6 Best Payroll Outsourcing Companies for 2024

outsourced payroll

Cost is a significant factor to consider when choosing a payroll provider. Different providers offer different pricing models, so it is essential to consider the overall cost of the service, including any additional fees or charges. This typically involves collecting information from the business, such as employee data and payroll schedules. This information is then input into the payroll expert’s payroll https://accountingcoaching.online/ software, which is then used to process everything. Lauren (Hansen) Holznienkemper is a staff writer and deputy editor for the small business vertical at Forbes Advisor, specializing in reviewing and testing HR, payroll and recruiting solutions for small businesses. Using research and writing skills from her academic background, Lauren prioritizes accuracy and delivering the best answer to the audience.

outsourced payroll

It strips away the complex features of the broader Paychex platform to stand out as a provider of easy employee payroll. It wasn’t so long ago that outsourced payroll solutions were limited to non-sensitive functions that didn’t involve core business processes or data. There’s no guarantee outsourcing will be cost-effective, but many companies choosing to outsource find it cheaper overall than keeping payroll management fully in-house. Hiring out the work can, when all goes well, provide significant advantages and cost savings.

If you’re interested in outsourcing your company’s payroll to a trusted provider, make sure you do your research. A professional and reputable outsourced provider will take away the complexity, time and cost of handling payroll inhouse – and the risk of penalties for not meeting compliance deadlines. Outsourcing your payroll eliminates the cost and manual errors of in-house payroll, helping your business to avoid penalties over tax compliance.

Is QuickBooks Payroll right for your business?

We can handle hiring, engagement, employee issues, payroll, benefits, compensation, talent, compliance and more. Business owners who place a high value on their time and peace of mind often end up outsourcing payroll. By partnering with a full-service provider, most of their payroll responsibilities – wage calculations, tax withholdings and deposits, reporting, etc. – are taken care of for them. As mentioned before, these are further areas where a misstep by a payroll outsourcing provider can become a problem for both the provider and the client company.

When outsourcing something as crucial as payroll to a partner, you need to know you’re in safe hands.From small-business requirements to global payroll needs, at ADP we have over 70 years’ payroll experience. We were the first payroll company to deliver automation, move to the cloud, develop a mobile app and create an online marketplace. Chris Baker, president of Switch Payroll Services, said business owners should also gauge a payroll provider’s experience processing multi-state or international payroll and offering customer advice. Every payroll outsourcing partner provides a different suite of features, so it’s important to research and compare several options until you find the solution that best meets your company’s needs.

  1. It’s designed for companies with fewer than 50 employees, but is a good fit if you expect to grow beyond that because you could upgrade to ADP Workforce now or ADP’s enterprise platform.
  2. Alternatively, this person or group won’t work directly for the provider, but will have the access they need to run payroll.
  3. Chances are, that’s a fraction of the cost of the time you might spend on payroll if you’re doing it yourself.
  4. If they have any issues about their pay, the provider should have a clear resolution strategy.

By outsourcing, you benefit from the additional skills of specialists in payroll, while avoiding the extra costs of hiring an in-house team. Quite simply, outsourcing payroll saves your company a lot of time, money and worry. Outsourcing payroll can minimise your business risk by keeping you compliant with ever-changing regulations, including GDPR. Your payroll will operate seamlessly, no matter how many people you employ worldwide.

Benefits administration

Alana is the deputy editor for USA Today Blueprint’s small business team. She has served as a technology and marketing SME for countless businesses, from startups to leading tech firms — including Adobe and Workfusion. She has zealously shared her expertise with small businesses — including via Forbes Advisor and Fit Small Business — to help them compete for market share. There are many benefits of outsourcing your payroll to a trusted provider. They include eliminating the costs of inhouse payroll, no more manual errors or fines for missing compliance deadlines.

When a company keeps everything internal, these types of risks tend to go down. To get the best possible experience please use the latest version of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Microsoft Edge to view this website. “Verified by an expert” means that this article has been thoroughly reviewed and evaluated for accuracy. Topical articles and news from top pros and Intuit product experts.

