Payroll Companies & Payroll Services in Raleigh, NC

Overview

Padgett Business Services Raleigh now goes by Padgett Business Advisors Raleigh online. It is an independently owned office within the national Padgett network, which focuses on financial support for small companies. Scott Scarano opened the Raleigh location in 1992. He still leads the firm as president and is an Enrolled Agent. The office has local staff in North Carolina and also works remotely, so it can take on clients in other states as well as in the Triangle area.

Companies looking at outsourced payroll should know that the firm treats payroll as one part of a larger package. That package also includes bookkeeping, tax work and advisory engagements. The same team keeps the books and prepares the returns, so payroll figures can go straight into monthly financials and year-end filings. According to the firm, this means less re-keying of data and fewer reconciliation errors.

Payroll services

The payroll service works for employers of many sizes, from a two-person shop to a staff in the hundreds. It can pay salaried staff, hourly workers and independent contractors who receive 1099s. The main parts of the service are:

• Running each pay cycle, including gross-to-net calculations, deductions and withholdings
• Printing paper checks and setting up direct deposit
• Payroll tax returns at the federal, state and local levels, plus year-end reporting
• Preparing W-2 and 1099 forms
• Answering employees' questions about their pay, so owners don't have to
• Covering staff who work outside North Carolina
• Extra HR services offered through ADP

The software comes from ADP, the firm's payroll partner. Clients also get hands-on help from the office's own staff, so they have a local person to call and are not left dealing only with a software vendor. The ADP setup is also designed to sync with the accounting tools used for each client's books. Prices are not posted.

The office gives a custom quote after a short consultation, based on how large and complex the business is. The website also has an employee compensation calculator that estimates what a worker really costs once taxes and benefits are added.

Industries and team

The office says it works with law firms, healthcare practices, farms, contractors, restaurants, real estate businesses, online retailers and professional service firms. It points to specific experience with tip reporting and alcohol sales at restaurants and bars, and with the accounting rules for construction contracts. Besides payroll, it prepares business and personal tax returns and can represent clients before the IRS. It also offers monthly accounting and consulting on cash flow, budgets and forecasts.

The Raleigh team page lists several Enrolled Agents, including the president, the operations manager and the office manager. It also lists senior accountants who are CPAs licensed in North Carolina, along with staff accountants and administrative support.

The national Padgett organization is led by CEO Jeff Phillips and President Roger Harris and says it has more than five decades in business. What sets the office apart for buyers is a small, credentialed local team that handles payroll, tax and accounting together, using an established payroll platform to run the pay cycles.