Payroll is the one thing that cannot be late
A late invoice annoys a customer. A late paycheck loses an employee. A late payroll tax deposit starts a penalty clock that compounds every quarter and, eventually, reaches the owner personally. Of everything a small business has to do on a schedule, payroll is the one with the least tolerance for a busy week, which is why so many owners hand it to us the month after they hire their first employee.
Our payroll service handles the whole cycle: hours in, paychecks or direct deposits out, federal and North Carolina withholding calculated and deposited, quarterly Form 941 and state filings submitted, and W-2s and 1099s issued in January. Employees get pay stubs in English or Spanish. Owners get a payroll summary each cycle and a clean journal entry into the books, because in most cases we keep those too.
We also run payroll for owners who are their own only employee. An S-corporation owner is required to take a reasonable salary through payroll, and a single-person payroll done correctly is what keeps that election safe.
- Weekly, biweekly or monthly cycles. Direct deposit or printed checks.
- Tax deposits made for you. Federal and state withholding impounded each payroll and deposited on schedule.
- Every filing, every quarter. 941, 940, NC-5, NC-3, state unemployment, W-2s and 1099s.
- New-hire reporting and onboarding. I-9, W-4 and state new-hire reports, in both languages.
- Contractors handled correctly. W-9s collected, 1099s issued, and a straight answer on who is really an employee.
- Posted to the books automatically. Payroll and the books from one firm means no double entry and no mismatch at year-end.
How payroll works with us
Setup
We register or verify your federal and North Carolina withholding and unemployment accounts, collect employee forms, set pay rates and schedules, and enter any year-to-date history if you are switching mid-year.
Each payroll
You send hours, or approve them from your time system, by an agreed cutoff. We process, you approve the summary, and employees are paid on payday. Taxes are set aside and deposited on the federal and state schedules that apply to your business.
Quarter and year-end
Quarterly returns are filed and reconciled against the deposits. In January, W-2s and 1099s go to employees and contractors and are filed with the agencies, and the annual reconciliation is done before your tax return is prepared.
Why owners move their payroll to us
We have seen the other side
Our resolution division handles 941 cases. We run payroll so you never become one.
A person, not a portal
When an employee has a question about a pay stub, someone here answers it, in their language.
Books and payroll together
One firm, one set of numbers, no reconciliation between vendors.
Contractor classification done right
Misclassified workers are a payroll tax case waiting to happen. We tell you the truth about yours.
Payroll questions
A base monthly fee plus a small amount per employee per cycle, covering processing, deposits and all quarterly and annual filings. We quote it in writing based on your headcount and pay frequency, and bookkeeping clients receive a combined rate.
Yes. We load the year-to-date wages and taxes from your previous provider so W-2s are correct at year-end. The start of a quarter is the cleanest time to switch, but any pay period works.
It depends on control, not on what you call them. If you set the hours, provide the tools and direct the work, the IRS and North Carolina will generally see an employee, regardless of a 1099. Getting this wrong creates back payroll taxes and penalties. We review your situation and tell you plainly.
Yes, and it is one of our most common engagements. S-corporation owners must take reasonable compensation through payroll, and a single monthly payroll run with correct deposits is what keeps that in order.
The IRS charges a failure-to-deposit penalty that rises with the number of days late, plus interest. Because we impound the taxes with each payroll and deposit on the schedule, that does not happen on our watch. If you are already behind from before, our Tax Pitbull division handles the catch-up.
Yes. Pay stubs, onboarding forms and any question about withholding are available in Spanish or English, per employee.