So upset...I really got screwed

[Anonymous]

The year before last any extra babysitting or overnights that I did were not reported as part of my income. The only thing reported was my regular weekly paycheck. Apparently this past year they decided to also report the extra babysitting and the overnights I did for them as part of my income. I wouldn't have had a problem with that if they had paid me time and a half instead of just my normal hourly rate which is $12/hr. I also would have been fine with this if they had told me that they intended to do this. I could have put aside the extra money in taxes every time I babysat or did overnights had they just told me they were going to do this. They even reported my Christmas bonus which upsets me because I got stuff for them plus for the children so I feel like I gave them gifts and they gave me one so I think most people wouldn't have reported the bonus. It was a $200 bonus not a week or more of pay. I was grateful for the $200 but not grateful they reported it as part of my income. There went any future gift giving on my part. It all boils down to the fact that they could have just said something a long time ago so that when I go to do my taxes next week I won't get screwed and end up owing money. I am going to be looking for every possible deduction I can get to try and break even so I hopefully won't owe anything. My sister was saying she thought they reported the extra money because they were hoping to get a bigger amount back for the child tax credit. I am not sure that's the case though because don't you only get a set amount back per child for childcare expenses to begin with. I don't think they get more back just because they paid me a little more but then again I'm not an accountant so what do I know.

[Anonymous]

Wow that sucks. I would tell MB and DB that since you didn't know beforehand that you were going to be paying taxes on your OT and bonus that you did not set money aside and are not prepared to pay taxes on them. I would ask if there is anyway they could not report them for last year. I would tell them if they wanted to report it for this year that it would be fine as long as I knew ahead of time.

[Anonymous]

You are my #1 favorite troll.

[Anonymous]

I would tell them that
1. they should have told you they were reporting the extra hours
2. since they are were adding those babysitting hours that it is considered overtime and they owe you the overtime amount.
3. tell them moving forward you want everything done through a payroll company.
Say this all matter of fact and don't let them back out of the overtime. As for the bonus, you are are supposed to tax it but most families i come across don't.
I refuse to work for families who do not use a payroll company.

[Anonymous]

This is such a fake, they look like 12 year old kids.

[Anonymous]

Oh, now we see, it's a payroll company owner looking to boost her business. So lame. If OP was for real, she's so not bright, no wonder she feels screwed. MB owes her nothing here.

[Anonymous]

You can (and should) take this up with the wage & hour board at the dept. of labor if you can in any way document your OT hours.
They will then pursue them to ensure you get your OT if they are in the wrong. Plan on needing a new job.

But your bosses are totally right for reporting everything they did. They were following the rules on that, so I think it's fair to expect them to follow all the rules including OT!

[Anonymous]

OP, how long have you been a sitter?

[Anonymous]

9:10 I didn't disagree with them reporting if. What I disagreed with was them not letting me know that they reported it and not giving me over time since they were reporting it. Since I didn't think based on prior experience with them that they were taking taxes from it I just didn't say anything about time and a half. I figured who cares if they aren't taking taxes out then I won't squabble with them over it because it's all money in my pocket and I wouldn't be missing any of it. Oh how wrong I was. I will be speaking with them and showing them a print out from Homework Solutions that states that over time must be paid at 1.5 times the normal rate for all over time hours. Can't wait to see their faces when I tell them they owe me a lot of money in over time. Someone mentioned that they should use a payroll company. They actually do use one. They do nanny taxes every year through Homework Solutions which is part of 4nannytaxes.com. I have been with them for 2 1/2 years so the previous year they didn't report this extra income and all of a sudden decided to report it this year. I just wish they had said something earlier so I could have been taking out appropriate taxes. They were taking the taxes out of my check and reporting my earnings to homework solutions all along but any time I babysat they would either give me a separate check or add it onto my work check for the week if I babysat on a night that I was due my weekly paycheck. If they were planning to report the extra then how come they didn't go ahead and take the taxes from it all right there. My theory is that they didn't take them out because they knew I would be saying hey where's my time and a half then. I really don't feel like having this you owe me money conversation with them but I don't want to get screwed again. I am hoping to bring this up in a polite way that won't result in loss of job. I am not prepared to lose this job yet and don't really make enough to have much in savings at any given time. I just started the job hunt so hopefully I can find something quickly and give notice. I'm really going to miss the kids though.

[Anonymous]

Op here: the troll poster is really starting to get on my nerves. Not everyone who posts on this forum is a troll. If you have no useful commentary besides calling someone a troll then please just be quiet.

[Anonymous]

Homework Solutions didn't give you a paystub every time you got your paycheck???

[Anonymous]

Also, tell us what state you are in.

[Anonymous]

I live in NC and I have never gotten any pay stubs. I mentioned to MB that I would like to get pay stubs and she said she didn't feel it was necessary as I could see what I was getting every week when she handed me my check. WTH! In light of this newest incident I think I will be asking for pay stubs once again and saying that I feel a need to receive them.

[Anonymous]

So you're saying Homework Solutions isn't giving you paycheck stubs? Something doesn't measure up in your story.

[Anonymous]

They are legally obligated to give you at least an initial paystub or breakdown of the withholdings. You need to have a record and I way of knowing they are actually withholding and not skimming money from your paycheck. Also, if they are reporting all of your hours including those for babysitting, all hours over 40 must be paid at 1.5 times your before 40 rate. There also cannot be a separate daytime nanny rate and a babysitting rate just in case they try that one. Show them the IRS publication on household employees to start with. If they refuse to cooperate contact your local labor office and report them for nonpayment of OT