Help With Payroll Taxes - Telling The IRS To Buzz Off

If you had known it would be this hard...If you're a small business owner, one of your constant headaches is making sure you're filing your payroll taxes correctly. You have to make sure you're taking out the right amounts in federal and social security taxes for your employees. You have to make sure you're reporting correctly to the IRS, and you have to make sure you pay the IRS those taxes every quarter, even if the payment could hurt your business.

Accidents happen...What happens though if you make a mistake on your reporting? Or worse, what happens if you don't pay on the taxes? What kind of help with payroll taxes can you get, and what can the IRS do to you?

As a former IRS-Hitman I can tell you that IRS revenue agents wait for small businesses to make a mistake on their payroll taxes. Small businesses, especially new ones can be a big payday for the IRS collectors once a debt from misfiled or un-filed payroll taxes occurs. So what help with payroll taxes is available?

The first step is admitting you need help. If you haven't hired an accountant or a CPA to help with you payroll taxes, you should. Even if you or someone you know is good at book keeping, someone experienced with filing payroll taxes with the IRS can save you a lot of time and stress.

You need answers...But you want to know what help with payroll taxes there is after the IRS has targeted you. Don't avoid the IRS; show that you're willing to work with the revenue agents. Whether you've made a mistake filing or missed a quarterly payment, pay any amounts owed immediately.

Why is paying immediately so important? First of all interest and penalties start accruing on the debt immediately and that debt can balloon very, very quickly. Secondly the IRS doesn't waste much time with small businesses before they start collection actions. They can shut your business down while they seize assets to pay off your debt if you can't come up with the cash. And you will probably not be able to recover from the loss of production while the IRS collects their due.

Losing your shirt...If your tax problem stems from a crooked partner or accountant stealing or embezzling money you can get help with your payroll tax debt by appealing to the IRS for a Penalty Abatement. If a debt is caused by a catastrophic event that was beyond your control, such as theft or embezzlement, the penalties on the debt can be removed which can reduce your debt by up to 30%. And that could be the help with payroll taxes that you need to make the debt manageable enough to work something out with the IRS.

Now you have the smoking gun...Use it!

Employee Leasing Vs Staffing Services - What's The difference?

Over the years I've dealt with many business owners who confuse Employee Leasing (a.k.a. PEO services) with staffing or temporary labor companies. In many cases those same business owners have had experience with one or the other services, but really aren't familiar with the differences. So what are they, and how do each benefit employers?

To begin with, an Employee Leasing company's main benefit to an employer is to relieve the non-profit producing tasks of dealing with employee administrative hassles- such as payroll, employee benefits, human resources and workers' compensation. By outsourcing these to an Employee Leasing company, the employer can focus on what they do best and grow their bottom line.

Throughout the years, business owners have faced increasingly escalated government rules regarding employment. Employee Leasing companies assume many of these responsibilities and provide expertise in human resource management.

An Employee Leasing company is typically the most cost-effective option for an employer when the business owner has five or more full-time employees. Costs related to workers' compensation, unemployment tax and payroll administration are much less in comparison to a staffing or short-term employment arrangement. As you can imagine the more employees as a business has, the more time has to be devoted to employee issues- therefore the value of outsourcing this work becomes a more profitable decision.

A business can benefit by using a staffing or temporary help service in variety of ways, as well. The obvious advantage is the ability to access short-term help immediately. Whether it is a construction project with a timeline that requires temporary labor, or a secretary who takes a leave of absence for an extended period of time; accessing pre-qualified help at a moment's notice is when these services can be an employer's best friend.

The administrative costs such as payroll, unemployment taxes and workers' compensation are handled by the staffing company. The employer also relieves themselves of any benefit requirements like health care, vacation, sick or holiday pay. But, there is a premium to pay for these short-term employment services. The overall employee-related costs will be much higher including fees that are added for using staffing companies. The added risks and administrative costs for the services they're providing is exactly why staffing companies are to be used as a temporary solution.

Just as convenience and grocery stores fill a specific need, the services that Employee Leasing and staffing companies provide (although different) are an invaluable resource for businesses.

Employee Leasing Services Booming As Business Owners See Increases In Their Bottom Line

At just 20 years old, the Employee Leasing, a.k.a. PEO (Professional Employer Organization), industry continues its steamrolling success at a hefty growth rate of almost 30% per year. Approximately 2.5 million Americans are currently co-employed by one of the more than 400 Employee leasing companies operating in the 50 states.

The reason for this trend is the need to outsource the frustrating "business of employment" tasks- such as hiring, human resource training, payroll, benefits and regulatory compliance. Between 1980 and 2000, the number of labor laws and regulations grew by almost two thirds, according to the federal Small Business Administration. This same study estimated owners of small or mid-sized business spent up to a quarter of their time on employment-related paperwork.

Employee leasing companies assume much of this burdensome responsibility and help businesses comply with all regulations. The employer can then focus on the income-producing areas of the business, where he/she is the expert.

Another advantage of using an employee leasing company is their ability to arrange a business' workers' compensation coverage with major insurance carriers, as well as manage the claims. They also offer human resources services delivered by certified professionals. Most provide services such as customized employee handbooks, recruitment, pre-employment screening, wage and compensation planning, and assistance with job descriptions.

Employee leasing companies help tens of thousands of businesses provide benefits such as health care plans, 401(k) tax-free savings accounts and other perks to their employees. Sponsored benefit programs can include major and supplemental health-care choices, including vision and dental care, employee assistance programs and even adoption assistance. An estimated 95 percent of workers in an employee leasing arrangement have access to a pension plan.

Almost any business can find value in a PEO relationship- clients range from accounting firms and construction to manufacturers and government agencies. The average client is a small business with an average of 19 employees, but some clients have fewer than three employees. Increasingly, larger businesses are signing up, too.

The employee leasing company enables each client company to lower employment costs and increase their business's bottom line. The client can maintain a simple in-house HR infrastructure or none at all by relying on the employee leasing company. Their professionals can provide critical assistance with employer compliance, which helps protect the client against liability. In fact, employee leasing companies have an 88 percent client retention rate due to strong client satisfaction.