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.
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Employee Benefits
Discover employee benefit options to attract talent and reduce turnover in small businesses
The December 31 Filing Most Small Health Plans Forget: A Gag Clause Attestation Guide
Every U.S. group health plan owes a gag clause attestation in HIOS by December 31. Carriers file for insured plans; self-funded sponsors file themselves.
PEO Brokers Offer Free Help: How They Get Paid and What to Ask
Most PEO brokers are paid by the PEO you pick, not by you — a commission that can vary by provider. Here are the compensation, network, and CPEO questions to ask before signing, and when going direct is faster.
Do You Have to Give Workers Time Off to Vote? A Small Employer's Guide
No federal law requires time off to vote, but 29 states plus D.C. do — most of them paid, several with misdemeanor penalties. What small employers owe before the November 3, 2026 midterms.
Comp Time Is Illegal in the Private Sector: What Small Employers Must Do Instead
Private employers cannot swap overtime pay for banked time off — Section 207(o) comp time is reserved for public agencies, and violations carry back wages plus equal liquidated damages over two years (three if willful). Here are the lawful alternatives.
Germany's €10 Billion Reform Package: A Small Employer's Payroll Playbook for 2027
Germany's 2026 coalition reform package raises the basic tax-free allowance to €12,564 in 2027 and €12,900 in 2028, starts the 42% band at €70,601, adds a 47% rate above €280,000, and requires a doctor's certificate from the first day of sick leave — here is what each change means for a small employer's payroll desk, plus a dated checklist for January 1, 2027.
Still Funding Your HSA After 65? How Medicare's Six-Month Lookback Turns Legal Contributions Into Excess Contributions
Enrolling in Medicare Part A after age 65 backdates coverage up to six months, turning HSA contributions made during that window into excess contributions subject to a 6% yearly excise tax. This guide covers the 2026 prorated limits, the Form 5329 penalty, how to withdraw the excess before the filing deadline, and the six-months-ahead shutdown plan.
New Comparability 401(k)s: Cross-Testing Profit Sharing for Owner-Heavy Firms
Cross-tested profit sharing lets a 55-year-old owner take a 13.2% allocation while staff receive the 4.4% gateway minimum — how new comparability 401(k)s pass IRS testing, what they cost, and when they backfire.
New Zealand Killed the FBT Vehicle Logbook: What 'Close Enough Is Good Enough' Means for Your Company Cars
New Zealand's Budget 2026 proposes replacing FBT day-counting and vehicle logbooks with six private-use categories rated at 100%, 35%, 20%, or 0% for benefits provided after 1 April 2027 — here is how each category works and how to prepare your fleet.
Pet Insurance as a Voluntary Employee Benefit: Costs, Payroll Deduction, and the ERISA Safe Harbor
22% of U.S. organizations now offer pet insurance, up from 14% in 2022, and under the voluntary model it costs the employer nothing in premiums. How the three program models differ, what employees pay (about $43/month for dogs, $23 for cats), why the deduction must be post-tax, and the four DOL conditions that keep the benefit outside ERISA.
Volunteer Firefighter and EMT Taxes: Stipends, Per-Call Pay, Property-Tax Breaks, and LOSAP Awards
Volunteer firefighters and EMTs are usually employees for federal tax purposes, so stipends and per-call pay are W-2 wages. Section 139B excludes up to $50 for each month of service ($600 a year) plus qualified state and local tax benefits; LOSAP awards accrue tax-deferred under an $8,000 cap for 2026 and are taxed as ordinary income on payout with no FICA; only accountable-plan reimbursements stay off the W-2.
Fired on Friday, Paid When? Final-Paycheck Deadlines and the Penalties for Paying Late
Federal law only requires final wages by the next regular payday, but states add same-day deadlines and penalties — California's daily-wage meter up to 30 days, Massachusetts treble damages, Colorado's 2x/$1,000 floor — plus mandatory vacation payout in a handful of states.