Open Enrollment 2026: The Small Employer's Checklist for Notices, Limits, and Deadlines
ACA affordability hits a record 9.96% for 2026 plan years and the Medicare Part D notice is due before October 15 — the small employer's full checklist.
#payroll
Payroll
Payroll management, processing, and compliance for businesses of all sizes
Behind on Payroll Taxes? How Pyramiding Turns One Missed 941 Deposit Into a Multi-Quarter Trust-Fund Debt
One missed Form 941 deposit draws a 2–15% IRS failure-to-deposit penalty, and unpaid trust fund taxes can become 100% personally yours under the TFRP.
Pumping at Work Is a Federal Right Now: The PUMP Act Checklist Every Small Employer Needs
The federal PUMP Act covers nearly all US employees — reasonable pump breaks for a year plus a private, non-bathroom space, or liquidated damages.
Your Employee Died and You Still Owe Them a Paycheck: How Year-of-Death Wages Hit Form W-2 and 1099-MISC
Wages paid after an employee dies skip federal income tax withholding — same-year payments hit W-2 Boxes 3 and 5 plus Form 1099-MISC Box 3.
Closing Between Christmas and New Year's? The Payroll Rules That Decide What You Owe
Under federal FLSA rules, exempt employees are owed full salary for any holiday-shutdown week they work at all; require PTO use instead of docking pay.
City Tax Withholding for Multistate Employers: Ohio RITA, Pennsylvania EIT, NYC and Yonkers
Local payroll tax is the employer's liability, not the software's. Ohio's 20-day rule, Pennsylvania PSD codes, NYC resident-only tax and Yonkers' 0.5% levy.
The DOL Is Auditing Your Payroll: What a Wage and Hour Investigation Actually Looks Like
A US DOL wage-hour investigation has four stages: opening conference, records review, interviews, final conference. Weak payroll records double the cost.
Draw Against Commission Explained: Recoverable vs. Non-Recoverable Draws for Employers
A draw against commission is an advance settled against later commissions. Once paid it is wages under the FLSA, so never claw it back from a final paycheck.
Employee Achievement Awards: Tax-Free Service and Safety Recognition Within the $400 and $1,600 Limits
Tangible service or safety awards are tax-free under IRS rules up to $400, or $1,600 under a written plan; cash and gift cards count as taxable wages.
Your Business Cell Phone Can Be 100% Tax-Free: What the IRS Actually Requires
Employer cell phones are tax-free with no call logs under IRS Notice 2011-72 if provided for business reasons; internet needs an accountable plan and receipts.
Mandatory Vacations Catch Fraud: The Two-Week Control That Cuts Your Losses in Half
Organizations with mandatory vacation and job rotation report roughly 50% lower fraud losses — here is how small teams run the control.
Opening a Montessori Preschool: Startup Costs, Staffing, and the Bookkeeping That Keeps Tuition Honest
A leased three-classroom Montessori preschool needs $350,000-$600,000 to open, and spring tuition deposits are deferred revenue, not cash for summer construction. Startup ranges, staffing math, and the two entries founders get wrong.