Payroll Companies & Payroll Services in Eau Claire, WI

Advisors Management Group, Inc. (AMG) is a Wisconsin firm that combines payroll administration with accounting, tax work, business consulting and fee-only investment advice.

For employers in the Chippewa Valley, its Eau Claire office on West Clairemont Avenue serves as a local point of contact, while sister offices in La Crosse and Green Bay support clients elsewhere in the state and across the country.

Buyers comparing payroll providers will find AMG best suited to owners who want their payroll handled by the same team that keeps their books and prepares their returns.

Payroll and related services

AMG treats payroll as one piece of a company's overall financial operations rather than a standalone transaction. Its accounting staff run payroll for business clients, produce the associated reports and help owners stay on top of the obligations that come with having employees.

Because the same firm also maintains the client's accounting records and handles tax filings, payroll figures feed directly into bookkeeping, liquidity reviews and tax strategy, which can reduce the hand-offs that occur when several outside vendors are involved.

• Payroll processing and payroll reporting for businesses
• Small business accounting and bookkeeping
• Business and individual tax preparation and tax planning
• Business consulting on cash flow, operations and growth decisions
• Consulting for employer retirement plans such as 403(b) and 401(k) programs
• Financial planning and fee-only investment advisory services

How the firm works with clients

The firm describes its model as team based: advisors, accountants, tax preparers and consultants collaborate so that a decision in one area, such as adding staff or changing compensation, is considered alongside its tax and planning effects. Service is ongoing through the year instead of being limited to filing season.

AMG is registered as an investment adviser that is paid only by clients, and it states that it does not take commissions or third-party product incentives. It applies its fiduciary approach across its accounting, payroll and consulting work as well as its advisory practice.

Team and credentials

Payroll is overseen by Melanie Chapel, EA, who manages payroll services and also works as a senior accountant, prepares returns and consults with business owners. She is supported by Lia Vang in the role of Payroll Coordinator. The broader staff includes another Enrolled Agent, a tax manager, several accountants, a bookkeeper, CFP professionals and a dedicated compliance director, giving payroll clients access to tax and accounting expertise within the same organization.

Background

AMG dates back to 1988, when it began as an RIA, and has since expanded into a multi-service practice. Several members of the Deets family hold leadership roles, including Roger Deets as chief executive. The firm reports more than 1,500 retirements planned and roughly $819 million in assets under management.

For employers that value a single relationship covering payroll, books, taxes and retirement plan guidance, AMG offers a coordinated alternative to national payroll-only platforms, with professionals based in Eau Claire and two other Wisconsin cities.

Overview

Bauman Associates, Ltd. is a Wisconsin certified public accounting and advisory firm with an office on London Road in Eau Claire. It also has locations in Green Bay and Hudson. The firm has worked with organizations in the region for more than seven decades.

It treats payroll as part of a broader accounting relationship rather than as a standalone software product. For buyers comparing payroll providers, this means working with a CPA team that can connect wage processing to bookkeeping, tax compliance and financial reporting.

Payroll and Bookkeeping

The firm groups payroll with bookkeeping in its service lineup. Bauman Associates describes this work as going beyond data entry. Its staff review the figures behind each pay cycle and ledger, explain what those figures mean, and help owners apply that information to day-to-day decisions.

The firm also recruits for a dedicated payroll and accounting client services position, which points to staff assigned to recurring client payroll work. Businesses that want one accountant who understands both their payroll and their books may find this combined model useful, especially when year-end tax filings and financial statements depend on accurate payroll records.

Broader Services

Beyond payroll, the firm offers an integrated set of professional services that clients can combine as needed:

• Bookkeeping and payroll support
• Tax planning, compliance and return preparation
• Attest work, including audits and financial reporting
• Outsourced executive-level accounting and controller support
• Valuations of businesses, real estate and personal assets
• Technology and human resources consulting

The outsourcing practice gives organizations access to seasoned financial leadership without the cost of hiring a full-time executive. The team begins by studying how the client operates and examining its financial statements and accounting setup. It then builds a plan aimed at greater efficiency and profitability. Clients exchange documents through a secure portal and file-sharing tools, and tax returns can be delivered electronically.

Industries Served

Bauman Associates focuses on several sectors where specialized knowledge matters. For small businesses, it shapes its plans around each owner's goals. Nonprofits benefit from the firm's long track record with that sector's reporting requirements. Municipalities draw on its experience with local government needs.

Cooperatives work with accountants familiar with their structure, including telephone cooperatives that follow RUS accounting rules, and one cooperative client reports a relationship of more than thirty years. The firm also has trained staff who audit employee benefit plans for regulatory compliance. This work complements payroll, since retirement contributions flow through each pay run.

Team and Culture

Gregory D. Mleziva, CPA, leads the firm as CEO, President and Managing Principal. He works alongside a chief operating officer and a group of principals, some of whom hold credentials beyond the CPA, such as Certified Fraud Examiner and Certified Valuation Analyst. Six core values guide the firm's work: accountability, integrity, relationships and trust, personal development, teamwork and communication.

The firm encourages staff to take part in community life and has supported dozens of local organizations, chambers of commerce and small business development programs across the Chippewa Valley and western Wisconsin. It recently moved into a newly constructed Eau Claire office and opened a new Green Bay location.

Kopp Accounting Services, Inc. is an accounting and tax practice based in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Its work spans payroll, bookkeeping, tax return preparation and forward-looking tax strategy. Because these services sit under one roof, an owner can have wages processed by the same office that maintains the books and prepares the annual filings.

Payroll and Accounting Services

The firm places payroll and bookkeeping in a category it calls accounting services. Payroll is described as a total service for small and medium-sized business clients, and bookkeeping is presented as a complete service aimed at the same group. The site does not name particular payroll software, list fees or describe optional extras.

Employers who need specifics, such as how often employees are paid, whether direct deposit is available or how year-end wage reporting is handled, would need to ask the office.

• Payroll services for small and medium-sized businesses
• Bookkeeping for small and medium-sized businesses
• Business tax returns at the federal and state level
• Individual income tax returns
• Tax planning and forecasting for individuals, farms and businesses

Tax Work and Business Types Served

Tax preparation is one of the firm's core specialties. It says it prepares returns and filing instructions for hundreds of individual clients each year, and that over time it has prepared and filed thousands of federal and state returns.

For businesses, it handles C corporations, S corporations, limited liability companies, partnerships and sole proprietorships, with the stated goal of filing a return that keeps the tax owed as low as possible. Its business clients have included both service and manufacturing companies.

Planning is treated as a core competency as well. The firm says effective tax reduction starts with a long-range strategy that sets overall objectives, then depends on steady yearly forecasting and a review partway through each year. For an employer, this means payroll records, business filings and tax projections can all be handled by one team.

How Clients Work With the Firm

Kopp Accounting describes its website as an online office, intended to help clients take a more active role in their own financial management. A secure client portal allows files to be shared, and a calendar shows important dates and deadlines. Tax and financial calculators help with budgeting, planning and estimating loan payments. A newsletter is refreshed monthly, and visitors can register an email address to receive announcements through a service called Service PLUS.

Additional reference pages cover individual filing dates, recordkeeping requirements and topics in the news, and there is a tool for checking on a tax refund. The site also links to other helpful sites, though it notes these are provided only for convenience.

What Sets It Apart

For employers in the Eau Claire area, the main draw is access to payroll, bookkeeping and tax services from a single local firm. A business can rely on one office through the year, from routine payroll to its federal and state returns. The firm's background with farm clients, manufacturers and service companies may be especially relevant to owners in those fields. As the firm's own site cautions, its web content is informational and should not replace direct professional advice.