Business updates
(scroll down for payroll updates)
Date Posted: 12/17/21
Effective 01/01/2022, the STANDARD BUSINESS MILEAGE RATE is 58.5 cents per mile (previously 56 cents). Taxpayers can use the optional standard mileage rates to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile.
Date Posted: 12/22/20
Effective 01/01/2021, the STANDARD BUSINESS MILEAGE RATE is 56 cents per mile (previously 57.5 cents). Taxpayers can use the optional standard mileage rates to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile.
Date Posted: 12/31/19
Effective 01/01/2020, the STANDARD BUSINESS MILEAGE RATE is 57.5 cents per mile (previously 58 cents). Taxpayers can use the optional standard mileage rates to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile.
Date Posted: 12/24/18
Effective 01/01/2019, the STANDARD BUSINESS MILEAGE RATE is 58 cents per mile (previously 54.5 cents). Taxpayers can use the optional standard mileage rates to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile.
Date Posted: 01/06/18
(Originally Posted: 08/14/13)
Effective 10/01/13, Obama-care requires any employer with annual gross sales of $500,000 or more to provide health insurance notices to all existing employees... even if you don't provide health insurance as an employee benefit. Notices must also be given to new hires within 14 days. Below are links to example notices for your use.
click here... if you offer health insurance to employees
click here... if you do not offer health insurance to employees
Date Posted: 01/06/18
Effective 01/01/2018, the STANDARD BUSINESS MILEAGE RATE is 54.5 cents per mile (previously 53.5 cents). Taxpayers can use the optional standard mileage rates to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile.
Date posted: 10/27/17
Tax notice avalanche hits small businesses
An onslaught of tax notices hitting about 46,000 of Pennsylvania's smallest companies has business owners and tax professionals alike scratching their heads — and, in some cases, digging through massive piles of receipts.
These reviews have caused headaches, and sometimes substantial costs, for one-man and mom-and-pop shops as they struggle to figure out how to substantiate what they say are run-of-the-mill business expenses, according to tax practitioners and small business advocacy groups.
State officials have acknowledged issues with the reviews and say they have changed their procedures to make the process easier for business owners. Some tax professionals, though, remain skeptical.
Source: Central Penn Business Journal 10/27/17
Date Posted: 12/10/16
Effective 01/01/2017, the STANDARD BUSINESS MILEAGE RATE is 53.5 cents per mile (previously 54 cents). Taxpayers can use the optional standard mileage rates to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile.
Date posted--UPDATED: 12/13/15 (originally posted 01/02/14)
Act 72 affects PA construction contractors using subs. This is important reading for every contractor business. First determine if your business is covered by Act 72. If yes, you should immediately change your contracts with subs in order to avoid harsh penalties. Click here... for full details.
Date Posted: 07/06/11
Gov. Corbett signed into law House Bill 440, a measure that expands the availability of workers’ compensation coverage to small businesses. The new law authorizes insurers, including the State Workers’ Insurance Fund, or SWIF, to voluntarily provide workers’ compensation coverage to sole proprietors, partners in partnerships, and members of limited liability companies. Specifically, the new law will do the following:
Date Posted: 12/16/09
Effective 06/10/09, employees laid off or terminated by small employers (2-19 employees) are now eligible for PA Mini-COBRA continuation of group health insurance benefits. Prior to this, only companies employing more than 19 people needed to comply with the COBRA rules. Mini-COBRA only affects employers that provide a health insurance plan for the employees to participate in. This type of employer needs to contact their health insurance provider asap after any employee separates from service (no longer works for you for any reason). If the health insurance provider is a small company and does not appear familiar with the Mini-COBRA required procedures, then I suggest that you hire an attorney to walk you through your employer legal requirements. Contact our office immediately if you learn from your health insurance provider that your company must provide Mini-COBRA for a specific employee that has separated from service.
PAYROLL UPDATES
Date Posted: 12/25/16
- not much new to post! Minimum wage remains unchanged.
- Call me if you are not paying overtime at 150% rate.
Date Posted: 12/16/10
FEDERAL & PA MINIMUM WAGE:
Effective 07/24/09 the minimum hourly wage increases to $7.25. Additional information can be found at www.dli.state.pa.us
Date Posted: 12/16/10
You can print $52 LST Exemption Certificates from our web site... listed under Client Zone. Such certificates are to be completed by the employee and forwarded to us asap. The exemption most commonly applies to 1) employees that already have the LST withheld by their primary employer or 2) employees expecting to earn less than a certain dollar threshold within the employer's municipality. The dollar threshold is set by your municipality and we have mailed you this information.
Date Posted: 12/17/21
Effective 01/01/2022, the STANDARD BUSINESS MILEAGE RATE is 58.5 cents per mile (previously 56 cents). Taxpayers can use the optional standard mileage rates to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile.
