What is Payroll Plus?
Payroll Plus is our payroll service for businesses that have outgrown basic payroll. SBA CPA is built on an integrated approach we call Accounting Plus, and Payroll Plus applies the same principle to your people: one team handling payroll, benefits, human resources and compliance, connected directly to your books. When payroll and accounting sit in the same place, labor costs are recorded in the right accounts, reconciliations are simpler and no one has to re-enter figures from one system into another.
What does accurate payroll involve each period?
Paying people accurately and on time keeps your team focused and your business in good standing with the tax agencies. We gather employee, pay and benefit information, process payroll on your schedule, calculate withholdings and deductions such as health insurance and 401(k) contributions, and pay your team by direct deposit, payroll card or check. Each period you receive a report showing what payroll cost, including overtime and benefits.
Behind each payroll run is a series of filings that is easy to underestimate. Form 941 is due quarterly, by the last day of the month after the quarter ends. Form 940 for federal unemployment tax and W-2s for every employee are due January 31. For 2026 wages, that deadline moves to February 1, 2027, because January 31 falls on a Sunday. We make the deposits and file the returns on your behalf.
What does an employee really cost?
Salary is only the starting point. For example, an employee earning $60,000 a year costs the employer at least $4,590 more in Social Security and Medicare tax, because the employer pays 6.2% and 1.45% in addition to the employee’s own share. Federal and Colorado unemployment insurance, Colorado’s paid family and medical leave program (FAMLI), workers’ compensation, benefits and paid time off are added to that. The figures are illustrative, and the total depends on your benefits and industry.
Knowing the full figure matters when you set prices, plan a new hire or decide between an employee and a contractor. Our virtual CFO service uses it to time new hires so that they are productive as soon as the work is there.
What does Colorado add to the picture?
Colorado employers have more to track than the federal forms. State income tax withholding, state unemployment insurance and FAMLI premiums each carry their own registrations, reports and deadlines. Some cities add requirements of their own. Denver, for example, levies an Occupational Privilege Tax with an employer portion and an amount withheld from employee pay. Payroll Plus keeps track of these obligations, so a new hire in a new city does not turn into a missed filing.
How do benefits, HR and compliance support fit in?
Offering strong benefits is one of the most effective ways for a small business to compete for talent. Payroll Plus gives you access to employee benefits that are usually available only to large groups, at rates a small employer can manage.
Many employers also need HR support without maintaining a full-time HR department. Our team helps you hire well, write sound policies, handle sensitive employee situations and make the most of your investment in your people. On the compliance side, we help you keep pace with the rules employers face every day, from new-hire reporting to wage and hour requirements, so you can avoid unnecessary penalties.
How can you tell whether your payroll is in good order?
If you are uncertain about the state of your payroll, five questions will tell you a great deal:
- Have all payroll tax deposits been made on time this year?
- Do your quarterly payroll reports reconcile to the wages recorded in your books?
- Is every worker correctly classified as an employee or a contractor?
- Are you registered in every state and city where your employees work?
- Can you see the full cost of each employee, not just their pay?
If you are unsure of any answer, it is worth resolving before year-end. Payroll Plus works closely with our accounting and bookkeeping team and our tax planning team. If you would like to discuss your situation, an introductory call with our client services team is a sensible place to start.