Payroll Companies & Payroll Services in West Fargo, ND

Accountability LLC is a small accounting firm based in West Fargo, North Dakota. It handles payroll, bookkeeping and general accounting for small and medium-sized businesses across the Fargo-Moorhead area. It is aimed at companies that have no accountant, bookkeeper or payroll administrator on staff and want an outside specialist to take over those jobs.

Founder Sara Ernst runs the firm and works directly with each client, so it is a good fit for owners who want one named person handling their payroll rather than a large provider's call center.

Payroll Services

Payroll is one of the firm's two main lines of work. Accountability can run the whole payroll cycle for a client. That starts with adding new hires to the roster and continues through tracking each worker's salary, hourly wages, bonuses and tax withholdings. The firm follows federal, state and local withholding rules and updates the records every pay period.

Employees can be paid by direct deposit or by paper checks printed on check stock. After the pay run, the firm also handles direct deposit filings and gets paychecks to staff.

• Full payroll processing, including setting up new employees
• Direct deposit or printed paychecks
• Paycheck delivery and direct deposit filing
• Quarterly and annual payroll tax forms
• Help with unemployment claims under North Dakota rules

On unemployment matters, the firm helps employers understand their rights and duties and stay compliant with North Dakota's unemployment compensation rules. It also prepares quarterly and annual tax forms on schedule and keeps supporting records on file.

Bookkeeping and Other Accounting Work

Besides payroll, Accountability offers bookkeeping so clients can work with a single provider for their routine finances. This covers accounts receivable, customer invoices, accounts payable and bill payment, along with sales tax filing and setup. The firm also reconciles bank and credit card accounts and prepares a monthly income statement and balance sheet for management.

It also offers general business consulting for smaller companies with accounting, bookkeeping or payroll questions. One more specialized service is legal auditing in divorce cases where a business is part of the marital estate.

In those cases the firm works with the client's attorney to show the business's real income and debts and prepares exhibits for the court, since a tax return alone may not give an accurate picture.

How the Firm Works With Clients

Accountability puts a lot of weight on clear communication, simple processes and meeting deadlines. Clients who find it hard to leave their own premises can have Sara work on-site at their business. Meetings outside regular weekday hours can be set up by appointment. The founder has more than 15 years of experience with payroll and bookkeeping for businesses in the Fargo area. The firm names trust and taking responsibility as core values, which is where the company name comes from.

Client testimonials on the site come from local businesses such as a salon, a tattoo studio and a hospitality venue. Some of these clients have been with the firm since 2009. For Moorhead-area employers comparing payroll providers, Accountability offers hands-on, personal service rather than a self-service software platform. Its payroll and bookkeeping work is closely tied together, and it has specific knowledge of North Dakota unemployment requirements.

S and S Incorporated is a CPA practice in West Fargo, North Dakota, that also goes by the name West Fargo CPA. It works with households and small businesses throughout the Fargo-Moorhead metro, which includes Moorhead, MN, just across the Red River. The firm's work rests on three services: preparing tax returns, keeping books and running payroll.

Because one office handles all three, an owner who hires it for payroll can also have it handle the related accounting and tax filing.

Payroll and Related Services

Payroll at S and S Incorporated is part of the firm's general accounting work, not a separate software product. Business owners who would rather not run payroll themselves can give that job to the same accountants who keep their books and prepare their returns. When the people processing wages also see the full books, payroll figures tend to line up with the ledger and the year-end tax filings. The firm describes its main offerings as:

• Payroll processing for small businesses
• Bookkeeping and general accounting
• Tax preparation for individuals
• Tax preparation for businesses
• Extensions and returns filed after the deadline

The firm's website does not name a branded payroll platform or list hardware or software it resells. Buyers who need a particular payroll system, a certain pay frequency or specific multi-state filing work should raise it at the first meeting. That matters for employers whose staff live on both sides of the North Dakota-Minnesota border.

How the Firm Works With Clients

The firm presents itself as a small local team that values honest, accurate work and personal contact with clients. It stresses that staff answer the phone themselves and take time to walk clients through each item on a return or report, so clients understand the numbers.

It also aims for long-term relationships, with many clients returning year after year instead of switching providers each season. New clients can book a free first consultation to talk through their situation before agreeing to any work. The firm also takes on clients who have fallen behind, with services for extensions and overdue returns.

Background and Locations

S and S Incorporated says it has served the Fargo-Moorhead area for more than 30 years, a long track record for a small accounting office. Its main office is on 8th Street East in West Fargo. The firm's public business listings also show a second office on East Rosser Avenue in Bismarck, ND.

The firm belongs to the Fargo Moorhead West Fargo Chamber of Commerce. In its chamber listing, it says it pairs professional skill with competitive pricing for both individual and business clients.

For Moorhead-area employers comparing payroll providers, S and S Incorporated suits small businesses that want a local CPA office handling payroll, books and taxes in one place. Its strengths are its long history in the metro, a hands-on style that explains things clearly, and the ease of working with one firm across several financial tasks. Larger employers, or those that need a specific payroll technology, should confirm what the firm can support before signing up.