18Sep 2012 by Nancy Smyth
EEOC Reports & Government Funded Construction Projects – Q & A

EEOC Reports & Government Funded Construction Projects – Q & A

Certified Payroll/Prevailing Wage, Construction News, The "Sunburst" Website
EEOC Reports are just another compliance requirement that must be met when you perform work on government funded/prevailing wage jobs - in addition to the submission of a weekly certified payroll report. In this Q & A we'll discuss your obligations, what types of forms you might need to file, and when you have to file them. What is the EEOC and what do they do? The U. S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is responsible for enforcing federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or an employee because of the person's race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetic information. What is an EEOC Report? An EEOC Report is really nothing more than than a report that includes how many employees you…
Read More
22Jun 2012 by Nancy Smyth
Weekly Wrap-Up: News You Can Use 6/15/2012-6/21/2012

Weekly Wrap-Up: News You Can Use 6/15/2012-6/21/2012

Be A Better Bookkeeper, Certified Payroll/Prevailing Wage, Construction News, IRS Information, News You Can Use, Payroll Tips, QuickBooks Corner, Social Media, Webinars & Training
  Weekly wrap-up of news and information from around the web – there’s so much information out there that it’s difficult (at best) to keep up! I’ve added a WordPress plug-in that grabs information from my Twitter stream to help me (and hopefully you as well) keep up with everything. Look for the Weekly Wrap-Up: News You Can Use every Friday. I’ll try to be consistent and organize the information into the same categories each week. Accounting & Taxes A letter from a Bookkeeper https://t.co/nr0twsHi via @bruce_taxguy -> How I answered the letter https://t.co/WIa8lzll via @bruce_taxguy -> IRS "repair regulations" can be overly complex https://t.co/O9Ix29KR -> Is Remortgaging Equity Release Debt a Good Option? https://t.co/TRNXJ9Ue via @bruce_taxguy -> 3 Strategies to Help You Conquer Your Debt https://t.co/aLTQtJQX via @bruce_taxguy ->…
Read More
12Jun 2012 by Nancy Smyth
Worker’s Comp Increases 45% in California, Beginning 7/1/2012

Worker’s Comp Increases 45% in California, Beginning 7/1/2012

Certified Payroll/Prevailing Wage, Construction News, Payroll Tips, Webinars & Training
  California Worker's Compensation Insurance premiums will increase by 45% over last year  for renewals after July 1, 2012 according to The Worker's Comp Executive. California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones went against a unified front of labor and employer representatives siding with the insurance industry and the Workers' Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau (WCIRB) in approving a 8.3% increase mid-year rate hike for California employers.  Added to the 37% rate increase he approved for January, July and later renewals are facing an average rate increase of 45.3% over last year at the same time. Worker’s Comp and payroll taxes take a huge bite out of a contractors profit when working on Public Works construction projects – especially if the contractor is paying the full fringe benefit rate of the prevailing wage…
Read More
09May 2012 by Nancy Smyth

Construction Payroll, Should I Do It In-house or Outsource It?

Be A Better Bookkeeper, Construction News, Payroll Tips
  Construction payroll can be complex and many business owners wonder if they should hire a payroll clerk and issue payroll in-house or if they should outsource it. As a contractor a significant portion of your job costs involve payroll and labor burden (taxes, worker's compensation insurance, general liability insurance, company paid fringe benefits etc.) and you need to have these numbers included in your job costing reports so you can analyze your bidding practices and know whether or not you made a profit on the job.  If your employee paychecks are not run through your accounting software you loose this vital piece of job costing information. Construction payroll can be complex and the lure of an outside payroll service such as Intuit Full Service Payroll, ADP, Paychex, Ceridian, etc.…
Read More
27Apr 2012 by Nancy Smyth

Weekly Wrap-Up: News You Can Use 4/20-4/26/2012

Construction News
  There is so much news and information floating around the web - it's difficult (at best) to keep up!  I've added a Wordpress plug-in that grabs information from my Twitter stream to help me (and hopefully you as well) keep up with everything.  Look for the Weekly Wrap-Up: News You Can Use every Friday. Payroll ARCHIVE:: QuickBooks Creating a More Meaningful Payroll Expenses Section https://t.co/jx9eioLw -> ARCHIVE:: QuickBooks Setting up/Creating a Scheduled Payroll Liability https://t.co/nbER1ogk -> EEOC issues update on criminal-background-check policy https://t.co/CnuxPi9Y -> ARCHIVE:: Payroll Tip - Health Insurance Tracking Requirements for 2012 https://t.co/3G1FkmAA -> Use #QuickBooks? Tired of manually calculating overtime? Check out https://t.co/8pIGV5Yo -> Use QuickBooks? Need to change rates of pay for multiple employees? Check out https://t.co/tgn397Dz -> ARCHIVE:: E-Verify Update https://t.co/lruDd54Y -> ARCHIVE:: What's…
Read More
11Apr 2012 by Nancy Smyth

