Payroll Companies & Payroll Services in Annapolis, MD

Fidelis Tax & Accounting is an accounting practice based in Annapolis, Maryland. It combines payroll processing and bookkeeping with tax and advisory work. The firm takes on both individual and business clients and does not limit itself to a local area. It serves clients nationwide, so it can suit Maryland employers whose owners or operations reach beyond the state.

Payroll and Bookkeeping

Fidelis offers payroll as part of a combined bookkeeping and payroll service line, not as a standalone software product. For buyers, this means the team that maintains the books is also involved in running payroll. That can reduce the handoffs that occur when a business uses a separate payroll vendor and an outside accountant.

The firm says it shapes its accounting and payroll engagements around the circumstances of each client rather than selling a fixed package. Its website has a page for this service line, but that page showed no detailed content when it was reviewed.

Prospective clients should therefore ask the firm directly which items are included, such as pay frequencies, payroll tax filings, direct deposit and year-end employee forms.

Broader Services

Beyond payroll, the firm offers a range of tax and advisory work that business owners can combine into one relationship:

• Bookkeeping and payroll
• Virtual CFO support
• Business consulting
• Tax planning
• Tax preparation
• Tax consulting

The virtual CFO and business consulting services suggest the firm aims to do more than process transactions. It also offers higher-level financial guidance to companies that do not have an in-house finance executive. Its tax work covers forward-looking planning, return preparation and consulting on specific tax questions. This can be useful for employers who want payroll records and tax strategy handled by the same provider.

How the Firm Works With Clients

Fidelis builds its client relationships around a set of stated values. It emphasizes integrity, candor and transparency, and it describes each engagement as a partnership. Communication is a central theme.

The firm says it aims to reach out deliberately and proactively instead of waiting for clients to raise issues, and it treats that habit as the key to lasting working relationships. Clients can use an online client portal, which helps when exchanging payroll and financial documents.

The firm also publishes a blog and a newsletter with news and updates, and its website includes a pricing section.

Locations

The firm has four offices. In Maryland, its main office is in Annapolis, and a second office in Owings Mills is open by appointment only. It also has two Colorado offices, one in Colorado Springs (by appointment) and one in Pueblo. For Maryland businesses, the Annapolis office is the primary point of contact. The multi-state footprint reflects the firm's practice of serving clients in different parts of the country.

The Harding Group is a certified public accounting firm based in Annapolis, Maryland. It works mainly with small business owners who want payroll, bookkeeping, tax and advisory work handled by a single team. The firm holds a Maryland CPA-Corporation license and has supported owners for more than twenty years. Its clients range from new ventures still getting organized to established companies planning a sale or retirement.

Payroll Services

Payroll is a core offering rather than an add-on, and the firm keeps this work in-house instead of passing it to an outside processor. Payroll is offered in two tiers. The basic tier covers the routine cycle: the firm keys in payroll data, onboards new hires into the system, and makes and files the required payroll tax deposits and returns.

Each client is paired with a specific payroll staff member, so owners deal with the same person over time. The advanced tier adds:

• Journal entries that post payroll activity to the books
• Remitting employee retirement contributions to plan providers
• Year-end W-2 and 1099 preparation
• Certified payroll reporting, useful for contractors on prevailing-wage projects

For businesses that prefer to run payroll themselves in QuickBooks, the firm offers training and ongoing support. This includes answering questions, troubleshooting problems and a twice-yearly review and cleanup of the QuickBooks file.

Bookkeeping, Tax and Advisory Work

Beyond payroll, the team records and reconciles bank and credit card activity, manages and pays vendor bills, and reports and remits sales tax. On the tax side, it prepares both business and individual returns and offers proactive planning aimed at lowering a client's tax burden.

Advisory clients meet with the firm at least twice a year for consulting and planning sessions, with extra meetings as needed. The firm also helps owners who have fallen behind on bookkeeping or missed filing deadlines.

Industries and Specialties

The firm highlights several areas of focus:

• Start-ups
• Service-based businesses
• Technology companies
• Owners needing catch-up work on late filings

Clients featured on its site include a local yacht brokerage, where the team streamlined accounting and took over bookkeeping tasks. Another is a longtime client, an Annapolis maker of wooden kayak and small-boat kits.

How They Work and What Sets Them Apart

Engagements start with a free consultation in which the team learns how the business operates and recommends a suitable package. Fees depend on the type of work involved, and prospective clients receive an estimate of projected costs before work begins.

A notable policy for payroll buyers is that the firm does not bill for phone calls or email questions, which encourages frequent contact. Because bookkeepers and payroll staff do the day-to-day work, clients are not charged CPA-level rates for routine tasks.

The staff includes three CPAs, Marla Lahaye, Kara Benner and Bradley Lanigan. They are supported by accountants, several bookkeepers and tax associates, administrative staff and a dedicated payroll and administration specialist. Clients exchange documents and access their books through online portals, including Canopy for business files, TaxCaddy for individual tax records, and QuickBooks Online or hosted QuickBooks Desktop. The firm also offers scheduled video meetings with staff.