Payroll Companies & Payroll Services in Farmington, MN

Located in Farmington, Minnesota, not far from Lakeville, Spruce Valley Payroll & Services is a small-business payroll provider. Its clientele ranges from startups getting their operations off the ground to companies with long track records. The firm's philosophy is that payroll works best as a personal relationship.

Rather than reducing customers to entries in a database, it shapes its service around the particular circumstances of each employer and gives every one of them close, individual care.

On its inquiry form, prospective customers are asked to indicate whether they are registered in Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin or elsewhere, a hint that much of its customer base sits in the Upper Midwest.

Payroll Processing

At the center of the company's offering is end-to-end management of each pay period. Spruce Valley stands behind the accuracy of every withholding figure it computes, whether federal, state or local. Detailed reporting breaks out take-home pay and deductions for each staff member, together with the employer-side taxes attributable to that individual.

Paychecks and stubs are printed on stock the firm itself furnishes, and they arrive according to a timetable worked out with the customer. Staff who receive direct deposit are notified by email once a fresh stub is posted, and they can look back through as much as twelve months of earnings records on the web. Additional capabilities include:

• Electronic deposit available to employees and contractors alike
• Contractor compensation folded into the standard pay run, paid either by check or electronically, so that 1099 totals are easier to compile at year's end
• Wage garnishments and child support remittances generated automatically with every pay run
• Monitoring of vacation, sick leave and paid time off according to accrual policies the employer sets, with current balances printed on each stub
• Support for a wide variety of compensation, including salaried and hourly wages, multiple pay rates, bonuses, tips received in cash or through the paycheck, expense reimbursements, allowances and holiday pay
• Both pre-tax and after-tax withholdings for medical, dental and vision coverage, retirement contributions, flexible spending plans, and repayment of loans or advances

Tax Compliance and Reporting

The firm remits federal and state tax deposits and files quarterly and year-end returns by their deadlines, in line with each agency's requirements. Annual W-2 and 1099 preparation is part of the package as well. Because Spruce Valley can manage payments and returns in every U.S. state, it suits employers whose workforce is spread across state lines.

Whenever a customer brings on a new worker, the firm submits the required new hire report for a modest fee per employee. Payroll information can be transferred into a range of bookkeeping programs.

Supported options include Microsoft's Money application, QuickBooks in its desktop, Online and Mac editions, Peachtree and ATX, along with the write-up modules found in both the TaxWise and CCH ProSystem fx product lines. On the employer side, available reports address tax obligations, wage and tax totals, workers' compensation, leave balances, retirement plans and overall labor cost.

Reports for employees detail pay information, deductions and the latest check issued.

Leadership and Background

President Bernie Schwab was one of the company's founders. Prior to Spruce Valley, he devoted over twenty years to senior positions in sales and marketing within information technology, chiefly in the outsourced IT services field.

Fellow founder Terry Johnson brings in excess of 28 years of payroll experience; earlier in her career she played a key part in growing a regional branch of a nationwide payroll company to a roster of more than 8,500 customers. Ownership now rests with Bob Willbanks and Mitch Loewen.

Willbanks has spent upward of three decades in payroll, with additional experience in human resources systems, information technology and consulting. Loewen's history is in entrepreneurship and insurance, including nine years heading the insurance function of a self-insured workers' compensation fund serving construction trades.

Spruce Valley identifies ethics, precision, responsiveness, reasonable pricing and community involvement as its guiding principles, and it makes an effort to introduce its customers to one another when opportunities arise. Employers weighing their options will likely note three distinguishing features: a nearby local presence, complete handling of payroll from beginning to end, and a strong commitment to individual attention.