Author:

Rachel Blakely-Gray

As Patriot's Content Manager, Rachel creates engaging and informative content aimed to help business owners understand complex accounting and payroll topics.

Accountant learning how to do affiliate marketing.

How to Do Affiliate Marketing: Guide for Accountants and Bookkeepers

By Rachel Blakely-Gray

Finding new ways to drive passive income is a business-savvy move. That’s why more accountants are learning how to do affiliate marketing.

Woman stepping out of her car logging her business use of vehicle in her cell phone.

Business Use of Vehicle: Drive Your Way to Tax Savings

By Rachel Blakely-Gray

How often do you drive to meet a client or your accountant? Do you frequently make bank runs for your business? Depending on your business use of vehicle, you may qualify for a nice-sized tax deduction.

Man reviewing self-employment tax deductions

9 Self-employment Tax Deductions You Should Be Taking

By Rachel Blakely-Gray

If you are self-employed, you might be overwhelmed by the expenses you have, including your self-employment tax liabilities. However, you can claim self-employment tax deductions to reduce the amount you owe in taxes. See how you can take advantage of self-employed tax relief below.

Woman learning how to fill out Form W-4.

How to Fill Out Form W-4: Helping Your Employees

By Rachel Blakely-Gray

When you hire a new employee, you must collect a completed Form W-4, Employee’s Withholding Certificate. This is how you determine federal income tax withholding. At some point in the onboarding process, an employee may ask you how to fill out Form W-4.

Federal Income Tax Withholding Tables 2025: Updates and What to Know

By Rachel Blakely-Gray

The IRS has released the 2025 tax brackets, along with updated federal income tax withholding tables for employers. Use these updated tax tables to calculate federal income tax on employee wages in 2025.

New W-4 Form: IRS Makes Minor Changes to 2025 Form, Allowances Still Out

By Rachel Blakely-Gray

You don’t file Form W-4 with the IRS, but your payroll depends on it. Employers use Form W-4 to determine how much to withhold from an employee’s gross wages for federal income tax. How familiar are you with the new W-4 form for 2025?

Form W-4, Employee's Withholding Certificate.

State W-4 Forms: Don’t Forget to Collect from New Hires

By Rachel Blakely-Gray

When you hire new employees, you must collect information to verify employment eligibility and run payroll. Federal Forms W-4 and I-9 are just the beginning when it comes to new employee forms. You may also need to collect state-specific forms, including your state’s W-4. What is the state W-4 form?

man learning how to calculate net pay from gross pay

How to Calculate Net Pay: Step-by-step Guide and Examples

By Rachel Blakely-Gray

Employee salary: $50,000 a year. But you know that’s not what they’re walking away with. Between taxes and benefit deductions, the employee’s take-home pay could be far from the $50,000 sticker price (cue the sad violin). Learn how to calculate net pay to find your employees’ take-home wages.

Employer learning how to generate a W-2 form.

How to Generate a W-2: Use Software or Manually Fill in the Form

By Rachel Blakely-Gray

The year-end and new year are filled with payroll responsibilities—like filing and distributing Forms W-2 to your team. But first, you need to know how to generate a W-2 form for your employees.

Illinois Paid Leave: Paid Time Off for Any Reason

By Rachel Blakely-Gray

Are you an Illinois employer? Do you provide paid time off (PTO) to your employees? Providing paid time off is no longer a choice—it’s a state mandate. In March 2023, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed SB208 into law, requiring Illinois paid leave.