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PayrollHow to Read ADP Annual Payroll Reports EffectivelyAnnual payroll reports provide organizations with the detailed department, team, and employee information they need. These reports contain crucial data that helps businesses keep track of wages and calculate payroll or income taxes correctly.
To make the most of this information, it's important to understand how to read ADP annual payroll reports effectively. This article will give you valuable advice on how to accurately interpret these important documents, so read on to find out more if you're looking to get the most out of ADP’s annual payroll reports.
» Payroll summary report: here's everything you need to know
Annual Payroll Report – Why Is It Important?
Annual payroll reports are an essential resource for employers to keep track of their employee’s wages, taxes, and other payroll deductions. They also help businesses identify specific trends within their workforce, from changes in salary over time to productivity and team performance. Having an up-to-date payroll report allows employers to make informed decisions about the financial health of their organization.
Moreover, annual payroll reports are important because they enable an organization to uncover any discrepancies or errors in their employees’ compensation and provide them with information on the following:
Pay ratesHours workedTaxes withheld from wagesDeductions
Additionally, employers can use annual payroll reports to check their financial data and verify their tax liabilities. By doing so, they can ensure their company’s finances are accurate and up-to-date. Moreover, by keeping an eye on these reports, employers can identify any problems in their financial records and rectify them before they become too serious.
» How to avoid errors in payroll processing? See the 5 best practices
How to Read ADP’s Annual Payroll Reports
Reading annual payroll reports can be an overwhelming task for employers, as there are a lot of details they need to consider, which is why many companies use software solutions to get the most out of their ADP annual payroll reports. These programs typically allow you to export the data into another spreadsheet or program so it can be more easily analyzed.
One of the best tools to make reading annual payroll reports easier is RUN by ADP, which is a comprehensive payroll solution that simplifies the process of running payroll, creating reports, adding new employees, and more. It offers a wide range of features that make it easier for employers to pay their employees accurately and on time.
With RUN, employers can easily generate detailed reports, such as annual payroll reports, with a comprehensive overview of their employee’s wages and deductions. Additionally, RUN allows employers to quickly identify any discrepancies or errors in their payroll data so they can make quick corrections.
Reading annual payroll reports with RUN is a straightforward process that allows employers to quickly access the information they need. Here's a quick breakdown of the steps:
Log into RUN powered by ADP – Using your login credentials, access your organization’s payroll information.Click on ‘Reports’ on the Home Screen – This menu provides access to several payroll reports, including annual payroll reports.Click on ‘Payroll Summary’ – This report provides a comprehensive overview of employee wages and deductions.Confirm the tax year and payroll dates – Use the ‘From’ and ‘To’ dropdown menus to select the exact tax year and payroll dates you want to view.Select all or individual employees – You can choose to view the payroll data of all employees or just select individuals.View Hours, Total Paid, Tax Withheld, Deductions, Net Pay, and Check Number – This is where you’ll find a detailed information breakdown of each employee’s wages and deductions. Click ‘Print Report’ to save the report – This option allows you to print the report for your records.Click ‘Export to Excel’ – This feature allows you to store the payroll data in an Excel file for further analysis.
Using RUN by ADP makes reading annual payroll reports easier and more accurate, which is essential for ensuring your payroll records are accurate and up-to-date.
» Keeping records: see how long you need to store them for IRS compliance
Confidently Read ADP Annual Payroll Reports
RUN by ADP is an effective tool for creating and reading annual payroll reports, as it streamlines the process of running payroll, creating reports, and identifying any discrepancies or errors in the data. This comprehensive payroll solution offers a wide range of features that make it easy to generate accurate and up-to-date reports so employers can stay informed and compliant.
» Not sure if RUN does the job for you? Read TBR's payroll software reviews to find the solution that fits your needs best.
