Small business owners often depend on trusted financial advisors to help set up and run payroll.
Accountants, CPAs, bookkeepers and other financial professionals can turn to payroll service providers to automate payroll management and help ensure their clients comply with payroll tax regulations.
Choosing the right payroll software solution can lead to happier clients, increased revenue and more time for strategic services.
It’s essential to select a payroll provider that aligns with your firm’s needs and offers the features and support you need for your clients.
Identify Your Needs
As you explore payroll service options, it’s vital to identify your specific requirements.
Assess the Size of Your Client Base
The number of clients you have will directly impact the type of payroll service you need.
Address Industry-Specific Needs
Carefully consider your client base as you assess your payroll solution needs. You may prefer to work with a payroll service that specializes in serving small businesses.
Certain industries, like construction or hospitality, may have unique payroll requirements.
Understand Payroll Services
An online payroll company or payroll service for small business can help financial professionals manage the payroll process for their clients.
Financial staff can use the payroll software to calculate wages and tax withholdings and help ensure employees get paid on time. In some cases, financial firms can brand payroll software with their company name. They can then resell it as a service to clients who want to manage payroll themselves.
Key Payroll Service Features
When evaluating payroll services, consider:
- Automated Calculations: Ensure the service can handle complex, time-consuming calculations, including overtime, bonuses and deductions.
- Tax Compliance: The service should automatically update to comply with federal, state, and local payroll tax requirements.
- Direct Deposit: Look for services that include direct deposit to simplify payday.
- Reporting: Comprehensive payroll reporting tools are essential for analyzing payroll expenses and preparing for audits.
- Employee Self-Service: An online portal where employees can view their pay stubs and tax documents.
- Scalable: Ensure the payroll solution can handle payroll for multiple clients, with multiple employees.
- Customer Service: Verify you can get assistance when you need it so you can help your clients when they need it.
- Costs: Payroll management system costs vary based on features, number of clients, and number of payrolls. Make sure you’re comparing apples to apples when you check costs.
Accountant Payroll Software Features
Some payroll service providers, like SurePayroll® By Paychex, develop programs specifically for accountants, CPAs, bookkeepers and other financial services professionals. These payroll solutions can offer more control and customization.
- Integration with Accounting Software: Ensure compatibility with your existing accounting software for seamless data transfer.
- Customization: Look for software that allows you to customize payroll processes according to your clients' needs.
- Security: Data security is paramount. Verify the software uses encryption and other security measures to protect sensitive information.
- Revenue Enhancement: Check for revenue-generating options such as wholesale pricing, revenue-sharing option, referral bonus programs and more.
Evaluate Payroll Providers
Once you've outlined your firm’s needs, it's time to evaluate potential payroll service providers.
Reputation and Reliability
Research the reputation of each payroll service provider on your shortlist. Look for reviews and testimonials from other professionals to gauge reliability and customer satisfaction.
Cost and Pricing
It’s important to find a payroll system that fits your budget while offering the features you need.
Understand the pricing structure of each service. Some may charge per employee, while others offer flat-rate fees. Make sure to understand if the features you need are included in the cost or if they will cost extra.
Product Demo
Ask for a product demo to see how the payroll system might work to process payroll for your clients.
Implementation Support
Find out if the payroll service providers you’re considering offer hands-on implementation and account setup.
Ongoing Customer Support
Reliable and available customer support is imperative. Make sure you can reach your selected payroll provider through different channels. It’s ideal to find one that offers financial professionals a dedicated customer service team.
The Bottom Line
Even in the face of a nationwide shortage of accountants, you can grow your practice with a turnkey—yet customizable—payroll solution.
Selecting the right payroll service for accountants involves understanding your specific needs, evaluating payroll providers and comparing payroll software solutions.
By focusing on key features, any industry-specific requirements and reliable customer support, you can find a payroll service that helps you save time and support your clients.
The right payroll solution can streamline your processes and allow you to focus on delivering exceptional service to your clients.
Simplify Payroll for Your Small Business Clients
Your clients trust you to guide them through their small business financial decisions. You can count on SurePayroll to simplify your success with services that can help you boost revenue and streamline client support.
You can be sure our dedicated reseller support team will be with you every step of the way, so you can be there for your clients.
Connect to see how easy it is to bring payroll to your small business clients with the SurePayroll Reseller Program.