First Friday wrap of 2026: W-2 updates, tax season opens soon, 2 new tax laws and more
The latest on W-2s, tax-filing season, new tax bills and more in our first 2026 wrap.
Phil Ash
Employees’ New Year’s resolution: Saving more for emergencies
“This year I’m going to save more for emergencies” is a common enough New Year’s resolution. Unfortunately, we all know what happens to almost all New Year’s resolutions. Saving more for emergencies can be so daunting it hits the dustbin of resolutions quickly. It doesn’t need to be this way. You ca
New Year’s gifts from the Department of Labor
Nothing says Happy New Year better than a raft of opinion letters from the Department of Labor. The letters cover the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Family and Medical Leave Act.
Not a happy new year for some student loan borrowers
New Year’s means clean slates, but not for some student loan borrowers. 2026 is the year the hammer will come down hard on students with defaulted loans. And it doesn’t just affect your employees. In a world where many things are tied to employment and wages, it will affect you, too.
One last bit of business for 2025: 2026 standard mileage rate
The standard mileage rate, which you can use to reimburse employees who drive their own cars on business, or to value employees’ personal use of company vehicles first made available to them this year, increases to 72.5¢ for 2026, up from 70¢ a mile for 2025.
2-days-to-Christmas wrap: Don’t forget your tax deposits, another year to comply with PFML laws and more
Last tax deposits of the year, new PFML deadline and RMDs in our final 2025 wrap.
Santa could do better: Losing business and tax credits
The State Small Business Credit Initiative is a nearly $10 billion program to support small businesses and entrepreneurship in communities across the country by providing capital and technical assistance to promote small business stability, growth and success, including those in underserved communit
6-days-to-Christmas Friday wrap: 2026 Pubs. 15 and 15-A, IRIS specs, toolkits from the DOL and disaster tax relief
2026 Pubs. 15 and 15-A, A2A schema, DOL toolkits and more in our Friday wrap (which Santa has checked twice).
Happy Christmas! Your employee self-service platform may not be safe
Distracted employees (don’t forget those last-minute gifts) may be a bit careless about safeguarding their ESS login credentials. This is everything scammers could possibly want for Christmas, as they’re now poised to steal employees’ login credentials and make off with a Christmas haul that would s
Can your group health plan accommodate employees’ spouses fleeing Healthcare.gov?
Employees who have already made their group health plan selections for the next plan year may implore you to cover their spouses, who now can’t afford their ACA premiums. By and large, you can’t.