Virtual Lecture on 2020 Form W-4

I am holding another virtual payroll lecture in October.  This time on the new and totally revamped Form W-4 for 2020.  Join me on Wednesday, October 30, 2019 at 10 am Pacific for this 2 hour lecture.  The lecture will take you through the major changes to the form for 2020 including the worksheets.  I will also be covering the Publication 15-T which is used in conjunction with the form. Because this is a lecture rather than a webinar, I will have a hands on, follow along, segment where you will fill out the form with me.  Of course, there will be a Q & A session where hopefully I can answer questions you may have. I hope you will join me for this informative lecture on first major changes to the Form W-4 in decades.  The cost is only $149. If you register before October 23, 2019 you will receive a free 60-day subscription to Payroll 24/7, my email news update service exclusively for payroll professionals. If you are already a subscriber to Payroll 24/7 then please use coupon code w420% at check out to receive a 20% discount. This lecture has been submitted to the APA for 2 RCHs.

DOL Proposing Rules for Tip Credit Provisions

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has announced a proposed rule for tip provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).  The proposed rule would implement provisions of the Conso

Still life of a full tip jar

lidated Appropriations Act of 2018 (CAA). The proposal would also codify existing Wage and Hour Division (WHD) guidance into a rule.

According to the announcement: The CAA prohibits employers from keeping employees’ tips.  During the development of those provisions, the Department provided technical assistance to Members of Congress. DOL’s proposed rule would allow employers who do not take a tip credit to establish a tip pool to be shared between workers who receive tips and are paid the full minimum wage and employees that do not traditionally receive tips, such as dishwashers and cooks.

The proposed rule would not impact regulations providing that employers who take a tip credit may only have a tip pool among traditionally tipped employees. An employer may take a tip credit toward its minimum wage obligation for tipped employees equal to the difference between the required cash wage (currently $2.13 per hour) and the federal minimum wage. Establishments utilizing a tip credit may only have a tip pool among traditionally tipped employees.

Additionally, the proposed rule reflects the Department’s guidance that an employer may take a tip credit for any amount of time an employee in a tipped occupation performs related non-tipped duties with tipped duties. For the employer to use the tip credit, the employee must perform non-tipped duties contemporaneous with, or within a reasonable time immediately before or after, performing the tipped duties. The proposed regulation also addresses which non-tipped duties are related to a tip-producing occupation.

In this notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), the Department Proposes to:

  • Explicitly prohibit employers, managers, and supervisors from keeping tips received by employees;
  • Remove regulatory language imposing restrictions on an employer’s use of tips when the employer does not take a tip credit. This would allow employers that do not take an FLSA tip credit to include a broader group of workers, such as cooks or dishwashers, in a mandatory tip pool.
  • Incorporate in the regulations, as provided under the CAA, new civil money penalties, currently not to exceed $1,100, that may be imposed when employers unlawfully keep tips.
  • Amend the regulations to reflect recent guidance explaining that an employer may take a tip credit for any amount of time that an employee in a tipped occupation performs related non-tipped duties contemporaneously with his or her tipped duties, or for a reasonable time immediately before or after performing the tipped duties.
  • Withdraw the Department’s NPRM, published on December 5, 2017, that proposed changes to tip regulations as that NPRM was superseded by the CAA.

After publication this NPRM will be available for review and public comment for 60 days. The Department encourages interested parties to submit comments on the proposed rule. The NPRM, along with the procedures for submitting comments, can be found at the WHD’s Proposed Rule website.

Happy Labor Day!

Wishing my all followers a Happy Labor Day! Monday marks the 125th celebration of Labor Day as a national holiday in the United States.
Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country. The history of the holiday is interesting. The first governmental recognition came through municipal ordinances passed in 1885 and 1886. From these, a movement developed to secure state legislation. The first state bill was introduced into the New York legislature, but the first to become law was passed by Oregon on February 21, 1887. During 1887, four more states – Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York – created the Labor Day holiday by legislative enactment. By the end of the decade Connecticut, Nebraska, and Pennsylvania had followed suit. By 1894, 23 more states had adopted the holiday, and on June 28, 1894, Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September of each year a legal holiday in the District of Columbia and the territories. Who actually started the day is still disputed but it appears that of the two men generally credited with its beginnings, Peter J. McGuire and Matthew Maguire, the better claim for the credit for the holiday goes to Matthew Maguire, secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists in Paterson, NJ. Regardless of who had the idea, 125 years later it is still going strong. So Happy Labor Day!
 

Opinion Letters Issued

Despite all the “turmoil” that is going on over at the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), the work is still continuing. The DOL has issued three new opinion letters that address compliance issues related to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). An opinion letter is an official, written opinion by the Department’s Wage and Hour Division on how a particular law applies in specific circumstances presented by the individual or entity that requested the letter.

