While the price of payroll outsourcing should be a consideration as you compare options, it shouldn’t be the sole determining factor behind your choice. Some of the low or no-cost providers may have significant limitations. If your company is larger than that, or soon will be, you’ll need to pay for the service. 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. Many business owners find themselves looking for help when processing payroll but aren’t ready to fully outsource the process altogether. If outsourcing your payroll entirely is not the right option for your business, consider using payroll software.
They then make deductions for tax payments and any employee benefits contributions. Now that you’ve had a chance to review some of the pros and cons of in-house and outsourced payroll services, you probably have a better idea of what direction works best for you. Before you make your final decision to bring payroll in-house or outsource it, use these guidelines to help you choose a payroll provider. In the early days of strategic outsourcing, companies were most comfortable hiring away low-skill tasks distant from sensitive business areas.
- For pricing, we considered whether a service offers a free trial, as well as the affordability of its lowest and highest price tiers.
- For others, a payroll outsourcing provider may be more attractive because they are often able to service employees in many states and countries, and may offer additional options such as full HR outsourcing.
- For instance, run a mock payroll for an employee who has a more complex situation.
- It also takes on 100% of your HR duties, so you don’t have to hire an HR or legal expert in-house.
We receive compensation from the companies that advertise on Blueprint which may impact how and where products appear on this site. The compensation we receive from advertisers does not influence the recommendations or advice our editorial team provides in our articles or otherwise impact any of the editorial content on Blueprint. Blueprint does not include all companies, products or offers that may be available to you within the market.
In addition, the payroll company must also obtain specific licenses to operate in their chosen jurisdiction. The state’s progressive stance on workers’ rights makes its payroll laws subject to regular revisions. For example, the introduction of the gig economy led to legislative responses in California, like Assembly Bill 5 (AB5), which has affected the classification of independent contractors. You’ll need to review pay variables like overtime, bonuses, commissions, and deductions for each employee. At the same time, you also have to consider differences in employment contracts, such as in terms of benefit eligibility and commission structures.
What Is Payroll Co-Sourcing?
Certain authorities hold these companies accountable to protect your information. By outsourcing these tasks, you can free up time and resources to focus on other business aspects. You have peace of mind knowing your payroll provider handles such an operation accurately and efficiently. To process payroll, both in-house teams and outsourced payroll companies need access to a certain amount of sensitive information, like employee bank account details, schedules, etc. Forwarding these details to a third-party vendor can potentially increase your risk of a security breach.
- Using a local bookkeeper or accountant can be a great solution for business owners looking for a personal experience.
- ADP is the largest and one of the most trusted payroll providers in the world.
- Paying your employees correctly and on schedule is an essential responsibility as a business owner.
- The client company also remains liable for tax remittance whether or not it has outsourced this particular payroll function, meaning it’s on the hook for any errors even if it’s not immediately responsible.
- The staff who process payroll in-house are categorized as employees, and as such, are paid through the same payroll system that they help manage.
Recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that payroll and timekeeping clerks earn an average of $22.79 per hour or $47,390 annually. Note, it is possible to have a hybrid model as well, where some functions are carried out internally and some are carried out by a third party. This is sometimes known as ‘payroll co-sourcing’ (the payroll equivalent of ‘co-employment‘). Beti cut payroll-processing labor by 90%, a Total Economic Impact study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Paycom reveals.
When should you consider outsourcing payroll?
Payroll refers to the total compensation a company pays employees for their work. Payroll also refers to the process of calculating employees’ net pay and initiating payment to them. Whether you have one employee or 100, you’ll need to process payroll to ensure they get paid correctly and that proper records are kept. The PEO model also means that Justworks handles all of your HR and payroll duties, so you don’t have to hire or manage HR in-house.
Outsourcing Payroll: How It Works, Pros & Cons, & Costs
When a business contracts with a third party to provide the service, this is known as outsourcing. Outsourcing payroll is one of the most common types of business process outsourcing. Before this practice, it was unheard of for companies to entrust compensation to anyone outside the organization. As tech development has streamlined payroll’s more tedious tasks, however, outsourcing payroll can be more cost-effective. 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.
Best Human Resources Payroll Software for 2023
While it may seem like a lot, it’s actually a huge saving from what it would cost to hire a full-time payroll/HR employee in-house. Portelli adds that an outsourced payroll function frees up human resources that would be able to focus on matters more significantly related to the core function of the organisation in question. Once you’ve narrowed down your needs, look for providers in your area, preferably also serving your industry. Payroll outsourcing providers specialize in doing one set of tasks well. The success of their business relies on processing and reporting payroll correctly and professionally. Generally, this should result in fewer errors than an in-house system.
Pros and Cons of Outsourcing Payroll for Small Businesses
While many cloud-based programs for payroll data management use encrypted servers and firewalls for security, they are juicy targets for malicious activity. A company’s core business functions—whatever it does to generate revenue—are understandably its main priority. “Payroll co-sourcing” describes a hybrid model in which some elements of the payroll process are hired away while others are completed in-house. You might need to opt for paid add-ons to ensure you have all the “must have” features in your payroll service. If you can squeeze some “good to have” features as well, do so but don’t overextend yourself. How your team uses an online payroll system will vary depending on the size of your team, the expertise of your employees and the system you use.
This table is designed to give you an idea of the relative pricing of the top payroll companies available. For pricing, we considered whether a service offers a free trial, as well as the affordability salary secrets of its lowest and highest price tiers. Companies that offer upfront pricing received higher ratings here than those that require filling out a lead capture form or making a call to a sales department.
Deluxe uniquely offers the option to use its HR features in conjunction with your existing payroll provider. This means you could integrate capabilities like benefits administration and paid time off (PTO) tracking without disrupting your existing payroll service. Alana is the deputy editor for USA Today Blueprint’s small business team.
Given this market growth, consider investing in software technology for your payroll. Work with a third-party payroll provider for access to advanced technology to ease operations. Payroll software makes the work of contracted payroll officers more seamless, efficient, and productive. In short, as flexible working becomes the norm, payroll outsourcing services are becoming an essential tool for businesses looking to stay competitive in a rapidly changing landscape. By doing so, they can focus on core business activities while leaving the complexities of payroll management to experts.
Companies outsource data entry services or hire outsourced payroll providers to avoid these problems. They work with trustworthy third-party vendors to improve payroll functions and reduce errors. Payroll service providers guarantee 99% data accuracy by using automated software and employing professionals to double-check input. Some think, “Why outsource payroll if I have to know about taxes and regulations anyway?
A big edge payroll companies have over in-house systems is that their focus is entirely on payroll solutions. This means you’ll likely have more access to expert assistance as you process payroll. Keeping your payroll processing in-house eliminates the need for a third party, which inherently lowers the risk of having your employee data compromised. The fewer people or systems that your data travels through, the lower the security threat.
