US payroll taxes and forms
Posts on the federal forms and taxes an employer deals with: who gets a W-2 and who gets a 1099, how to fill in and correct each form, when they are due, what the W-3, 940 and 941 are for, and how payroll taxes differ from income tax. Each post names the IRS or SSA page it relies on. Rates and wage bases change every year, so the posts state the year they apply to; check the IRS instructions for the year you are filing.
Posts for the United States
13 posts, newest first
1099-NEC vs 1099-MISC: which form do you file for 2026 payments?1099-NEC is for pay for services; 1099-MISC is for rent, royalties and other payments. 2026 thresholds, deadlines and examples for each form.
Employer payroll taxes: how much they cost on top of wages (2026)What an employer pays on top of wages in 2026: 7.65% Social Security and Medicare, FUTA at 0.6% of the first $7,000, and state unemployment tax.
Form 940 and FUTA for a first-time employer (2026 return)Who files Form 940, how FUTA is worked out at 6% less the 5.4% credit, when to deposit, and the 1 February 2027 due date for the 2026 return.
Form W-3: what it is and how to file it with your 2026 W-2sForm W-3 sends Copy A of your W-2s to the SSA. Who files it, how to fill in each box, the February 1, 2027 deadline and e-filing through BSO.
Is overtime taxed more? Overtime tax, withholding and the 2026 deductionOvertime isn't taxed at a special rate, but withholding can make it look that way. How overtime tax works in 2026, and what the overtime deduction changes.
W-2 box 12 codes explained, including the new 2026 codes TA, TP and TTEvery W-2 box 12 code from A to II, plus the 2026 codes TA, TP and TT: what each reports, which are taxable, and what to do with more than four.
W-2 box 14: what goes there, and what doesn't (2026 boxes 14a and 14b)On the 2026 W-2, box 14 splits into 14a (Other) and 14b (tipped occupation codes). What employers put there, what belongs elsewhere, and how to label it.
When do employers have to send W-2s? 2026 forms, 2027 deadlines2026 Forms W-2 are due to employees and the SSA by February 1, 2027. Extensions, former employees, e-filing and the late-filing penalties explained.
1099 vs W-2: which form does your worker get?W-2 employee or 1099 contractor: who withholds tax, the new $2,000 1099-NEC threshold for 2026, how the IRS decides, and what each worker gets from you.
No tax on overtime in 2026: what changes on the pay stub and W-2How the 2025–2028 overtime deduction works: the $12,500 cap, which part of overtime counts, why paychecks still show tax, and W-2 box 12 code TT.
No tax on tips: how qualified tips show on pay stubs and W-2sThe 2025–2028 tips deduction: the $25,000 cap, what counts as a qualified tip, why tips are still withheld on, and the new W-2 code TP and box 14b.
Paying 1099 contractors: no payroll, no pay stub, and what to give insteadContractors don't go through payroll. What a business collects, pays and files for a 1099 contractor in 2026, including the new $2,000 threshold.
Payroll Tax vs Income Tax: What Each Line on a Pay Stub Pays ForPayroll taxes fund Social Security, Medicare and unemployment at flat rates; income tax depends on your whole year. How each shows on a 2026 pay stub.
Guides and tools on this topic
Guides
What is FICA tax? How to calculate payroll taxes Form W-4 for employers: what to collect and how it sets withholding (2026) What is FITW on a pay stub? Medicare tax on a paycheck What is OASDI on a pay stub?
Tools
W-2 generator 1099-NEC generator Employer payroll tax calculator US paycheck calculator