Rule Watch · For small employers
Rule Watch: your state employer rules, watched
Pick your states and your workforce. See every confirmed rule and your next deadlines on one private dashboard, and see what changed when our verified data changes.
What it does
- You choose the states you operate in, your headcount in each, and whether you have hourly, tipped or under-18 workers.
- Your private dashboard lists every confirmed rule for those states from our verified state data: minimum wage, unemployment tax (SUTA), paid sick leave, final pay, new hire reporting, workers' comp, meal and rest breaks, state W-2 and 1099 filing, E-Verify and reciprocity.
- Each rule shows the official source and the date we checked it, and your next deadlines are listed by date.
- Our research rounds keep the data files current. When a file changes (a new value, a new effective date, an item newly confirmed), your dashboard marks it Changed with the date and what changed, until you mark it read.
- Alerts live on the dashboard. We email your sign-in link, and on the Firm plans one CSV digest a month; there are no other emails or sequences.
A sample: New Jersey, from our data files today
6 of the 28 confirmed rules a New Jersey employer would see, exactly as the dashboard shows them, and the next dated deadlines.
-
ConfirmedTaxable wage base for 2027
$46,400 per employee in 2027 ($44,800 in 2026).
NJDOL lists $46,400 for calendar year 2027.
Source: NJDOL: Rate information, contributions, and due dates, checked November 2026 · More: New Jersey payroll register checker
-
ConfirmedReport each new hire to the state
Within 20 days of the hiring, re-hiring or return to work. Employers that report magnetically or electronically report every 15 days.
- Who: Newly hired and rehired employees who work in New Jersey.
- Independent contractors: yes, report them too. New Jersey law (N.J.S.A. 2A:17-56.61) covers the hiring of, or contracting with, any person who works in the state and to whom the employer expects to pay earnings.
- How: online. The state child support program points employers to the New Jersey Child Support Employer Services Portal.
Source: Official page, checked November 2026 · More: First hire checklist for New Jersey
-
ConfirmedMinimum wage change in 2027
Rises to $16.48 an hour on Friday, January 1, 2027.
NJDOL, September 29, 2026: $16.48 per hour for most employees, effective January 1, 2027.
Sources: NJDOL: 2027 minimum wage release (September 29, 2026); NJDOL My Work Rights: tipped workers; U.S. Department of Labor: State Minimum Wage Laws (updated November 5, 2026); U.S. Department of Labor: Minimum Wages for Tipped Employees (revised July 1, 2026), checked November 2026 · More: New Jersey employer compliance check-up
-
ConfirmedPaid sick leave
New Jersey Earned Sick Leave Law. Yes: a statewide paid sick leave law covers private employers.
- Accrual: 1 hour of earned sick leave for every 30 hours worked.
- Yearly limit: Up to 40 hours of earned sick leave per benefit year.
- Small employers: Employers of all sizes must provide paid earned sick leave to full-time, part-time and temporary employees.
- Carryover: Up to 40 hours of unused earned sick leave carries over into the next benefit year.
- Notice to employees: Employers must display the Earned Sick Leave poster and give each employee written notice of the right to earned sick leave.
- When it can be used: Employees must be able to use earned sick leave 120 days after their first day of employment, or sooner.
Sources: Earned Sick Leave Is the Law in New Jersey (NJ Department of Labor); Earned Sick Leave: What Employers Need to Know, MW-566 (NJ Department of Labor); N.J.S.A. 34:11D-8, earned sick leave preempts local ordinances (2023 New Jersey Revised Statutes, Justia), checked November 2026 · More: New Jersey paid sick leave
-
ConfirmedFinal pay when you let someone go
The employer may wait until the next regular payday for that pay period, whether the employee quit or was let go.
The employer may wait until the next regular payday designated for the pay period
Sources: NJ Wage and Hour Compliance: FAQs for workers; NJ DOL: Selected New Jersey State Labor Laws and Regulations (MW-71, October 2019), checked November 2026 · More: Laid off in New Jersey checklist
-
ConfirmedState copies of W-2s and 1099s
Provide New Jersey with copies of 1099 information returns when the amount paid or credited is $1,000 or more in a calendar year, or if any New Jersey income tax was withheld from the payment.
- W-2s: February 15 (state copies with Form NJ-W-3)
- 1099s: February 15
- Annual reconciliation: Form NJ-W-3, Gross Income Tax Reconciliation of Tax Withheld, due February 15.
- Electronic filing: Since tax year 2020, Form NJ-W-3 and all W-2, W-2G and 1099 attachments must be submitted electronically; paper filings by mail aren't accepted.
Source: NJ Division of Taxation: Reconciling Tax Withheld With Form NJ-W-3 (last updated 05/07/25), checked November 2026 · More: New Jersey 1099 filing requirements
Next deadlines in the sample
| Date | State | What | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friday, January 1, 2027 | New Jersey | Minimum wage rises to $16.48 an hour | |
| Saturday, January 30, 2027 | New Jersey | Unemployment tax report and payment for the fourth quarter of 2026 Falls on a Saturday. This is the date as the agency states it; check its rule for weekend due dates (see step 1). | NJDOL: Rate information, contributions, and due dates |
| Monday, February 1, 2027 | Federal | Form W-2 Copy A (with W-3) to SSA, and employee copies (federal) | IRS Topic no. 752, Filing Forms W-2 and W-3 |
| Monday, February 1, 2027 | Federal | Form 1099-MISC copies to payees (federal) | IRS Instructions for Forms 1099-MISC and 1099-NEC (Rev. December 2026) |
| Monday, February 1, 2027 | Federal | Form 1099-NEC to the IRS and to each payee (federal) | IRS Instructions for Forms 1099-MISC and 1099-NEC (Rev. December 2026) |
Recent changes found in our data
Real changes our checks recorded in the last 90 days, across all states.
