Payroll tax rates, thresholds, and deadlines change from year to year. Figures below reflect 2026 federal rules as of publication — always confirm current numbers with the IRS or a licensed payroll professional before filing. You've decided to hire your first employee. Congratulations — that's a real milestone. It also means you've just inherited a stack of federal requirements you didn't have to think about when it was just you. Payroll for small business sounds intimidating

You built the business. The money's coming in. And somehow the question "how do I actually pay myself?" still doesn't have a clear answer — so you end up transferring money to your personal account whenever it feels okay to, then wondering later if that was the right call. You're not missing some obvious rule here. The truth is there isn't one single "correct" paycheck for a business owner the way there is for an employee — how you pay yourself depends on how your LLC is taxe