Outsourcing Payroll and Choosing a Service

 Not every company needs a payroll service. Certainly, if you have a small salaried staff, rarely experience personnel changes and are not looking to expand, you might prefer continuing to process your payroll internally.  Most other business owners, however, usually discover numerous advantages to outsourcing, including greater efficiency, productivity, and cost savings. We have found that about 75 percent of our tax clients who own businesses require additional expertise to meet all requirements of processing payroll. These companies are better served by outsourcing.
Choosing a payroll service: What questions should you ask?
Choosing the right service for your situation is a major decision. Acquiring answers for the questions below will help you evaluate payroll services:
• How long have they been in business and are they growing? (Stability is an important concern).
• Do they have experience with businesses in your industry and understand the typical problems related to payroll in your type of business?
• Will they study your business structure and customize your service to meet your needs? (A local service may have the advantage here).
• What are their fees? (Ask for a sample contract to review).
• Can you pick your checks up at their office, should you so desire?
• How easy will it be to reach a partner of the practice when you have a problem?
• Do they handle business and personal income taxes, and offer human resources assistance, in addition to payroll taxes? (Continuity may save you additional time and money).
• How do they handle customer service? (A well-managed local service may provide the most personalized customer service).
• Can they ensure you they will always meet your deadlines?
• Do they offer direct deposits?
• Do they provide a user-friendly way to oversee and follow you payroll transactions online?
• Will your data be safe?
• Do they offer a tax penalty guarantee? (In such cases, the service will take responsibility should a penalty occur).
Should you have questions concerning choosing payroll services, please call us.
Professional Tax Services is a one-stop shop for all your tax and payroll needs. For information on how you can receive tax planning and payroll advice at no cost, visit www.scvprotaxservices.com, or call 661-259-1967.