The Termination Meeting Checklist: Final Pay, COBRA Notices, and Property Return
US termination checklist: meet your state's final-pay deadline, send COBRA notices within 44 days, get OWBPA releases right and collect property same day.
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Employee Benefits
Discover employee benefit options to attract talent and reduce turnover in small businesses
How Big an Employee Discount Is Tax-Free? The Section 132(c) Limits Every Employer Should Know
Section 132(c) caps tax-free employee discounts at 20% for services and your gross profit percentage for goods — the excess is W-2 wages.
FSA Open Enrollment: The $680 Carryover vs. the 2.5-Month Grace Period
IRS rules let your health FSA carry over $680 or offer a 2.5-month grace period — never both. The run-out deadline decides what you actually keep.
Lost Track of an Old 401(k)? How the DOL's Lost and Found Database Reunites You With Forgotten Money
The DOL's Lost and Found database lets workers search for forgotten 401(k)s by SSN — $2.1 trillion sits unclaimed. Here's how to search and claim yours.
Who Paid the Premium Decides Who Pays the Tax: Disability Insurance Taxation for Employers and Employees
IRS rule: pre-tax disability premiums mean taxable benefits; after-tax premiums mean tax-free ones. Gross-up premiums into W-2 wages to protect employees.
FAVR Vehicle Reimbursement, Explained: Pay High-Mileage Drivers Tax-Free Without the Flat-Allowance Tax Waste
FAVR pays drivers tax-free with a fixed monthly allowance plus a per-mile rate — but it needs five drivers, 5,000 miles each, and a quarterly IRS ceiling test.
Hiring Your Spouse: How a Bona Fide Salary Unlocks Retirement Savings, Health Coverage, and Bigger Deductions
A spouse on W-2 payroll can fund a second solo 401(k) and pretax health coverage — if the IRS sees real work, market pay, and payroll records.
WOTC Expired: What Employers Lose and the Hiring Credits Still Available in 2026
WOTC lapsed Dec 31, 2025 — keep filing IRS Form 8850 within 28 days, since past lapses were renewed retroactively and only timely filings qualify.
Closing a Small-Business Retirement Plan: Final Contributions, Vesting, Distributions, and the Final Form 5500
Terminating a 401(k), SEP, or SIMPLE IRA requires 100% vesting, full asset distribution, and a final Form 5500 due seven months after the last payout.
Rabbi Trust vs. Secular Trust: Who Really Gets Your Deferred Compensation If the Company Fails?
A rabbi trust defers tax but leaves the employee behind your creditors in bankruptcy; a secular trust is IRS-taxed at funding. Pick by who bears credit risk.
Baltimore's New Security Guard Wage Law: What It Means for Your Payroll and Books
Baltimore's ordinance sets a roughly $18/hour wage plus $5.50 benefits floor for security guards from January 1, 2028 — payroll taxes don't count toward it.
Do You Have to Pay Employees for Jury Duty? State Rules, the FLSA Trap, and PTO Limits
Federal law requires jury-duty time off but no pay; 8 states plus DC mandate employer pay, and the FLSA bars docking exempt salaries.