ASA Seminar Payroll & Tax Strategies for Public Works Contractors

Certified Payroll/Prevailing Wage, Construction News, Webinars & Training
  ASA (American Subcontractors Association) San Diego Chapter Seminar on Payroll and Tax Strategies for Public Works Contractors, May 8, 2012 1:30 - 3:30 p.m. PST, $55.00 Members/$85.00 Non-members - register here. I'm very excited to be working with Steve Kuzmack, President of Fringe Benefit Experts as we present a 2-hour seminar for the ASA San Diego Chapter on Payroll and Tax Strategies for Public Works Contractors.  Steve will be live, while I will be logging in remotely.  Come join us to learn:  Why cash is "KING"! and why Public Works Construction and Prevailing Wage projects require advanced financial planning methods and tools along with an understanding of the ever-changing compliance requirements -- so that you get paid on time! What You Will Learn Learn How: To reduce payroll taxes…
Read More
14Sep 2011 by Nancy Smyth

Federal Contractors EEO-1 Filing Due But VETS-100 and 100A Delayed

Construction News
If you have 100 or more employees or are a federal contractor, you likely must file the EEO-1, VETS-100, or VETS-100A forms.  Find out what your obligations are and why the VETS reporting has been delayed in this article from HR Matters. The deadline is approaching for many employers to report to the federal government the ethnic, racial, gender, and veteran composition of their workforces. Specifically, if you are a covered employer, you must file the Employer Information Report, Form EEO-1, by September 30, 2011. But, thanks to a technical glitch, the VETS-100 and VETS-100A forms are not due until November 30, 2011. Employer Information Report, Form EEO-1 As a reminder, private employers with 100 or more employees and federal contractors with 50 or more employees and a contract of…
Read More
22Jun 2011 by Nancy Smyth

FREE Webinar on New 3% Contractor Withholding Requirements

Construction News, IRS Information, Webinars & Training
From the June 22, 2011 Issue of the Federal, State & Local Governments Newsletter published by the IRS. The office of Federal, State and Local Governments will hold a free, one-hour webinar on July 14, 2011, to discuss the required 3 percent income tax withholding on certain payments made by government entities, to take effect in 2013.  The webinar is recommended for any Federal, state or local government entities as well as tax professionals. Participants can get answers to these questions: What is Section 3402(t) ? The Legislative history on Section 3402(t) Who must perform Section 3402(t) withholding? What payments are subject to Section 3402(t) withholding? Exceptions to Section 3402(t) withholding? Section 3402(t) deposit and reporting mechanics? You can register for the webinar by clicking here. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Additional information from…
Read More
25May 2011 by Nancy Smyth

The Benefits of Paying Prevailing Wage Fringes to a Bona-fide Plan

Certified Payroll/Prevailing Wage, Construction News, Payroll Tips
The benefits of paying the Prevailing Wage Fringe Benefit portion to bona-fide plan is often misunderstood by employers and employees alike. Prevailing wage jobs, those jobs that are subject to the Davis-Bacon Act and/or State Prevailing Wage Laws, require that all laborers and mechanics {including tradesmen such as carpenters, equipment operators, painters, pipefitters, plumbers, etc.) who perform work on the jobsite are to be paid a set base rate of pay PLUS an hourly fringe benefit rate. Union contractors automatically pay the total hourly fringe benefit rate to the union hall on behalf of the employee, usually splitting the full hourly rate into specific "funds" - Health & Welfare, Pension, Vacation, etc. When this happens the Union contractor doesn't pay payroll taxes, worker's compensation, or general liability insurance on this…
Read More
10May 2011 by Nancy Smyth

