While working in human resources there is always opportunities to learn and get great advice from subject matter experts in various fields. I am not an Accountant but, in this article, we will discuss the advice I received from a professional accountant when addressing tax-related questions in the onboarding process and from existing employees.
Taxes! It is not a new four or five-letter word and it should not be a source of anxiety for human resources professionals or employees. Let us all take a deep breath and relax. Your colleagues at every level of the organization are intimidated by the thought of taxes. For example, while completing the dreaded W-4 I received questions from employees that I could not answer. Thankfully the irs.gov website has a wealth of information and advice. For new and existing employees, I would simply include the website in new hire documents or send an email companywide referencing the website to address employment-related tax laws.
Although taxes are complicated with or without changes most people realize the best way to serve the people and entities, we work for is to utilize available resources. In my professional experience, providing reliable resources are essential for best business practices. The times of the three-page instructions which accompanied the W4 are no longer valid or relevant. The solution I received, https://apps.irs.gov/app/tax-withholding-estimator/about-you covers questions related to determining annual withholdings. Luckily, the human resources department can offer resources with a purpose. Our goal as professionals should not be to know everything but provide resources to ease tensions when there are significant changes in state and federal tax laws.
I would like to thank Kathy Ortiz of Business Interface LLC for the great resource and advice. Let us remember we all have questions and sometimes require assistance. As human resources and business professionals, our duty is to provide resources, advise, and educate employers and employees. We do not have all the answers for employment problems or questions but when possible a little advice and some resources can go a long way. Stay tuned for my next article regarding human resources and employment-focused subjects in my series Staffing 101.
