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CHESS Bookkeeping & Payroll. Clear books. Reliable payroll. Smart next moves.
The Chess Insights Journal

Smarter Books. Stronger Business.

Practical, plain language guidance on keeping your books clean and your payroll running smoothly. Written for small business owners, not accountants.

A polished silver and emerald chess king standing on a dark obsidian chessboard beside an open elegant emerald framed ledger book whose page shows a paid time off accrual tracking worksheet with neat rows of employee names, PTO balance columns labeled with small emerald calendar icons and small emerald hourglass icons for accrued hours, used hours, and remaining hours, a emerald fountain pen resting on the last row, a small sleek laptop computer showing a clean PTO tracking dashboard with a small emerald bar chart and small emerald calendar icons on its screen, a neat stack of printed PTO policy documents in soft focus behind it, small silver coins arranged in two matching rows, all on a deep charcoal background with soft silver and emerald light, representing how to manage paid time off in payroll.
Payroll
Guide

How to Manage Paid Time Off in Payroll

Managing paid time off in payroll means turning each hour of PTO into the right accrual, the right balance, the right deductions, and the right net pay, so every PTO run ties to the payroll record and the bank. When PTO is run loosely, the accrual is wrong, the balance drifts, and the run stops matching the record. The good news is that most PTO runs follow the same small set of steps, which means one routine handles them cleanly. This guide walks through how to manage paid time off in payroll, from the pieces you track to the steps that turn PTO into an accurate run, with two real examples and a clear set of checks so your next PTO run starts from numbers that agree.

February 4, 20267 min read
A polished silver and emerald chess king standing on a dark obsidian chessboard beside an open elegant emerald framed ledger book whose page shows a payroll setup worksheet with neat rows of employee names, multiple pay rate columns labeled with small emerald dollar sign icons for different roles and shifts, a emerald fountain pen resting on the last row, a small sleek laptop computer showing a clean payroll setup dashboard with a small emerald bar chart and small emerald dollar sign icons on its screen, a neat stack of printed payroll setup documents in soft focus behind it, small silver coins arranged in two matching rows, all on a deep charcoal background with soft silver and emerald light, representing how to set up payroll for multiple pay rates.
Payroll
Guide

How to Set Up Payroll for Multiple Pay Rates

Setting up payroll for multiple pay rates means turning each hour worked into the right rate, the right gross pay, the right deductions, and the right net pay, so every run ties to the payroll record and the bank. When multiple rates are set up loosely, the wrong rate is applied, the hours are split wrong, and the run stops matching the record. The good news is that most multi rate runs follow the same small set of steps, which means one setup handles them cleanly. This guide walks through how to set up payroll for multiple pay rates, from the pieces you track to the steps that turn hours into an accurate run, with two real examples and a clear set of checks so your next multi rate run starts from numbers that agree.

January 28, 20267 min read
A polished silver and emerald chess king standing on a dark obsidian chessboard beside an open elegant emerald framed ledger book whose page shows a sales commission payroll worksheet with neat rows of employee names, sales amounts, commission rates, and commission amounts, small emerald percent sign icons beside each commission row, a emerald fountain pen resting on the last row, a small sleek laptop computer showing a clean commission payroll dashboard with a small emerald bar chart and a small emerald percent icon on its screen, a neat stack of printed sales reports in soft focus behind it, small silver coins arranged in two matching rows, all on a deep charcoal background with soft silver and emerald light, representing how to handle commissions in payroll.
Payroll
Guide

How to Handle Commissions in Payroll

Handling commissions in payroll means turning each commission amount into the right gross pay, the right deductions, and the right net pay, so every commission run ties to the payroll record and the bank. When commissions are run loosely, the commission amount is wrong, the deductions are missed, and the run stops matching the record. The good news is that most commission runs follow the same small set of steps, which means one routine handles them cleanly. This guide walks through how to handle commissions in payroll, from the pieces you track to the steps that turn a commission into an accurate run, with two real examples and a clear set of checks so your next commission run starts from numbers that agree.

