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.
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Employee Benefits
Discover employee benefit options to attract talent and reduce turnover in small businesses
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.
Former Employees Left Money in Your 401(k)? How to Find Them, Handle Uncashed Checks, and Document the Search
The DOL expects certified mail, record checks, beneficiary contact, and free online searches — and IRS Rev. Rul. 2019-19 taxes a 401(k) check never cashed.
No Federal Mandate, Five State Ones: Health Insurance Penalties in CA, MA, NJ, RI, and D.C.
No federal penalty ($0), but CA, MA, NJ, RI, and D.C. still charge $300–$4,908 per person — plus separate state employer filings.
Sponsoring a 401(k) Makes You Personally Liable: What Fiduciary Liability Insurance Covers That Your ERISA Bond Doesn't
An ERISA fidelity bond protects the plan from theft, not you. Fiduciary liability insurance covers 401(k) breach-of-duty claims for $500–$2,500 a year.
QSEHRA for Small Employers: Reimburse Employee Health Premiums Tax-Free Without a Group Plan
A QSEHRA lets employers under 50 FTEs reimburse individual health premiums tax-free — up to $6,450 self-only in 2026, with the IRS 90-day notice filed.
Switching 401(k) Providers? The Blackout Notice You Owe Participants
Switching 401(k) recordkeepers freezes accounts — ERISA requires a blackout notice 30 to 60 days ahead, or the DOL can assess $173 per participant per day.
What Happens to Your 401(k) Plan When You Sell or Close Your Small Business
To close a 401(k) when selling or shutting down: board resolution, full vesting, distribute within 12 months, file a final Form 5500.
The 9/80 Work Schedule: How to Give Every Other Friday Off Without Owing Overtime
A 9/80 schedule stacks 44 hours into one workweek unless you start the workweek mid-Friday — the FLSA never averages two weeks, so four overtime hours accrue.