Payroll Companies & Payroll Services in Bloomington, IL

Hjerpe & Tennison CPAs, LLC is a public accounting firm based in central Illinois. Its main office is in Bloomington and a second office operates in Pekin. Payroll is one of the firm's core specialties. It processes payroll for more than 700 clients and works with businesses located in over 40 states. That reach makes it a practical option for employers who want a local CPA team that can also handle workers spread across many jurisdictions.

Payroll Services

The firm runs computerized payroll for growing companies and files the related payroll tax returns on schedule. It also helps owners build a dependable payroll process from the ground up, including the internal controls that keep pay runs accurate. Both offices have a dedicated payroll line and payroll staff. The team includes a Payroll Specialist in Bloomington and a Payroll Manager in Pekin.

The firm's online payroll page shows how it supports employers with remote or multistate staff. Clients can find:

• New hire packets for dozens of states, from Alabama to Wyoming
• Federal and Illinois withholding forms, the I-9, and an employee information sheet
• A direct deposit agreement form
• Guidance on the current year's W-4, minimum wage updates and retirement plan limits
• A state-by-state summary of final paycheck rules and notes on hiring remote workers
• An engagement letter and information form for 1099 preparation

Broader Accounting and Tax Support

Payroll clients can also use the firm's other services. These include bookkeeping on a monthly, quarterly or annual basis, general ledger work and financial statement preparation, and setting up accounting systems for new businesses. The firm prepares sales tax returns and handles tax planning and returns for individuals, corporations, partnerships, LLCs, estates, trusts and nonprofits.

It also represents clients before federal and state tax agencies. On the assurance side, it performs audits, reviews and compilations, with more than 30 audits each year, including nonprofit and governmental engagements. Consulting work covers forensic accounting, fraud prevention, business valuations, choice of entity, and selecting and implementing accounting software. QuickBooks training is a noted specialty.

Industries Served

The firm advises a sizable niche group of insurance agents across the country. It also serves clients in these industries:

• Healthcare
• Construction
• Real estate
• Restaurants

Team and Credentials

Managing Partner Eric L. Hjerpe became a CPA in 1998 and has been a QuickBooks ProAdvisor since 2006. He lists payroll among his areas of focus and belongs to the AICPA and the Illinois CPA Society. Partner Brett Tennison holds an MBA from Illinois State University and earned his CPA in 2003 and his Chartered Financial Consultant designation in 2008.

He joined the firm in 2010. Audit Partner Ann Cash oversees the firm's attest engagements, and Partner Sarah Sutton works across both offices. The wider staff includes several CPAs, staff accountants, client specialists and a dedicated new client onboarding contact. The firm describes itself as relatively small, which lets it give each client individual attention.

When a request falls outside its own services, it will refer the client to a qualified professional.

Tax & Accounting Plus, Inc. is an accounting and tax practice in Bloomington, Illinois. It offers payroll processing as one part of a wider set of financial services for businesses and individuals. Companies comparing payroll providers will find an accountant-led local option here. Payroll can be handled by the same team that keeps the books and prepares tax filings, so there is no need to coordinate with a separate payroll vendor.

Payroll and related business services

Payroll Services is one of the services the firm publishes. That makes the practice a sensible choice for employers who want wage processing kept with the professionals who already know their finances. The firm also handles sales tax compliance, ongoing bookkeeping and write-up work, and financial statement preparation.

A business can therefore bring several recurring compliance and reporting tasks under one roof. This approach is especially relevant for smaller employers without internal accounting staff, or for companies whose informal recordkeeping can no longer keep up with growth.

• Payroll services
• Bookkeeping and write-up
• Sales tax services
• Financial statements and financial analysis
• Accounting software selection and implementation
• Business consulting and entity selection
• IRS representation

Advisory and tax support

Beyond routine processing, the firm helps owners make structural and technology decisions. For accounting software, it reviews a company's transactions, existing systems and growth plans before recommending and setting up a platform. Cloud-based and subscription options are considered, along with data security.

The practice explains the trade-offs between LLCs, LLPs, partnerships, corporations and sole proprietorships, and it can revisit that choice as a company evolves. Its consulting work covers questions about expanding, selling or reorganizing a business. Its financial analysis includes forward-looking scenario modeling to support planning.

If a client is audited, the firm can represent the business or individual before the IRS and other taxing authorities.

Individual clients can turn to the practice for tax preparation and planning, retirement planning, and estate and trust tax returns. For estate and trust work, the firm coordinates with the client's attorney to help limit taxes and ease the transfer of assets to heirs. Notary public services are also available for witnessing and authenticating signatures on documents.

How the firm works with clients

The firm describes its style as low-pressure. It says it is sized to cover many disciplines while still giving each client personal attention. It studies each client's circumstances and shapes its recommendations around them rather than applying generic advice, and it reports strong client retention. Clients can use an online client portal and request appointments through the website.

The firm also maintains a resource library with articles, guides, white papers, on-demand videos, financial calculators, a record retention guide, tax rates and due dates, IRS forms and publications, and a newsletter.

For Bloomington-area employers, Tax & Accounting Plus is best suited to those who want payroll tied closely to their bookkeeping, tax and advisory needs. It is less of a fit for buyers looking for a standalone payroll software subscription.