Payroll Companies & Payroll Services in Fairbanks, AK

Overview

Golden Heart Bookkeeping, LLC is a Fairbanks-based bookkeeping practice owned and run by Traci Marrs. She has more than four decades of hands-on experience. The firm only takes clients whose companies are located in Alaska, so buyers outside the state will need to look elsewhere. Its clients range from sole proprietors working from a home office to small and mid-sized employers with staff on the payroll.

Payroll and related support

For companies comparing payroll providers, the firm matters because payroll sits inside its wider bookkeeping offering. Traci lists payroll processing among her small business services. She also helps owners manage payroll and meet their payroll tax obligations. Year-end information returns are covered too, including Forms 1099 and 1096. The practice says it uses current payroll software. Traci is comfortable on several accounting platforms, including programs specific to certain franchises or industries and both the desktop and online editions of QuickBooks.

Prospective clients should know about one current limitation. The firm states that it is not taking on new recurring monthly bookkeeping clients right now. Its present emphasis is on clean-up projects, QuickBooks instruction and short-term assistance. That makes it a better fit for an employer that needs its payroll records sorted out or its software configured correctly. It is a weaker fit for one seeking a long-term, recurring payroll outsourcing arrangement.

Services offered

• Payroll processing and payroll tax support
• Preparation of 1099 and 1096 forms
• Accounts payable and accounts receivable handling, including invoicing, deposits and collections
• Bank reconciliations, general ledger work and inventory management
• Catch-up and clean-up bookkeeping
• QuickBooks setup, training, quick answers and tune-ups
• Insurance audits and administrative assistance
• Forensic accounting, plus audits, reviews and compilations

How the firm works

The practice keeps its overhead low, which it says lets it keep fees within reach of smaller operations. Engagements are tailored to each client rather than sold as fixed packages. Traci can visit a business on site to review how its transactions move and recommend stronger internal controls.

For new ventures, she builds reporting and recordkeeping systems from the ground up. For established companies with disorganized books, she streamlines existing processes and adds checks and balances. Sole proprietors and partners face personal exposure to business liabilities, so they can also get help organizing their personal financial records ahead of personal tax preparation.

Some situations call for specialized expertise, such as a suspected embezzlement or heavy credit card debt. In those cases, Traci draws on a network of outside professionals and refers clients to a suitable specialist, so owners do not have to search on their own. Clients exchange documents through a secure client portal and a file-sending tool. The firm also publishes a monthly newsletter and a tax center with filing due dates, tax rates, IRS forms and a record retention guide.

GPS Administrative & Bookkeeping Services is a small Fairbanks, Alaska firm that combines payroll processing, QuickBooks-based bookkeeping and general office support for local businesses. Operating from an office on Lathrop Street in Fairbanks, the company works with clients in the Interior city itself as well as Anchorage, Delta Junction, North Pole and nearby communities, which makes it a practical option for owners who want a nearby provider rather than a national payroll platform.

Payroll services

Payroll is one of the firm's three core practice areas. The company processes employee pay on schedule and handles the compliance side of each run, so wages are correct and obligations are met.

Its stated aim is to take routine payroll chores off the owner's desk so that time can go toward running and growing the business, while staff receive accurate paychecks without delays. At the close of each calendar year, the firm also prepares W-2 forms for employees, supporting employers through annual reporting as well as regular pay periods.

Bookkeeping and administrative support

Payroll is delivered alongside a broader bookkeeping offering built around QuickBooks and handled virtually. The firm tailors each engagement, recognizing that requirements differ from one company to the next. Work can span everyday transaction entry, month-end account reconciliations, accounts payable, accounts receivable and the preparation of financial reports. For buyers, this means payroll data and the general ledger can sit with the same provider, reducing the hand-offs that often occur when payroll and accounting are split between vendors.

The administrative side of the practice covers tasks such as data entry, product research and help with LLC applications. Entrepreneurs launching a new company can also get the federal and state paperwork a startup typically must file, which may appeal to owners setting up their first payroll. Key offerings include:

• Payroll processing with compliance oversight
• Year-end W-2 preparation
• Virtual QuickBooks bookkeeping
• Accounts payable and receivable
• Month-end reconciliations
• Financial reporting
• Data entry and product research
• LLC application and new-business forms

How the firm works with clients

Engagements are flexible. Clients can arrange service on a monthly, quarterly or yearly basis, or bring the firm in only when a specific need arises. This approach suits seasonal employers and smaller companies whose workload shifts through the year. The company emphasizes customer service and positions itself as a partner that removes the worry of tracking business finances, leaving owners free to concentrate on their customers.

Background

According to its Better Business Bureau listing, the business is organized as a corporation, began operating in October 2023 and is led by President Mary Sue Dates. The BBB shows an A rating, although the company is not BBB accredited. For organizations comparing payroll providers in Alaska, it represents a locally based, owner-led option that bundles payroll with bookkeeping and administrative help rather than selling payroll as a standalone software product.

WKS, A Professional Corporation is a certified public accounting firm in Fairbanks, Alaska. It provides outsourced payroll alongside accounting, tax and advisory work. Employers who would rather not run payroll internally can hand the recurring calculations, filings and paperwork to a team that also understands the wider finances of the business.

Payroll services

Payroll is handled by staff inside the practice rather than passed to an outside processor. Clients get support across the full payroll cycle, including:

• Preparing and printing employee paychecks
• Direct deposit of wages
• Year-end W-2 preparation
• Quarterly and year-end payroll tax filings with the IRS
• Help resolving payroll tax notices and problems
• Pay schedules set weekly, every two weeks, twice a month or monthly

WKS presents its payroll offering as a way for smaller employers to avoid dedicating a full-time position to payroll administration. It also aims to reduce the risk of missed deadlines or errors as payroll regulations change. Because the same firm can manage bookkeeping and tax returns, payroll figures can flow into a client's books and filings without coordinating separate vendors.

Broader services and industries

Beyond payroll, WKS offers business consulting, general accounting, tax planning and preparation, QuickBooks consulting and information technology services. Its staff includes Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisors. Clients can work in QuickBooks Online or Xero, exchange files securely through a client portal and meet with the firm over Zoom. The firm highlights experience with several sectors:

• Construction, including specialized construction accounting
• Medical professionals
• Transportation services
• Service-based businesses

Team and background

Six CPAs own the practice. Therese Taillefer Sharp serves as President and Lee Bradish as Secretary-Treasurer. Kevin J. Walsh, Mike Kelliher, Ami Oppe and Matthew Curley are Vice-Presidents. They are supported by three senior accountants who also hold the CPA credential, several associate staff members, an office manager and an administrative assistant.

The firm is unusual among accounting practices in having in-house technology capability. Scott Southwood has looked after the firm's systems since 1994 and has consulted for it since 2004. He brings decades of experience helping Alaska businesses with networks, security, Excel data analysis and custom Access databases, and that expertise is also available to clients who need IT help.

The office is open Monday through Thursday during standard business hours and is closed Fridays and weekends. It also closes for holidays and for recovery days after tax deadlines. Among Alaska payroll providers, WKS may suit employers who want a local CPA firm handling payroll, tax and books under one roof. It also offers flexible pay frequencies and support for common cloud accounting platforms.