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Home / Payroll Services

Payroll services and payroll accountants

Find payroll services for your business

Paying people correctly and on time, with the right taxes withheld and filed, is one of the areas where small mistakes bring penalties fast. A payroll accountant or bureau can run it for you, from your first hire onward.

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What payroll involves in the USA

  • Registering as an employer with the IRS and your state
  • Collecting W-4 forms and state withholding forms from employees
  • Withholding federal and state income tax, Social Security and Medicare
  • Paying employer taxes, including federal and state unemployment tax
  • Filing quarterly Form 941 and annual Form 940, plus state returns
  • Issuing W-2s to employees and 1099s to contractors each January
  • Handling benefits, garnishments and new-hire reporting

What payroll involves in the UK

  • Registering as an employer with HMRC
  • Running PAYE and reporting each payment through Real Time Information (RTI) on or before payday
  • Deducting Income Tax, employee National Insurance and student loan repayments
  • Paying employer National Insurance (with the Employment Allowance if you qualify)
  • Workplace pension auto-enrolment and contributions
  • Statutory pay such as sick, maternity and paternity pay
  • Issuing payslips and P60s, and P45s when people leave

Outsource payroll or do it yourself?

Payroll software makes DIY payroll possible for a very small team, but you remain responsible for getting it right. Outsourcing to a payroll accountant or bureau makes sense when you would rather not deal with tax deadlines, you have staff in more than one state, you offer benefits or pensions, or a payroll mistake would hurt morale. Many small business accountants include payroll in their monthly packages.

How much do payroll services cost?

Payroll is usually priced as a base fee per pay run or per month plus a fee per employee. Year-end forms, pension administration and multi-state payroll may cost extra. Ask for a quote that shows the total for your team size and pay frequency.

How to choose a payroll provider

  1. Compliance track record

    Ask how they handle tax deadlines, changes in the law and errors, and whether they cover penalties caused by their mistakes.

  2. Your locations

    Make sure they handle every state or country where you employ people.

  3. Integration

    Choose someone who works with your accounting and time-tracking software.

  4. Employee experience

    Check how employees get payslips and tax forms, and who they can ask questions.

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Common questions

Usually a base fee per pay run or month plus a per-employee fee. For a small team, outsourced payroll is often affordable compared with the time and risk of doing it yourself.
Many accountants and bookkeepers offer payroll as part of a monthly package. Others work alongside a dedicated payroll provider.
Tax authorities charge penalties and interest. In the USA, unpaid withheld payroll taxes can become the personal responsibility of the people in charge of the business, so it is important to get it right.
Often yes. Company directors in the UK and S corp owner-employees in the USA usually pay themselves a salary through payroll. An accountant can advise on the right salary level.
Employees have taxes withheld through payroll. Contractors invoice you and handle their own taxes, although US businesses must usually issue them a 1099-NEC. Treating someone as a contractor when they are really an employee can lead to penalties.

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