PayrollPayroll Integration: How It Works, Benefits, & Best PracticesIn this modern fast-paced world, managing business processes accurately and on time means everything. Nowadays, employees have high expectations when it comes to payroll management, which is why more businesses have started using an integrated payroll system. Payroll integration allows you to automatically and accurately manage all necessary functions of the payroll process, including employee compensation, time attendance, tax filing, and more.
Having separate systems for each of these functions often creates confusion, not to mention the time wasted on errors and miscalculations. However, with the right payroll integration system, employers can avoid a lot of manual work, reduce errors, and streamline payroll processes. Now that we've covered the basics, let's learn more about payroll integration, how it works, as well as its benefits.
» Learn the essential payroll policies and procedures for employers
How Payroll Integration Works
Simply put, payroll integration refers to automated synchronization between your payroll system and other solutions, allowing your staff to work throughout multiple platforms. For example, payroll integration will allow your HR staff or finance team to work with the latest employee data, drastically reducing the chance of errors.
It's worth mentioning that setting up online payroll integration isn't complicated at all—in fact, some payroll solutions like Gusto allow employers to automatically choose between multiple payroll software integrations on a dashboard, dynamically synchronizing between the third-party apps you use.
Some of the basic solutions you should integrate with your payroll system include the following:
An HR management solutionTime attendance & trackingAn accounting softwareA workers' compensation solution
» Using Gusto: here's how to manage your workers' compensation like a pro
Benefits of an Integrated Payroll System
There are many benefits of having an integrated payroll system, including:
Tracking employee hours: With an integrated payroll system, employers can easily track how many hours each employee has worked, allowing them to accurately compensate their staff and avoid overpaying or underpaying.Easy payroll administering: When using payroll integration, employers can easily automate the process of calculating and distributing multiple aspects of payroll from a single location, avoiding manual errors and saving time.Improved data accuracy: By integrating all necessary solutions into a single payroll system, employers can access accurate employee information in real-time, streamlining the workflow across multiple departments and shifts.Avoid penalties: With payroll integration, employers can automatically calculate and file payroll taxes on time, drastically reducing the chance of being fined for late or inaccurate payments.Reduced security risks: By using an integrated payroll system, you reduce the number of passwords and personal login information you need to remember or store. This leads to increased security, as you'll use an all-in-one solution for all your payroll processes and avoid fraud risks.
Best Practices to Manage Payroll Integration
Now that we've covered the benefits of using an integrated payroll system, let's go over the best practices:
Test your integrations before starting to use them: Before you start fully using your payroll integration, it's highly recommended you test it out. This way, you'll find any potential issues or anomalies so that you can fix them before they become a problem.Consult an integration specialist: You can find many experts that specialize in integrating payroll systems with third-party apps. Additionally, consider hiring a reliable project manager to help you undertake the entire payroll integration process.Analyze the results: After running tests and trying out all of the functionalities of your integrated payroll system, analyze the process and see if anything can be improved. The more thorough your analysis is, the higher the chances of better results and fewer errors.
» Best practices for payroll processing: learn 5 best ways to manage payroll
Get the Most out of Payroll Integration
You now know all about payroll integration, including how these systems work, the benefits you'd get from using them, and the best practices to manage such systems. So, where can you start?
If you're now in the world of payroll integration, opting for payroll software with the right features that suit your specific needs is the first step toward a fully integrated system and automated payroll.
» Not sure where to start? Read TBR's payroll software reviews and find the right payroll solution for your needs.
Payroll5 Expert Ways to Manage Payroll for Small Businesses EfficientlyAlthough managing payroll can be a daunting and time-consuming task for small business owners, having the right system in place can make this process less tedious and stressful. Establishing error-free payroll processing is important not only for staying organized but also for making sure taxes are filed properly and employees are paid on time. Here are 5 expert ways that will help make payroll management easier for small business owners.
» Payroll software: see whether your small business needs one
1. Register for an Employer Identification Number
Registering for an Employer Identification Number (EIN) is the first step in managing payroll for small business owners in the US. This unique, nine-digit number is required before you can establish payroll for your employees. In addition to identifying your small business for tax purposes, your EIN is also often required when applying for licenses, filing payroll taxes, or opening a bank account.
