If you’ve just completed your tax return and you have realized that you have claimed too much or too little, it may be time to reevaluate your W-4 form. Here is why the W-4 form is so important: the W-4 is completed by you as the employee and tells your employer how much of your gross earnings need to be deducted from your paycheck for taxes.

If you have a nanny or senior caretaker working in your home, you are officially an employer and should be adhering to rules that apply to household employers. However, there are many mistakes that can be made, either intentionally or not, that could have big consequences. Here are some common mistakes household employers make that can have big consequences and how you can avoid them.

Most employers have some sort of employee handbook or at least a clear cut work agreement. It goes without saying that it is extremely important to have and keep updating your employee handbook.  If you don’t, or yours is out-of-date, then you may want to change that.

If one of your household employees has recently filed for unemployment benefits, you may have received notice from your state and be unsure of what to do. This brings up the question: what does it mean when an employee files an unemployment claim? Here we will break down some of the basics about unemployment claims and explain what’s required of you as the employer.

You have searched to find the right nanny or senior caregiver for your family and have found the person you want to work with. Congratulations, you have become an employer! Hopefully you have completed thorough background screening and reference checking, and you and your new employee have a written work agreement in place. Now you and your employee must complete the proper government paperwork. What forms need to be completed? The following forms below are required at the time of hire.

The following is a guest post from professional Nanny, Cate Matijevich. The views in this article are her's alone. 

In our industry, compensation packages vary significantly by area. In all markets, career nannies strive to be at the top of their field in pay and other forms of compensation, some even consider relocating when they outgrow the ability of their market to meet their value. How do these professionals reach the top of their market, and what makes these top-notch nannies so desirable? Below are a few highlights from my “little gold book”, so called because the tips are worth their weight in gold, and calling it anything else just wouldn’t do it justice.

If you are a household employer and have an employee working in your home, you have a responsibility to pay and report payroll taxes, which includes filing a Schedule H form with your personal federal tax return. If you paid your employee at least $2,100 in the year, if you withheld Federal Income Taxes, or if you are liable for unemployment taxes you must file this form.

Spring break is a time that many families look forward to each year, as it’s a time to relax and connect with each other, either at home or away on a trip. If you have been planning a getaway with your family this spring break, it is important to understand how it will affect your nanny. If she isn’t going along on the vacation with you, do you still have to pay her and is she guaranteed hours?

Your brother and wife are taking a quick trip and they have asked if it would be ok for you to keep your five-year-old niece for the week. But, you’re working, and your nanny has a responsibility during the day taking care of your children. How should you handle this? Here are some ideas.

If you are considering hiring a new household employee, chances are, you are thinking about the many details that are involved with that. Opening your home and entrusting  your loved ones to a new person is a big step and one that should be taken seriously. There should be much research and caution used. Here are some important things to keep in mind before you consider onboarding a new household employee.