Payroll Companies & Payroll Services in Topeka, KS

Mize CPAs Inc. is a CPA firm based in Kansas, with offices in Topeka and Overland Park. It handles tax, audit, client accounting and payroll work for owner-managed companies. The firm has now joined Aprio, a national advisory and accounting firm.

Mize says the move adds Aprio's size, infrastructure and investment in AI to its own technology-based approach, so it can serve clients across the Midwest, the rest of the country and abroad. Companies comparing payroll providers will find a CPA practice where payroll is one of its main lines of work, not a side service.

Payroll Services

Mize processes payroll for employers with staff in many states. It says it has clients in close to 50 states, so its team deals with each state's rules and filing requirements regularly. Clients can see their payroll records at any time through a cloud-based system.

Each client also works with the same assigned group of Mize payroll staff, so there is one consistent contact for questions. Because the firm is run by CPAs, payroll is backed by the same accountants who do tax and reporting work. That makes it easier to match wages, payroll taxes and the general ledger.

Payroll ties into several other services the firm offers:

• Multi-state payroll processing with a dedicated payroll team
• Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) management
• Accounts payable and bill-paying support
• Bookkeeping and financial reporting for companies with small or overloaded accounting staff
• State and local tax and year-round tax planning
• Audits of employee benefit plans

Industries and Specialties

Restaurants are the firm's main specialty, handled by a unit called Mize Restaurant Group. Mize says it works with more than 300 McDonald's owner groups, covering over 2,000 restaurant locations. It also serves other quick service brands, including Slim Chickens, plus casual and formal dining restaurants.

It offers accounting services built on Restaurant365 and hosts a yearly finance meeting for McDonald's owners. Its other industries include auto dealerships, construction, manufacturing, financial institutions, telecommunications, nonprofits and closely held private companies. For restaurant groups with many hourly workers across several states, that mix of high-volume payroll experience and industry knowledge may be the deciding factor.

How the Firm Works With Clients

Mize says it wants to be involved all year, not just at tax time. It asks clients about their personal and business goals so it can make suggestions between filing deadlines. For assurance work, it will recommend a compilation or review instead of a full audit when that is all a client needs.

During audits it gives suggestions on efficiency and internal controls while staying independent. Over time it has added extra services at clients' request, including payroll, bill paying and IT support, and it adjusts its services for both startups and established companies.

Background

Business listings show the firm was founded in 1986, and its LinkedIn page says it was among the first accounting firms to build its own web-based accounting and payroll platform. Mize describes itself as a Top 200 firm in Inside Public Accounting's rankings and says it has been named a Top Workplace in the USA two years in a row. It also offers payroll newsletters, a podcast and record-retention guides to help clients keep up with regulatory changes.