Depending on where your business is based, you may need to obtain a state-level EIN on top of your federal one. Nevertheless, the process for obtaining an EIN is straightforward and can be done quickly and easily online. Once you have your EIN, you can move on to the next step in managing payroll for your small business.
» EIN vs. tax ID: learn the fundamental differences
2. Understand and Comply With Wage Laws
Understanding and complying with wage laws is an essential part of managing payroll for small businesses. There are both federal and state laws that businesses must abide by, and it's important to understand the legal obligations associated with payroll. It's essential to double-check your payroll process to ensure employees are getting paid accurately and on schedule. Finally, you want to make sure you're always paying the correct amount and taking care of the following taxes:
Employment taxes/Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) taxes – Social Security and Medicare Local tax – may vary based on the regionState tax – calculated according to the state you're inIncome tax per employee – the amount withheld from employee wages for federal and/or state taxes
By understanding and complying with wage laws, you can ensure your payroll process is compliant with federal and state regulations as well as accurate.
» Looking to reduce payroll tax? See 5 legitimate ways to do so
3. Manage and Monitor Your Cash Flow
Managing and monitoring your cash flow is an important part of managing payroll for small businesses. As more problems can arise when there isn't enough money to pay employees, it's important to identify cash flow issues early on. By monitoring your cash flow regularly, you'll be able to identify any problems such as overstaffing or overpaying.
During financially stressful periods, it's advised to delay vendor payments or collect outstanding customer payments before delaying wages or downsizing. This can help ensure your employees are being paid in a timely manner and avoid cash flow problems.
4. Decide on Salary Status and Pay Frequency
The salary status and pay frequency are important decisions for small business owners that will have a direct impact on payroll costs, compliance requirements, and employee satisfaction, contributing to the overall workplace culture. It's important to understand the implications of each decision and make sure they align with the needs of your business.
Salary Status
Salary status refers to how wages are computed for employees. Generally, there are two types of salary statuses—an hourly rate (for non-exempt employees) and a salary (for exempt employees). The right salary status for your small business will depend on the position of the employee and the needs of your business. Choosing the wrong salary status may lead to legal and financial implications, so it's important to understand the differences between the two before making a decision.
Pay Frequency
Pay frequency or pay schedule refers to when and how often you pay your employees. It's essential to be compliant with federal and state laws to ensure you meet the minimum payday requirements of your area. Generally, there are several different payroll frequencies, including weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly payments. It's important to select the frequency that is best for your business, taking into account employee preferences and the cost of processing payroll payments.
» Want to reduce payroll costs? Here are 5 money-saving strategies to do so
5. Set Up a Payroll System
Setting up a payroll system helps calculate and manage employees' paychecks. It provides small business owners with a cost-effective, convenient, and accurate way to pay their employees on time. Investing in good payroll software can prove to be a very wise decision in the long run, as it will result in streamlined payroll processing. There are three options to manage paychecks:
Manual: You can do payroll by hand, although this can be time-consuming and prone to errors. Outsourced: Outsourcing your payroll and taxes means hiring someone to do these for you. Software: Automated payroll is cost-effective, accurate, and time-saving, in addition to storing records required by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
These three options should be carefully evaluated to choose the one that works best for your business.
Efficiently Manage Your Small Business Payroll
Payroll laws are constantly changing, and it's important to stay compliant to avoid potential legal issues. Incorporating payroll software can help you streamline the process and save time and money while staying compliant with all the relevant laws and eliminating stressful paperwork and administrative problems.
» Need help managing your small business payroll? Read TBR's payroll software reviews and find the right solution for your business' needs.
PayrollPayroll Review Checklist: 6 Necessary Items to Verify Payroll AccuracyIs running payroll an easy and quick thing to do? Not at all—it can often be time-consuming and confusing, with a high probability of making many errors that typically go unnoticed. However, maintaining an accurate payroll is of the utmost importance because employees need to be paid, and you'll want to avoid penalties.
