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8 Effective Payroll Tips for Small Business Owners in 2022

April 8, 2022

payroll tips

As an employer, you’ll match your employees’ FICA tax contributions. You’ll also pay the employer-only FUTA tax (Federal Unemployment Tax Act), which is your mandatory contribution to unemployment insurance. With new employees come new responsibilities, the first of which is workers compensation insurance. Coverage regulations vary by state, so look up your state’s requirements before you opt into a plan.

payroll tips

In a nutshell, a PEO is responsible for the payroll obligations that are normally handled by an HR department, including the calculation and payment of salaries and employee taxes. This means that they serve as “co-employers” and they are “co-liable” for your workforce. Many issues such as underpaid taxes can be avoided by designing and implementing a policy that is founded on transparency. It’s essential that your payroll manager and their team have access to the right payroll training so that they know what their responsibilities are and how your payroll software runs. This will help your staff develop a better understanding of how your procedures work and give them clarity on your payroll policies. You also need to make sure you regularly check for changes and updates to the law, such as the upcoming introduction of the 2023 minimum wage increase in certain states.

Payroll Basics

An accurate and streamlined process that saves you money, time, and stress while protecting your employees and your small business. Even if you only have a handful of employees, processing payroll takes time and money, especially if you do it manually. You also need to calculate payments, determine tax rates and calculate payments for any benefits that you offer.

  • When processing it manually, you must do all the steps on your own.
  • Email customers on your email newsletter list and ask if they know anyone looking for seasonal work.
  • Encourage them to ask questions when needed and submit suggestions for improvement.

It’s best to create an onboarding schedule that will help you complete these forms on time so you avoid errors in the future. Make sure you and new hires complete all the employment forms you’re legally required to submit. These forms will provide you with new hire data so that you properly classify and compensate employees. Legislation may differ based on your state or county, so make sure you check your state and county websites in addition to federal for all paperwork and deadlines.

Define Compensation: What It Is, The Different Types of Compensation, And Why It’s So Important—An Employer’s Guide

Prior to joining the team at Forbes Advisor, Cassie was a Content Operations Manager and Copywriting Manager at Fit Small Business. You’ll also need to make sure that you have an employer identification number (EIN). You will also most likely need a state tax number from the state’s tax assessor. Payroll will run a lot smoother if you have the correct documentation on file for your employees.

The entire process involves collecting employee data and inputting it correctly into a file or document. You’ll have to calculate each paycheck for every pay period, making sure taxes are calculated correctly. The last step is making sure both your employees and the appropriate government agencies are paid on time correctly.

Be Prepared for Payroll Audits

While it is possible to process payroll manually, you are likely better off paying a small fee to have a payroll provider do all the work for you. After you’ve made all pretax deductions, you’ll move on to payroll taxes. Understanding which taxes need to be paid is a good way to start the process.

payroll tips

If you fail to keep up with your legal obligations, it could result in incorrect employee pay and withholdings calculations and tax liabilities. Make sure you document each step in your payroll process, including expense reimbursement, reporting, and check-handling processes. You also need to document each step of the process for filing payroll registers and tax reports.

Step 1:  Determine what type of tips your employees received

Training seasonal employees on these protocols not only ensures compliance but also makes your workplace more appealing in the current health-conscious climate. Effective training ensures seasonal employees are well-prepared to meet the holiday rush without being overwhelmed. Plan ahead for the possibility of retaining high-performing statements is true seasonal staff after the holidays. Early identification of promising employees can facilitate a smoother transition to permanent roles if opportunities arise. Offer flexible working hours to cater to a diverse workforce, including students, parents, or individuals looking for part-time or varied schedules.

Onboarding and Employee Data

When she’s not writing, she’s hanging out with her small private zoo of three cats, two dogs, and dozens of plants. The payroll process can get pretty complicated, but if you break it into smaller steps, not only will it make more sense, it will make the process easier and faster. But why can’t banks tell people why they’re barred from having a checking account when they haven’t filed one of those reports? Hundreds of readers who have lost their accounts walked away mystified. Several times, readers told us that they hadn’t taken their banks’ inquiries seriously, or found their questions overly intrusive. But many bank customers don’t realize that they lack an inalienable right to bank with any given company.

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