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

Inclement weather, train derailments, flight delays- these are all potential situations that could keep a person from their child or elderly relative. But other emergency situations exist- your charge could develop a high fever, knock a pot of boiling water from the stove, develop an allergic reaction that prevents them from breathing - that requires a nanny or senior caregiver to react quickly and make the right choice in getting medical attention. 

Topics: senior caregivers, eldercare, nanny, nannies, emergency plans

In 2014, the Household Employee Wage threshold increased to $1900. This means that any household employee- such as a nanny, housekeeper or elder care worker- earning $1900 or more per year requires their employer to pay what is commonly referred to as the "nanny tax."

Topics: household employee, household employer, household payroll

The following is excerpted from the ABC Nanny Hiring Guide.

One of the first decisions you must make when considering a nanny for your family is whether you want a nanny who lives in or one that comes in daily. Let's take a look at the pros and cons of hiring a live-in nanny.

Topics: live-in nanny

There are more than 2 million senior caregivers working in private homes to help our aging loved ones to 'age in place.' These caregivers are employees. They are either employed by the home health agency who hires, schedules and pays the senior caregiver, OR they are the employee of the senior or their family who pay the caregiver directly.

Topics: elder care, payroll, senior care