What a payroll service handles for you
A payroll service can take a lot off your plate: paying employees, handling payroll taxes, and keeping records organized. RunWise Pay is a free matching service, not a payroll provider, and we help you compare options.
Benefits, deductions, and integrations
Health insurance, retirement, and other deductions synced with payroll, plus time-tracking and accounting integrations a payroll service can set up for you.
Open →Paying contractors and 1099 workers
Paying independent contractors, tracking 1099 payments, and collecting W-9 details — how a payroll or contractor-pay service handles it and keeps you compliant.
Open →Direct deposit and paying your team
Direct deposit, pay cards, and printed checks — how a payroll service pays your employees and contractors on time, and what each pay method costs and protects.
Open →Payroll compliance and new-hire reporting
Wage-and-hour rules, new-hire reporting, overtime, garnishments, and multi-state payroll — how a payroll service keeps you compliant as your team grows.
Open →Payroll tax filing and deposits
Federal, state, and local payroll tax calculation, deposits, and filings (941, 940, W-2, state forms) handled by a payroll service so you don't miss a deadline or face penalties.
Open →Running payroll: pay runs, hours, and net pay
How a payroll service runs your pay cycle — collecting hours, calculating gross-to-net pay, withholdings, and getting your team paid accurately and on time. Get matched free.
Open →Year-end W-2 and 1099 filing
Year-end W-2 forms for employees and 1099-NEC forms for contractors — preparing, filing, and delivering them correctly and on time through a payroll service.
Open →What a payroll service usually does
A payroll service provider helps you pay workers correctly and on time. For many small businesses, that means calculating wages, overtime, deductions, and employer taxes, then sending pay by direct deposit or another payment method.
Many providers also handle payroll tax work, such as calculating withholdings, preparing filings, and submitting payroll taxes to the right agencies. They may also help with new-hire reporting, pay stubs, and year-end forms like W-2s for employees and 1099s for certain contractors.
Some businesses use payroll only for basic pay runs. Others want a fuller service that also includes time tracking, benefits deductions, workers' compensation reporting, or HR tools. What is included depends on the provider and plan, so confirm in writing exactly what they will and will not do before you sign.
Common tasks they can take off your plate
If you are new to US payroll, it helps to think of payroll as more than just sending money to workers. It is also recordkeeping, tax withholding, tax filing, and meeting deadlines that can vary by state.
A payroll service may help with these day-to-day and year-end tasks:
- Run regular payroll on your schedule, such as weekly, every two weeks, or twice a month
- Calculate gross pay, overtime, and common deductions
- Pay employees by direct deposit or other available methods
- Create pay stubs and payroll reports
- Calculate and file payroll taxes
- Track paid time off if that feature is included
- Prepare year-end forms such as W-2s and some 1099s
- Keep payroll records organized for your business
If you want help with the actual pay process, see run payroll. If your main concern is taxes and filings, see payroll tax filing.
Want payroll off your plate?
Get matched, free, with a payroll service provider near you. You compare quotes and choose who to hire — and confirm what's included before your first pay run.
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