January 21, 20266 min read
A polished silver and emerald chess king standing on a dark obsidian chessboard beside an open elegant emerald framed ledger book whose page shows an employee bonus payroll worksheet with neat rows of employee names, bonus types, bonus amounts, and total bonus columns, small emerald star icons beside each bonus row, a emerald fountain pen resting on the last row, a small sleek laptop computer showing a clean bonus payroll dashboard with a small emerald bar chart and a small emerald star icon on its screen, a neat stack of printed payroll documents and a small emerald gift box in soft focus behind it, small silver coins arranged in two matching rows, all on a deep charcoal background with soft silver and emerald light, representing how to handle employee bonuses through payroll.
Payroll
Guide

How to Handle Employee Bonuses Through Payroll

Handling employee bonuses through payroll means turning each bonus amount into the right gross pay, the right deductions, and the right net pay, so every bonus run ties to the payroll record and the bank. When bonuses are run loosely, the bonus amount is wrong, the deductions are missed, and the run stops matching the record. The good news is that most bonus runs follow the same small set of steps, which means one routine handles them cleanly. This guide walks through how to handle employee bonuses through payroll, from the pieces you track to the steps that turn a bonus into an accurate run, with two real examples and a clear set of checks so your next bonus run starts from numbers that agree.

January 14, 20267 min read
A polished silver and emerald chess pawn on a dark obsidian chessboard shown mid transition into a taller ornate emerald chess queen, with an open black leather ledger book with emerald embossed columns and neat rows of emerald financial figures, a emerald fountain pen, and a small stack of brass coins on a charcoal surface between them, representing switching from do it yourself bookkeeping to professional bookkeeping support for Chess Bookkeeping & Payroll.
Bookkeeping
Guide

How to Switch From DIY Bookkeeping to Professional Support

Moving from do it yourself bookkeeping to professional support is a practical step once your business grows. This guide walks through what to gather, what to expect during onboarding, and how to hand off your books without losing momentum.

July 25, 20267 min read
A polished silver and emerald chess king standing on a dark obsidian chessboard beside an open elegant emerald framed ledger book whose page shows an overtime tracking worksheet with neat rows of employee names, regular hours, overtime hours, overtime pay rates, and overtime pay columns, small emerald clock icons beside each row, a small emerald equals sign at the bottom, a emerald fountain pen resting on the last row, a small sleek laptop computer showing a clean overtime tracking dashboard with a small emerald clock icon and a small emerald overtime hour counter on its screen, a neat stack of printed timesheets and a wall clock in soft focus behind it, small silver coins arranged in two matching rows, all on a deep charcoal background with soft silver and emerald light, representing how to track employee overtime hours for payroll.
Payroll
Guide

How to Track Employee Overtime Hours

Tracking employee overtime hours means separating the regular hours from the overtime hours every period, confirming the split is right, and keeping a record that ties the overtime to the pay and the time. When overtime is tracked loosely, the split is missed or doubled, the overtime pay is wrong, and the run stops matching the time record. The good news is that most overtime runs follow the same small set of steps, which means one routine handles them cleanly. This guide walks through how to track employee overtime hours, from the pieces you track to the steps that turn the hours into an accurate run, with two real examples and a clear set of checks so your next run starts from numbers that agree.

January 7, 20267 min read
A polished silver and emerald chess king standing on a dark obsidian chessboard beside an open elegant emerald framed ledger book whose page shows a part time payroll worksheet with neat rows of employee names, hours worked, part time pay rates, and net pay columns, small emerald clock icons beside each row, a small emerald equals sign at the bottom, a emerald fountain pen resting on the last row, a small sleek laptop computer showing a clean part time payroll dashboard with a small emerald clock icon and a small emerald hourglass icon on its screen, a neat stack of printed timesheets and a wall clock in soft focus behind it, small silver coins arranged in two matching rows, all on a deep charcoal background with soft silver and emerald light, representing how to process payroll for part time employees.
Payroll
Guide

How to Process Payroll for Part-Time Employees

Processing payroll for part time employees means turning each employee hours into the right gross pay, the right deductions, and the right net pay, so every run ties to the timesheet and the bank. When part time hours are tracked loosely, the pay drifts, the overtime is missed or overcounted, and the run stops matching the time record. The good news is that most part time runs follow the same small set of steps, which means one routine handles them cleanly. This guide walks through how to process payroll for part time employees, from the pieces you track to the steps that turn hours into an accurate run, with two real examples and a clear set of checks so your next run starts from numbers that agree.

