Payroll Companies & Payroll Services in West Warwick, RI

Lucier CPA, Inc. is a certified public accounting firm in West Warwick, Rhode Island, that works almost entirely with small businesses and their owners in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Payroll is one of four core practice areas, offered next to tax planning and preparation, bookkeeping, and business advisory work.

For companies comparing payroll providers, this means wage processing is handled by an accounting firm that can also look after the books and tax filings, rather than by a standalone payroll processor.

Payroll Services

The firm runs a computerized payroll system it built itself, designed to keep pay runs, tax deposits and return preparation on schedule. Its payroll work covers routine processing as well as several HR-related extras:

• Direct deposit of employee paychecks
• Year-end W-2 forms and W-3 transmittals
• Payroll reports broken out by employee or by department
• Electronic filing and payroll tax compliance
• Monthly, quarterly and year-end payroll tax returns
• Required workplace labor law posters
• New hire onboarding and background screening
• Human resources support
• Time clocks and remote time reporting

A key part of the firm's approach is continuity of staff. The CPAs and bookkeepers who prepare each client's payroll are the same people who manage that client's accounting, bookkeeping and taxes, so they already know the business well. Lucier CPA stresses that payroll rules change often and that mistakes can lead to costly penalties and interest, and it presents its integrated team as a way to reduce that risk.

Clients and Industries

The firm works with start-ups, struggling companies and businesses in a growth phase. Its client list spans construction, manufacturing, retail and online retail, restaurants, daycare centers, and professional and service firms. Start-ups, home-based companies and very small operations can use a dedicated micro-business program, while owners who want regular strategic guidance can join the CEO Advisor Program for one-on-one counseling.

Meetings take place by phone, by video, or in person at the office, and the firm's website links to a client portal and an online payment portal.

Background and Credentials

The firm is led by David J. Lucier, CPA, CGMA, Tax CEA, a Bryant University graduate with roughly three decades of experience advising new and emerging companies. He has taught at Bryant and at Roger Williams University, chaired the Rhode Island Society of CPAs for 2018-2019, and wrote the book The Six Steps to Small Business Success. The U.S.

Small Business Administration has named him Accountant Advocate of the Year three times. The firm itself received Accounting Firm of the Year honors from the Professional Association of Small Business Accountants in 2009 and 2021, and Providence Business News has included it on its list of the largest payroll companies.

The management team includes Maria Ferri Lucier, CPA, EA; Dante Calise, CPA, MBA; Lori A. Fleming, CPA, MST, a QuickBooks ProAdvisor; assistant manager Curtis Karolczuk, EA; and certified bookkeeper Michelle Webster, along with additional accountants, bookkeepers and support staff. The firm holds QuickBooks ProAdvisor and bookkeeping certifications and is connected with the AICPA, RISCPA and SCORE.