All businesses are run different, you don’t make the same product or offer same services or prices. What you do have in common is that you have a payroll. You may run payroll yourself or out source to a payroll company. What you don’t expect to happen when you do payroll is theft. We at Payrunner Payroll don’t take that lightly. Especially when we read articles on payroll companies like the one here on recent tax fraud by LA PAYROLL.

In the wake of this financial loss for LA Payroll customers; many businesses may be rethinking their own payroll service providers. Payrunner Payroll has an answer to the many questions most business owners are now asking themselves.

1. What ways can I check on my payroll provider that they are paying my taxes?

You can always use the automated EDD line to be sure your taxes are being paid. Another thing to look for is using a service that does not use impound accounts like LA Payroll. This prevents them from moving large amounts of cash on hand. Also ask your payroll company for a copy of their bond or employee theft policy. At Payrunner Payroll we provide a free service to our customers to verify their taxes are being paid. This is a “Tax Browser” offered by our payroll tax provider,  Payrolltaxpeople.com (PTP). PTP has 30+ years of experience and works closely with the IRS creating tax regulations.

2. What should I look for in a payroll service provider?

• Trust: Like anything in life if there is no trust, there is zero peace of mind. You want to have a trustworthy partner on your team for your payroll needs. This is such an integral part of your company and it’s integrity. Without it you are putting your business on the line and ultimately the livelihood of your employees who work hard to keep your business growing and operational. Hiring the right payroll provider is not just how much they can save you in fees but how much peace of mind they provide you.
• Compliance: We work hard every day to keep you compliant. We ensure, with PTP, that your taxes are collected and paid in a timely manner. We process your new hire reporting, quarterly and year-end tax returns on your behalf. We don’t just have clients, we have partners. Let us work for you, while you work on building your business.
• Years in business: This is important it brings value to the table. Payroll providers who have been in business many years will have a solid reference of customers. You can do your own due diligence by reaching out to customers that have used their services and gain even more peace of mind.  If a company has been in business “X” amount of years, then gets bought, that company is now as new as the current owner. Payrunner Payroll has been in business 11 1/2 going on 12 years and has never had new ownership. Payrunner is owned by a husband and wife in Orange, CA. Visit our website for more information. www.payrunnerpayroll.com
• Dependable: A lot of payroll companies maybe competent but being dependable is something that sets a company apart. In any business just providing a service doesn’t mean you are dependable. There are often times you need something answered or a change made, always being sent to automation takes out the personal service and dependability of a company. When choosing a provider being able to speak with a live person is much more personable and adds value to their service.
• Services offered: Many payroll providers offer many additional services on top of the payroll. Most will give you everything under the sun you can sign up for at once. You can always add on these packages after you build a foundation that they are capable of step one, your payroll.

3. How much work do I need to do to change my payroll services?

Each company is a little different and depending on how you have been doing your payroll before changing. For the most part, for a smaller mom n pop shop it’s usually the change over of files provided by the prior service. Larger companies 100+ employees changing over faster is not always better. It’s safe to say that large sized companies should take 1 -2 weeks max for a seamless transition once you made the decision on the new service.

Those are just a few questions most companies may have about making the switch in companies and what to look for. We here at Payrunner Payroll are providing “free” setup fee (a $200-500 value) to any one who was with LA Payroll and is looking for a new payroll service. Please contact us here with LA Payroll as the subject info@payrunnerpayroll.