Hey, Tyler. I noticed you have seven dependents on your tax form. Usually those would be people in your immediate family who share your living expenses and rely on your income, like a spouse and kids. Are you sure that all of these people would actually be considered dependents for tax purposes?

For my small business clients (who aren’t considering a PEO), the decision often comes down to Bamboo or Gusto. Both Bamboo and Gusto have clean, easy-to-understand user interfaces with cute graphics that really do make dry and stressful processes less intimidating and occasionally “delightful.” 

I’ve worked on the payroll of more than 100 different companies. There’s one question I get all the time. What’s the difference between gross and net pay?

Deel is like if a pickup artist did payroll. Deel is the stereotypical tech-bro, “move fast and break (your) things,” the-rules-are-for-thee-and-not-for-me, all-glitz-no-substance disappointment. It looks pretty in the demo, even if those fancy buttons and cool apps never work as expected. 

A prudish policy would just be ignored. Policies that everyone ignores are unenforceable. And you don't want to be a party pooper. When I write a handbook, I think about the situations where the policy will come up. I ask questions like "Under what circumstances would someone get in trouble for this? What frameworks can I give them to make decisions that won’t get them in trouble? What guidelines can I give a manager if they needed to hold someone accountable to this policy?"

When you work overtime, you’re paid time and a half. The OBBBA only applies to the “and a half” portion of your pay. The OBBBA only applies to federal overtime, or hours worked beyond 40 hours in a week.

Many companies with fewer than 200 people will literally sign away legal control of their employees and pay multiple times more for payroll services.  Just so they don’t have to think about state tax settings.

So your company’s In-N-Out reimbursement policy is a taxable benefit. But how do you tax a burger that's already in your belly? In payroll, this problem is solved with what’s called an “in-and-out.”

“I was disappointed to learn that I was paid the same as the guy checking receipts at Walmart.” He said in his annual self-review after getting a big, fat check.