Payroll

Intuit is seeing small businesses beginning to hire again, based on a survey of its online payroll customers.

The Internal Revenue Service has made an administrative determination to accept the position that medical residents are excepted from FICA payroll taxes based on the student exception for tax periods ending before April 1, 2005, when new IRS regulations went into effect.

The Senate approved a job creation bill Wednesday after 13 Republicans agreed to vote for the measure, which includes tax breaks for businesses that hire or retain employees.

The Senate voted to consider a $15 billion job creation bill after five Republican senators agreed to overcome a filibuster on the measure, which would provide tax breaks to companies that hire and retain employees.

Small businesses with less than 50 employees slashed 12,000 jobs last month, the smallest decline since July of 2008, but businesses in the service sector actually added jobs for the second consecutive month.

Private sector employers shed 84,000 jobs last month, according to monthly employment figures from payroll giant ADP, but the service sector gained jobs, especially at small businesses.

Payroll giant ADP has agreed to buy DO2 Technologies, a Calgary, Alberta-based company that provides electronic invoicing software.

Payroll services provider Paychex has published four online tax resources for CPAs and small businesses free of charge on its Web site.

The ripple effect of the economy, coupled with fewer and weaker business starts across the country, resulted in a 10 percent drop in second-quarter profits for payroll and benefits outsourcing provider Paychex Inc.

Private sector businesses cut 169,000 jobs last month, according to the latest employment report by payroll giant ADP, but that was the eighth consecutive month in which the decline in employment was less than in the previous month.

Universal Business Computing Company has added an automated clearing house tax payments feature to its payroll service bureau program.

Businesses with less than 50 employees shed 75,000 private sector jobs in October, according to the latest monthly employment report from payroll giant ADP.

For years, offering payroll services to clients had been the proverbial double-edge sword.

1. What are the major current issues in payroll that accountants should be aware of?

In today's challenging economic environment, companies are increasingly looking for ways to bolster revenues, and for some accounting firms that means offering payroll services for clients.

1. What are the major current issues in payroll that accountants should be aware of?

1. What are the major current issues in payroll that accountants should be aware of?

1. What are the major current issues in payroll that accountants should be aware of?

Payroll has long been perceived as a chore. Employees need to be paid, necessary government forms have to be filed, and taxes have to be paid promptly. "Many mistakes happen due to the preparer simply not knowing the rules," said Michael Hoffman, CPA, of the New Jersey-based firm of WithumSmith+Brown.

Accounting professionals had traditionally avoided offering payroll as a service because the labor involved in payroll processing often took away from more profitable engagements. However, as the economy changed and payroll systems continued to improve, accounting firms have been re-evaluating their options regarding payroll - whether to offer it as a client service or refer it to a payroll specialist.