This week’s question comes from Rachel, a business owner. I have been running payroll with almost the exact same hours every week for the last few months. In the last few weeks, the payroll cost was several thousand dollars more each week than a month ago. Why did my payroll cost increase? Answer: There are at least three employer taxes with wage caps that are often fully paid by the end of the calendar year for some or all employees. They are the social security portion of FICA or OASDI tax, federal unemployment tax (FUTA), and state unemployment tax (SUTA). Social security had a wage limit of $102,000 ($106,800 in 2009), FUTA has a $7,000 limit in each year, and the SUTA limit varies by state from a low of $7,000 to more than $35,000. At the start of a new calendar year those taxes must again be paid by the employer. With a combined tax rate of over 7% at a minimum, a $100,000 weekly payroll could easily have an increase of between $5,000 and $10,000 in employer payroll tax liability at the start of a new calendar year. Vision Payroll can work with you to find ways to legally minimize your employer tax liability. Contact Vision Payroll today for more information.