Understanding Nanny Taxes

Do you have a summer nanny working for you this season or an after-school nanny starting in the fall? Many of TLC’s clients hire a TLC caregiver to be their full-time nanny during the summer or a part-time, after-school nanny to help out during the school year. Having a nanny makes life a lot easier, but we often get phone calls asking questions about paying your nanny taxes.

Talking about taxes can often seem overwhelming. Luckily, TLC can refer you to professionals that can help. We recommend using Breedlove and Associates for all your household employment needs.

By definition, a nanny working in the home of a family is an employee of the family (even if the job is temporary, permanent, part-time, or full-time). The nanny is NOT an independent contractor. The ‘employee’ classification is determined by the nature of the work performed—not by how much the nanny is paid or the amount of time she is with the family. The IRS has ruled definitively that caregivers are employees of the families for whom they work.

If you are only employing a nanny for a few months in the summer or for very part-time hours during the school year, you may not think you need to withhold taxes from your nanny’s wages, but you are most, likely mistaken.

If you pay your nanny more than $1,900 (2014) in a calendar year, you, as an employer, must meet the household employment tax withholding and reporting obligations. You are required to withhold payroll taxes from your nanny’s wages and then report and pay those taxes to the tax agencies quarterly. Before your nanny starts, have her fill out a w-4. This form helps determines how much will be withheld from your nanny’s paycheck. At the end of the year, your nanny should be sent a Form W-2 detailing her wages, as well as the taxes that she has pre-paid throughout the year.

Filing the necessary papers and to pay your nanny legally may seem like a hassle, but it is illegal for you—the employer—to fail to withhold taxes and file employment tax returns. Our friends at Breedlove and Associates, will take the stress out of paying your nanny legally and will educate you and help you take advantage of the tax breaks you may enjoy by doing so. Visit their website to learn how.

We hope you find this helpful. Please call TLC for Kids St. Louis 314-725-5660 or TLC for Kids Miami 305-256-5905 for your child care needs.