New wrinkles in payroll reporting for your mobility program as you close out 2020

Given that relocation- and assignment-related benefits are nearly all considered as taxable income, withholding requirements and company contributions have to be properly coordinated and managed through the payroll function. Although we are well into 2021, most mobility programs are currently putting the final touches on their year-end payroll reporting for 2020. And like everything else related to 2020, some of the issues are unprecedented (I know, I hate me too for using the word!).

Thanks to Eric Loff at GTN, we have a list of the "Top 10 Considerations for 2020 Year-End US Payroll" that is meant to help mobility and payroll teams finalize their U.S. reporting and withholding requirements for their companies' mobile and cross-border employees. Eric shares insights and concerns that should be considered for things like:

1. The complexities involved with work from home or work from anywhere situations
2. The treatment of disaster relief payments
3. Issues around multi-state reporting
4. The deferral of payroll tax obligations
5. Making sure to use the new form W-4
6. Taxation of moving expenses at federal and state levels
7. Income inclusion for employer-provided tax preparation services
8. Use of fiscal year cut-off for compensation reporting purposes
9. Dealing properly with employee repayments
10. And, of course, dealing with tax gross-ups through Form W-2c

Dig into the article, and if you are looking for a few additional posts on global mobility and payroll, try one of these:

• Global mobility and expatriate program year-end rituals
• Working from (childhood) home: The new stealth employee
• Working from anywhere may sound good to employees, but there could be tax consequences
• How should you handle salaries for remote workers?