Wage Deduction in 2025 - What you CAN and CANNOT deduct from an Employee Wage

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SHRM & HRCI Approved Webinar | CEUs = 1.5 Credit Hours

Overview:

In payroll we calculate the gross wages of an employee by meticulously following strict regulations on what must be or must not be counted as hours worked and taxable income.  We pay the employee their net paycheck only by the payment method that is permitted.  But what about in between?  When it comes to deducting from the employee’s gross wages to achieve the net income are you also adhering strictly to the rules?

After calculating gross wages for an employee is accomplished, much more difficult decisions must be made.  What must an employer deduct from an employee’s wages? What can be deducted legally? What can never be deducted? These questions and more must be answered correctly before processing that paycheck. And if this is the employee’s final check…the rules may change! Handling deductions is a complex task that payroll must get right every time for every payroll check.  Failure to deduct the proper taxes could result in penalties on the employer from the IRS but making an illegal deduction for a fringe benefit or for collecting an overpayment can get the employer a visit from the federal Department of Labor auditor, the state department of labor auditor or both! Sometimes the federal government will allow the deduction but that certain state won’t.

What will You Learn:

  • Taxes—which are mandatory, which are a courtesy, and which ones the employee controls
  • Child support—the limits but not beyond
  • Tax levies—federal and state
  • Creditor garnishments—how many can you honor and how often
  • Voluntary wage assignments for “payday loans”—when are they required to be honored
  • Handling fringe benefits such as health insurance or group term life
  • Uniforms—when the employer pays for it and when the employee furnishes it
  • Meals—when they become part of the employee’s wages
  • Lodging—when it is part of the employee’s wages and when is it a perk
  • Shortages—the employee came up short, so they must cover that right?
  • Breakage—you broke it, so you have to pay for it, legal or not?
  • Overpayments—the employee was overpaid so you can just take the money back, or can you?
  • Advanced vacation pay—the employee knows the vacation hours were advanced so we can take them back when the employee quits can’t we?
  • Loans to employees: what terms can be set while the employee is still active and what can be taken when the employee terminates
  • Employee purchases—active employees and terminated employees
  • Anti-wage theft laws and the states

Why you should Attend:

In this webinar we will discuss what can and what cannot be deducted from an employee’s regular paycheck as well as their final one. Failure to follow the regulations pertaining to employee wage deductions can result in substantial penalties and interest.

Who can Benefit:

  • Payroll Executives/Managers/Administrators/Professionals/Practitioners/Entry Level Personnel
  • Human Resources Executives/Managers/Administrators
  • Accounting Personnel
  • Business Owners/Executive Officers/Operations and Departmental Managers
  • Lawmakers
  • Attorneys/Legal Professionals
  • Any individual or entity that must deal with the complexities and requirements of paying employees

SHRM -

CEU Trainers is recognized by SHRM to offer Professional Development Credits (PDCs) for the SHRM-CPSM or SHRM-SCPSM. This program is valid for 1.5 PDCs for the SHRM-CPSM or SHRM-SCPSM. For more information about certification or recertification, please visit - portal.shrm.org.

HRCI -

This webinar has been approved for 1.5 HR (General) re-certification credit hours toward California, GPHR, HRBP, HRMP, PHR, and SPHR recertification through the HR Certification Institute.

The use of this seal is not an endorsement by the HR Certification Institute of the quality of the activity. It means that this activity has met the HR Certification Institute’s criteria to be pre-approved for re-certification credit.

Author Images
Janette S. Levey
The Employers Lawyer

Janette S Levey “The Employer’s Lawyer” has over 20 years of legal experience, more than 10 of which she has spent in Employment Law. It was during her tenure as sole in-house counsel for a mid-size staffing company headquartered in Central New Jersey, with operations all over the continental US, that she truly developed her passion for Employment Law.

Janette works with employers on most employment law issues, to ensure that employers are in the best position possible to avoid litigation, audits, employee relations problems, and the attendant, often exorbitant costs. Janette has written articles on many different employment law issues for many publications, including EEO Insight, Staffing Industry Review, @Law, and Chief Legal Officer.

Janette has served on the Workplace Violence Prevention Institute, a multidisciplinary task force dedicated to providing proactive, holistic solutions to employers serious about promoting workplace safety and preventing workplace violence. Janette currently serves as an Advisory Board Member for Child and Family Resources of Morris County, New Jersey.

Janette has also spoken and trained on topics, such as Criminal Background Checks in the Hiring Process, Joint Employment, Severance Arrangements, Addressing and Preventing Employee Leave Abuse, Pre-Employment Screening among many, many others.