Running payroll for a small US business
Posts for owners who run payroll themselves or are about to: the paperwork for a first hire, doing payroll by hand or in a spreadsheet, paying yourself from an LLC, paying staff in cash, how long to keep records, electronic pay stubs and year-end tasks. The posts explain what the rules require and where a pay stub fits, and link the official source for each requirement.
Posts for the United States
12 posts, newest first
DIY payroll: how to run payroll manually, step by step (2026)Run payroll yourself in 2026: gross pay, Pub. 15-T withholding, Social Security and Medicare, deposits, Form 941 and the pay stub, with a worked example.
Electronic pay stubs in the US: state rules on email, portals and consentCan you email pay stubs or post them in a portal? US state rules on consent, printing and paper copies, read from each state's own law in October 2026.
Owner's draw vs salary: which one needs a pay stub?An owner's draw isn't wages and gets no pay stub; an S corporation salary is wages with withholding and a W-2. How each is taxed, with a 2026 example.
Paying employees in cash legally: records, taxes and the pay stubPaying employees in cash is legal if you withhold and pay the same taxes as on a check. What to deduct, deposit and record, and why the pay stub matters.
How long to keep payroll records (and pay stubs) in 2026Federal rules for employers: employment tax records 4 years (IRS), payroll records 3 years and time cards 2 (FLSA), I-9 3 years after hire. What to keep.
Doing payroll in a spreadsheet: free template, and the mistakes it causesThe columns a US payroll spreadsheet needs for 2026, the formulas behind them, and the six mistakes that turn a simple sheet into a tax problem.
Restaurant payroll: tips, tip credit and what the pay stub must showHow restaurant payroll handles tips in 2026: the $2.13 cash wage and $5.12 tip credit, tip pools, service charges, overtime, tip reporting and pay stubs.
Hiring your first employee: the 2026 paperwork checklistThe paperwork before your first employee's first payday in 2026: EIN, Form W-4, Form I-9, new hire reporting, state accounts, posters and pay records.
Payroll vs paycheck vs pay stub: what each word meansPayroll is the process, a paycheck is the money, a pay stub is the record. What each word means for a small US employer, with a worked 2026 example.
How to pay yourself from an LLC or S corp (and the pay stub you need)Owner's draw, guaranteed payments or a salary: how LLC and S corp owners pay themselves under IRS rules, and when you need payroll and a pay stub.
Pay Stub in Spanish: Talón de Pago Terms, Line by LinePay stub in Spanish is "talón de pago". A line-by-line glossary of pay stub terms in Spanish, using IRS and Department of Labor wording where it exists.
How much does payroll cost for a small business in 2026?Payroll costs two things: the service fee and the employer taxes. 2026 list prices from six providers and the employer tax maths, worked through.