There have been enough changes to payroll processing and reporting over the last few years to make anyone’s head spin.

COBRA Credits, HIRE Act, the reduction of an employee’s share of Social Security from 6.2 percent to 4.2 percent, the elimination of payments at the bank with the 8109 coupons. The list goes on and on.

Fortunately, there are professionals out there who help guide small businesses through this maze of confusion – third party payroll providers.

Engaging a third party payroll provider can help mitigate risk of non-compliance while decreasing a small business’s overall cost in generating pay checks and originating direct deposits for its employees. In addition to calculating and originating payments to employees, third party payroll providers offer the following benefits:

• Ensuring the timely deposit of all payroll-related taxes;

• Ensuring the timely filing of all payroll tax-related returns, including W-2s and 1099s;

• Reporting of new hires to states;

• Processing of wage attachments such as garnishments, tax levies and child support payments;

• Calculating and reporting of paid time off and other benefits for employees;

• Securing and storing valuable employee and financial data.

Choosing a third party payroll provider to best fit your needs can be challenging, as there are numerous providers with reasonable pricing and generous service offerings. Check with the Better Business Bureau to be sure you choose one with a track record of excellent service and a commitment to keeping client interests first. Ask the third party payroll provider if it has an updated SAS-70 Type 2 Audit. This audit ensures that the proper internal controls are in place and tested with regularity.

The penalties for non-compliance in paying employees and their payroll taxes are substantial. Using a third party payroll provider can mitigate these risks and lower the overall cost of paying employees.

Jeff Crook is the vice president of PayTime Inc., a payroll provider founded in 1993 and located in Henrico County. He is a 2001 graduate of the University of Richmond and resides in Henrico County with his wife and daughter. Contact him at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or (804) 612-2803.