Aug 9, 2026

15 min

How US Employers Unlock Payroll Tax Savings With Wellness Benefits with Jeremiah Desmarais

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What if the easiest money to find in your business is the money you already earned but your systems never pointed out? We kick off with a simple image: the thrill of finding cash in an old coat pocket, then we scale it up to payroll where “twenty dollars” can become $20,000, $50,000, or more in legitimate savings that many US employers miss for years.

We sit down with Jeremiah Desmarais, TEDx speaker, best-selling author, and CEO of Centria, to unpack how payroll tax savings can show up without traditional cost cutting. The conversation goes deep on why this feels “too good to be true”, why it can exist for so long inside the IRS tax code, and how business owners get stuck trusting dashboards that were never designed to surface every opportunity. We also talk candidly about the CPA mindset: filing and compliance are essential, but they are not the same thing as proactive tax strategy.

Jeremiah explains the basic logic behind wellness-driven incentives that expanded through the Affordable Care Act and how certain structures (including Section 125 and related provisions) can reduce employer FICA tax while delivering real employee wellness benefits. That includes telemedicine, prescription savings, mental health support, and other tools that can lower stress and increase productivity. Along the way, we share a clear disclaimer: this is not tax or legal advice and you should consult your own advisors for your specific situation.

If you’re a US business owner with W-2 employees, this will change how you think about payroll, employee benefits, and the blind spots baked into “normal” reporting. Subscribe to Mind Meets Machine, share this with a fellow owner, and leave a review if it helps, what’s one number in your business you now want to question?

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Intro Music Credit: Lumen Sound | Dmitrii Kolesnikov | Pixabay 


📌 Disclaimer This episode is for educational and informational purposes only. Guest views are personal and do not represent the host or Healthy Mind by Avik™. The Network does not verify or endorse guest statements. Nothing here is medical, legal, financial, or professional advice, please consult a qualified professional. Engage critically. Third-party content referenced under fair use. Guests are responsible for their own statements. Concerns? ...

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