Once upon a time payroll was pretty simple. Figure each employee's gross pay, subtract federal, state and local taxes (and possibly three or four other deductions) and write a check for the net amount. Nothing stays simple for long though -- pretty soon along came direct deposit, 401(k) plans, cafeteria plans, vehicle allowances, garnishments, third party sick pay, paycards, and a raft of other complications. For many small businesses, payroll went from taking an hour or so each pay period to a process that can consume a whole day or more. And that's just to produce the paychecks -- there are usually various files to be written and reports to be filled out as well. Unless you have an accountant or a payroll service to handle things payroll can be a very confusing, time-consuming task. For a new employer it can be frustrating just figuring out how to get started and even employers who've been at it for a while can run into problems when new situations arise or payroll laws change. The purpose of this book is to give a quick overview of what every employer needs to know about payroll.

It also touches briefly on areas such as human resourde, ACA reporting and payroll software and provides links to sources of more detailed information on various payroll-related topics. NOTE: The information in this book deals primarily with payroll laws and practices in the United States.