A new client asked us a few payroll questions recently because they were curious about where our boundaries are. We’d told them that we’ve taken the decision not to process payrolls, and why, which prompted the questions. The queries were entirely valid, and showed us that we should have been clearer! These were the payroll questions, together with our answers:

If you’re not processing payroll, who do I use?

We’re not processing payrolls because it simply isn’t good use of our time. We can add far more value to a client by concentrating on other areas. A payroll bureau does payroll all day, every day, and is constantly aware of changing legislation, and is always up to date. They can also process extremely efficiently, often being able to do so at a cheaper rate than most accountancy firms. Also, because they are totally focussed on payroll and autoenrolment, they make far fewer mistakes. They aren’t fitting payroll in around ‘more valuable’ projects such as year end accounts.

We spent a long time looking for a suitable partner for payroll, and have found that our chosen partner works in a very similar way to us. They become an extension to your business, working with you to ensure that your payroll is processed promptly and accurately. They are also there whenever you have any payroll questions. We keep in close contact with them in case of any queries too, just as we would if we had an internal payroll team.

If I use your suggested partner for payroll processing, who will check my Notice of Coding?

We will!

Notices of Coding are technically part of your Personal Tax affairs. If we’ve been appointed as Agents with HMRC, we should receive a copy of any changes to your Coding, but we’d always recommend that you let us know if one is received. We’ll then check it, and request an update if needed! Obviously we’ll also keep you up to date on progress.

What about P11Ds?

If P11Ds are needed, and there are far less required now than previously, we’d usually prepare those for you. They’ll form part of a separate Letter of Engagement, as they’re a subject all of their own, but they fall to us. After all, with access to your cloud bookkeeping software, we can collate much of the information without disturbing you.

 

If you’re unhappy with your current payroll provider, or have any payroll questions, why not get in touch? We can introduce you to our Partner who will probably be able to make the process cheaper, and save you worrying about the monthly process, so you can focus on your business.

We love to hear questions from clients or contacts, as they help us refine the content on our website and in our Blog posts and emails. Please let us know if anything you read on here isn’t clear, and we’ll clarify as quickly as possible!