The latest opinion letters are:

  • FMLA2019-2-A: Addressing whether attending a Committee on Special Education meeting to discuss a child’s Individualized Education Program qualifies as FMLA leave;
  • FLSA2019-11: Addressing the application of the section 7(k) overtime exemption to public agency employees engaged in both fire protection and law enforcement activities; and
  • FLSA2019-12: Addressing the employment status of volunteer reserve deputies who perform paid extra duty work for third parties.

Be sure to keep up with the latest rule changes and opinion letters from the DOL with a subscription to Payroll 24/7.  Only $149 per year for all the latest payroll news right to your inbox.

IRS Launches New Tool for Estimating Taxes

The Internal Revenue Service has launched the new Tax Withholding Estimator, an expanded, mobile-friendly online tool designed to make it easier for everyone to have the right amount of tax withheld during the year. The Tax Withholding Estimator replaces the Withholding Calculator, which offered workers a convenient online method for checking their withholding. The new Tax Withholding Estimator offers workers, as well as retirees, self-employed individuals and other taxpayers, a more user-friendly step-by-step tool for effectively tailoring the amount of income tax they have withheld from wages and pension payments.

“The new estimator takes a new approach and makes it easier for taxpayers to review their withholding,” said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig. “This is part of an ongoing effort by the IRS to improve quality services as we continue to pursue modernization and enhancements of our taxpayer relationships.” The IRS took the feedback and concerns of taxpayers and tax professionals to develop the Tax Withholding Estimator, which offers a variety of new user-friendly features including:

  • Plain language throughout the tool to improve comprehension.
  • The ability to more effectively target at the time of filing either a tax due amount close to zero or a refund amount.
  • A new progress tracker to help users see how much more information they need to input.
  • The ability to move back and forth through the steps, correct previous entries and skip questions that don’t apply.
  • Enhanced tips and links to help the user quickly determine if they qualify for various tax credits and deductions.
  • Self-employment tax for a user who has self-employment income in addition to wages or pensions.
  • Automatic calculation of the taxable portion of any Social Security benefits.
  • A mobile-friendly design.

In addition, the new Tax Withholding Estimator makes it easier to enter wages and withholding for each job held by the taxpayer and their spouse, as well as separately entering pensions and other sources of income. At the end of the process, the tool makes specific withholding recommendations for each job and each spouse and clearly explains what the taxpayer should do next.

The new Tax Withholding Estimator will help anyone doing tax planning for the last few months of 2019. Like last year, the IRS urges everyone to do a Paycheck Checkup and review their withholding for 2019. This is especially important for anyone who faced an unexpected tax bill or a penalty when they filed this year. It’s also an important step for those who made withholding adjustments in 2018 or had a major life change.

Those most at risk of having too little tax withheld include those who itemized in the past but now take the increased standard deduction, as well as two-wage-earner households, employees with nonwage sources of income and those with complex tax situations.

 

Keep your knowledge current when it concerns payroll regulations with Payroll 24/7.  For only $149 per year, get all updates daily as they are issued right to your inbox.

Our First Payroll Lecture is Here

I am offering my first payroll lecture of the year next week on June 18th.  The subject will be travel pay. The lecture is two hours from 10:00 am to Noon Pacific time.  It is approved by the APA for 2 RCHs.  The nominal charge for the webinar is $99.  You can register under our Shop on our website. 

Learning Objectives:

  • Understand the FLSA requirements for paying an employee who travels
  • Comprehend the best practices for tracking and paying for travel pay
  • Understand the IRS requirements for taxing travel pay reimbursements including per diems and accountable plans.

EFT, ACH and EDI are Different and It Matters

In payroll we tend to use the terms EFT, ACH and EDI interchangeably.  But in actual practice they are quite different.  To help explain these important differences the National Automated Clearing House Association or NACHA has provided some guidance on their April 29, 2019 blog, written by Rober Unger.   It is helpful to payroll professionals to understand these terms and use them correctly.  I found this blog extremely helpful and I hope you do to.

The Social Security Wage Base Projections Are Here!

Every year we, in payroll, wait in anticipation for the social security (OASDI) wage base to be announced. This basically heralds in the year end/year beginning processing time.  But for some, maybe those responsible for employment tax budgets or financial reports, the wage bases for future years is a handy thing to have all at once and not just wait for it at the end of the year. For this reason, the Social Security Administration (SSA) publishes their estimates for the social security wage base each year.  The years 2020-2028 are included in this year’s 2019 Annual Report of the Board of Trustees of the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance and Disability Insurance Trust Funds.   The SSA provides three estimates, high, intermediate and low. For example, for 2019, the actual wage base is $132,900. However, the 2018 report projected $132,300 to $136,800.  The following chart lists the projections estimated by SSA (on page 115 of the report) for calendar years 2020 through 2028:

We still have to wait until October or so for the actual 2020 wage base, but the estimates can be useful in predicting future labor costs.

