When does my employee get paid?
Poppins pays a week in arrears. On a weekly schedule, each pay period runs Saturday through Friday, and your employee is paid the following Friday. Here’s how a typical week works:
- Friday: The pay period ends, and we email you a reminder.
- Monday by 11:59 a.m. MT: Update hours if they’re different from your default hours.
- Monday: We start the bank transactions.
- Tuesday or Wednesday: The payment is debited from your bank account.
- Friday: Your employee gets paid, and their pay stub arrives by email.
Want to pay closer to real time? If you pay by employer check, you can update hours when you get Friday’s reminder and pay your employee the net amount right away, by check or a payment app. The official pay date in Poppins stays a week later, and that’s when your employee’s pay stub arrives.
More FAQs
Got questions? We’ve got answers.
The $49/month subscription fee includes household payroll services for one employee. It covers payroll processing, tax payments, quarterly filings, and year-end tax documents (W-2, W-3, and Schedule H) for active accounts.
Poppins handles federal and state tax account registrations as required, based on applicable employment laws and thresholds. You can manage payroll through your personalized dashboard — choosing weekly, biweekly, semimonthly, or monthly pay schedules (unless restricted by state rules).
We can process payments by direct deposit or you can issue checks (or electronic transfers) yourself. At the end of each quarter, we’ll collect the applicable state and federal taxes and submit them along with all required reports.
If your account is closed before the end of a quarter or calendar year, preparation or submission of those filings will be billed separately. Additional fees may apply for state registrations, amended filings, or prior wages documentation.
Nannies, babysitters, and most in-home childcare providers are household employees because you determine their schedule, workplace, and responsibilities.
We guarantee accurate, on-time tax filings. If we ever cause a penalty, we’ll cover it. Period.
If you pay more than $3,000 in a year or $1,000 in a quarter, you must pay Social Security, Medicare, and unemployment taxes, plus any state-specific taxes.
Yes! Poppins is available in every state in the US, with experts who know the ins and outs of every state’s rules.
Legal pay gives your nanny benefits like Social Security and Medicare credits, unemployment insurance, and in some states, disability or paid family leave — while protecting you from fines or legal issues.
We specialize in household payroll only — it’s a different world from business payroll. For small businesses, we recommend our trusted partner, Gusto.
Your nanny must fill out Form I-9 (to verify work eligibility) and Form W-4 (for federal tax elections), plus any state tax forms. Poppins provides and guides you through them.
Some states require one, but even if yours doesn’t, a written agreement is highly recommended. Poppins provides sample contracts you can customize.
Yes. For active customers, we prepare, file, and pay all required federal, state, and local taxes on time, every time, with guaranteed accuracy. Plus, we also handle year-end W-2s and employer forms for active customers.
You can create your Poppins account any time before your nanny’s first paycheck.
We recommend completing full onboarding about one week before your nanny’s start date. This includes linking a valid U.S. bank account and adding your employee’s information.
Giving yourself that week ensures everything is ready before the first payroll run. Because Poppins pays a week in arrears, your employee’s first paycheck arrives the Friday after their first pay period ends. Let them know before their first day so the timing isn’t a surprise.
Yes. Each family is considered a separate household employer. That means each sets up their own Poppins account and issues their own W-2s. We’ll guide you through it step by step.
We’ve got you covered. You can set multiple hourly rates (plus overtime and reimbursements) right in your dashboard.
Because household payroll is trickier than business payroll. We focus only on families like yours, so we know the rules inside out — from overtime laws to PTO accruals.