To help you develop a streamlined payroll process, here are 6 items to consider to verify payroll accuracy.
» Learn how to ensure error-free payroll processing
1. Check Important Employee Details
The first thing you can do is determine and double-check employee details. Here's a list of information you should be assessing:
NameAddressDate of birthBank details
2. Classify Employees Correctly
The next aspect of verifying payroll accuracy is ensuring all employees are classified correctly. The best strategy is to have a proper record of all employees, as well as taxes, overtime wages, and potential minimum wage laws. Unfortunately, if this is done incorrectly, the company could owe back wages and taxes and face penalties. Simply put, all employee details need to be in the payroll system at all times.
» Learn how to avoid employee misclassification
3. Track Time and Attendance
While it would be wise to track the time of all employees, it's especially critical to monitor staff members who earn hourly wages and might be eligible for overtime. This aspect of verifying payroll accuracy focuses on tracking how much time employees have worked. To confirm that the information is accurate, be sure to review the time before running payroll.
4. Comply with Payroll Laws and Regulations
Unfortunately, there's no one-size-fits-all approach to payroll management, primarily due to the fact that different states and cities will have their own sets of rules and regulations. Therefore, you'll need to properly calculate wages and overtime and withhold the correct amount of times. The payroll team must timely deposit the corresponding tax liabilities with the relevant federal, state, and local tax agencies and file payroll tax returns to the appropriate federal, state, and local jurisdictions.
Here are some of the federal legislation rules in the US employers should know:
Federal Labor Standards Act (FLSA): This rule puts together standards for minimum wage, overtime pay, youth employment, and recordkeeping.Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA): This is a federal payroll tax to fund Medicare and Social Security Programs.Federal Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA): This is a bill that establishes a payroll tax on any business with employees, and the revenue is used to fund state unemployment programs.Equal Pay Act (EPA): This law prohibits wage discrimination based on gender. In other words, men and women are given equal pay for the same work.Davis-Bacon Act: This law requires federal contractors and subcontractors to pay local wages on federally funded public works projects.
» Want to reduce payroll tax? See 5 legitimate ways to do so
5. Examine Payroll Transactions
Although this might seem like common sense, it's always better to be confident that you're withholding the right amount for your employees and paying the correct level of income taxes. Remember, laws can change, employees might move, and tax withholding options may be altered for different types of employees, as is often the case with remote employees.
6. Automate the Payroll Process
If you're refraining from automating the payroll process, be warned that manual data processing is generally error-prone and can be time-consuming, in addition to the errors potentially costing your company. However, this can be avoided by integrating payroll software into your corporate infrastructure. Since they automatically calculate payments and taxes, these programs are generally accurate.
Ensure Payroll Accuracy With Payroll Software
In the end, it would be a prudent move to at least consider using payroll software with the right features that can help your business avoid unnecessary errors and cause less stress to employees. Opting for a good automated payroll solution is an easy way to ensure you've covered all the items from the checklist above to verify payroll accuracy.
» Not sure which payroll software to choose? Read TBR's payroll software reviews to find the solution that best works for your business.
PayrollHow Payroll Processing Fees Work in 2023In today's economic landscape, more businesses are tightening their belts and squeezing every penny to ensure they can survive any headwinds that form in the marketplace. A critical area for budget-conscious companies to monitor relates to payroll processing fees, which are costs typically priced on a per-employee or per-check basis. And, of course, this is in addition to the base account fee.
While payroll processing fees may vary in 2023, employers can anticipate spending anywhere from $20 to $100 per month, as well as $2 to $15 for each employee. In this article, we'll break down these costs and see what affects them.
» Other payroll challenges in 2023: see what employers can expect
Preliminary Considerations
When it comes to processing payroll, many tasks need to be performed, including the following:
Employee formsHours workedOvertime costsEmployer taxesPayroll and income taxesIRS depositsPayroll service
And this is just the tip of the iceberg!