December 31, 20256 min read
A polished silver and emerald chess king standing on a dark obsidian chessboard beside an open elegant emerald framed ledger book whose page shows a salaried payroll worksheet with neat rows of employee names, annual salary amounts, pay period dates, and net pay columns, small emerald calendar icons beside each row, a small emerald equals sign at the bottom, a emerald fountain pen resting on the last row, a small sleek laptop computer showing a clean payroll dashboard with a small emerald calendar icon and a small emerald salary figure on its screen, a neat stack of salary schedules and bank statements, small silver coins arranged in two matching rows, all on a deep charcoal background with soft silver and emerald light, representing how to manage payroll for salaried employees.
Payroll
Guide

How to Manage Payroll for Salaried Employees

Managing payroll for salaried employees means turning each salary into the right gross pay, the right deductions, and the right net pay for every pay period, so every run ties to the salary record and the bank. When a salary amount is tracked loosely, the pay drifts, a raise is missed, and the run stops matching the record. The good news is that most salaried runs follow the same small set of steps, which means one routine handles them cleanly. This guide walks through how to manage payroll for salaried employees, from the pieces you track to the steps that turn a salary into an accurate run, with two real examples and a clear set of checks so your next run starts from numbers that agree.

December 24, 20256 min read
A polished silver and emerald chess king standing on a dark obsidian chessboard beside an open elegant emerald framed ledger book whose page shows a payroll timesheet worksheet with neat rows of hourly clock in and clock out times, hours worked, regular pay, and overtime pay columns, small emerald clock icons beside each row, a small emerald equals sign with a total hours figure at the bottom, a emerald fountain pen resting on the last row being totaled, a small sleek laptop computer showing a clean time tracking dashboard with a small emerald clock icon and a small emerald hourglass icon on its screen, a neat stack of printed timesheets and a wall clock in soft focus behind it, small silver coins arranged in two matching rows, all on a deep charcoal background with soft silver and emerald light, representing how to manage payroll for hourly employees.
Payroll
Guide

How to Manage Payroll for Hourly Employees

Managing payroll for hourly employees means turning each employee hours into the right gross pay, the right overtime, the right deductions, and the right net pay, so every run ties to the timesheet and the bank. When hours are tracked loosely, the pay drifts, the overtime is missed or overcounted, and the run stops matching the time record. The good news is that most hourly runs follow the same small set of steps, which means one routine handles them cleanly. This guide walks through how to manage payroll for hourly employees, from the pieces you track to the steps that turn hours into an accurate run, with two real examples and a clear set of checks so your next run starts from numbers that agree.

December 17, 20256 min read
A polished silver and emerald chess king standing on a dark obsidian chessboard beside an open elegant emerald framed ledger book whose page shows a payroll journal entry worksheet with two neat columns labeled debit and credit, rows for wages expense, payroll tax expense, payroll tax liabilities, benefit deductions, and cash, with small emerald checkmarks confirming each entry balances, a small emerald equals sign at the bottom, a emerald fountain pen resting on the last row being recorded, a small sleek laptop computer showing a clean bookkeeping dashboard with journal entries and a small emerald ledger icon on its screen, a neat stack of payroll summaries and bank statements side by side, small silver coins arranged in two matching rows, all on a deep charcoal background with soft silver and emerald light, representing how to record payroll expenses in bookkeeping with clean journal entries.
Payroll
Guide

How to Record Payroll Expenses in Bookkeeping

Recording payroll expenses in bookkeeping means turning each run into the journal entries that put the wages, the employer taxes, the deductions, and the net pay in the right accounts, so the books match the bank and the general ledger reads true. When a run is paid but never recorded, the cash leaves but the wages never hit the books, the liabilities drift, and the reports stop matching the register. The good news is that most runs follow the same small set of entries, which means one recording routine handles them cleanly. This guide walks through how to record payroll expenses in bookkeeping, from the accounts you touch to the entries that tie the run to the bank, with two real examples and a clear set of checks so your next close starts from numbers that agree.

December 10, 20256 min read

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