Payroll Companies & Payroll Services in Fargo, ND

Haga Kommer, Ltd. is a certified public accounting firm. Under one brand it offers CPA work along with banking, insurance, wealth management and legal services. For employers in the Moorhead and Fargo area, the nearest location is its Fargo, North Dakota office, which is also the firm's main point of contact. The company says it has more than 200 professionals working from a group of regional offices in Minnesota, North Dakota, Iowa, Colorado and Arizona.

Payroll and accounting services

Payroll is part of the firm's Accounting & Payroll practice. Its staff handle the whole pay cycle rather than just single tasks. Businesses that hand payroll to Haga Kommer can get help with:

• Running each payroll so workers are paid the right amount on schedule
• Working out and managing employee tax withholdings
• Preparing required federal, state and local payroll filings
• Managing payroll deductions
• Coordinating payroll items linked to employee benefits
• Employee reporting and payroll reporting at year end

Besides payroll, the accounting group provides account reconciliations, financial reporting, and analysis of cash flow, expenses and trends. The firm stresses that it uses secure systems to protect sensitive worker data. Clients can send documents through a secure file transfer tool and use online client portals.

Who the firm works with

Most clients are small and mid-sized companies. The firm also serves high-net-worth households, real estate investors, professionals, and people close to or already in retirement. Clients don't have to own a business. For payroll buyers, the broader structure means wage administration can tie directly into tax planning, business advisory work, assurance engagements and succession planning. Staff include payroll specialists, CPAs, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER professionals and business management executives.

How it works with clients

Haga Kommer builds its approach on three principles. It links every part of a client's finances, it gives forward-looking advice to get ahead of problems, and it uses teams that combine several disciplines. Its Business Solutions Package combines banking, tax, insurance, legal and wealth support into a single plan for a company and its owners.

The firm presents this concierge-style model as a way to offer the resources of a large national practice while keeping the personal relationship and easy access of a nearby advisor.

Background and structure

Besides its accounting work, the organization runs related entities. Legal work comes through HK Law LLC, which is set up as an alternative business structure under Arizona rules. Banking and insurance come through affiliated companies, and securities and advisory services are provided through Cetera, with national support connected to Avantax.

Some offices offer only tax and accounting services, or those plus law services, so buyers should check what a given location provides. The firm describes a culture based on integrity, humility and teamwork, and it runs a community program called HK Cares.

Payroll Professionals and Benefits Plus is a Fargo, North Dakota firm that handles payroll, employee benefits and human resources work for employers. The company has two divisions. Payroll Professionals manages wage processing, tax filing and timekeeping. Benefits Plus was added later and focuses on group insurance and benefit administration. Its clients range from small owner-run shops to larger organizations. The firm presents itself as an outsourced back office that frees owners from routine administrative work.

Payroll and tax services

The payroll division handles the whole process of paying staff and meeting reporting obligations. The capabilities the firm lists include:

• Payroll processing with direct deposit
• Filing of federal and state payroll tax reports, plus unemployment reporting
• Year-end preparation and filing of W-2 and 1099 forms
• Wage garnishment and child support withholding
• Labor allocation and general ledger mapping for accounting
• Employment verification through Equifax
• Ongoing consulting and reporting, with no cap on administrator accounts

Time tracking, HR and benefits

Beyond payroll, the company offers timekeeping tools that record hours and handle requests for paid time off. They also support GPS clock-ins with geofencing, so employers can confirm where staff punch in. New hires can complete their paperwork online, and an HR management service and background checks help clients with personnel matters.

Employees and administrators sign in through web portals and a mobile app for iOS and Android. Benefits Plus is led by owner and agent Cassie Temple. The division reviews health insurance options with employers and their workers, explains the plan choices, and administers coverage.

One long-time client says the division cut its health premiums while giving staff more plans to choose from.

How they work with clients

New clients go through three steps. The prospective client first gets in touch. The two sides then meet to assess needs and build a plan. Finally, the team guides the business through hands-on onboarding and stays available for ongoing support.

The firm points to several terms that set it apart from some competitors: it is not a PEO, it does not lease employees, it does not hold client funds in impound, and it does not require contracts. Its site also lists security measures such as round-the-clock system monitoring, encrypted data backup and email protection.

Background and team

Dan Thompson founded the company, and owner and CEO Brett Longtin now leads it. The staff numbers more than a dozen and includes an implementation director, payroll specialists, a payroll supervisor, EFT staff, a tax administrator and a network administrator. Client testimonials describe relationships that have lasted many years.

One accounting professional has used the firm for close to two decades, and a Fargo retailer with two stores started using its payroll services in 2014. Reviewers often say they can reach a real person by phone rather than an automated system. The company treats this as a core part of its people-first approach.