All states · Updated for 2026
How to pay a nanny in Georgia
Everything a Georgia 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.
- Georgia unemployment tax: register with Georgia Department of Labor after $1,000 or more in cash wages to domestic workers in any calendar quarter; new employers pay 2.70% on the first $9,500.00 of wages; file DOL-4A Annual Tax and Wage Report for Domestic Employment annual.
- Georgia income tax: withhold per G-4.
- New hire report: within 10 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: Georgia requires coverage only for employers with three or more regular employees, and domestic servants are excluded from the Workers' Compensation Act (O.C.G.A. § 34-9-2) — not verified against the statute text in this pass; confirm with the State Board of Workers' Compensation. Voluntary coverage is available.
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 G-4.
- File the Georgia new-hire report within 10 days at the state site.
- Register with Georgia Department of Labor once you cross $1,000 or more in cash wages to domestic workers in any calendar quarter (registration).
- Each payday: track hours, pay at least minimum wage and overtime, withhold 7.65%, give a pay stub.
- Each year: file DOL-4A Annual Tax and Wage Report for Domestic Employment. Domestic employers file the annual DOL-4A and pay by January 31 of the following year (other employers file quarterly by Apr 30, Jul 31, Oct 31, Jan 31). New employers are assigned a total rate of 2.70% (includes the administrative assessment) until experience-rated; use the rate on your DOL-626 notice.
- January: W-2 to your nanny, W-2/W-3 to the SSA, G-1003 (with W-2s) to the state. April: Schedule H with your 1040.
Run your numbers
Use the free Georgia 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 Georgia?
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. Georgia unemployment tax applies after $1,000 or more in cash wages to domestic workers in any calendar quarter.
Do I withhold Georgia income tax from my nanny?
Yes, using G-4 your nanny fills out. CareTab computes it each paycheck.
What forms do I file in Georgia?
DOL-4A Annual Tax and Wage Report for Domestic Employment annual with Georgia Department of Labor, G-1003 (with W-2s) 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 Georgia?
Live-out nannies get 1.5× over 40 hours a week. Live-in nannies are exempt from overtime in Georgia. Georgia's state minimum wage ($5.15) is below the federal rate, so the federal $7.25 applies. No state overtime law; federal FLSA rules apply (live-in domestic workers exempt from overtime, not minimum wage).
What is the minimum wage for a nanny in Georgia?
$7.25 per hour in 2026.
Pay your Georgia nanny legally for $14.99/month
Hours, paychecks with every tax computed, pay stubs, PTO, and a filing calendar with DOL-4A Annual Tax and Wage Report for Domestic Employment pre-filled. 14-day free trial, no card needed.
Start free trialSources: Georgia DOR 2026 Employer's Withholding Tax Guide (revised June 2026) – Percentage Method, Table E/F, filing calendar; Georgia Form G-4 Employee's Withholding Allowance Certificate (Rev. 06/03/26); Georgia Department of Labor – Employers FAQs, Unemployment Insurance (domestic liability, wage base, new employer rate); Georgia Department of Labor – File Tax and Wage Reports and Make Payments (DOL-4A annual domestic report, due dates); Georgia New Hire Reporting Center – FAQ (10-day deadline, domestic workers). Rules for 2026 are provisional. General information, not tax or legal advice.