» Payroll considerations: see the essential employer policies and procedures
Common Factors That Affect Payroll Processing Fees
As previously noted, payroll processing fees will vary based on many circumstances and factors. Some of the most common components employers should consider are whether the company is outsourcing its payroll-related activities or paying an employee to process payroll using in-house payroll software.
Meanwhile, the following list of considerations could help you calculate how much you'll spend on payroll services:
The number of employeesThe states employees reside in and whether they're remote employeesEmployees' pay frequencyIf the business adds tax filing servicesPayment method: direct deposit or paper checks payment
When you're crunching the numbers, understanding these factors can be of tremendous assistance to the success of your company and achieving your goal of doing a better job balancing the books.
Additional Costs
Understanding the total cost of the payroll process can ensure you make the right decisions about managing payroll and ensuring payroll compliance. Unfortunately, when too many mistakes happen, additional costs may arise, further affecting your bottom line.
But what can increase your payroll costs? The two most common issues are payroll errors and payroll taxes.
Payroll errors: These can happen when there's manual input rather than automated insertions, potentially leading to a greater chance of mistakes that can cost employers plenty of money.Payroll taxes: If the organization pays an incorrect amount or submits an incorrect filing, the company can face hefty fines and penalties from the federal or state government.
» Want to reduce payroll taxes? Learn 5 legitimate ways to do so
Expertly Handle Processing Fees in 2023
Let's face it—when processing payroll by yourself, it will be a time-consuming affair that can require an immense amount of resources. This is especially true if you're not professionally trained in this area. Your tasks would consist of ensuring everyone's payroll deductions are correct and taxes are accurate, which can easily result in mistakes.
Because these tasks can cause problems if done incorrectly, it would be smart to adopt payroll software instead. This option is accurate and fast, and it will facilitate the necessary compliance with laws, regulations, and rules outlined by various jurisdictions.
» Need help choosing payroll software? Check out TBR's payroll software reviews and browse the available resources.
PayrollPayroll Records Retention: What You Should Know for IRS ComplianceRecord keeping might not be the most exciting aspect of operating a business, running an office, or managing a department. However, keeping records is critical to ensure you keep track of your expenses for budget purposes, prepare for tax return season, and have an organized company.
While the specific business you're in can impact the type of records you have for federal tax purposes, it's vital to keep records as long as necessary to prove income, apply the correct payroll deductions, and confirm any inquiry from the IRS. And, yes, for IRS compliance, you need to maintain all records for employment taxes for a minimum of four years after filing the fourth quarter of the year (depending on the state your business is located in, it might even be five years).
» Want to ensure payroll compliance? Learn how to avoid hefty fines
How to Ensure Compliance With the IRS?
While nobody wants to receive a visit from the IRS, it will make sure your company is compliant through routine compliance checks and potential examinations. Here's what these entail:
Compliance check: The IRS will determine if taxpayers adhere to recordkeeping and information reporting requirements, which is different from requesting a review of tax returns and other related information.Examination: This would consist of a review of the company or individual's accounts and other financial information to ensure the information submitted to the IRS is in compliance with tax laws. The tax-collecting agency would also verify that the reported amount of tax is correct.
How to Avoid Being Flagged by the IRS?
Of course, what every employer and business wants to know is how exactly you can avoid being flagged by the IRS. First of all, it's vital to figure out why a company may be flagged—it could result from unreported earnings, excessive write-offs compared with income, incorrect paperwork and receipts, or refundable tax credits. The best way to refrain from being targeted by the IRS is to keep detailed records of everything and have any and all tax-related paperwork readily available to avoid delays.
» Want to reduce your payroll taxes? See 5 legitimate ways to do so
What Records Should Be Kept for the IRS?
