#employee-benefits
Employee Benefits
Discover employee benefit options to attract talent and reduce turnover in small businesses
Phantom Stock Plans for Small Businesses: Reward Key Employees Without Giving Away Ownership
A phantom stock plan grants key employees hypothetical units that track company value and settle in cash — no shares issued, no dilution, no voting rights. Payouts are ordinary income subject to FICA when paid, the employer deducts them in the same year, and cash-settled awards are liability awards remeasured at fair value each reporting period. Paying within 2½ months after the year units vest satisfies Section 409A's short-term deferral exemption; a two-to-three-participant plan typically costs $4,000–$10,000 to launch.
Is a Remote Work Stipend Taxable? Accountable Plans, Substantiation, and What Lands on the W-2
A $75-a-month internet stipend paid without documentation is supplemental wages — reportable in W-2 Box 1 and costing the employer roughly 7.65% in matching payroll tax on top. The same $75 is tax-free and off the W-2 under a written accountable plan meeting all three tests in Treasury Regulation 1.62-2 — business connection, substantiation within 60 days, and return of excess within 120 days. This guide covers the two IRS paths, the five mistakes that flip a plan to taxable, the separate GL accounts and payroll pay types that keep the treatment straight, and the state statutes that require reimbursement regardless of federal tax treatment.
Vermont Saves and New York Secure Choice: The 2026 Auto-IRA Rules for Small Employers
Vermont Saves reached employers with five or more workers on July 1, 2026, and New York Secure Choice finished its three-wave rollout on July 15, 2026. What each program requires, the penalties ($20 rising to $75 per employee in Vermont, $250 per employee per year in New York), and how to book the withholding as a payroll liability rather than an expense.
Fix Your Own 401(k) Mistakes: A Small Business Guide to IRS Self-Correction
EPCRS gives small business 401(k) sponsors three ways to fix plan mistakes — self-correction with no fee, no filing, and no IRS contact through the third plan year for significant errors, a voluntary filing with IRS approval, or a negotiated closing agreement on audit — with standard fixes for late deferral deposits, missed eligible employees, plan loan failures, and missed RMDs.
New Jersey Family Leave Act Now Covers Businesses With 15 Employees: What Small Employers Must Do Before July 17, 2026
New Jersey's Family Leave Act drops to 15 employees and 250 hours on July 17, 2026 — learn who is newly covered, how NJFLA differs from FMLA and NJ Family Leave Insurance, and the handbook, payroll, and job-restoration steps small employers must complete.
Small-Group Health Insurance Is Up 11% for 2026: What KFF's 318-Insurer Survey Means for Your Renewal Budget
KFF's review of 318 insurers found ACA small-group premiums rising a median 11% for 2026. Learn the five drivers behind the increase, why the smallest employers feel it most, and how to budget your renewal without dropping coverage.
Level-Funded Health Plans: Why 40% of Small Employers Are Switching from Traditional Insurance
Level-funded health plans have become the choice of 40% of small employers seeking transparency, refunds, and predictable costs. Learn how the claims-fund-plus-stop-loss model works, accounting implications, and who should consider switching from fully-insured plans.
The DB(k) Plan: Why the Combined 401(k)-Pension Failed, and What Small Business Owners Use Instead
The DB(k) plan under Section 414(x) let small employers bundle a 401(k) and a pension into one plan, yet almost nobody adopted it. Here's why it failed — IRS double filing fees, unchanged administrative work, weaker owner contributions — and how a DB/DC combo of a cash balance plan plus 401(k) profit-sharing can push an older owner's deductible contributions past $480,000 a year.
PBM Reform 2026: What Rebate Pass-Through Means for Small Employer Health Plans
Congress's February 2026 PBM reform mandates 100% rebate pass-through, bans spread pricing, and requires transparency reporting by August 2028. In West Virginia, an early rebate pass-through approach cut average 2026 group plan rate increases to 12.6% versus 19.5% under the old system. Here's what small employers should do before the 2029 enforcement date.
Should Your Small Business Use a PEO? Co-Employment, Costs, and Liability Explained
A PEO enters a co-employment arrangement that shares payroll tax and compliance liability with your business — pricing runs $40-160 per employee per month or 2-12% of payroll, and IRS CPEO certification determines whether the PEO fully absorbs federal tax liability.
Small Business Health Insurance in 2026: Why Premiums Are Up 11% and What Your Options Are
Small-group health insurance premiums are rising a median 11% for 2026, with single coverage averaging $703 a month and family coverage near $2,000 per employee. Here's why costs are spiking, how level-funded plans, QSEHRA, and ICHRA compare to traditional group coverage, and a five-question framework for deciding before your renewal deadline.
The Long-Term Part-Time Employee Rule: Why Your 401(k) Eligibility Tracking Needs an Update Right Now
Under SECURE 2.0, any employee who works 500+ hours in two consecutive 12-month periods and is 21 or older must be allowed to defer into your 401(k) — even if your plan requires 1,000 hours. Here's what the IRS's final LTPT regulations require, who qualifies, and the rolling two-year hours-tracking system small businesses need to avoid missed-deferral corrections.