Attention accountants: Payroll should be hassle-free for both you and your clients.
Working with a third party, however, always brings a little uncertainty. At least at first.
When developing a relationship with a new payroll provider, it’s vital to ensure they’re the right fit for your business. Full-service payroll providers for accountants should meet stringent requirements. After all, it’s your company’s reputation on the line when you outsource to a third party.
Evaluating payroll providers against these six standards ensures you’re getting the highest quality service.
Full-Service Payroll for Accountants
As a payroll provider that supports small businesses, we’ve learned a thing or two about supporting our partners over the years. We work with a lot of bookkeepers and accountants, and we know what it takes to provide them the level of service they really want. If you’d like to speak with one of our payroll representatives about your payroll needs, schedule a chat with us today.
What Full Service Actually Includes
What the term “full-service” entails may differ from company to company. When it comes to deliverables, it’s essential to be on the same page as your provider.
At ConnectPay, when we say full service, we mean:
- Payroll processing for employees and 1099s
- All state and federal tax filings
- Quarterly and year-end filings
- W-2 processing
- Accessible - no voicemail during business hours.
- Current regulatory knowledge
- Being a valued partner to make life easier for CPA and Bookkeeping firms
6 Payroll Must-Haves for Accountants
Your full-service payroll provider should uphold your firm’s standards while delivering error-free results. Our list of the six payroll must-haves will give you a starting point to explore your payroll provider options.
Always Reachable
When you have payroll questions, you shouldn’t have to wait long to get your answers. This means that full-service payroll providers should be available during business hours to help answer your questions in real-time.
It’s never a good experience to have to call into an outsourced call center when you have a question. It’s also frustrating when you have to explain the same problem over and over because you always get a new person on the phone.
At ConnectPay, for example, our clients know their payroll representatives by name. And, we have a strict policy of no voicemail during office hours. When our clients need us, we pick up the phone and help them.
ConnectPay has been a great payroll partner to work with. They have a clear understanding of the dental industry, which is the area we focus in, and they are always there to help our clients. Their customer service, level of detail and technology is top in the industry, which is why we continue to recommend them.
- Mark Rosen, Partner, Rosen and Associates LLP
Tax Protection
Tax laws change all the time, and your full-service payroll provider should be up to date with all the latest laws and regulations. Asking a payroll provider about how they stay updated on the latest law and regulation changes will give you an idea of their commitment.
At ConnectPay, we take this one step further with our ‘no tax penalty guarantee.' Our clients never have to worry about tax notices or penalties because of payroll. Our clients enjoy peace of mind because if there’s ever a mistake that results in a penalty, we pay the fee. This ensures we do payroll right the first time, every time.
Time Tracking Features
When working with hourly employees and contractors, it’s essential to have time-tracking solutions that integrate with your payroll provider. At ConnectPay, we partner with many different time-tracking solutions that seamlessly integrate with our payroll technology.
Modern Technology
Some payroll services outsource their technology requirements to other software companies. If there’s ever a change in local, state, or federal regulations, these companies are at the mercy (and timeline) of their software providers. Obviously, this is not ideal, as payroll needs to move at the speed of business. And waiting for a software update should never be a problem.
If your payroll provider has control over their own software, they control updates, which is key. At ConnectPay, we own and control our payroll software. When a regulation or law changes, we update our software to reflect the change immediately. This is a significant benefit, meaning we don’t ever have to wait (and our clients don’t have to wait) on 3rd-party licensed products to be updated on an uncontrollable time schedule.
HR Resources
Small businesses, though they may not need an HR department, still need human resources help. Whether it’s simply for paperwork, compliance, keeping an updated handbook, or just trusted advice, HR services are a valuable resource.
Our HR Resource Center provides six months of free service for every one of our new clients, including an employee handbook builder, compliance resources, and confidential access to ERISA and HR lawyers.
Flexibility
When accountants work with a payroll service, they need flexibility. Some payroll services are more rigid in their offerings than others. It’s important to check with the payroll provider and ensure that they can work with your firm and your clients the way you need them to.
At ConnectPay, CPAs can choose how they work with us. Some CPAs prefer to refer their clients directly to us for payroll. Other CPAs like to manage the payroll for their clients. We set them up with a single login where they can manage all of their clients' accounts.
Get the Best Full-Service Payroll for Accountants
If you’re like our clients, you value working seamlessly with a full-service payroll provider. We’re building a community of CPAs, brokers, and bookkeepers of the highest quality who want to partner with ConnectPay to expand their established network.
We would love to talk to you about your firm and how we could potentially partner up. And we stand ready to answer any questions you may have. Schedule a call with us here, and we look forward to talking with you.
