How to Create a Payroll Calendar
Running payroll isn’t just about paying employees on time, it’s also about staying ahead of deadlines for taxes, benefits, and deductions. One of the simplest but most effective tools for staying organized is a payroll calendar. A payroll calendar lays out your pay periods, paydays, and key filing deadlines in one place, helping you avoid […]
Cost of Payroll Services for Small Businesses (and How to Choose What’s Right)
For small businesses, managing payroll in-house can quickly become a time-consuming, error-prone task. Between calculating taxes, issuing payments, and staying compliant with ever-changing laws, it’s no surprise many business owners turn to payroll services to save time and reduce risk. But how much do these services actually cost? And how do you know which option […]
How to Calculate Employee Taxes
Accurately calculating employee taxes is one of the most important responsibilities of any business that processes payroll. It affects everything from employee take-home pay to your company’s compliance with local, state, and federal tax laws. Missteps can lead to costly fines, payroll errors, or even audits. This article walks you through how employee tax calculations […]
Understanding Labor Burden: What It Is and How to Calculate It
When most business owners or leaders think about employee costs, they usually start with wages. But wages are just one piece of the puzzle. The true cost of an employee includes everything you pay beyond their base salary—taxes, benefits, insurance, and more. These additional expenses are known as labor burden, and if you’re not tracking […]
What Is Revenue Per Employee? (And Why It’s a Powerful Metric for Small Businesses)
Business leaders and owners are constantly juggling priorities: growth, profitability, headcount, productivity—and making sure none of them come at the expense of the others. In the middle of all that, one metric can provide a surprisingly clear view of business efficiency: revenue per employee. This simple calculation reveals how much income your business generates for […]
What Employers Need to Know About FIT Withholding on Paychecks
When running payroll, few things are as consistently misunderstood as federal income tax withholding, or FIT. Employers often find themselves fielding questions from employees about why their take-home pay is lower than expected or whether their federal taxes are being calculated correctly. Understanding how FIT works-and what “FIT on paycheck” really means-helps you ensure compliance, maintain […]
Understanding Payroll Liabilities (and Why They Matter)
Managing payroll is more than just issuing checks-it also means staying on top of everything your business owes as a result of each pay cycle. These unpaid obligations are known as payroll liabilities, and if they’re not tracked and paid properly, they can quickly become a legal or financial headache. This article explains what they […]
What Is Accrued Payroll? A Guide for Employers
Accrued payroll refers to employee compensation that a company owes but has not yet paid. It includes wages, bonuses, payroll taxes, and other benefits that accumulate over the course of a pay period. Even though this money hasn’t been disbursed, it still counts as a liability on the balance sheet and must be accounted for […]
What Is FUTA Tax? A Simple Guide for Employers
If you’ve ever run payroll or reviewed your business’s tax obligations, you’ve probably seen the term FUTA. It might sound technical, but it’s actually a key part of how unemployment benefits are funded in the United States. This article will break down what the FUTA tax is, how it works, who pays it, and why […]
FICA Tax: What Employers Need to Know in 2025
If you run a business or manage payroll, you’ve probably come across the term FICA. It might sound like just another payroll acronym, but FICA is one of the most important tax obligations that employers and employees face. Understanding what it is, how it works, and what your responsibilities are can help you stay compliant […]