Compliance guides and resources

Managing employee payroll is vital to running a successful business. While many tasks are associated with payroll management and compliance, they’re all based on which employee payroll schedules you choose. Not all companies operate on the same payroll schedule. While most companies pay their employees biweekly, that is not your only option as an employer. The best payroll schedule for your company depends on many factors, including but not limited to the size of your business.

While the differences between gross pay and net pay may be common knowledge to you and most of your workers, going back to basics can be helpful for understanding the regulations that govern the difference between take-home pay and pay rate. Learning about these complementary regulations can help prevent complications in business. Employers who comply with payroll laws regulating gross and net pay can better ensure company success as well as employee well-being. Let’s take a closer look at gross pay and net pay, and explore how Mosey can help simplify payroll compliance for your business.

Practically every employee in the United States is subject to federal tax withholding. In a nutshell, federal tax withholding keeps a certain amount of your employees’ paychecks to send directly to the government, estimating how much they owe for each tax year. Understanding the ins and outs of federal tax withholding is crucial for proper compensation, especially if you have employees in multiple states. So, let’s take a closer look.

Limited liability companies, or LLCs, present a unique opportunity for people looking to start their own business — but how do you know whether forming an LLC is the right move for your business venture? Take the first step by learning the potential benefits and downsides commonly associated with LLCs. What Is an LLC? A limited liability company is a flexible type of business structure that allows for many forms of organization and tax treatment for businesses. An LLC can be formed by one individual or can consist of any number of individuals, corporations, and even other LLCs.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – September 27, 2023 – Mosey, the leading state compliance platform, today announced partnerships with industry leaders Gusto, Stripe, and Sequoia Consulting Group. Each company has seen a dramatic increase in the demand for tools to help businesses get compliant and operate throughout the US. By partnering with Mosey, they will better meet the needs of the businesses that rely on them.

Business tax planning can be complicated. It’s particularly involved for employers with multi-state payroll, who need to figure out withholding obligations in every state where they employ workers. If you do business or employ workers in one of the 15 states that allow local jurisdictions to impose income taxes, you might also need to withhold and remit local income taxes where your employees live, work, or both.

Contractor work arrangements are popular. According to the US Government Accountability Office, about one-third of all businesses and almost 90% of Fortune 500 companies use independent contractors in some capacity. Hiring contractors can be a particularly attractive option for early-stage businesses because it allows them to leverage specialized skill sets while building their internal teams. But contractors are very different from employees, and the two mustn’t be conflated—or hefty penalties can apply. While contractors are self-employed individuals or even incorporated business entities, employees are typically economically dependent on their employers and so are entitled to certain rights and protections under the law. For this reason, misclassifying an employee as an independent contractor is a compliance violation: It denies a worker rights to which they are otherwise entitled.

As of 2024, five US states require employers to provide short-term disability insurance to workers: California, Hawaii, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island. Eligibility requirements, employer contributions rates, and authorized providers vary by state—but in general, businesses with at least one non-owner employee who performs work in one of these states need to obtain coverage to maintain compliance with state law.

Tax nexus refers to a relationship between a business entity and a taxing jurisdiction. There are four main types: income tax nexus, sales and use tax nexus, franchise tax nexus, and excise tax nexus. If your business has one of these types of nexus in a state, you may need to pay the corresponding tax type there. Determining where you have each type of nexus is a critical—and complicated—compliance task. Nexus criteria and qualification thresholds vary by state. Some states also “test” for nexus in different ways.

When you think of unemployment insurance tax, you probably think of state unemployment tax first—but there’s actually a federal unemployment tax too. Both state and federal unemployment tax are taxes that employers pay directly to the government, typically calculated as a percentage of payroll. Employment tax obligations can include federal, state, and local income tax, social security and Medicare tax, and SUTA and FUTA tax. To maintain compliance (and be prepared to pay), employers need to understand which taxes apply to them, how to calculate their liabilities, and when and how to make payments.