Payroll Companies & Payroll Services in La Crosse, WI

Overview

Collins & Associates, S.C. is a Wisconsin-licensed accounting practice with offices in La Crosse and Prairie du Chien. It works with companies and individuals across the region. Most of its clients are business owners, corporate executives, and independent professionals who want one advisor for accounting, tax, and financial questions.

For buyers comparing payroll providers, the firm offers payroll as part of a wider accounting relationship. Payroll sits next to bookkeeping, tax work, and advisory support rather than being sold as a standalone product.

Payroll Services

Payroll is one of the firm's core business services. Collins & Associates says it shapes payroll arrangements around what each employer actually needs. The aim is to take a time-consuming administrative job off the owner's plate so leadership can stay focused on operations.

Because the same team also prepares and plans taxes, payroll clients can line up wage reporting with their broader tax picture. The firm also lists payroll tax problems among its tax resolution services. That matters for employers who have fallen behind on deposits or filings and need help settling the issue with tax authorities.

Related services that payroll clients may also use include:

• Bookkeeping for small businesses
• Part-time CFO support
• Cash flow projections and management
• Internal control reviews
• Preparation for bank financing requests
• Guidance on forming a new business
• Accounting and classification support for non-profits

QuickBooks and Technology

The firm runs a dedicated QuickBooks practice. It covers software setup, training, quick-answer support, and tune-ups of existing company files, and it gives clients a way to buy QuickBooks at a discount. Employers who keep their books or run payroll in QuickBooks can rely on this support to keep records accurate and organized. Clients also get an online portal, protected by login credentials, for exchanging documents with the firm securely.

Tax and Advisory Depth

Beyond payroll, the firm prepares and plans taxes and represents clients in IRS matters. These include audits, unfiled returns, back taxes, liens, levies, wage garnishments, seizures, installment arrangements, and offers in compromise. On the advisory side, it provides business valuation, strategic planning, succession planning for family businesses, and forensic accounting. For individuals, it offers personal financial planning, estate planning, and elder care assistance.

Working With the Firm

Collins & Associates stresses personal attention backed by professional experience, and it describes its fees as affordable. Prospective clients can request a free initial consultation to talk through their needs before committing. The firm also publishes a monthly newsletter and keeps online tax resources such as due-date calendars, rate tables, record retention guidance, and financial calculators.

For employers in the La Crosse area who want payroll handled within a broader accounting relationship, the firm is a locally based alternative to national payroll processors.

Engelson & Associates, Ltd is a certified public accounting firm based in La Crosse, Wisconsin. It also has offices in Holmen, Wisconsin, and in Rushford and La Crescent, Minnesota. The firm serves individuals as well as companies. Payroll sits inside its small business accounting practice, alongside bookkeeping, business tax work and beneficial ownership (BOI) reporting. Employers comparing payroll providers may value having wages handled by the same CPA team that maintains their books and prepares their returns.

Payroll and Small Business Accounting

Engelson aims its payroll offering at owners who find that paying employees takes up hours better spent leading the business. The firm says it shapes its payroll work around what each employer actually requires, rather than selling a fixed package. Because the same office also keeps books and supports QuickBooks users, payroll figures can flow into the ledger and into year-end business filings. Its small business offering includes:

• Payroll services matched to each employer's needs
• Bookkeeping, so owners can step away from record keeping
• Business tax preparation and filing
• BOI reporting
• QuickBooks advisory help so clients can use more of the software's features

Tax, Assurance and Planning

Beyond payroll, the firm prepares individual and business returns. It looks ahead with clients to find legitimate deductions and credits, and it suggests ways to lower liability rather than only meeting filing requirements. Its staff handle income tax returns for estates and trusts, and the firm assists people who have tax problems with the IRS.

On the assurance side, Engelson offers three tiers of assurance for stakeholders with differing risk appetites. This work covers business audits and reviews, audits of employee benefit plans, and HUD audits. It also takes on engagements for municipalities and nonprofit organizations. A financial planning group covers personal and retirement planning, estate planning, elder care and wealth management.

How the Firm Works With Clients

Engelson describes its approach in terms of three values: professionalism, responsiveness and quality. Staff pursue ongoing education through professional organizations to keep up with changes in tax law. The firm says its internal review and quality control steps are meant to keep reporting accurate. It also stresses prompt, clear communication and availability across the whole year, beyond the filing season.

New clients can request a free consultation to see whether the firm fits their needs. Existing clients can use an online client portal and a SecureSend page for sending files securely. The firm also publishes a monthly newsletter and an online tax center with due dates, tax rates and a record retention guide.

Locations and Team

The La Crosse office is led by owner William Sherry, and the Holmen office by owner Brad Peterson. Beth Manfull is listed at the Rushford, Minnesota location. A seasonal office in La Crescent, Minnesota, staffed by Cameron Packwood, operates from late January through mid-April. This regional footprint suits small and mid-sized employers around La Crosse and southeast Minnesota who want payroll combined with bookkeeping, tax and advisory support from one local accounting firm.

Kendle CPA LLC is a certified public accounting practice based in La Crosse, Wisconsin. It has worked with residents and companies across La Crosse County for more than two decades. Payroll is one of its core offerings, and it sits alongside bookkeeping, tax preparation and general accounting. That suits employers who would like one local firm to look after wages, tax filings and their books together.

Payroll Support Built Around the Client

The firm describes its payroll work as fully adjustable. An employer can hand over the whole cycle, or bring in the team for only a single piece of it. On the full end, staff can work out employee pay, file the related payroll taxes and keep the business in line with Wisconsin and federal requirements.

Payroll ties into the firm's tax work, with the stated aim of preparing payroll and business returns in a way that limits the client's exposure. Core payroll-related offerings include:

• Paycheck calculation and payroll processing
• Payroll tax filing and ongoing compliance
• Payroll tax guidance as part of bookkeeping support
• Sales tax coordination with the client's finance staff
• Year-end 1099 filing and business license renewals

Kendle contrasts its approach with large national payroll providers. Clients get direct access to a local accountant instead of a call center. One client review says the accountants run that company's payroll and taxes, which fits the firm's presentation of payroll as a long-term, hands-on relationship.

Broader Accounting and Tax Capabilities

Beyond payroll, the practice covers a wide range of financial work. Its bookkeeping service includes managing payables and receivables, reconciling bank and credit card accounts, and maintaining the general ledger. It also prepares financial statements. On the accounting side, it offers forecasts and projections, reviews and compilations, and help setting up accounting software.

It also advises on choosing a business entity and on succession planning. Tax work spans both individual and business returns. Being a CPA firm, its staff can represent clients before the IRS and assist with audits, which a typical bookkeeper cannot do.

Who They Serve

The firm works with individuals, couples and business owners. It says it does not restrict clients by company size or industry. Its service area includes La Crosse, Onalaska, Holmen and the wider Coulee Region. The firm notes that many local businesses deal with seasonal swings in revenue. For that reason, it stresses planning throughout the year rather than only during tax season. Its site also offers cash flow estimate help for small businesses in La Crosse and Onalaska.

How Engagements Work

New clients start with a free first consultation. During that meeting, the team reviews the business's finances and needs, then puts together a tailored plan and a quote. Clients have praised the staff for being courteous, timely and reasonably priced. One longtime business owner moved his business and personal returns to the firm after twenty years with a regional accounting company. Adam leads the team, and the office is open Monday through Thursday.