🎵 The answers to questions everyone’s afraid to ask🎵 If you’ve made it this far — through reconciliations, corrections, filings, and follow-ups — there’s one thing left standing between payroll and the finish line: The questions . Not the easy ones, oh no. These are the quiet ones. The “I’m sorry to bother you, but…” ones that arrive just as you are finally exhaling. Welcome to Week 12  — the moment where payroll does its most human work. The Questions That Wait Until th

🎵 A correction, a reprint, and one more thing. 🎵 If Week 10 was about the second look , Week 11 is about what happens after  that look reveals something uncomfortable. A number that needs adjusting. A form that needs correcting. An email that starts with, “ Hey… quick question. ” Welcome to Corrections Season  — the part of payroll year-end no one talks about, but everyone experiences. The Myth of the “Perfect Close” There’s a persistent myth that good payroll teams

🎵 A second look and a steady hand. 🎵 If you’re reading this in January and thinking, “Wait… aren’t we done with year-end?” let me gently reassure you: You are exactly where you’re supposed to be. Year-end doesn’t end on December 31. It ends when the work is actually complete. Welcome to Week 10 — the quiet, professional checkpoint where experienced payroll pros slow down, take a breath, and verify that everything truly lines up. The Audit That Always Happens After th

A stack of W-2s and pure insanity! Our payroll professional takes a deep breath, stares down a mountain of forms, and mutters the words we’ve all said in December (and every January since): “Let’s do this.” Welcome to The W-2 Wrangle  — where logic meets layout, codes collide, and the truly brave keep their sense of humor. The Paper Chase There’s something magical about the W-2 — it’s the one form that makes every employee, manager, and tax preparer suddenly remember that pay

A mystery of numbers and a case to solve quickly! [Cue dramatic detective music] Our story begins in a quiet office, late December. The coffee’s gone cold, the reports are printing, and somewhere deep in the data… something doesn’t balance. The Payroll Detective looks up from her screen, eyes narrowing. A discrepancy. Small — almost invisible. But she knows better. This isn’t just an error. It ’s a case. The Case of the Payroll Error Every payroll professional has f

A PTO request and some drama on TV! Welcome back to The Twelve Weeks of Year-End. Today is our Payroll Reality Show Edition! The numbers are real, the deadlines are tighter than HR’s holiday sweater, and today’s episode is brought to you by the letter L   — for L eave , L aws , and “ L ord, help me.” This week’s story: Leave, FMLA, and Your Paycheck  — or as every payroll professional knows it, “The Great December Balancing Act.” Previously on... Last week, our hero (th

A gross-up, a spreadsheet, and some grace under pressure! Welcome to Bonus Season! That magical time when “holiday cheer” collides with “federal tax withholding.” This week’s about keeping your cool while everyone around you suddenly discovers they have opinions about bonuses, deadlines, and “how much tax is too much tax.” You’ve entered the Bonus Season Survival Guide. What Bonus Season Really Means For most employees, bonuses mean excitement. For payroll, it means two thin

A balanced ledger and some sanity! We’ve had our turkey, our gratitude, our garnishments — and now it’s time to dive into the part of payroll year-end that separates the seasoned pros from the ones still whispering, “why won’t this tie?” under their breath. Grab your reconciliation checklist and your emotional support calculator, because here comes… The Gift of Reconciliation If payroll year-end had a soundtrack, this would be the dramatic turning point — the moment the monta

A turkey, some garnishments, and a plea for PTO! It’s the week before Thanksgiving. Everyone’s halfway out the door, HR is talking about the holiday potluck, Finance is whispering about budgets, and Payroll? Payroll is staring down deadlines like, “Sure, go ahead and take Friday off. I’ll just be here balancing wage attachments in between gravy refills.” Welcome to Turkey, Gratitude, and Garnishments where we learn that payroll doesn’t take holidays… we just calcula

A reconciliation spree! If last week was about cleaning up your people data, this week is where you dive straight into the numbers. This is the week you pull the covers off your pay codes, deductions, and taxable benefits — and either breathe a sigh of relief or say, “Oh no, not again .” This is Prepping the Pay  — the unsung hero of payroll year-end. Because it doesn’t matter how perfect your employee records are if the pay details underneath are a mess. What “Prepping the

A spreadsheet full of people who don’t live where they say they do! If Week 1 was all about laying the foundation, Week 2 is about cleaning the floors before we build the rest of the house. Because no matter how flawless your payroll process is, bad employee data will break it faster than you can say “returned W-2.” Let’s be honest — every payroll professional has their own personal list of “people problems.” Addresses that haven’t been updated since the Obama administration

A reminder that December starts now! If you think “year-end” starts in December, I have some bad news and a warm cup of coffee for you. ☕ Because for payroll pros, year-end starts right now  — the moment Halloween candy goes on clearance and the first “Q4 update” email hits your inbox. While everyone else is dreaming of turkey and time off, payroll is quietly opening spreadsheets, checking deduction limits, and muttering phrases like “Box 12 code DD” under their breath. Welco

Last year, I discovered that terrible and unfortunate occurrences in payroll was a popular topic for a blog post, especially when framed...

Behind the Scenes and Across the Table The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) has dominated headlines with its “No Tax on Overtime” and...

We made it. Five weeks. One law. And now your paycheck feels a little less shady. We’ve spent the last month breaking down the One Big...

By now you’ve probably heard the headlines: the One Big Beautiful Bill Act ( OBBBA ) means new tax breaks for overtime and tips. But...

If you caught the headlines when the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA)  passed, you probably saw the bold claims: 🚫 No tax on...

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) is huge . Some changes will roll out over months or even years, but others hit fast. ⚡ Really...

(But Would Have Without the Bill) We now pause your regularly scheduled payroll literacy series to bring you… legislation. The One Big...

That Payroll Literacy Feeling From “What is this deduction?” to “I actually understand this now.” That feeling when you finally...