American Payroll Association (APA) Basic Guide to Payroll, 2021 Edition

Payroll professionals need to be 100 percent compliant with a host of legislative and regulatory requirements. The 2021 Edition of the American Payroll Association Basic Guide to Payroll gives you guidance you can rely on: plain-English, jargon-free explanations of the latest laws, regulations, rulings, and IRS, Department of Labor, and Social Security Administration pronouncements. The 2021 Edition of the American Payroll Association Basic Guide to Payroll is an invaluable resource that helps you stay up to date, answer employees' questions, and train your staff.

The 2021 Edition of the American Payroll Association Basic Guide to Payroll keeps you current on the latest payroll laws, regulations, and other developments, including:

• Box-by-box instructions to complete the 2020 Form W-2 (see Chapter 3).
• Updates on how COVID-19 has affected Payroll (see Chapter 2), including guidance on:
  • How to claim the COVID-19 credits
  • Impact on payroll tax forms
  • DOL clarification on when school is considered in session
  • How to treat the deferral of employee and employer Social Security tax
  • Extension of student loan relief
  • Temporary procedures for completing Form I-9.
• Wage and Hour Division's suggestion on tracking hours of teleworkers (see Chapter 2).
• Update on FUTA reduction states (see Chapter 9).
• 2021 Social Security taxable wage base (see Chapter 8).
• An explanation of computational bridge entries, which allow employers to treat Forms W-4 from 2019 and earlier as if the employees had provided the redesigned Form W-4 (see Chapter 5). -
• Calendar of 2021 due dates for Payroll (Appendix C).
• Update on the fluctuating workweek method, including final regulations and a case (see Chapter 11).
• Synopsis of a significant court ruling on joint employment (see Chapter 2).
• Line-by-line instructions on how to complete the fourth quarter Form 941, Form 941-X, and 2020 Form 944 and their respective Worksheets 1 (see Chapter 8).
• New reporting requirement on Forms W-2 for employees who took coronavirus-related leave (see Chapter 3).
• 2021 indexed benefit amounts (see Appendix A).
• Update on how to request an extension of time to furnish employees with their Forms W-2 and a reduced extension of time when the request is granted (see Chapter 3).
• Additional guidance about Form 7200 (see Chapter 2).
• How the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act affects Payroll (see Chapter 2).
• Pension limits for 2021 (see Chapter 2).
• Electronic filing requirement for 2020 Forms W-2 (see Chapter 3).
• DOL's guidance about timekeeping that's even more important in light of the pandemic (see Chapter 7).
• Explanation of proposed regulations about a five-part test for worker classification for wage and hour purposes (see Chapter 10).
• An example of how Payroll is using artificial intelligence (see Chapter 12).
• IRS warning about a direct deposit scheme (see Chapter 7).
• DOL guidance on whether virtual or distance learning is considered as "school is in session" (see Chapter 11).
• 2021 per diem rates (see Appendix D).
• How technology can help with faster, more accurate payroll processing (see Chapter 12).
• Tax consequences when an employee donates leave under an employer's program for the relief of victims of the COVID-19 pandemic (see Appendix A).
• Wage and Hour Division guidance on paying overtime to employees who work unscheduled hours (see Chapter 11).
• Explanation of a new DOL ruling on counting push money toward the minimum wage (see Appendix A).
• 2021 state minimum wage rates (see Chapter 11).
• Percentage increase in the number of employers that submit child support payments electronically (see Chapter 6).
• Information about Form W-4P (see Appendix A).
• 2021 limit on contributions to a health FSA (see Chapter 6).
• Guidance from OCSE on setting up a procedure to pay withheld child support electronically (see Chapter 6).
• Delayed due date for furnishing Form 1095-C and a reprieve for Form 1095-B (see Chapter 2).
• 2021 federal tax levy tables (see Chapter 6). - Explanation of what's new on the revised IWO (see Chapter 6).
• Update on student loan garnishments in light of COVID19 (see Chapter 6).
• How to prepare for disasters and confirm whether you're entitled to a postponement of your tax return (see Chapter 2).
• Explanation of a new DOL ruling on educational consultants (see Chapter 11).
• Alert about new PO addresses for employment tax returns and payments (see Chapter 2).
• Synopses of opinion letters on the outside sales exemption and employee vehicle expense reimbursements (see Chapter 2).
• Updated state new hire contact information (see Chapter 4).
• New program of the Wage and Hour Division to get back wages to workers (see Chapter 2).
• Guidance on employee Social Security tax deferral (see Chapter 8).
• Brief explanation of final HRA regulations (see Appendix A).
• Update on work sharing (see Chapter 9).
• Line-by-line example about how to complete the Form 940 (see Chapter 9).
• Increased penalty amounts for Form I-9 violations (see Chapter 4).
• 2021 income tax brackets and rates and the withholding rates on supplemental wages (see Chapter 5).
• Dates for 2021 CPP and FPC exams (see Chapter 1).
• Amount of back wages distributed through the PAID program (see Chapter 2).
• Updated glossary terms (see Appendix F).
• 2021 backup withholding rate (see Chapter 10).
• New stats on the number of FEINs using electronic income withholding orders (see Chapter 6).
• Earned income credit maximum amounts and cutoffs for 2021 (see Chapter 4).
• 2021 Rates at a Glance (see Chapter 2).

• What's new in payroll laws, payroll regulations, payroll cases, IRS announcement regarding payroll, Department of Labor pronouncements about wage and hour laws, and payroll trends?
• How does Payroll comply with federal and state wage-hour laws?
• What are the federal and state requirements for keeping payroll records?
• Are there limitations about how to pay employees or can the employer decide to mandate direct deposit of wages?
• How do I implement the 2019 Federal payroll withholding tables?
• How do I complete and file the 2018 Form W-2?
• What are the advantages and drawbacks of hiring workers who aren't employees?
• How does Payroll handle withholding from Gross Pay for garnishments, federal tax levies, and child support orders?
• What documents must an employer collect from an employee?
• How does Payroll implement Form W-4?
• What are the due dates for federal employment tax returns?
• What are the CONUS per diem rates for 2019?
• What are the federal employment tax ramifications and the federal wage and hour consequences of providing fringe benefits to employees?
• What are the terms of art and acronyms in Payroll?
• What's new in payroll technology?
• How does payroll accounting work?

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