Josh Ard
As we hit the halfway mark of 2025, it’s the perfect time to pause, assess, and realign your payroll and HR processes to ensure compliance, maximize benefits engagement, and finish the year strong. Mid-year check-ins help you stay ahead of tax filings, benefits deadlines, and employee classification updates, while giving your team the clarity and support they need for the second half of the year.
Here’s your guide to the key payroll and HR tasks, plus critical compliance dates to mark on your calendar:
Payroll Priorities for Mid-Year
Run a Payroll Compliance Check-Up
Take time this summer to review the foundational elements of your payroll setup. Ensure everything is aligned with evolving federal, state, and local regulations:
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Reassess employee classification (exempt vs. non-exempt)
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Ensure proper overtime calculations under the FLSA
Watch our recent Lunch & Learn with Williams Mullen discussing understanding FLSA Exemptions & Compliance, if you want to better understand FLSA. -
Review any state or local tax rate changes effective July 1
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Confirm ACA measurement periods and full-time status tracking
Tax Quarter-End Schedule Deadlines
All Dominion Payroll payroll adjustments must be processed by 5:00 PM ET on the last day for adjustments listed. Adjustments submitted after the deadline will require an amended tax filing and will not be reflected in the original tax filing.
- Q2 Adjustment Deadline: July 7, 2025
- Q3 Adjustment Deadline: October 6, 2025
- Q4 Adjustment Deadline: January 7, 2026
HR Prioritizes to Keep Top of Mind
Evaluate Retirement Plans, HSAs, and Benefit Engagement
Are your employees making the most of their benefit options? A mid-year push can help improve participation and financial wellness.
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Launch a 401(k) or HSA education campaign to boost awareness.
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Review engagement with other health and wellness benefits.
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Plan communications for open enrollment early (typically begins on November 1, 2025).
Key Compliance Deadlines to Watch
To help you stay organized, here are some important upcoming dates for 2025:
| MAY HR COMPLIANCE DEADLINES | |
| May 20, 2025 | 2024 EEO-1 Component 1 data collection opened on Tuesday, May 20, 2025. The deadline to file the 2024 EEO-1 Component 1 report is Tuesday, June 24, 2025. |
| JUNE HR COMPLIANCE DEADLINES | |
| June 1, 2025 | Submit RxDC Reporting for the Previous Calendar Year Employer-based health plans must submit information about prescription drugs and health care spending. This data submission is called the RxDC report. |
| June 17, 2025 | Q2 2025 Estimated Tax Payments Due |
| June 24, 2025 | The deadline to file the 2024 EEO-1 Component 1 report is Tuesday, June 24, 2025 |
| June 30, 2025 | Return of Excess (ROE) Distributions for Failed ADP/ACP Tests - EACA Plans Deadline for corrective ROE distributions for failed prior year ADP/ ACP compliance tests for Plan Sponsor to avoid the 10% excise tax for plans that satisfy the eligible automatic contribution arrangement (EACA) requirements. |
| JULY HR COMPLIANCE DEADLINES | |
| July 29, 2025 | Provide a Summary of Material Modification (SMM) to Plan Participants Deadline to provide SMM to plan participants for plan amendments adopted in a prior plan year, if any. |
| July 31, 2025 | Employer Retirement Plan Reporting (Forms 5500-series and 8955-SSA) Due Which version of Form 5500 you complete will depend on the size of your business and the structure of your retirement plan. |
| July 31, 2025 |
Extension of Time for Employee Plan Returns Due If you know ahead of time that you won’t be able to make the original deadline, you can file an extension for your company’s Form 5500 and Form 8955-SSA by using Form 5558. |
| July 31, 2025 |
Quarterly Federal Tax Return (Form 941) Due For second quarter 2025. If you made timely deposits in full payment of your taxes for the quarter, you may file Form 941 by August 11, 2025. |
| July 31, 2025 |
Deposit of Unemployment Taxes (Form 940) Due For companies with an accumulated unpaid liability over $500 through June 2025. |
| SEPTEMBER HR COMPLIANCE DEADLINES | |
| September 16, 2025 | Q3 2025 Estimated Tax Payments Due |
| September 16, 2025 | Extended Calendar-Year Tax Returns Due Extended calendar-year partnership and S corporation tax returns are due. |
| September 30, 2025 | Provide Employees and Beneficiaries a Summary Annual Report (SAR) of the Benefit Plan’s Financial Health and Operations A Summary Annual Report (SAR) is a yearly document that provides employees and beneficiaries with a concise overview of their employee benefit plan’s financial health and operations. |
| September 30, 2025 |
VETS-4212 Report is due on September 30 annually. Federal contractors and subcontractors are encouraged to complete and submit the reports online through our VETS-4212 Reporting Application website |
| OCTOBER HR COMPLIANCE DEADLINES |
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| October 15, 2025 |
Provide Medicare Disclosure Notice Provide a Disclosure Notice to all Medicare-eligible individuals who are covered under the organization’s prescription drug plan. |
| October 15, 2025 |
Extended Calendar-Year Tax Returns Due |
| October 15, 2025 |
Extended Deadline for Retirement Plan Filing Due Form 5500 - 401(k) Retirement Plan extended Filing Deadline. |
| October 31, 2025 |
Deposit of Unemployment Taxes (Form 940) Due For companies with an accumulated unpaid liability over $500 through September 2025. |
| October 31, 2025 |
Quarterly Federal Tax Return (Form 941) Due For the third quarter of 2025. If you made timely deposits in full payment of your taxes for the quarter, you may file Form 941 by November 10, 2025. |
| NOVEMBER HR COMPLIANCE DEADLINES |
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| November 1, 2025 |
Distribute Open Enrollment Announcements. Employers are responsible for notifying employees of an upcoming open enrollment period. This includes communicating benefits, options, updates, and deadlines. |
| November 1, 2025 |
Review and Update Employee Exemption Classifications to Ensure Compliance |
| November 18, 2025 |
Distribute Federal and Company Holiday Guidelines |
| DECEMBER HR COMPLIANCE DEADLINES |
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| December 1, 2025 |
Notify Employees of Benefits or Compensation Changes Effective January 1. |
| December 1, 2025 |
Distribute 401(k) Safe Harbor, QDIA, and Automatic Enrollment Deadline to distribute 401(k) safe harbor, QDIA, and automatic enrollment required notices to plan participants.
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| December 16, 2025 |
Q4 2025 Estimated Tax Payments Due |
| December 31, 2025 |
Conduct End-of-Year Compliance Activities and Nondiscrimination Testing Companies must perform both nondiscrimination tests each year to ensure that the 401(k) plan does not favor highly compensated employees. |
Stay Proactive, Stay Compliant
The second half of the year is full of critical compliance deadlines and opportunities to optimize your HR and payroll systems. Whether it’s refining your benefit offerings or conducting year-end testing, now is the time to plan ahead.
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Need help keeping your business compliant?
Dominion Payroll is here to support you every step of the way. Reach out to our customer support team or visit dominionpayroll.com to learn more about our solutions.