Now, what types of records should be kept for the IRS anyway? Learning exactly what documents you need could save your business since an audit by the IRS could financially damage your company. So, here's what you should generally have within arm's reach:
Employment Identification Number, or EINThe amounts and dates of all employee compensations, pension payments, and annuitiesEmployee information such as names, addresses, Social Security Numbers (SSNs), and positionsDates of employment for every employer (past and present)How each employee is paid, including wage type (hourly or salary), pay frequency (weekly or bi-weekly), and payment method (direct deposit or paper checks)A list of dates and the amounts of tax deposits you made
» Payroll tax vs. income tax: learn which you should pay as an employer
Ensure IRS Compliance Through Careful Record Keeping
Every office will decide how it wants to collect, manage, and store payroll records. While some choose locked cabinets, others decide to ditch manual payroll and adopt the online alternative, as this option can be more reliable and affordable.
Indeed, every business should consider using payroll software with the right features to store payroll records online, as their speed and accuracy can ensure better compliance with laws and regulations.
» Want to adopt payroll software? Read TBR's payroll software reviews and find the best one for your company's needs.
Payroll4 Essential Payroll Policies and Procedures Every Employer Must UseIf you're wondering whether a payroll policy is integral for companies, the simple answer is yes. It's a critical component of running a business, managing accounting and human resources departments, and ensuring the organization remains payroll compliant.
To avoid unnecessary fines, unemployment lawsuits, and even interest in unpaid wages, employers must ensure they maintain an efficient payroll process that can facilitate accuracy and support timely employee compensation. To help you out in this process, we've put together a brief guide on payroll laws and procedures you should adhere to as an employer.
» Are you legally obligated to run payroll? See the answer for your business
1. Pay Frequency
Establishing and maintaining a steady stream of pay frequency is essential. While different businesses may use various payroll schedules, be it a weekly schedule or a bimonthly one, nearly every US state today has a minimum pay frequency law to determine the longest possible period between paydays. So, for example, while the longest period in Alaska is semi-monthly, in other states like Idaho the longest span will be a month. On the other hand, Alabama doesn't have any pay frequency laws.
» Need help establishing steady payroll? See our tips for streamlined payroll processing
2. Overtime Pay
Properly calculating overtime pay and monitoring it is crucial for both large and small business payrolls, as it can be costly and needs to be by the book. Today, companies are legally required to pay non-exempt employees overtime if they clock in more than 40 hours per week. According to federal law, employees who work anything over these hours must be paid 1.5 times their regular rate. Because some states may have additional laws, it's imperative to pay attention to the various labor rules and regulations because you may be legally required to repay wages plus late fees and other penalties if you're not in compliance with overtime laws.
3. Payment Methods
Today, there are many different ways to compensate employees, be it through a physical check or direct deposits. For the most part, employers will typically select payment methods, although it would be smart to check state laws to figure out what methods are permitted or restricted.
As an example, some state laws across the country may prohibit paying employees with payment cards or direct deposits based on several factors, such as the following:
Employees didn't offer permissionThe company doesn't cover payment feesEmployers failed to notify employees of any related fees they were responsible forThe organization refused to provide additional payment options, such as paper checks or cash.
4. Payroll Taxes
Finally, payroll taxes are an essential aspect of maintaining a workforce. Although compliance is paramount, what does it even look like? Well, there are many components to complying with payroll taxes. First, there's calculating payroll taxes correctly, especially when it comes to remote employees. Second, filing and paying taxes on time is vital since you don't want to be slapped with fines and penalties. Finally, businesses must consider both federal and state tax rates when calculating and filing taxes for the year.
Because it can be a complicated ordeal, the best solution to avoid any headaches—financial and otherwise—is to incorporate payroll software with the right features into the firm's infrastructure. By doing so, employers can automate the tax filing process and ensure everything is streamlined.
» Want to reduce payroll taxes? See 5 legitimate ways to do so
Streamline Your Payroll Process
Businesses of every size and in each industry have to comply with payroll laws, whether at the federal or state level—there's no other way around it. However, while this requires a tremendous amount of resources, there are several measures you could employ to avoid stressful paperwork and administrative problems.
