Do you have to pay your nanny or senior caregiver overtime? Overtime is a topic that many people are confused about, and we get a lot of questions surrounding it, too. Most  household employees work more than 40-hours a week, a necessity if their employers are going to be free to work their own full time job. Household employees are hourly workers under Federal law, and most caregivers who come and go are entitled to an overtime differential of 1.5 times their regular hourly rate of pay . Even if your employee has agreed to not be paid overtime, you will still need to factor overtime into their weekly rate of pay. Why? It’s the law and you will be held to that standard if there is ever a wage dispute. Here’s an example to help you figure out what is required on your end.

Topics: nanny, agency, senior, CPA

Now that your filing is done you may have some questions. Here are some common ones and their answers.

Topics: nanny, agency, senior, CPA

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.

Topics: nanny, agency, senior, CPA

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.

Topics: nanny, agency, senior, CPA

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  If you don’t, or yours is out-of-date, then you may want to change that.

Topics: nanny, agency, senior, CPA

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.

Topics: nanny, agency, senior, CPA

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.

Topics: nanny, senior, CPA

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.

Topics: nanny, senior, CPA

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.

Topics: nanny, agency, senior

Worker’s compensation cases can get messy if they aren’t handled by the book. This client story shows the importance of purchasing a Worker’s Compensation Insurance Policy.

Topics: nanny, agency, senior