Payroll Companies & Payroll Services in Brookfield, WI

Overview

Connect & Simplify is the integrated business administration offering of The Benefit Companies, Inc. This Wisconsin firm marked five decades in operation in 2024. It is headquartered in Brookfield, just west of Milwaukee, and has a second branch in Plymouth.

The company supports employers throughout Wisconsin, including the Milwaukee, Waukesha, Racine and Kenosha areas, as well as clients elsewhere in the country. Its sweet spot is companies with roughly 2 to 500 workers. It describes its model as insourcing: clients use a shared software platform while a dedicated service team provides expertise and support.

Payroll Services

Payroll sits at the center of the offering. The platform is built on technology from Ultimate Kronos Group (UKG). The firm pairs that software with assigned service representatives rather than a general call center. Payroll capabilities described on the site include:

• Paycheck calculation, direct deposit and departmentalized payroll
• Payroll tax deposits and filings, plus W-2 and non-employee compensation reporting
• State new hire reporting and wage garnishment remittance
• Deductions that activate on set dates, and 401(k) match calculations
• Labor allocation, general ledger output and expense management
• Pay-as-you-go workers' compensation with support for premium audits
• A library of more than a hundred built-in reports, with custom reporting available

Connected HR, Benefits and Time Tracking

What distinguishes the firm from standalone processors is how much else connects to the same employee record. Time and labor tools cover scheduling, mobile and terminal punches, job costing, shift differentials and premiums, and accrual tracking for paid leave. Hours from these tools feed directly into pay runs. HR features include applicant tracking, electronic onboarding, performance reviews and compensation management.

On the benefits side, the company arranges medical, dental, vision and psychiatric coverage. It also offers voluntary products such as disability, accident, critical illness and hospital indemnity. It administers retirement plans, including guidance on SECURE Act 2.0 changes. ACA compliance administration, property and casualty insurance, and HR consulting round out the menu.

The goal is to reduce duplicate data entry and the number of vendors a business must coordinate.

Working With the Firm

Prospective clients begin with a free consultation or quote request. The company says inquiries typically get a return call within 30 to 45 minutes. For businesses leaving another provider, it states that payroll and HR migrations usually take six to eight weeks. Billing is described as transparent across services.

The team monitors federal, state and local regulatory changes to help clients stay compliant. The firm also publishes webinars, podcasts, videos and blog content. It has presented on retirement legislation at the Wisconsin SHRM state conference.

Client testimonials on the site highlight responsive staff and help improving payroll and reporting efficiency. Others describe long-running retirement plan administration relationships. Some Milwaukee-area employers want payroll tied closely to benefits, time and HR under a single sign-on, backed by a nearby support team. For them, Connect & Simplify offers a consolidated alternative to juggling several national vendors.

Small Business Accounting Solutions, LLC is a Wisconsin-licensed accounting firm based in Brookfield that works with companies across Milwaukee, Waukesha and nearby communities. The firm describes its focus as owners of small businesses, executives and independent professionals, and it treats payroll as one part of a wider package that also includes bookkeeping, tax work and financial advice.

For buyers who want their payroll handled by the same people who keep their books and prepare their returns, this combined approach is the main draw.

Payroll options

Rather than offering a single standard plan, the firm structures payroll around three processing models so employers can choose how much they hand off:

• Comprehensive payroll: the firm runs each pay cycle, producing laser-printed checks on blank security stock, with direct deposit included at no extra charge, plus new hire reporting and tracking of vacation, sick and personal time accruals.
• After-the-fact payroll: businesses that write their own checks submit their records, and the staff posts the data, handles tax deposits and produces the required filings.
• Online payroll: employers key in hours and earnings through a secure web system and can print checks in their own office, while the firm takes care of tax compliance.

Across all three models, clients receive federal and state tax reporting, EFTPS deposits, and monthly, quarterly and year-end reporting that includes employee wage statements and contractor forms. For an added charge, the firm can also produce union reports, certified payroll and workers' compensation reports.

Compliance and special reporting

Beyond routine processing, the firm offers a custom reporting service for the many filings that government agencies request. This covers support during workers' compensation, Social Security and child support audits, help with unemployment claims, year-end W-2/W-3 and 1099/1096 processing, and assistance completing federal and state registration paperwork.

Its tax resolution practice also takes on payroll tax problems, along with IRS liens, levies, wage garnishments and payment plans, which may appeal to employers trying to clean up past compliance issues. Pricing is quoted case by case after the team learns about each business and the services it needs.

Team and background

The practice was founded by Dan Milos, CPA, who ran a tooling and machinery design company before moving into accounting. He says that experience, including struggles with cash flow and unexpected tax bills, shapes his emphasis on plain-language communication and avoiding surprises over fees or liabilities.

He worked at several established CPA firms in southeastern Wisconsin before starting his own practice.

The staff includes a second CPA, Ben Badger, who works on payroll matters and multistate sales and use tax; a lead bookkeeper who handles payroll and sales tax; a records coordinator who collects payroll reports from providers such as ADP, Paychex and Heartland and gathers quarterly 941 and UC-101 filings as well as annual W-2, W-3, 940 and WT-7 forms; a data entry specialist; a client relations director; and an executive assistant.

Related services

Payroll clients can tie into the firm's other offerings, including monthly financial statements and bank reconciliations, QuickBooks setup, training and tune-ups, part-time CFO support, cash flow management, business valuation, succession planning, new business formation and work for non-profit organizations. Individual clients can also get tax preparation, estate and elder care planning, and personal financial planning. New clients are offered a free initial consultation.