Anonymous
08/24/2025 17:44
Subject: How to legally pay a PT nanny
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I’m on maternity leave and my husband is back at work. We are looking for a PT nanny to come and give me a break for 4 hours a weekday — exact hours flexible.
Husband says that due to his status as a federal employee, we have to do everything legally. No Venmo/cash payments.
Has anyone else dealt with this? Any advice for paying them above board and finding someone okay with it?
There is nothing illegal about paying with those methods. You could even use barter or glass shards and trinkets if you wanted.
It is entirely up to the person receiving pay to keep track of it for IRS purposes.
Not true for workers in your home.
Anonymous
08/24/2025 17:36
Subject: How to legally pay a PT nanny
Anonymous wrote:I’m on maternity leave and my husband is back at work. We are looking for a PT nanny to come and give me a break for 4 hours a weekday — exact hours flexible.
Husband says that due to his status as a federal employee, we have to do everything legally. No Venmo/cash payments.
Has anyone else dealt with this? Any advice for paying them above board and finding someone okay with it?
There is nothing illegal about paying with those methods. You could even use barter or glass shards and trinkets if you wanted.
It is entirely up to the person receiving pay to keep track of it for IRS purposes.
Anonymous
08/24/2025 10:49
Subject: How to legally pay a PT nanny
We used Breedlove which uses Homepay. They were fantastic. It was simple to get started. The nanny loved it, too. She always got paid every Friday. She didn’t need to remind the parents to pay her which she despised at the other home. Her taxes were easy and so were ours. Also, we never had to discuss money or pass cash. Loved, loved, loved Breedlove.
Anonymous
08/24/2025 10:44
Subject: How to legally pay a PT nanny
Others have already addressed the payment part, but I just wanted to suggest that since you are flexible with the timing of the hours, you may want to search for someone in the morning/very early afternoon. So many parents of school age children are looking for the "after school nanny" so it's a lot harder. Someone who is already working as an "after school nanny" might be looking for morning hours.
Anonymous
08/24/2025 07:07
Subject: How to legally pay a PT nanny
I think finding part time nannies can be challenging but we had no issues finding someone to work on the books. We also use Poppins Payroll and it’s great.
Anonymous
08/24/2025 06:57
Subject: How to legally pay a PT nanny
Everyone who has social security should be ok with it unless they are afraid of taxes more than what they may get back.
Part time job makes them low income earner and the taxes they pay are very low.
As a low income worker filing HH, I claim earned income credit, CTC, saver's credit.
I wouldn't get any of the money back, usually $4-$5k, if I worked under the table.
I also wouldn't be able to contribute to Roth IRA.
Part time job makes them low income earner and the taxes they pay are very low.
As a low income worker filing HH, I claim earned income credit, CTC, saver's credit.
I wouldn't get any of the money back, usually $4-$5k, if I worked under the table.
I also wouldn't be able to contribute to Roth IRA.
Anonymous
08/24/2025 06:45
Subject: Re:How to legally pay a PT nanny
Anonymous wrote:I think using Venmo the pay can also be legal since your Nanny will have to file a 1099 at tax time so her earnings will be reported.
This is entirely wrong. It's illegal to make a nanny an independent contractor, but besides that, it would never be the worker filing their own 1099!?!
Anonymous
08/24/2025 06:08
Subject: Re:How to legally pay a PT nanny
I think using Venmo the pay can also be legal since your Nanny will have to file a 1099 at tax time so her earnings will be reported.
Anonymous
08/22/2025 18:24
Subject: How to legally pay a PT nanny
Anonymous wrote:+1 to using poppins payroll, we used for our PT nanny
+2, I am also a fed and had similar concerns about being completely above board. We used poppins payroll, did insurance, etc. It's not cheap.
Anonymous
08/22/2025 18:22
Subject: How to legally pay a PT nanny
Once a week or once a day?
Anonymous
08/22/2025 18:14
Subject: How to legally pay a PT nanny
+1 to using poppins payroll, we used for our PT nanny
Anonymous
08/22/2025 12:56
Subject: How to legally pay a PT nanny
Anonymous wrote:Yup, it's not a big deal and it's pretty common in DC. You may have a bit of a harder time finding someone who wants part time hours and is willing to work on the books, but for full time, long term, professional nannies, we've never had a problem finding folks who will work on the books.
You can just use a payroll service. We use Poppins Payroll, and it's been great. Very easy to use, and reasonably inexpensive (I think it's $40 a month?) and it makes it easy to get FSA reimbursements too if either of you have access to that through your jobs (since you can print paystubs from the system). It looks a bit more expensive than the other options, but that's because it's all inclusive. Some of the other ones charge a smaller monthly fee but then make you pay extra for every tax form, for example.
Oh, and you also need to buy workers comp insurance. We bought it through our homeowners insurance company. One phone call, and fairly inexpensive as I recall.
Anonymous
08/22/2025 12:55
Subject: How to legally pay a PT nanny
Yup, it's not a big deal and it's pretty common in DC. You may have a bit of a harder time finding someone who wants part time hours and is willing to work on the books, but for full time, long term, professional nannies, we've never had a problem finding folks who will work on the books.
You can just use a payroll service. We use Poppins Payroll, and it's been great. Very easy to use, and reasonably inexpensive (I think it's $40 a month?) and it makes it easy to get FSA reimbursements too if either of you have access to that through your jobs (since you can print paystubs from the system). It looks a bit more expensive than the other options, but that's because it's all inclusive. Some of the other ones charge a smaller monthly fee but then make you pay extra for every tax form, for example.
You can just use a payroll service. We use Poppins Payroll, and it's been great. Very easy to use, and reasonably inexpensive (I think it's $40 a month?) and it makes it easy to get FSA reimbursements too if either of you have access to that through your jobs (since you can print paystubs from the system). It looks a bit more expensive than the other options, but that's because it's all inclusive. Some of the other ones charge a smaller monthly fee but then make you pay extra for every tax form, for example.
Anonymous
08/22/2025 12:54
Subject: How to legally pay a PT nanny
Maybe find a mature high school or college student who is willing to pay taxes?
Some will raise their hourly rate to be on the books.
Some will raise their hourly rate to be on the books.
Anonymous
08/22/2025 12:52
Subject: How to legally pay a PT nanny
I’m on maternity leave and my husband is back at work. We are looking for a PT nanny to come and give me a break for 4 hours a weekday — exact hours flexible.
Husband says that due to his status as a federal employee, we have to do everything legally. No Venmo/cash payments.
Has anyone else dealt with this? Any advice for paying them above board and finding someone okay with it?
Husband says that due to his status as a federal employee, we have to do everything legally. No Venmo/cash payments.
Has anyone else dealt with this? Any advice for paying them above board and finding someone okay with it?