Actors Equity Payroll with a PEO

Julie Alexander Updated by Julie Alexander

Actors Equity Payroll

Actors Equity payroll is run weekly and is governed by your Actors Equity contract. If you do not have ArtsPool workforce services and you work with a PEO, you can work directly with your PEO provider to process your Equity payroll. ArtsPool can continue to make the direct payments to Actors Equity or any Agent Commissions on your behalf. This article highlights how to make this process a smooth collaboration with ArtsPool.

  1. Onboard any new employees with your PEO payroll provider
  2. Set up any new Earnings Codes with your payroll provider and code them to align with your ArtsPool Chart of Accounts. These might include:
    1. AEA Actor Salary, coded to 6200 Salaries & Wages - Artistic
    2. AEA SM Salary, coded to 6210 Salaries & Wages - Production/Technical
  3. Set up any new Deduction Codes with your payroll provider and code them to align with your ArtsPool Chart of Accounts. These might include:
    1. AEA Working Dues, coded to 2205 Union Dues Deduction
    2. AEA Membership Dues, coded to 2205 Union Dues Deduction
    3. Agent Commission, coded to 2200 Garnishment
    4. 401k (pre-tax), coded to 2190 Retirement Benefits Deduction
  4. AEA should provide you with a template for reporting to AEA. A few important things to note:
    1. Save the template and create a copy of this spreadsheet for each week you are running AEA payroll.
    2. Percentages/amounts for Employee Deductions (like working dues, membership dues, 401k, child trust) will be determined by the Actors Equity contract and should be updated accordingly
    3. Percentages/amounts for any Employer Paid Contributions (like Pension and Health) will also be set by the Actors Equity contract and should be updated accordingly.
    4. You may also have Agency Commissions that need to be deducted from pay.
    5. You may also have some reimbursements. In most cases, these are added on after other Earnings and not factored into the total calculations for working dues, etc.
  5. For individuals, report all payroll earnings, deductions and reimbursements to your PEO payroll provider so they can process payroll. All earnings, deductions and reimbursements must include the proper coding for Program and Activity to properly align with your books and your budget.
Your PEO can process payroll for W-2 individuals only; it can not process any 1099 payments. Therefore, you will need to report any payments due to Corporations (LLC or loan-out actors, anyone with an EIN) to ArtsPool.
  1. Create an ArtsPool App Task to report any payments due to Corporations (LLC or loan-out actors; anyone with an EIN). ArtsPool will make those payments directly.
  2. Set up a task to notify your ArtsPool Financial Operations Lead of any payments they need to make to Equity, Agents, or other. This task should include a link to your payroll prep spreadsheet and outline specifically:
    1. Any working dues and membership dues payable to Actors Equity
    2. Any payments due to Equity League Pension & Health Fund
    3. Any commission payments to be made to Agencies, including amounts and where to send
  3. Your Financial Operations Lead will set up a bill for you to approve and will make necessary payments.
  4. You will report earnings and deductions to AEA using the form they have provided.

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