Ultimately, you can streamline the payroll process by incorporating automated payroll with the right software that can help you achieve these objectives, be it automating payroll tasks or determining a jurisdiction's payroll laws.
» Need help streamlining your payroll? Read TBR's payroll software reviews to find the best resources available.
PayrollPayroll Summary Report: Types, Benefits, & TemplatesPayroll summary reports are documents that include comprehensive information about employees, such as their salary or wage rate, employee benefits, overtime data, timesheets, and other factors related to their work compensation.
On the tax front, these documents can highlight employees' deductions, gross and net pay, and tax withholdings. Payroll reports can also offer a snapshot of the company's payroll obligations during a specific time frame. To give you the full idea of their usefulness, we'll look into the different types of payroll reports and their benefits.
» Who should produce payroll summary reports? Learn about HR vs. finance in handling payroll
Common Types of Payroll Reports
There are several types of payroll reports, each serving an important purpose of achieving different aims, whether it's ensuring payroll compliance or determining the number of hours employees are putting in at the office.
That said, here are the five common types of payroll reports:
1. Company Payroll Report
A company payroll report will essentially summarize and break down compensation, taxes, payroll deductions, and how many hours employees worked on any given day, week, month, or year. This can be a helpful document that provides insight into how much the company is spending on employees or business expenses without having to dig through staff members' paychecks.
2. Employee Payroll Report
An employee payroll report will give information on each workforce member's compensation, taxes, deductions, and other related data. Like a company payroll report, this document will help management figure out the investment the company has made in employees and ensure accurate payroll solutions.
3. Payroll Tax Report
A payroll tax report is widely used to garner details regarding employees' gross pay, taxable pay, and the amount of tax for a specific payroll deduction. This is a crucial report for ensuring that the correct deductions and withholdings are taking place. It's an essential document for complying with local tax laws, but also for retaining talent and contributing to a positive workplace culture.
» Want to reduce payroll tax? See 5 legitimate ways employers can do so
4. Certified Payroll Report
A certified payroll report is a special type of payroll report primarily used for independent contractors working on federally funded projects. This is a critical document that must be completed and submitted to government authorities to prevent complications and potentially ensure more work comes the company's way.
» Want to make an independent contractor a full-time employee? Here's what to consider
5. Time-Tracking Report
A time-tracking report is another feature of payroll management reporting that allows employers to easily track the time spent by employees during any determined period. This is superior to having to comb through every worker's timesheet submissions individually. It's a useful tool for calculating overtime and learning how workers are allocating their time, how productive they are, and if the return on investment (ROI) is justified.
Benefits of Payroll Reporting
Ultimately, payroll reporting is an imperative component of owning and operating a business that functions like a well-oiled machine, be it a startup or a corporation. Although these reports might seem redundant, they're useful in providing information to facilitate the advancement and development of the business.
Here are five benefits of payroll reporting:
Costs: provides an in-depth picture of the company's overall labor costsMorale: adds to morale by calculating employee turnover and reducing itExpenses: assesses and monitors payroll expenses to ensure the business can improve its payroll management policiesVisualize: enables fast and simple live payroll data visualizationData: outlines vital information, such as pay rates, hours worked, overtime hours, tax withholdings and deductions, and other relevant data
Easily Produce Payroll Summary Reports to Benefit Your Business
Are payroll reports important? Yes. Do they need to be difficult to produce? Not at all! It's vital to create clear and easy-to-understand payroll summary reports to track companies' dollars and cents, especially when more and more businesses are tightening their belts.
Although these take time and require a bit more resources to produce, companies can greatly benefit from payroll reports, from enhancing compliance rates to efficiently managing staff. Incorporating payroll software is one way to mitigate some of the manual work involved in writing payroll reports, as payroll software features that help with automatic calculations can save time and bolster compliance with local laws.
» Looking for an easy way to produce payroll summary reports? Read TBR's payroll software reviews and find the right solution to achieve this goal.