 

Reminder: Keep up with the payroll news by subscribing to Vicki’s e-news alerts, Payroll 24/7.  The latest payroll news when you need it, right to your inbox.

A Fresh Approach to Payroll Training is Coming Your Way!

I am proud to announce that I am once again offering training webinars but this time with a fresh approach.  We are an approved provider by the American Payroll Association (APA).  This means that my training can earn you RCHs as well as enhance your education.  But my training will be different than the usual fare that you get for webinars, even the ones I conduct for other vendors.  Instead of just listening, my webinars or “lectures” as I call them, will be interactive. Let me explain how this works.  I am an adjunct faculty member at Brandman University and am responsible for their Practical Payroll Online program. I do all of the materials for the program as well as teach the courses.  Each year I record various topical lectures for my students to use in each of the five courses.  These “lectures” are provided live to the students at a certain date and time and are recorded using the Zoom software Brandman provides. Students may attend the live event or may choose to view the recorded version, it is up to them. Because these are related to the course work, they include more interaction than standard or traditional webinars. For example, you can ask questions at any time during the lecture just as you would in a live classroom setting. You may have forms to complete (such as the lecture on the Form 941 or Form W-2) or you may have calculations to perform for the child support lecture. Each lecture is a full two hours, so more time to devote to the information and to related questions.

Students enrolled in the Brandman program are permitted to attend the lectures for free and do not receive RCHs.  However, I have had numerous requests to provide payroll training that gives RCHs so this is how I have decided to offer that training to my non-students.  I will post the latest lecture on my website.  All lectures are during normal business hours and usually held on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday.  I cannot offer these lectures for free.  There is a fee for APA certification, but I want to keep the costs within everyone’s budgets.  The introductory cost will be $99 per lecture per attendee.  That is two RCHs for less than $100 and no sales pitches or follow-ups about buying anything.  You may sign up with a personal email or with your business email, whichever you prefer.  And you don’t need to worry about getting your questions answered.  Since this is still a “class-room” style setting I am limited to only 20 additional attendees per lecture. So you won’t be lost in the multitude of other attendees vying for attention.

I will be offering our first lectures in May on Travel Pay, Child Support, Multistate Taxation, and Wage and Hour Law.  June’s lectures will include California Wage and Hour Law, Tax Levies and Creditor Garnishments, Payroll Procedures, and Abandoned Wages.  As each lecture is approved by the APA it will be posted to our website and open for registration. You simply pay online for the lecture and you will receive all the info for how to log into the classroom on the day of the lecture within two business days of registering.  After the lecture, your Certificate of Attendance will be issued once we verify you have completed all the required time in the classroom, the required APA polls, and the survey,  usually within 2 weeks after the lecture.

Unfortunately, although the lectures are recorded for use on the Brandman website, I cannot offer the lecture as an on-demand product or after the fact electronic version.  Only live attendees will be accepted. But you always have the option of signing up for the Brandman course which features the lecture and if you complete the tests and quizzes can receive up to 8 RCHs for $200 per course for APA members. One more way to earn RCHs at a low price.

We are very excited to be offering this learning opportunity to our social media network.  We hope you find our lectures informative and useful. Further announcements for exact dates and topics will be coming.

IRS Revises EIN Application Process…hoping to enhance security

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today that starting May 13th only individuals with tax identification numbers may request an Employer Identification Number, or EIN, as the “responsible party” on the application.  This change will prevent entities, such as employer, from using their own EINs to obtain additional EINs. The requirement will apply to both the paper Form SS-4, Application for Employer Identification Number, and the online EIN application.

Individuals named as responsible party must have either a Social Security Number (SSN) or an individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN). The IRS is making the announcement now to give entities and their representatives time to identify proper responsible officials and to comply with the new policy.

This change is part of the IRS’s ongoing security review. It provides greater security to the EIN process by requiring an actual individual to be the responsible party and improves transparency. If the employer needs to change the responsible party, it can complete the Form 8822-B, Change of Address or Responsible Party within 60 days of the change.

Entities such as federal, state, local or tribal governments are exempt from the responsible party requirement, as is the military including state national guard units.

 

Reminder: Keep up with the payroll news by subscribing to Vicki’s e-news alerts, Payroll 24/7.  The latest payroll news when you need it, right to your inbox.