The early bird really does get the worm, according to a recent article featured on The Motley Fool, a multimedia financial-services company that reaches millions of people each month through its website, books, newspaper column, television appearances, and subscription newsletter services. Author Jim Staats of Manilla.com reports that it’s never too early to prepare the necessary paperwork before the April 15th deadline; in fact, there are several ways that he suggests you can try to lower your tax bill each year:

Topics: filing taxes, tax return, nanny taxes

If you employ a household employee (defined by the IRS as any domestic worker earning more than $1900 in calendar year 2014), you are responsible for the so-called "nanny taxes". By keeping track of paperwork, you'll be in a much better position come tax time next year. Nanny agency owners can also benefit from staying organized during the year whether they are filing their agency's taxes on their own or with a tax preparer.

Topics: household employee taxes, household employee, payroll recordkeeping, nanny tax compliance

Smart employers know that key benefits such as health insurance that is paid for in whole or part by the employer is an important employee recruitment and retention tool.

Topics: nanny health insurance

Recently,  Dr. Judith L. London published a book of 54 stories detailing the challenging and sometimes heroic lives of caregivers of Alzheimer's sufferers. And it's no wonder Dr. London found it compelling to collect a these stories in one place:  in a study conducted by Stanford University and the Alzheimer's Association, more than 15 million people provide unpaid care for family members,  or even friends, who suffer from the disease.

Topics: elder care, Alzheimer's, senior care

The Department of Labor extended minimum wage and overtime rules to most home care workers who aid the elderly, and the media is running to provide perspective on caring for aging Americans.  The new rules, which go into effect Jan. 1, 2015, change how the companionship exemption to minimum wage and overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act works.  Ashlea Ebeling of Forbes recently published a comprehensive article on this matter called, “Hiring Help For Aging Parents? Read This First. “ If you’re fortunate enough to have parents living into their golden years, there will inevitably come a time when you notice that everyday tasks become everyday obstacles, and getting reliable, affordable and caring help becomes the holy grail. 

Topics: elder care, senior caregivers, overtime rules, household payroll tax, hiring care for seniors

Immigrants, including undocumented immigrants, must comply with the same tax laws as U.S. citizens- including paying the so-called "nanny taxes". Allan Wernick an attorney and director of the City University of New York's Citizenship Now! Project, recently wrote an article in the Daily News about tax compliance for non-U.S. citizens and their employers. This includes immigrant nannies!

Topics: foreign domestic workers, household employee, G5 domestic

Moving your family can be one of life's most exciting times, yet also one of the most stressful times. Finding a new place, selling an old place, leaving a job, starting a new one or transferring within a company, packing, unpacking, leaving an old nanny, hiring a new one, (or sometimes the nanny moves or commutes to the new location if it’s a local move) the list can seem like its endless.

Topics: nanny payroll, nanny payroll tax, nannies, calculate nanny payroll tax

A client calls and say "I want to pay my nanny $16.00 an hour take home, can you help me?" When I hear this question it is like nails on a chalk board; however it’s also a great opportunity for me to explain the nanny taxes, how payroll works and why paying a net per hour is the worst idea.  This is often referred to as 'Grossing Up' a paycheck and it can lead to major headaches.

Topics: nanny, nanny payroll, nanny payroll tax, nanny hourly wage, nannies

Nanny jobs are not forever, and the reasons for letting your child's caregiver do vary. Often, the children grow up and your beloved family nanny is no longer needed. Perhaps the nanny has horrible work habits - always late or a frequent 'no show.' Your family and the nanny simply may not 'click.' The nanny who was a wonderful nurturer of your infant does not have the energy to deal with your demanding toddler. Whatever the reason, figuring out how to terminate an employee gracefully can be an uncomfortable experience for both family and nanny.

Topics: household employee, nanny severance, nanny, nanny employee, nanny separation

The Internal Revenue Service issued new 2014 income tax withholding schedules and they are fully integrated with our online tax calculator now. We are fielding a lot of inquiries about new paycheck amounts and will try to address the common questions here:

Topics: nanny, nanny tax, nanny taxes, household payroll tax