Full-Service Payroll

Completely hands-off payroll. ClearLedgers processes your monthly payroll from start to finish, including gross-to-net calculations, tax deposits, quarterly and annual returns, and year-end W-2s, with the books kept in sync throughout.

What's Included

Most bookkeeping firms do not touch payroll. They might categorize the transactions after the fact, but they leave the actual payroll processing to you or to a separate provider. ClearLedgers® is different. Payroll is part of what we do, handled completely from approved data to finished payroll run to filed returns.

Full-service means exactly that. You provide the employee information and approve any changes. ClearLedgers handles everything else. Gross-to-net calculations including earnings, deductions, and employer contributions. Initiating the payroll run and confirming it processed. Generating payroll registers and employee pay statements. Before each run, we email you the deduction amounts so you know exactly what will be withdrawn.

Every Payroll Run

We calculate gross-to-net including all earnings, deductions, and employer contributions. We initiate the payroll run in your software and confirm it processes correctly. You receive the payroll register and employee pay statements, and we email you the deduction amounts before each run so there are no surprises in your bank account.

Tax Filings and Year-End

Payroll taxes are calculated and submitted with each run. We prepare and file your quarterly payroll returns and your annual returns. At year-end, we issue W-2s to your employees and the W-3 transmittal to the Social Security Administration. The compliance side of payroll is handled completely.

How It Works

Payroll runs monthly with a check date of the 27th. Any changes to employee data, including new hires, terminations, or pay rate adjustments, are due at least five business days before the check date. This gives us time to update the system, run the calculations, and confirm everything is correct before payday.

ClearLedgers acts as the authorized administrator on your payroll software account. We log in, process the payroll, submit the tax payments, and file the returns. You maintain and pay for your own payroll software subscription. We work with the major platforms and can help you get set up if you do not have a system in place yet.

The Monthly Schedule

Payroll runs on a monthly cycle with employees paid on the 27th. You submit any changes five business days before the check date. We process the run, confirm it went through, and send you the documentation. The same schedule every month means you always know when to have your information ready.

What You Handle

You approve employee data and communicate any changes. You maintain your payroll software subscription and pay the software fees directly. Everything else falls to us. If you need help choosing or setting up payroll software, our Payroll System Setup service gets you started on solid ground.

Payroll and Your Books

Payroll does not live in a silo. The wages, taxes, and employer contributions have to show up correctly in your books. When payroll is handled separately from bookkeeping, the two often drift apart. You end up with a payroll register that says one thing and financial statements that say another.

ClearLedgers reconciles payroll to your books as part of the service. We record the payroll entries, make any adjusting entries needed, and ensure the numbers tie out. If you are also a Full-Service Bookkeeping client, this integration happens seamlessly every month. Your financial statements reflect reality because the payroll feeding into them is accurate and properly recorded.

Built-In Reconciliation

We reconcile payroll to the general ledger with each run. Adjusting entries are made where needed. The wages, withholdings, employer taxes, and benefit contributions in your books match what actually ran through payroll. No drift, no mystery variances at year-end.

Finding the Right Fit

If you want expert oversight but prefer to run payroll yourself, Payroll Oversight may be a better fit. We review your payroll, handle onboarding and offboarding in the system, and catch problems before they become filings. If you have questions about which service works for your situation, reach out for a conversation.

Relationship-First Bookkeeping for Small Businesses