Overtime Ready
2026 W-2s · restaurants and bars

Your W-2s need two new numbers. We find them.

Starting with 2026 pay, W-2s report qualified tips and qualified overtime so your staff can claim the new deductions. Send your timeclock and tip exports. You get per-worker figures, occupation codes, and a list of overtime problems to fix before year end.

  • Done for you from raw exports
  • Catches tipped-overtime underpay
  • Ready for your payroll provider
Sample deliverable page

W-2 Readiness, page 1 sample

How it works

Exports in. W-2 figures out.

Send your exports

Timeclock hours and tip reports from your POS or payroll, January to date.

We do the math

Overtime premium by week, tips by worker, the IRS tipped-occupation code for each role, and checks on the overtime rate itself.

Hand it to payroll

A sheet your payroll provider can load, plus a fix list for anything that looks underpaid.

The catch nobody mentions

Tipped overtime is often paid wrong

For a tipped worker, the overtime cash rate is 1.5 times the full minimum wage minus the tip credit. In Illinois in 2026 that is $16.50 an hour, not 1.5 times the $9.00 tipped wage. Bonuses also count in the regular rate. Finding this before W-2s go out is cheaper than finding it in a claim.

What we check

  • Tipped overtime cash rate (29 CFR 531.60)
  • Bonuses in the regular rate (29 CFR 778.208)
  • Exempt staff left out of overtime figures
  • Tip totals by IRS occupation code
The deliverable

Figures your payroll provider can use

Per-worker totals, the occupation code, and the week-by-week math behind every number.

  • Qualified overtime and qualified tips per worker
  • IRS tipped-occupation code per role
  • Week-by-week overtime math
  • Fix list: underpaid overtime and missing data
  • Excel file your payroll provider can load
Sample deliverable
W-2 Readiness, page 1fictional data
Plain about what this is

Who we are and are not

What we do

  • Calculate tips and overtime figures from your exports
  • Assign IRS tipped-occupation codes
  • Flag overtime that looks underpaid
  • Re-run in January with the full year

What we do not do

  • We are not a payroll provider and do not file W-2s
  • We are not a CPA or law firm
  • We do not change your payroll records
  • We do not store staff data after delivery
Pricing

Flat prices. Paid once.

Per location, for the full 2026 year.

Location

$299

Up to 25 workers

  • Full-year figures
  • Overtime fix list
  • January re-run included
Choose Location

Group

$199

Per location, 3 or more

  • Same as Location, per site
  • One combined summary
Choose Group
Honest comparison. Box 12 Helper sells a do-it-yourself calculator for $49 per company, or $199 for a bookkeeper covering all clients (box12.jtsapps.com, Oct 24, 2026). If you are comfortable with spreadsheets, start there. We are done-for-you from raw exports, and we check whether the overtime was paid right, not just how much there was.
FAQ

Questions buyers ask

What are the new W-2 figures?

For 2026 pay, employers report qualified overtime and qualified tips (Box 12) and the worker's tipped-occupation code. Workers use them to claim the new deductions. Confirm details with your payroll provider.

Does my payroll provider do this?

Ask them. Many report what you give them; check whether yours calculates qualified overtime from raw punches and checks the tipped overtime rate. If it does, you may not need us.

What is qualified overtime?

The premium half of time-and-a-half required by the FLSA, not the whole overtime paycheck.

What do you need?

Timeclock and tip reports for 2026 to date, and your pay rates by role.

Is this tax advice?

No. We do the math and show it. Your CPA or payroll provider makes the filing decisions.

Fix overtime before the year closes

Underpaid overtime found in November can be fixed in a December paycheck.

Book a readiness check