Date Posted: 12/22/20
Effective 01/01/2021, the STANDARD BUSINESS MILEAGE RATE is 56 cents per mile (previously 57.5 cents). Taxpayers can use the optional standard mileage rates to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile.
Date Posted: 12/31/19
Effective 01/01/2020, the STANDARD BUSINESS MILEAGE RATE is 57.5 cents per mile (previously 58 cents). Taxpayers can use the optional standard mileage rates to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile.
Date Posted: 12/24/18
Effective 01/01/2019, the STANDARD BUSINESS MILEAGE RATE is 58 cents per mile (previously 54.5 cents). Taxpayers can use the optional standard mileage rates to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile.
Date Posted: 01/06/18
(Originally Posted: 08/14/13)
Effective 10/01/13, Obama-care requires any employer with annual gross sales of $500,000 or more to provide health insurance notices to all existing employees... even if you don't provide health insurance as an employee benefit. Notices must also be given to new hires within 14 days. Below are links to example notices for your use.
click here... if you offer health insurance to employees
click here... if you do not offer health insurance to employees
Date Posted: 01/06/18
Effective 01/01/2018, the STANDARD BUSINESS MILEAGE RATE is 54.5 cents per mile (previously 53.5 cents). Taxpayers can use the optional standard mileage rates to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile.
Date posted: 10/27/17
Tax notice avalanche hits small businesses
An onslaught of tax notices hitting about 46,000 of Pennsylvania's smallest companies has business owners and tax professionals alike scratching their heads — and, in some cases, digging through massive piles of receipts.
These reviews have caused headaches, and sometimes substantial costs, for one-man and mom-and-pop shops as they struggle to figure out how to substantiate what they say are run-of-the-mill business expenses, according to tax practitioners and small business advocacy groups.
State officials have acknowledged issues with the reviews and say they have changed their procedures to make the process easier for business owners. Some tax professionals, though, remain skeptical.
Source: Central Penn Business Journal 10/27/17
Date Posted: 12/10/16
Effective 01/01/2017, the STANDARD BUSINESS MILEAGE RATE is 53.5 cents per mile (previously 54 cents). Taxpayers can use the optional standard mileage rates to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile.
Date posted--UPDATED: 12/13/15 (originally posted 01/02/14)
Act 72 affects PA construction contractors using subs. This is important reading for every contractor business. First determine if your business is covered by Act 72. If yes, you should immediately change your contracts with subs in order to avoid harsh penalties. Click here... for full details.
Date Posted: 07/06/11
Gov. Corbett signed into law House Bill 440, a measure that expands the availability of workers’ compensation coverage to small businesses. The new law authorizes insurers, including the State Workers’ Insurance Fund, or SWIF, to voluntarily provide workers’ compensation coverage to sole proprietors, partners in partnerships, and members of limited liability companies. Specifically, the new law will do the following:
- Extend the availability of workers’ compensation coverage to sole proprietors, partners in partnerships, and members of a limited liability company
- Transfer $4 million from the Workers’ Compensation Administration Fund to the Uninsured Employers Guaranty Fund to ensure the latter’s solvency
- Have no adverse effect on the state’s General Fund or SWIF, and place no burden on the Department of Labor & Industry’s Bureau of Workers’ Compensation
Date Posted: 12/16/09
Effective 06/10/09, employees laid off or terminated by small employers (2-19 employees) are now eligible for PA Mini-COBRA continuation of group health insurance benefits. Prior to this, only companies employing more than 19 people needed to comply with the COBRA rules. Mini-COBRA only affects employers that provide a health insurance plan for the employees to participate in. This type of employer needs to contact their health insurance provider asap after any employee separates from service (no longer works for you for any reason). If the health insurance provider is a small company and does not appear familiar with the Mini-COBRA required procedures, then I suggest that you hire an attorney to walk you through your employer legal requirements. Contact our office immediately if you learn from your health insurance provider that your company must provide Mini-COBRA for a specific employee that has separated from service.
PAYROLL UPDATES
Date Posted: 12/25/16
- not much new to post! Minimum wage remains unchanged.
- Call me if you are not paying overtime at 150% rate.
Date Posted: 12/16/10
FEDERAL & PA MINIMUM WAGE:
Effective 07/24/09 the minimum hourly wage increases to $7.25. Additional information can be found at www.dli.state.pa.us
Date Posted: 12/16/10
You can print $52 LST Exemption Certificates from our web site... listed under Client Zone. Such certificates are to be completed by the employee and forwarded to us asap. The exemption most commonly applies to 1) employees that already have the LST withheld by their primary employer or 2) employees expecting to earn less than a certain dollar threshold within the employer's municipality. The dollar threshold is set by your municipality and we have mailed you this information.