Company payroll services are used to handle all payroll duties. Basically, how it works, is once the company is paid, the employer sends over a list of the employees with their time sheets. The data is processed by the payroll service and funds are sent from the employer?s bank to the payroll service?s account. At this point, the employee is paid however they have opted to receive their income.
Business owners who take care of their own payroll have to total hours, make the correct gross to net calculations, ensure payroll taxes are done accurately as well as preparing and filing tax returns correctly and on time. It?s a lot of work especially for small business. They can really benefit from outsourcing payroll as well as HR services and employee benefits to a company dedicated to working on these things. This way the business owner is free to focus on the business side of things. Another reason a business owner might want to outsource is because payroll can be complicated and it is risky to. If a mistake is made, other peoples? quality of life is at risk and it is expensive to fix a payroll error.
Many company payroll services already employ their own tax accountant that they trust so this makes things easier for you when tax time comes around. Not only will they handle all of the tax info but if you have a good company working with you, you can be sure the taxes will be done right and with no mistakes to pay for later.
While company payroll services are very beneficial, choosing the best payroll service can be tricky. You will want to make sure the company has a good reputation and is reliable and trust worthy and honest. You are handing over very sensitive information to them and you need to know they have your back and will not leave you empty handed. Knowing who you are working with is critical in this line of work.
However, having a good reputation will do nothing for the company if the payroll service that you are looking in to, does not offer the services that you will require. Look for a company that offers the services you need without costly extras. Then you will know you have made the right choice.
The best way to find a payroll service is word of mouth. If a business associate of yours has a payroll service that they use and trust, chances are, it will work for you to.
Also, make a list of the services you will want or need before reaching out to a payroll service company so as to ensure that you do not get over sold on services that will cost you money and do nothing for you.
Narrow down your choices to your top three and then interview them with the following questions to help you decide which company to go with.
- If the services errors, who is responsible?
- How long does your company take to fix an error?
- Do you charge to add or take away an employee?
- Are your annual fees fixed or will they rise at all?
- How often will I hear from you and receive reports?
- Can you work with my current accounting software?
- What are the hours of your customer service?
- Will I be able to always work with the same person?
- Are there additional costs associated with filing taxes in multiple states?