-
Newly confirmedWyoming: New employer tax rate
Detected in our data/suta/wy.json file.
What changed in the file:
- new employer by industry: was not set; now yes
The rule now: No single rate: it depends on your industry. Wyoming DWS: new employers get a base rate tied to their industry, plus four additional rate factors. Your rate notice gives the exact figure.
Source: Wyoming DWS: Unemployment Tax Rates, checked November 2026
-
Newly confirmedWisconsin: Taxable wage base for 2027
Detected in our data/suta/wi.json file.
The official source now confirms this item; the value in our file is the same.
The rule now: Not announced yet when we checked in November 2026. Use the 2026 base below until the state publishes the 2027 figure, usually by January.
Source: Wisconsin DWD: UI Financing Summary, checked November 2026
-
Newly confirmedWashington: New employer tax rate
Detected in our data/suta/wa.json file.
What changed in the file:
- new employer by industry: was not set; now yes
- new employer note: was ESD: for 2026 new employers pay 115% of the average rate for their industry, at least 1%.; now ESD: "For 2026, you will pay 115% of the average rate for all businesses in your industry," and federal law sets the minimum at 1%.
The rule now: No single rate: it depends on your industry. ESD: "For 2026, you will pay 115% of the average rate for all businesses in your industry," and federal law sets the minimum at 1%. Your rate notice gives the exact figure.
Source: ESD: About unemployment tax rates, checked November 2026
-
Newly confirmedVermont: Taxable wage base for 2027
Detected in our data/suta/vt.json file.
The official source now confirms this item; the value in our file is the same.
The rule now: Not announced yet when we checked in November 2026. Use the 2026 base below until the state publishes the 2027 figure, usually by January.
Source: Vermont DOL: Quarterly Reporting & Taxable Wage Information, checked November 2026
Price
Every rule and deadline for the state you operate in.
For employers with staff in two to 5 states.
Up to 25 states, a monthly CSV digest to up to 5 people. For accounting and law firms and multi-location employers.
Every state and DC, the same monthly CSV digest to up to 15 people.
Billed monthly through Stripe; cancel any time from the billing portal. 14-day full refund: if Rule Watch is not right for you, email us within 14 days of your first payment and we refund it in full.
Already subscribed? Sign in to your dashboard.
What Rule Watch is not
Rule Watch is general information, not legal, tax or payroll advice. We are not lawyers, and MCC Solutions is not a law firm or a payroll service. Nothing here guarantees compliance or that every rule or change is listed. Rules change, cities and counties can add their own, and each agency's own page has the final word.
It does not file anything, run payroll or answer questions about your situation. For that, talk to a lawyer or payroll professional.
Questions
What does Rule Watch track?
For each state you choose: unemployment tax (SUTA) registration, wage base, new employer rate and due dates; new hire reporting; E-Verify; the minimum wage now and in 2027, including tipped and other rates; paid sick leave; meal and rest breaks; workers' comp; final pay; state W-2 and 1099 filing; and reciprocity with neighboring states. These come from the same state data files as our free employer checklists.
How do I hear about a change?
On your dashboard. When a value in one of our data files changes, a new effective date appears, or an item becomes confirmed, it shows as a Changed item with the date we found it, what changed, the source and its checked date. It stays at the top until you mark it read. We do not send alert emails or newsletters; the Firm plans add one CSV digest email a month.
What do the Firm plans add?
Firm ($49 a month) watches up to 25 states and Firm Plus ($99 a month) every state and DC. Each sends a monthly CSV digest by email (the last month's changes in our data for your states and the next dated deadlines) to up to 5 people on Firm or 15 on Firm Plus, counting the account email. Recipients can sign in to the same dashboard with their own email. Headcount per state is optional on these plans. Built for accounting and law firms and employers with several locations; it is the same data as the other plans, not advice about any client.
Where do the rules come from?
From the official pages each data file cites. A rule appears only when its official source stated it when we checked; anything we could not confirm is listed as not confirmed, with the agency page to check, and never with a guessed value.
Does it cover city and county rules?
Only where our state files note them, such as a local minimum wage or sick leave law. Local rules can differ from the state's, so check your city and county too.
How much is it?
$9 a month for one state, $19 a month for up to 5 states, $49 a month for Firm (up to 25 states) or $99 a month for Firm Plus (every state). Billed monthly through Stripe. Cancel any time from the billing portal on your dashboard.
Can I get a refund?
Yes. If Rule Watch is not right for you, email us within 14 days of your first payment and we refund it in full.
Is this legal or payroll advice?
No. We are not lawyers, and MCC Solutions is not a law firm or a payroll service. Rule Watch organizes published rules and dates; it does not guarantee compliance or that every rule or change is listed.
Free to use any time: employer compliance by state · 2027 state law changes for employers