B U S I N E S S M AT T E R S
Heartland: End of Year Is Best Time to Switch Payroll Providers
Thinking about switching payroll providers?
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quarter of small business owners are shopping for a payroll provider near the end of the year. Some are fed up with the bad service they’ve received. Others are frustrated by payroll platforms not integrated with their business’ software and hardware. Maybe a vendor’s lack of attention has resulted in costly errors and penalties. Or perhaps a business owner is just tired of doing payroll with everything else on his/her plate. Whatever your reason, the New Year is the best time to make a change. Why? At the start of the New Year, there’s no historical data to migrate from your old system into your new one. You also don’t have to go through the hassle of collecting all your year-to-date and quarter-to-date information from your old provider. Changing providers at the beginning of the year allows your new payroll company to hit the ground running with a clean slate. For a smooth transition, be sure your last pay date of the year is with your old provider, and your first pay date of the year is with your new provider. For example, if you have a pay period ending in December 2020, with a pay date in January 2021, that cycle should be with your new provider since it will be reported on your 2021 W-2s. Your previous provider will prepare the 2020 W-2s. Remember, payroll taxes
40 WINTER
2020
are based on when wages are paid, not when employees work. Also, don’t forget to take care of a few vital tasks before you make the switch: Produce copies of all your financial records from your old payroll company such as employee information and tax records. Prepare tax filings from your previous provider that include Q4 2020 quarterly, 2020 annual and 2020 W-2s. Prepare basic business information for your new provider, such as your Federal and State Employer Identification Numbers and bank account details. You can certainly switch payroll providers after January, but you’ll have more information to transfer and the added complication of whether it’s the former or current payroll provider’s responsibility to perform certain tasks. That brings us to the most important question — what should you look for in a new payroll provider? Not all providers offer the same level of service. Before you officially make the switch, ask the following questions: What payroll features are provided? Go beyond processing payroll. Source a service that can help you with HR, recruiting and onboarding, time and attendance, and benefits administration — today and as your business grows. Is the payroll system easy to use? You want an intuitive platform that eliminates data
entry duplication. It should also be cloudbased, with a simple to navigate dashboard that allows you to view and automate activities, and generate pre-built reports. Is the payroll system integrated? Does it connect payroll, hiring, time and HR to streamline back-office operations? Is it able to exchange data with accounting services, worker’s compensation, 401k and more? Will the payroll service keep you compliant? Protect your business. Seek easy access to certified HR professionals who can provide personalized guidance on HR issues, labor laws and federal, state and industry regulations. Is the payroll provider experienced and reputable? Find out how long a provider has been serving the payroll/HR community, and how many active customers it has. Ensure you’ll have access to a dedicated service representative who understands your business, serves as an extension of your team, and is your single point of contact for all of your needs. Payroll is far too important to stay with an unsatisfactory provider. If you’ve been toying with the idea of outsourcing payroll or changing providers, now is a good time to pull the trigger. FLORIDA RESTAUR ANT & LOD GING A S SO CIATION
