Payroll Companies & Payroll Services in Rochester, MI

Overview

AWP Accounting is a small, CPA-led accounting practice serving the Rochester area of Oakland County, Michigan. The firm is headed by Amy Maust, a certified public accountant, and its name is short for "Accountants with Personality," a nod to its aim of combining technical accounting work with an approachable, personal style of client service.

Its client base is made up of small business owners and individual households rather than large corporate payroll departments, which makes it a fit for employers who prefer a direct relationship with a named accountant over a high-volume processing center.

For buyers comparing payroll providers, the most notable feature of the practice is that payroll is not offered in isolation. AWP Accounting handles payroll alongside bookkeeping, tax preparation and advisory work, so employee pay records can feed straight into the same ledgers and returns that the firm maintains. This kind of integration can reduce the reconciliation work that arises when payroll, bookkeeping and tax filing are split among separate vendors.

Services

• Payroll services for small employers
• Bookkeeping and ongoing record keeping
• Business tax preparation
• Individual tax preparation
• Financial and tax consulting
• Business advisory and coaching

The firm tailors each engagement instead of selling a fixed bundle, on the view that no two clients have identical circumstances. Its consulting work is aimed at helping owners make sense of their company finances and tax position and see how those decisions carry over into their personal finances. That perspective is especially relevant for owner-operated companies, where business and household money are often closely linked and payroll choices can affect both.

Background

Amy Maust appears in a national directory of credentialed tax preparers, and business databases describe the practice as a small team of fewer than ten people. Directory listings place it under payroll services, accounting services and business consulting.

The practice now also presents itself under the AWP Bookkeeping name on a newer website that shares the same owner and contact details, suggesting a refreshed brand rather than a separate company. Its office is in Rochester, a short drive from Rochester Hills.

What distinguishes AWP Accounting from larger payroll vendors is its scale and structure: a CPA-led shop where payroll sits inside a broader accounting and tax relationship. The firm does not publish details about the payroll software it uses, direct deposit options, payroll tax filing coverage or multi-state capabilities, so prospective clients should confirm those specifics during an initial conversation before committing.

PaySource ONE is a family-owned payroll and human resources provider based in Rochester, Michigan, where it has operated for more than two decades. The firm concentrates on small employers throughout the Detroit metropolitan region, with clients spread across Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties. Its office sits inside the Storm Lake Capital Building in Rochester, and the company presents itself as a nearby alternative to large national processors.

Payroll processing and tax compliance

At the center of the offering is Employer on the Go, a cloud-based platform through which clients submit and oversee each payroll run. Employers can key in hours, check the calculated results, approve direct deposits and look up historical pay data, employee files and deductions at any time from a desktop, tablet or phone browser.

The system also handles garnishments, new hire reporting and multiple pay frequencies. On the tax side, PaySource ONE prepares and files federal, state and Michigan payroll obligations, including quarterly 941 returns, Michigan unemployment filings and year-end W-2 and 1099 forms. Staff watch filing deadlines and respond to tax agency notices for the employer.

Clients can also pull on-demand reports on labor expense, departmental splits and tax liabilities.

Time tracking and employee self-service

The company supplies several ways to capture hours, all of which feed straight into payroll without rekeying:

• GPS-based mobile clock-ins with geofencing for crews working in the field
• On-site time clocks that accept fingerprint scans or key card taps
• MyGo, a smartphone app where staff can punch in, see pay stubs and W-2s, review PTO balances, read company notices and edit their own withholding and contact details

New hires can complete the W-4 and I-9, direct deposit enrollment and employer-specific forms online before their start date, with electronic signatures and secure storage. HR tools keep digital personnel files, certifications and time-off policies in order and help employers follow federal and Michigan employment rules.

Benefits and related services

Beyond payroll, PaySource ONE coordinates a range of employee benefit programs. It arranges health, life and supplemental coverage such as Aflac, managing the deductions, carrier reporting and enrollment assistance. For 401(k) plans, employee contributions, matching dollars and loan paybacks are computed and sent each cycle.

A pay-as-you-go workers' compensation option bills premiums from actual payroll rather than annual estimates, removing big deposits and reducing audit surprises at year end. For companies nearing or above 50 full-time equivalents, the firm monitors ACA eligibility, produces Forms 1094-C and 1095-C and submits them to the IRS.

Through a partnership with Tapcheck, employees can draw part of their earned pay before payday, with repayment taken from the next check and no cost to the employer.

Team and approach

Founder and President Ed Bristow leads the business, supported by a small staff that includes a client success manager, a payroll tax specialist, a client benefits advisor and a marketing strategist. Rather than routing calls through a support center or ticket system, the company gives each client a dedicated contact who is familiar with the account.

Reviews quoted on its site describe relationships lasting ten to twenty years, and the firm reports a 5.0 Google rating. For buyers comparing vendors, its main distinguishing point is the pairing of local staff with a broad benefits and compliance menu and enterprise-level cloud software.

Stephen & Associates, PC is a licensed accounting practice based in Rochester Hills, Michigan. It serves independent professionals, corporate executives and owners of smaller companies. Alongside bookkeeping, tax work and QuickBooks consulting, the firm runs a dedicated payroll practice. That practice takes the administrative work of paying staff off owners who would rather concentrate on sales, customers and daily operations.

Payroll options

The firm does not offer a single fixed package. Instead, it structures payroll around three processing models, so clients can decide how much of the work they hand over:

• Full-service processing: the firm produces employee paychecks on blank, laser-printed security stock that meets Federal Reserve encoding requirements, with direct deposit included.
• After-the-fact payroll: for employers who write their own checks by hand. The firm enters those records into its system and handles the reporting and tax deposits that follow.
• Online processing: the client keys in hours and earnings through a secure web interface and prints checks in-house, with direct deposit available.

Each model includes:

• Federal and state tax reporting
• Electronic tax deposits through EFTPS
• Monthly, quarterly and year-end reports
• W-2 and W-3 statements plus 1099 forms
• Tracking of vacation, sick and personal-day accruals
• Filing of mandatory new-hire reports
• Ongoing upkeep of payroll records

Specialized reporting and compliance support

Beyond routine payroll runs, the firm prepares many of the specialized filings that government agencies request. This includes support during workers' compensation, Social Security and child support audits. It also covers responses to unemployment claims, 1099 and 1096 processing, and help completing federal and state employer registration forms. Certified payroll, union reporting and workers' compensation reports can be added on request.

For companies that have fallen behind on employment taxes, Stephen & Associates also represents clients before the IRS. The firm notes that unpaid withholding taxes draw some of the agency's most aggressive collection efforts. It cautions owners against facing IRS collection staff without a qualified representative. Its broader tax resolution work covers:

• Liens, levies, wage garnishments and seizures
• Installment agreements
• Offers in compromise
• Unfiled returns

Background and approach

The firm describes itself as a full-service practice. Its experience spans tax and accounting work, resolving IRS disputes, trust and estate matters, forming new entities, financial and investment planning, and the sale of real estate and businesses.

For payroll buyers, this means the team that processes paychecks can also keep the books, prepare tax returns and assist with starting a new company. QuickBooks users can get help with installation, ongoing email and phone support, and file cleanups ahead of tax season or a financial review.

Payroll pricing is quoted individually after the firm learns about a company's size and the services it needs. Prospective clients can request a consultation without charge. Existing clients have access to a secure online portal for exchanging documents.