Why choose ADP for payroll outsourcing?

Take the time to make sure a provider is both trustworthy and experienced to minimize these inherent risks of outsourcing. Once information has been exchanged and procedures established, the payroll outsourcing provider begins its actual duties. This almost always involves distributing pay on a clearly defined schedule (every two weeks is popular). As with performing payroll functions in-house, applicable taxes must be withheld by the provider before payments are made. Some platforms, like QuickBooks, allow you to select from a variety of payroll processing plans.

What are the best practices for outsourcing payroll?

It also has extra features to help ensure you can offer competitive payment packages for your employees, such as benefits and 401(k) administration tools. However, the software is pricey compared to other options on the market. QuickBooks Payroll costs more than some other providers in the industry. For example, Patriot’s most expensive plan is $37 per month, and its cheapest plan costs $17 per month. If you have no budget to spend on payroll and only need basic service, you can also pay your employees for free using tools like Payroll4Free. Payroll outsourcing works by having a team of payroll experts outside of your organisation handling payroll on your behalf.

Using payroll systems such as these can be an easy and cost-effective way to take this process off your plate, particularly for small businesses that do not want to outsource this service. Deluxe offers services that fit businesses of any size, from entrepreneurs at launch to large enterprises. This platform is particularly useful if your business needs branding, formation and marketing support along with payroll services. Deluxe uniquely offers the option to use its HR features in conjunction with your existing payroll provider.

Must-Ask Questions for Finding the Right Payroll Tax Management Software

In most cases, payments are made monthly but can sometimes be annually. The payroll software you use should integrate with QuickBooks or whichever accounting software you use to keep an accurate accounts receivable turnover ratio: definition formula & examples record of payroll history in the event of an audit. Payroll software should also integrate with benefits administration software for accurate deductions and with time tracking software.

Unburdening your HR teams from manual payroll makes their work much more rewarding. Now they can focus on strategic objectives and react in an agile manner as events arise. Blueprint is an independent publisher and comparison service, not an investment advisor. The information provided is for educational purposes only and we encourage you to seek personalized advice from qualified professionals regarding specific financial decisions. QuickBooks Payroll integrates with QuickBooks Online, which integrates with over 750 other business applications. Faster, easier, more reliable solutions designed to help you focus on what matters.

Plus, our fast direct deposit system will help ensure your employees are happy with the change. We work to achieve only the highest level of quality and customer satisfaction, improve methods and increase the efficiency of the services provided. QuickBooks’ Tax Penalty Protection is a stand-out feature in its Elite plan. For tax notices not in collections, it will deal directly with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and cover up to $25,000 per year in penalties, regardless of who’s at fault.

It also takes on 100% of your HR duties, so you don’t have to hire an HR or legal expert in-house. In exchange for your reduced liability, you agree to follow TriNet employment policies and forfeit some control over creating them for yourself. Paycom helps businesses prevent mistakes and their staggering consequences.

Keep these needs in mind as you seek out the right payroll service. Payroll outsourcing also allows access to convenient and secure cloud-based solutions. You can use the app or desktop version to manage everything from direct deposits to tax withholdings. Payroll outsourcing is the use of an external provider to handle the administration of your company’s payroll. Rather than an in-house payroll or HR professional, team manager, or small business owner handling payroll themselves, a third-party company takes care of the logistics. Companies choose to outsource payroll to save time and money, and to prevent payroll errors that could have serious consequences.

Companies experienced in arranging outsourcing contracts with third-party entities can rely on past experience for guidance. For companies newer to outsourcing, however, it’s worth taking plenty of time to select the right provider and to make sure all other aspects of an arrangement check out. To save even more money, consider using a free payroll software solution. The earliest payroll records were found on clay tablets from 7000 B.C. More modern payroll techniques started emerging during the Industrial Revolution, but paying employees was still a paper-based and manual process. Depending on your company’s location, you may have to comply with federal, state and local payroll-related regulations.