50 Payroll Terms Every Small Business Owner Should Know

list of payroll terms

The tax is 6% of the first $7,000 that an employee earns; however, most businesses do not pay the full 6%. The amount an employer is required by law to take out of an employee’s wages for a specific payroll tax. The employment tax reports an employer must file with the state taxation agency. Applies to employers who must withhold state taxes from employees’ wages and/or pay their own share of state employment taxes.

list of payroll terms

How does workers’ compensation relate to payroll?

Additional compensation to motivate higher employee productivity and reward top performance. A recordkeeping system used to organize, summarize, and store the company’s financial transactions, including payroll. SSN stands for Social Security number, or the code assigned by the Social Security Administration to every American’s social security account.

Reimbursement is a payment made to employees for expenses incurred on a dutch auction is an offer to buy back shares for cash the company’s behalf. These are not part of the employee’s regular compensation and are not subject to payroll taxes. It’s crucial to have a clear policy outlining allowable expenses and the process for submitting reimbursement requests. Non-taxable wages are specific types of compensation exempt from income taxes.

Withholding

Represents the Social Security tax and Medicare tax an employer must withhold from employees’ paychecks plus the employer’s share of those 2 taxes. The federal, state, and local taxes an employee is legally required to pay (though payroll withholding). The basic salary or hourly wages paid to an employee in exchange for their services. It includes all financial compensation made directly, regularly, and consistently to the employee. The legally-required amount an employer must withhold from an employee’s wages to satisfy a spousal support order from the court. The term “pay period” refers to the frequency with which an employer chooses to pay employees and contractors.

  1. An employer’s federal employment tax liabilities that must be paid to the IRS.
  2. The deductions made on the employees’ wages are called payroll deductions, and it can be calculated as the difference between gross pay and net pay.
  3. Accurate timesheet management is essential for small business owners to ensure employees are paid correctly for their time.

A worker is considered non-exempt and eligible for overtime unless an exemption can be proved by the employer. No matter your involvement with payroll at your business or organization, we have broken down some of the most common payroll definitions and terms to know. All information is stored in the National Directory of New Hires and helps child support agencies locate parents who owe money. Before you can begin reporting, you must register under your state’s New Hire Reporting Program. Unlike employees, employers aren’t allowed to dictate how or when contractors complete their work. Employees are workers formally hired to fulfill a specific position within a company.

Fringe Benefits

But all deductions from an employee’s paycheck except for deductions ordered by a court must be approved by the employee in writing. Jennifer Soper has 25+ years of writing and content design experience, working with small businesses and Fortune 100 companies. Workers’ compensation is an insurance program that provides cost center meaning benefits to employees who suffer job-related injuries or illnesses.

This complex task requires up-to-date knowledge of tax laws and regulations. Using payroll software can streamline this process, ensuring accuracy and compliance. Voluntary deductions might include health insurance premiums and mandatory deductions include income taxes. These items can be considered pre-tax or post-tax, depending on the nature of the deduction.

In most circumstances, resident aliens can only be employed by organizations or companies that have sponsored their admission into the United States. Upon the resident alien’s admission, the sponsor is required to sign an affidavit agreeing to support the admitted individual. Citizen living permanently in the United States is referred to as a resident alien. This professional designation is provided for those who successfully complete the certified payroll professional examination.

Additional pay an employee receives for hours worked outside of normal business hours, such as evening or night shifts. Compensation that an employer provides to terminated employees, typically those who are discharged through no fault of their own what is a note payable (e.g., layoff). The Social Security and Medicare taxes a self-employed person is legally required to pay.

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