Outsourced payroll solutions have become increasingly popular over the past couple of decades. Giants like ADP even use their aggregated payroll data to provide a jobs forecast a few days before the monthly statistics released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. There are plenty of smaller providers as well, all functioning to take the various tasks (and potential headaches) of paying employees and filing and paying payroll taxes and tax withholdings with the appropriate authorities off the hands of business owners. Such outsourced solutions make particular sense for smaller enterprises since there may not be enough employees to represent enough work for a full-time position, which means (1) someone is juggling other responsibilities besides payroll and (2) at least one other person has to be cross-trained for times the primary is out of the office.
So clearly outsourced payroll makes sense for many different types of businesses of many different sizes. Yet some degree of responsibility typically remains with the business. Sometimes data may transfer automatically from a time clock system or other source. But if it does not, or if you have employees who are not salaried or hourly (commissioned salespeople, for example), someone at your company still has to pull data from your accounting system and enter that data into the payroll provider’s system. That takes time and increases the opportunity for errors.
Full Service Payroll Integrated With QuickBooks
But what if the entire payroll process could be directly integrated with the accounting system? What if the data could be transferred seamlessly? If you are using QuickBooks, it can. QuickBooks has a payroll module that can be activated if you are processing payroll yourself, and the Enhanced package includes electronic W-2 filing and other payroll tax forms. But moving up to Intuit Full Service Payroll means Intuit handles the entire payroll process including processing paychecks and direct deposit, payroll tax filing and payment, and year-end forms.
Included Features
Intuit Full Service Payroll includes free direct deposit and free W-2s, unlike some providers that charge extra for these, as well as free new-hire reporting. If you have ever had the pleasure of dealing with churning out W-2s at the end of the year, especially in a business with high employee turnover, this one feature alone might be worth the cost of the subscription. Intuit will also generate 1099s for any independent contractors that your business might use. However, you should be aware that Intuit does not offer check signing or mailing services at present, so any hard paychecks that you issue will still have to be printed, signed, and mailed (or otherwise distributed) from your location. Of course, direct deposit is extremely popular, so there should be minimal need for paper checks. You may have employees who cannot get (or choose not to have) a bank account, but Intuit offers a pay card (prepaid VISA debit card to which payroll is deposited) that is similar to other such cards and provides a great alternative for the “unbanked” employee.
Guaranteed On-Time and Accurate
Intuit also guarantees with the Full Service Payroll option that all payroll taxes will be paid and filed timely and will deal with the IRS on your behalf should an issue arise. Given the varying requirements for how often these taxes must be filed (to say nothing of the penalties incurred for errors), having someone else handle everything and ensure compliance removes a huge responsibility from your shoulders.
Getting Set-up and Started
The interface is very user-friendly; it’s even possible to process payroll from an iPad, iPhone, or Android device. Because it fully integrates with QuickBooks, paying employees simply means entering hours. As a bonus, Full Service Payroll provides comprehensive reporting including job costing when it is used in conjunction with QuickBooks. If you are already outsourcing your payroll, Intuit will handle the transfer of data from the current provider as well as setting up the new payroll system, making the transition as low-stress as possible. Intuit will also provide training on your new system and its integration with QuickBooks. Should you run into problems, the service includes free live support from a U.S.-based support team. Finally, it is worth noting that while full payroll integration with QuickBooks has extensive benefits, it is possible to use Full Service Payroll even if you are not using QuickBooks as your accounting platform.
Have Questions? Need Help?
Payroll is is one of those areas in running a business that you need to do right as any missteps can be costly – not only from an employee standpoint, but from a state and federal tax level. If you have questions or need help with choosing a payroll solution, we can help. Just give us a call at 866-949-7267 or click here to send us an email and we would be more than happy to help you with options so you can make the correct decision.
