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Payroll, Tax, Financial and Other Random Discussions

Entries Tagged ‘small business’

First-Time Employer, What Do I Do?

Q. I have a pretty new business in Arizona and will soon be hiring my first employees for a big job.  They will be temporary only.  What do I do?  Should I just call them contractors and give them a 1099? A. Good question and probably one  of the most frequent questions from new employers. [...]

A Budget? Oh No!!!

There’s an interesting article today in the American Express Open Small Business section entitled “Creating Your First Small Business Budget.” The basic tenet is that most small business owners are not financial gurus.  They are experts in whatever industry the business operates.  However, without being able to plan for income and expenditures for the year, [...]

Relief For Small Employers

An IRS news release today reminds small employers of an alternate form available to reduce the burden of quarterly payroll tax filing.  It is called Form 944. If you have less than $1000 of annual employment tax liability, you can file this form.  For the rest of employers, Form 941 is required.  This is a [...]

It’s Small Business Week

Happy National Small Business Week!  This happens to be the illustrious week designated for increased awareness of issues surrounding the small business community.  In honor of this week, I wanted to highlight three very big issues facing small employers. 1. Health Care Costs – The Obama administration is looking to find a way to cover [...]

I Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Budget

Q. I’m a small business owner on the East Coast.  I’m trying to make sure I’m spending my company’s money right.  We are expanding and I want to avoid laying off the new employees that are coming on board now.  Any tips? A. To answer your question in detail, it would take up more space [...]

FUTA and SUTA

Q. As a small business owner looking forward to processing my own payroll, I am curious about FUTA and SUTA and how the calculation works. A. First, congratulations on taking the step toward hiring employees. It can be both a good thing, because you are growing, and a bad thing, because employees bring new challenges [...]