Payroll

In a good news-bad news scenario, half of small business owners are optimistic about their growth prospects in 2011. However, 47 percent reported that recent government regulations have slowed or prevented growth, according to a small business survey from payroll and benefits outsourcing concern Paychex.

Private sector employers added 217,000 jobs last month, including 100,000 jobs at small businesses, according to payroll data from ADP.

Small business employment and hours worked continued to grow in February, but the level of wages generally remained flat, according to figures from Intuit.

Halfpricesoft.com has added data import and upload features to the new edition of ezW2, its software for filing W2 and 1099 forms.

Whether or not the Obama administration budget proposal to add some clarity to worker classification sees the light of day, the employee vs. independent contractor issue will surely be undergoing increased scrutiny.

Payroll and benefits outsourcing provider Paychex said it has completed its previously announced acquisition of online payroll concern SurePayroll.

CBIZ said its index of small business employment suffered its largest drop in employment last month since January 2010.

The Obama administration is expected to propose a way for states to raise more money in payroll taxes to pay for the cost of unemployment insurance.

Private sector employers in the U.S. added 187,000 jobs last month, according to the latest monthly payroll figures from ADP.

Payroll and benefits outsourcing concern Paychex has named Andrew Childs as vice president of marketing and Laurie Zaucha as vice president of human resources and organization development, effective immediately.

Small business employment continued to show growth in January, with hours worked and wages also showing modest increases, according to payroll figures from Intuit.

The Treasury Department launched a pilot program Thursday to provide tax refunds on prepaid debit and payroll cards.

Private-sector employment increased by 297,000 from November to December on a seasonally adjusted basis, according to the latest report from payroll giant ADP.

Small business employment continued to show growth in December with hours worked up and wages flat, according to the latest update of the Intuit Inc. Small Business Employment Index.

Government data and service software developer Legal Data Research LLC has released Track1099.com, a Web-based service for 1099-MISC e-file and recipient e-delivery.

eSmartPayroll, an IRS and state-authorized online payroll and e-file servicer for a variety of tax forms, has released W2Manager.com, a new Web site that provides W-2 reporting or electronic filing to the states as well as to the Social Security Administration for the IRS.

What do Oprah, the BP oil spill and Lindsay Lohan all have to do with each other? Could it be W-2 and 1099 forms?

The start of the New Year ushers in a series of new regulatory, compliance and legislative changes that could potentially affect every small business.

The Internal Revenue Service released instructions Friday to help employers implement the 2011 cut in payroll taxes that were included as part of the tax cut legislation passed by Congress late Thursday night, along with new income-tax withholding tables that employers will use during 2011 (see House Passes Extension of Bush Tax Cuts and Unemployment Benefits).

Approximately 13.4 million taxpayers who received the Making Work Pay Credit that was included in the economic stimulus bill may end up owing taxes, according to a new government report.