Payroll accounting includes the computation of gross wages (hours worked times hourly pay rate) and other compensation such as salaries, employee commissions, and bonuses. Payroll accounting also involves payroll withholdings, such as Social Security and Medicare taxes, federal and state income tax withholdings, and voluntary withholdings. Voluntary withholdings include union dues, health insurance premiums, United Way contributions, and contributions to savings and retirement plans.
In addition to the computation of the gross wages and salaries, payroll accounting is involved with the calculation and reporting of other payroll related expenses. These additional employer expenses include the matching of Social Security and Medicare taxes, federal and state unemployment taxes, worker compensation insurance, paid holidays, paid vacation days, pension costs, health insurance premiums, and so on. These expenses can amount to an additional 40% of the employees' wages and salaries.
Because of accrual accounting and the matching principle, it is reasonable that companies should recognize the expense and liability of payroll related costs when they are earned by the employees—not when the company pays the costs. For example, the cost of providing agreed upon vacations should be reported as an additional labor cost and a liability when the employee is earning the vacation. Retirement pay and company-paid health insurance during employees' retirement years should also be recorded as an additional cost and liability when the employees are working and earning these benefits.
Both the payroll taxes withheld from employees' pay and the payroll taxes that are an additional cost of the employer are reported as current liabilities until they are remitted to the federal and state governments and other parties.
Featured Review
"I currently hold the position of Environmental, Health, and Safety Specialist. I became a PRO user because while pursuing my degree in paralegal studies, I was required to take classes in accounting. My online class was completely self-taught, and I found myself struggling to understand the concepts as they were presented in the textbook. When I looked for online help, I found AccountingCoach. Becoming a PRO user allowed me to access lessons that made understanding my classes so much easier. I like that the lessons walk you through the concepts of accounting and are very clear to understand. They don't throw too much at you at one time; they make it easy for you to grasp one lesson before moving on to the next. Thanks to AccountingCoach, I was able to complete my accounting classes and graduate with my degree. Since then, I have become responsible for the finances of my team, and everything I have learned allows me to work with our finance department each quarter to review our books." - Chad B.
Join PRO or PRO Plus and Get Lifetime Access to Our Premium Materials
Read all 2,645 reviewsWe now offer 10 Certificates of Achievement for Introductory Accounting and Bookkeeping: