Employee or Contractor

Many companies use both employees and freelancers, and this is fine, but the IRS doesn’t treat them as interchangeable — there’s no mixing and matching. Anyone you pay is either one or the other and subject to the proper tax treatment. So which is which?...

Nonprofits: Understanding the Tax Issues

It’s often assumed that nonprofits have no tax obligations at all, but that’s not true. Nonprofits do get a lot of tax breaks, but managers of nonprofits still need to be well-versed in the tax code to make sure they’re in compliance. Although most...

ERISA and Disclose of Your Retirement Plan?

  It is important that managers stay on top of federal laws governing employees and their benefits. When it comes to pension plans, the overarching law is ERISA (the Employee Retirement Income Security Act). The rules can be complicated, but it pays to know at...

How to Handle the Last Paycheck for a Terminated Employee

  Firing employees is never easy. They may have violated your company’s code of conduct and need to be escorted out immediately. They may be very good people but just incapable of handling the work and stress of the job. Whatever the case, there is a sticky...

What Does ERISA Mean for Employers?

What Does ERISA Mean for Employers?   ERISA was developed to set minimum standards for pension plans, specifically for the private industry sector. It gives employers the rules they must follow for providing these retirement benefits to their staff, including...

Deciding How and Whether to Pay Bonuses

Deciding How and Whether to Pay Bonuses   A bonus is a payment that’s in addition to an employee’s salary. There are various types of bonus arrangements. Most common is merit-based — an individual earns a bonus based on performance. Sometimes, though,...