Payroll5 Global Payroll Challenges Employers Face in 2023 (With Solutions)With more companies embracing work-from-home policies and adopting remote technology, video communication, and the concept of global expansion, global payroll has accelerated. Since businesses are now hiring workers worldwide and maintaining a globally distributed workforce, it's even more imperative to pay employees on time and in the right currency.
While it's a complex task with a plethora of challenges, be it hiring destinations and compliance with local labor and tax laws, you can overcome them with the right payroll solution.
» Are you considering employing remote workers? Here's how to adjust their payroll
1. Ensuring Compliance
Every market possesses its own compliance calendar, which can make it harder for companies with a global workforce to monitor. But just because it's difficult, it doesn't mean organizations can miss deadlines for filing reports or making tax payments. In addition to timely submissions, private firms need to make the necessary Social Security-related contributions, maintain the correct tax rates, possess the right termination policies, and be careful not to misclassify employees.
To ensure compliance, companies can choose between two primary methods. The first is to work with local experts—for example, if you have employees from Germany, you'll need to find human resource experts in this country. The second is to potentially outsource international payroll to guarantee compliance and free up your company's resources.
» Is your business payroll compliant? See our compliance tips to avoid penalties
2. Inefficiency and Errors in Data Handling
For the most part, payroll processes will depend on manual tasks, such as inserting data into Microsoft Excel spreadsheets. This can both be time-consuming and increases the odds of making errors during the data entry process.
Perhaps one of the most reliable and cost-effective solutions to this is incorporating payroll software into the company's fabric. Automated payroll with the right features has benefits that can mitigate a broad array of challenges, save time on payroll processing, and eliminate costly errors.
3. Maintaining Data Security
In today's digital economy, it's more imperative than ever to maintain data security. Employee payroll data requires the necessary data protection mechanisms to protect sensitive employee information, as well as information about the company. Moreover, it's crucial to comply with data protection rules and regulations in each country. While this is a lot of responsibility for companies operating in the international market, not employing these critical tools and measures can result in compliance issues.
However, using a good payroll service provider is a great solution for companies. This way, companies can transfer their payroll data to a single centralized system with top-of-the-line payroll software for an all-in-one solution: this provides high-level security, easy access, and functional payroll management.
4. Keeping Track of Payments
It's estimated that almost half of all businesses—large or small—employ freelancers, in addition to having a full-time staff. While this is a cost-effective strategy, keeping track of all freelancers and personnel can be challenging. Without a dependable payroll infrastructure, various errors can arise, resulting in additional costs, weakened morale, and lower productivity. The other issue is that businesses need to pay attention to different time zones and foreign bank accounts.
When managing a team of full-time staff, international freelancers, and independent contractors across the globe, companies must invest in payroll software to visualize payroll data. The efficacy of using digital payroll solutions for keeping track of payments is immense, providing a smoother experience for all parties involved.
» Want to make an independent contractor a full-time employee? Here's what to consider
5. Lack of Transparency
Sometimes, businesses will turn to multiple payroll vendors to handle their day-to-day payroll needs. The primary drawback to this is a lack of transparency. Unfortunately, payroll data presented by each payroll provider will come in different formats, making data transparency all but non-existent. Simplicity is the key to efficient payroll management, so this can be a tremendous setback for companies.
Therefore, many HR experts typically recommend that businesses standardize their payroll data. A single standard for all your payroll needs can diminish the need for several payroll providers—and once again, payroll software can offer a solution to achieve this.
Overcome Global Payroll Challenges With Payroll Software
In today's highly advanced and globalized economy, installing a global payroll system has never been more pronounced. It's essential to not only accurately run payroll, but also maintain employee trust, which is necessary to retain talent and improve workplace culture.
Paying your employees accurately and on time while also having an unblemished compliance record with local laws is imperative for a successful business. In the end, payroll software can eliminate multiple obstacles put in your way, helping you achieve this goal.
» Want to overcome global payroll challenges? Read TBR's payroll software reviews to find the right solution for global payroll.
