All states · Updated for 2026
How to pay a nanny in Connecticut
Everything a Connecticut family has to do to pay a nanny, housekeeper or caregiver legally: the taxes, the registrations, the forms, and the deadlines. CareTab does the math and reminds you; you keep paying them the way you already do.
The short version
- Federal: withhold 7.65% Social Security and Medicare from their pay and match it; pay FUTA (0.6% of the first $7,000.00); file Schedule H with your 1040; give them a W-2 by Jan 31.
- Connecticut unemployment tax: register with Connecticut Department of Labor (Unemployment Insurance Tax Division) after household employers paying $1,000 or more in cash wages in a calendar quarter (standard rule; confirm with ct dol); new employers pay 1.90% on the first $27,000.00 of wages; file Quarterly wage and tax report (ReEmployCT) quarterly.
- Connecticut income tax: withholding is voluntary for household employers (form CT-W4).
- State programs: CT Paid Leave (employee-paid) (0.50% employee).
- New hire report: within 20 days of their start date.
- Minimum wage: $7.25/hour. Overtime: 1.5× over 40 h/week for live-out nannies.
- Paid sick leave: not mandated by the state.
- Workers' compensation: Connecticut requires workers compensation coverage for domestic workers employed 26 or more hours per week by one employer. Not verified this session - confirm with the CT Workers Compensation Commission.
Step by step
- Get an EIN from the IRS (free, online, 10 minutes).
- Have your nanny complete Form I-9 and, if they want federal income tax withheld, a W-4 and CT-W4.
- File the Connecticut new-hire report within 20 days at the state site.
- Register with Connecticut Department of Labor (Unemployment Insurance Tax Division) once you cross household employers paying $1,000 or more in cash wages in a calendar quarter (standard rule; confirm with ct dol) (registration).
- Each payday: track hours, pay at least minimum wage and overtime, withhold 7.65% plus state program premiums, give a pay stub.
- Each quarter: file Quarterly wage and tax report (ReEmployCT). Quarterly, last day of the month after the quarter. 2026: taxable wage base $27,000 (up from $26,100); new employer rate 1.9% (down from 2.2%); experienced range 1.1%-9.9% (CT DOL, verified).
- January: W-2 to your nanny, W-2/W-3 to the SSA, CT-W3 HHE (household employers; with state copies of W-2) and CT-941 HHE if registered to withhold to the state. April: Schedule H with your 1040.
Run your numbers
Use the free Connecticut nanny tax calculator: take-home pay, what you withhold, and your total cost including employer taxes.
Frequently asked
Do I have to pay nanny taxes in Connecticut?
Yes. Once you pay a household employee $3,000.00 or more in a year you owe Social Security and Medicare (7.65% withheld from your nanny and 7.65% from you), and FUTA once you pay $1,000.00 in any quarter. Connecticut unemployment tax applies after household employers paying $1,000 or more in cash wages in a calendar quarter (standard rule; confirm with ct dol).
Do I withhold Connecticut income tax from my nanny?
Connecticut does not require household employers to withhold state income tax; you can withhold voluntarily using CT-W4 if your nanny asks.
What forms do I file in Connecticut?
Quarterly wage and tax report (ReEmployCT) quarterly with Connecticut Department of Labor (Unemployment Insurance Tax Division), CT-W3 HHE (household employers; with state copies of W-2) and CT-941 HHE if registered to withhold annually, a W-2 for your nanny and W-3 to the SSA by Jan 31, and Schedule H with your federal return.
Does my nanny get overtime in Connecticut?
Live-out nannies get 1.5× over 40 hours a week. Live-in nannies are exempt from overtime in Connecticut. PLACEHOLDER: the 2026 Connecticut minimum wage (indexed annually on Jan 1) could not be read from a CT DOL page this session; the federal $7.25 floor is a placeholder - replace with the CT DOL figure. Live-in domestic workers are exempt from CT overtime; verify.
What is the minimum wage for a nanny in Connecticut?
$7.25 per hour in 2026.
Pay your Connecticut nanny legally for $14.99/month
Hours, paychecks with every tax computed, pay stubs, PTO, and a filing calendar with Quarterly wage and tax report (ReEmployCT) pre-filled. 14-day free trial, no card needed.
Start free trialSources: TPG-211, 2026 Withholding Calculation Rules (Rev. 12/25) - Tables A-E; IP 2026(1) Connecticut Employer's Tax Guide, Circular CT (household employer rules, CT-941 HHE / CT-W3 HHE, new hire 20 days); Form CT-W4 (Rev. 12/25) Employee's Withholding Certificate - withholding codes; CT DOL - Information on Unemployment Tax Rate for Calendar Year 2026 (wage base $27,000, new employer 1.9%); CT Paid Leave - Contributions (0.5% for 2026, capped at the Social Security contribution base); CT DOL Paid Sick Leave (law effective 1/1/2025, expanded 1/1/2026; poster for 11+ employees). Rules for 2026 are provisional. General information, not tax or legal advice.