Outsourcing payroll: A pros and cons guide

outsourced payroll

The terms “payroll service provider” and “payroll services” are often used to apply to either type of organization. We recommend checking out our 2024 guides for the best cheap payroll services, best payroll services for small businesses and best PEO services. A PEO service may come with a higher price tag than basic payroll outsourcing options.

How do you find the right payroll outsourcing services for your needs?

If you don’t have the time, money or expertise to handle it in house, payroll outsourcing can help. It allows a third-party payroll services provider to handle the administrative aspects of payroll so you can focus on running and growing your business. When a business delegates a portion or all of its payroll operations to a third party, it’s known as payroll outsourcing.

The basic service can be inexpensive compared to the time it would take to do it yourself. Our last list entry is a bit of a midpoint between software-only providers like OnPay and more full-service providers like the ones mentioned further up. But they also offer extensive support and administrative services to help teams minimize the amount of work required internally to keep HR functions running.

outsourced payroll

Other fees might be for extra services like setting up employee benefits or providing reports. Generally, businesses can expect to spend between $30 and $100 per person each month for outsourcing payroll services. Yes, they can, and it’s one of the biggest benefits of outsourcing your payroll to a payroll service provider. Rather than having an in-house team deposit paychecks, calculate tax withholdings, and file your small what is negative goodwill and its accounting treatment business taxes, outsourced payroll handles it all behind the scenes.

Is payroll outsourcing a good idea?

  1. If you choose this option, ensure your contract with the accountant is clear to avoid potential employee misclassification issues.
  2. The next step is to decide what degree of outsourcing is appropriate.
  3. We considered a number of companies, and they all brought something different to the table.
  4. Given these complicated tasks and the potential for mistakes, processing payroll on your own can cost you more overall than what you may save initially with a DIY solution.
  5. Naturally, the quality of payroll outsourcing will vary, but it’s clear many companies still see these third-party payroll managers as more effective than internal capabilities.

A solid understanding of payroll outsourcing’s pros and cons, along with accurate information on existing payroll management costs, can offer helpful guidance. When choosing a payroll outsourcing provider, it’s important to remember what’s at stake. A good provider will make things easy for the client, but client companies shouldn’t be lured into a false sense of security.

Compliance across borders

If you proceed to a demo or sales pitch, ensure you clarify the vendor’s model, too. Find out as much as you can before committing and ask questions if you need to. By outsourcing your payroll, you can streamline your operations, reduce administrative burden, and gain access to expertise.

HR outsourcing companies

A small business can spend a significant portion of its revenue on payroll costs. These changes in the post-COVID-19 working environment mean HR teams have more on their plates than ever before. Fortunately, leveraging outsourced talent to help fill in the gaps for your in-house teams can help to address this growing workload.