentucky Department of Revenue.   Your situation will be evaluated and if you qualify, you will only owe the past due taxes and half of the interest on your bill.  Any penalties and half of your interest will be waived. 

This isa one time only program for Kentucky; don’t let this opportunity slipthrough your fingers.  This program is open for Household Employers as well. There is no second chance, after the November 30th deadline, you will not only be unable to apply, but penalties, fees and interest will also increase. 

For more information, visit the KY website: http://www.amnesty.ky.gov/

Note: Special thanks to our guest blogger, author Marta Perrone (The Professional Housekeeper).  Marta is an expert in the household staffing industry. We are pleased to share her discussion on transitioning a nanny to the nanny/housekeeper role.   Marta is a professional trainer of housekeepers, nannies and household managers.

On behalf of the entire HomeWork Solutions' team, we would like to wish a great National Nanny Recognition Week 2012 to all nannies! We appreciate all you do for the children in your care and the families to whom you provide services.
This is your week ... enjoy it with a smile!

Would you be comfortable hiring a nanny who brings her own child to work?

Social Security and Medicare, collectively known as FICA taxes, are a mystery to many domestic employers. Who is liable for them, how are they paid, and where are they reported are just some of the questions that plague domestic employers. While both taxes are calculated as a percentage of the gross wages, the employee’s portion of Social Security is 4.2% (for 2011 and 2012 only) while the employer’s portion is 6.2%, and both the employer and employee’s portion for Medicare is 1.45% of the gross wages.