Payroll Terms and Definitions: A Comprehensive Glossary

payroll acronyms

A business that grants others the rights to sell products or services in its name. A benefit that provides additional paid leave due to an extended illness or severe injury. A ranking system representing how likely an employer is to generate insurance claims. A unique nine-digit number assigned to businesses by the IRS for use in tax filings or other documents. Organized groups of employees with a common identity, interest, or background.

Discover the essentials of employee relations and why they matter, including practical examples and effective management strategies for your business. Your job is to ensure systems are in place to reduce errors where possible and quickly correct mistakes as they occur. Either way, your organisation’s payroll performance requires everyone on the team to have a working knowledge of UK payroll terms. Compensation is the funds paid to a person for their services or to make up for loss or injury; the latter is typically court-ordered. A period of seven consecutive 24-hour periods that define the hours an employee is expected to work.

The federal, state, and local taxes an employer is required to withhold from employees’ wages. Unlike payroll taxes, employers never contribute to paying difference between t account and ledger their employees’ federal or state income taxes. An essential part of the process is holding a portion of each employee’s earnings and making tax payments on their behalf. In addition, employers are responsible for employer taxes, paid using business funds separate from employee compensation.

payroll acronyms

Taxable wage base

  1. Learn about the key terms and concepts that will help you to manage the complexities of payroll systems effectively, and to confidently meet compliance requirements.
  2. This is backed by an annual income tax return, which addresses any under- and overpaid taxes.
  3. “In general, “hours worked” includes all time an employee must be on duty, or on the employer’s premises or at any other prescribed place of work.
  4. Net pay, also known as take-home pay, is the wages an employee receives after deductions.
  5. Overpayments can be corrected in various ways, including reducing the overpaid employee’s future wages.

Payroll terminology can be intense to digest if you’re new to the role, and challenging to remember even with payroll experience. Taking on payroll management responsibilities for a small business introduces a world of new challenges. It also adds a new language of sorts, given all the payroll acronyms.

Pay period

Under the Fair Labor Standard Act’s salary basis rule, exempt employees generally must receive no less than $684 weekly. In terms of state payroll taxes, an employee is a resident if the state is officially their home and they have no intention of living there temporarily. The length of time for which employees are paid, based on their pay frequency.

A comprehensive record of each employee’s payroll and wage data for a given pay period. A 12-month period used to determine how often an employer must deposit employment taxes. Federal payroll taxes used to fund Social Security and Medicare programs.

Time to Fill

Refers to the state taxes an employer is required to withhold from employees’ wages, such as state income tax and SDI tax. The employment tax reports an employer must indirect cost definition and meaning file with the state taxation agency. Applies to employers who must withhold state taxes from employees’ wages and/or pay their own share of state employment taxes. An employer’s federal employment tax liabilities that must be paid to the IRS. Includes federal taxes withheld from employees’ wages and the employer’s share of federal employment taxes owed.

Gross pay

The amount an employer deducts from a noncustodial parent’s wages to satisfy a child support order from the court. Payroll what is cost of goods manufactured cogm is one of the most crucial aspects of running a business — but it’s far from easy trying to learn and remember payroll terminology and jargon. If you’ve found yourself struggling to remember payroll vocabulary, don’t fret. We’ve got a glossary filled with the most common payroll terms and easy-to-understand definitions. This guide can help you create your employee handbook, which you can start building with this tool.