Top 10 Tuesday QuickBooks Tips from Around the Web-5/10/2011

Construction News, News You Can Use, QuickBooks Tips & Tricks, Vendors & Accounts Payable
Top 10 Tuesday features our favorite QuickBooks, social media, construction and business tips from around the web. It's tough to choose just 10 and even tougher to read everything that is of interest - if I did ....... well I wouldn't ever get anything else done! This week's Top 10 include: Carrie Kahn Why Use Accounts Payable? Darren Slaughter The Law of 25 5 Reasons to Use How-To Articles for Contractor Marketing Intuit Small Business Blog How to Deal With Working Alone Top Notch Bookkeeping Can You Read Your Balance Sheet? A Bookkeeper's Corner Do You Have a Bookkeeper Or Do You Have a "Bookkeeper"? ProBlogger 3 Simple Changes to Increase Your Subscribers by 50% BNET 5 Signs That You're The Problem QuickBooks and Beyond QuickBooks Auto Data Recovery QuickBooks…
Read More
09Dec 2010 by Nancy Smyth

Construction Projects in the News

Construction News
$3.5 billion mixed-use development rises along harbor in Connecticut. The $3.5 billion Harbor Point development in Stamford, Conn., has started to take shape as towers rise near the water. One of the largest mixed-use projects in the country, Harbor Point sits on 80 acres and will include 4,000 residential units, a marina, a school and some 2 million square feet of office and retail space. The New York Times (free registration) (12/7) New York Department of Transportation plan major bridges makeover More than 17,000 bridges in New York are fast approaching middle age, and the state's transportation agency plans to focus on the makeover of some of them. The state has earmarked about half of the $7 billion in its two-year capital spending plan to rehabilitate about 385 state and…
Read More
08Nov 2010 by Nancy Smyth

SBA to begin contracting program for women

Construction News, IRS Information
News from the National Association of Government Contractors SBA officials announced on Oct. 4 that the agency is setting up procedures to help woman-owned small businesses gain more access to the federal contracting marketplace. A final rule is forthcoming in the Federal Register. Working with the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council, SBA officials will begin a four-month implementation of the Women-Owned Small Business program. They will be building infrastructure to support the certification process and allowing for ongoing oversight. Officials say that by early 2011 contracts will begin to become available to small businesses owned by women under the program. Such an initiative has been promised for years to bolster access to women-owned businesses who have been an historically under-represented segment of the government contracting community. The proposed rule states that…
Read More
27Sep 2010 by Nancy Smyth

New Hampshire Considers In-State Bidding Preference

Construction News
News to share from Mike Purdy's Public Contracting Blog. A task force of the New Hampshire legislature is examining whether the state should adopt bidding preferences for New Hampshire firms competing against out-of-state firms on state contracts. The task force will report their recommendations on December 1, 2010. Low Bid: Current New Hampshire law calls for officials to award contracts based only on the lowest price. Reciprocal Laws May Hurt NH Firms: Some New Hampshire officials have expressed concerns about the state adopting an in-state preference because of the negative impact it may have on New Hampshire firms bidding in other states.  Most states have adopted a reciprocal preference law that calls for adding to an out-of-state firm's bid a percentage equal to the amount of the preference that firm…
Read More
27Jul 2010 by Nancy Smyth

New FHWA-1391 & 1392 Annual EEO Forms For Highway Contractors

Certified Payroll/Prevailing Wage, Construction News, The "Sunburst" Website
New FHWA-1391 & FHWA-1392 Federal-Aid Highway Construction Contractor's Annual EEO Reports were released by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) in June 2010. Purpose of Forms FHWA-1391 & FHWA 1392 The purpose of the Contractors Annual EEO Reports are to collect employment data (including a breakdown of all racial/ethnic minorities and women employed) from ALL highway construction contractors who are working on a Federal-Aid Contract of $10,000.00 or more during a specific “annual” reporting period. Form FHWA-1391 is filed for individual jobs while form FHWA-1392 is a total of all jobs being submitted. The information included on these forms provides valuable information that is used by both Federal and State Governments in evaluating the status and effectiveness of the Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Program.  It is extremely important that accurate data…
Read More
26Jul 2010 by Nancy Smyth

Texas Department of Transportation Requires Electronic Certified Payrolls (E-Payrolls)

Certified Payroll/Prevailing Wage, Construction News, QuickBooks Add-Ons, The "Sunburst" Website
The Texas Department of Transportation, like many other state agencies, is requiring electronic submission of certified payroll reports, through its Electronic Project Records System (EPRS). TxDOT EPRS provides contractors with multiple functions which they can utilize; however, one of the primary functions of the EPRS is that of collecting Electronic Certified Payrolls (E-Payrolls), instead of requiring contractors to submit paper certified payroll report forms for review. E-Payrolls may be uploaded into the EPRS from a contractor’s computer IF they have the proper information, in a specific data order, and it is a .CSV file format – otherwise the contractor will have to take his printed paper certified payroll report and manually input it in the EPRS System. Some software companies are updating their payroll systems to provide their construction clients…
Read More