Housekeeper Payroll: What Household Employers Need to Know
A housekeeper who cleans your home on a regular schedule, using your supplies and following your instructions, is usually your employee — not a vendor you're paying invoice-by-invoice. If you pay them $3,000+ a year, the same household employment tax rules apply as for a nanny.
Employee, or cleaning service?
The distinction usually comes down to who's really in charge:
- You hired the same person directly, set the schedule, and they use your cleaning supplies → employee
- A cleaning company sends whichever employee is available, sets the price, and handles their own payroll → the company is the employer, not you
If you found your housekeeper through a service, but pay THEM directly and they come to your home on a set schedule regardless of what the company assigns, you may still be the employer — the company's role in introducing you doesn't automatically make them the employer.
Why this gets missed so often
Housekeeping often feels transactional — a set amount per visit, sometimes weekly, sometimes biweekly — which makes it easy to mentally file as a vendor bill rather than a paycheck. But the IRS test is about control and regularity, not the invoice format.
What to do once you know it applies
- Confirm you're over the $3,000/year or $1,000/quarter threshold — check in 15 seconds
- Get an EIN and invite your housekeeper to enter their own tax details privately
- Agree on an hourly rate (even for a flat per-visit amount, convert it to an effective hourly rate for overtime purposes)
- Track hours per visit and calculate withholding the same way you would for a nanny
Frequently asked questions
What if my housekeeper cleans for five other families too?
Each family that pays over the threshold is a separate household employer for their own portion of pay. Your housekeeper's other jobs don't change your obligation for what you pay them.
Does a flat per-visit rate avoid overtime rules?
No — overtime is based on hours worked, regardless of how the rate is structured. See our [overtime guide](/guides/overtime) for how that's calculated.
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Pay your housekeeper the way you already do.
Sadie calculates the math for each visit — you still send the money on Venmo, Zelle, or Cash App, the way you always have.
This guide is general information, not tax or legal advice. Rules vary by state and change over time — confirm anything specific to your situation with a licensed professional or your state's labor department.