Nanny Payroll: Doing It According To Nanny Tax Laws

As much as you treat your nanny like family, hiring someone to perform childcare services makes you an employer and the nanny, an employee. In that sense, a nanny payroll is necessary to ensure can pay her income and withholding tax, as the law requires. As an employer, this is your responsibility.

However, don't' think of nanny payroll as too big a deal that turns you off from getting a nanny. Nanny support has its crucial role to play especially that both parents now have jobs to sustain the economic needs of the family, and because mothers are now given more opportunities than were given to them decades ago.

You don't need an accounting degree to be able to account nanny payroll. Many families now use a nanny payroll software to compute the compensation and taxes of their nanny. This all depends on you. The point is you can give a paycheck on time and pay the appropriate taxes that comply with Nanny Tax Laws.

Independent contractor or employee
There are times when the nanny (as an independent contractor) reserves the responsibility to pay her taxes, if and only if, you don't control the amount of work of a person and she provides her tools and offers services to the general populace. If the nanny lives and works for you for more than 30 hours per week, then her taxes are your liability. Nanny payroll, in this scenario, includes printing of W2 and W3 forms and submitting to the Federal Internal Revenue.

Withholding employee taxes
Your nanny's withholding taxes are usually within the range of 15-20% of her gross wages, and include half of Medicare and Social Security, federal income taxes, and state income taxes (if applicable). Household employers are only allowed to withhold taxes after each pay period.

Overtime pays should also be included in the nanny payroll, and is supposedly stipulated in the contract. The law mandates that overtime rates are equivalent to the 1.5 hours pay of an employee. As an employer, you need to respect your nanny's off times or compensate overtimes, as you personally know how demanding childcare (especially of young children) can be. Note, however, that live-in nannies do not have to be compensated for overtime but are supposed to be given equal pay.

It may help to research about the details of nanny payroll and tax process, as well as your legal obligations as the employer. Information on labor laws, including tax gross pay, net pay, employer's state and federal tax liabilities, and so on must be obtained before you actually find a nanny.

Make sure your nanny is also able to enjoy her stay with you by giving her fair compensation and tax liabilities as shown in her nanny payroll.

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Lucile Taylor, an expert in Parenting, is a writer for WebArticles.com.