Starting July 15 and continuing through the end of 2021, many parents will be receiving a child tax credit as part of the American Rescue Plan. The tax credit is $3,600 for children younger than age six and $3,000 for those between six and seventeen. The payments are an ‘advance’ on 2021 taxes and will arrive in monthly installments on the 15^th of every month. The total credit is available for married couples with children earning a combined $150,000 or less that file jointly or $75,000 for individuals. For people making more, the money will be reduced accordingly. Most people will get the funds through direct deposit into their bank account or how you filed your 2020 taxes.

Topics: household employee, nanny employment practices, nanny payroll tax, nannies, nanny tax, nanny interview, nanny job search, CPA, IRS, kids

Are you considering hiring a nanny? As a household employer, paying your nanny a fair wage is essential. While you may not be required to offer paid vacation, health insurance, paid sick time, or retirement savings plans, offering some benefits is important. Benefits can help you attract and retain the best nannies in the industry. In addition, it helps your nanny avoid exhaustion or burnout. So, while you are considering your nanny's employment details, make sure you think seriously about what it takes to provide a good benefits package. 

Topics: nanny employment practices, nanny, nanny payroll tax, nanny health insurance, nanny benefits, household payroll

Summer is right around the corner, and kids are dreaming of their extended vacations. Unfortunately, many parents don't get the same amount of time off from their work responsibilities. Will you need an extra hand with the kids this summer?

Topics: household employee, nanny summer schedule, nanny agency, nanny payroll, nanny payroll tax, nanny tax, nanny wage, household payroll, temporary nanny, nanny job search

Before you know it, school will be out, and schedules will change. Some parents may need to continue working – either from home or at the office – and will need an extra hand with the kids. A summer or long-term temporary nanny may be the perfect solution. Thankfully, there are various highly experienced nannies looking for work this summer. Many can help with planning outdoor outings, park play dates, or continued learning during the summer. Now is the time to find a nanny to work in your home. 

Topics: nanny summer schedule, summer nanny, nanny payroll tax, nanny tax, childcare

Whether you're a mom, dad, grandparent , or guardian, the children in your life are some of your greatest treasures. Finding the right person to love and care for them is significant and hiring a qualified nanny to work in your home requires some research. Here are some of the most important things you should know before hiring a long-term nanny.  

#1: Know what you need.

Every family is unique, which means your childcare needs will be unique too. Understand your family's needs and make a list of expected duties and responsibilities you want a nanny to have. Then, think about the qualities you're looking for in a nanny. Do you want someone young and energetic that may be just starting their nanny career? Maybe you would be more comfortable with someone experience, who has worked with multiple families during their career. Know what you're looking for, and let that help guide your search.  

Topics: household employee taxes, nanny agency, summer nanny, nanny payroll tax, nannies, nanny tax compliance, outsource nanny payroll, domestic worker

At HomeWork Solutions, we understand household payroll and tax preparation can be complicated. With tax laws changing regularly, it can be challenging to stay up to date on everything. Outsourcing will save you time and the headache of researching what has changed and what hasn't. You won't need to worry about making a mistake with deductions, either. Your household payroll specialist is skilled in each part of the process, navigating everything for you—the result: payroll and tax preparations are seamless.  

If you've recently hired a household employee like a nanny or senior caregiver, and you don't have the time to manage payroll and tax deductions for your household employee, consider outsourcing the work to a qualified payroll and tax provider like HomeWork Solutions. That way, you and your employee are compliant, and you can rest easy knowing all the details are handled.

If you needed more of an incentive to start paying your household employees on the books, The American Rescue Plan Act is now in place for additional financial help, providing families with even more tax credits. It's never been easier to do the right thing and pay your employee's taxes accurately and on time. 

Topics: household employee, nanny payroll tax, nanny tax compliance, caregiver, senior home caregiver, outsource nanny payroll, agency

We get many questions surrounding overtime for domestic employees. Most of the time, household employees work 40 hours a week or less. However, when your employee works extra hours, you will need to be prepared to pay for overtime. Not sure how to accurately calculate the overtime for these longer shifts? We can help.  

It might seem easier to agree to pay your employee a weekly salary to avoid overtime. Some might try to average bi-weekly payments to help make up for uneven work schedules. This could cause problems in a wage dispute because it goes against Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) overtime rules.  

Topics: overtime rules, nanny payroll tax, nanny overtime, nanny tax calculator

Hiring a senior caregiver, a nanny, or a housekeeper who regularly works in your home is a personal decision. It takes time to find the right person to fit your family's unique needs, so once you've found that person, it's essential to get things started on the right foot. Here are three of the most important things to do immediately upon hiring your new domestic employee.

Topics: household employee taxes, household employee, nanny payroll tax, nanny work agreement, nanny tax compliance, caregiver, nanny management

Your kids love your nanny. She gets along great with your family. She has invested time and energy into your home. Suddenly, she quits. You might be wondering what went wrong. You might feel pushed into panic mode because you’re left without a reliable childcare option. What can you do? Here are some options that can help ease the stress.

Topics: nanny payroll tax, nanny job interview, nanny separation, temporary nanny, nanny interview

Have you heard of the “Nanny Tax?” Not sure it applies to your household employment situation? Even if you don’t have a nanny working in your home, the Nanny Tax might apply to you. Housekeepers, gardeners, house or pet sitters, or any other regular household employee who works at your direction could make you eligible for state and federal tax requirements.

Topics: household payroll literacy, home health workers, nanny payroll tax, caregiver, senior home caregiver, domestic worker, private educator