Whether it’s for a small business or a big business, payroll services are needed to keep employees happy. Some major companies are able to keep it in house, but the rest of us need to look for outside help to get the job done. Luckily for us, there are many qualified payroll service providers ready to help (for a fee of course).

But first, what exactly is it that payroll service providers do? Payroll essentially handles your company’s paychecks. The service will print the checks for you, handle direct deposit into employee accounts, take care of garnishment services (if they’re needed), and provide you with payroll reports so you know where the money is going. This eliminates any potential for fraud among employees that may handle your payroll- many services offer you online payroll viewing services.

The IRS has done their best to help you with the decision making process of which payroll service provider you may wish to choose. The Assurance Testing System (ATS) and the Business Acceptance Testing System (BATS) are set in place by the government to test the requirements for software developers, reporting agents, and transmitters of electronic business returns. Those who have passed one or both tests make it onto a list posted on the IRS website.

Accountants World LLC tops the IRS’ list of payroll service providers with a long list features available for their customers. Using their “Accountant-Centric focus,” Accountants world boasts a no-hassle payroll system that offers extremely fast and efficient processing that can handle almost any payroll, “from one employee to over 1,000 employees.” They offer customizable payroll servicing, allowing you to change your features with each client and their Payroll Relief imports data easily to QuickBooks, Peachtree, and other accounting programs. The prices offered seem reasonable with fees ranging from $5.95 for weekly payroll up to 10 employees to $0.50 per paycheck entered. The service seems to be running a sale right now for an unlimited amount of payrolls a year for $997.

The nationally recognized Paychex also made it onto the IRS’ list. Paychex has available solutions for small businesses, large businesses, and accounting professionals right on their payroll website. The small business (1-49 employees) area gives features to customers like employee payment options, where you can choose between direct deposit and paper checks as well as make lives easier with a payroll tax administration service called Taxpay, and general ledger reporting service, where their software allows you to post payroll entries to QuickBooks and other accounting software speedily to “eliminate as much as a half hour of data entry per pay period.” Paychex even helps with restaurant payroll services in their small business area. The medium to large business (50+ employees) area offers Paychex One-Source Solutions, where the company gives you flexible management options while they provide accurate payroll processing and other services.

Even though its services are not for larger businesses, Intuit Online Payroll has over one million businesses using its services. Intuit boasts that their services are easy to use, you can run payroll at any time of day, and there’s no desktop software required to use it. They offer unlimited payroll run, direct deposit at no extra charge, federal electronic tax payments and filings, state tax payments and filings, and phone support from payroll experts. The services aren’t as in depth as other payroll service providers out there and the price is not as low as competitors, but the ability to run payroll from anywhere that has Internet access can be a real perk.

Advantage Payroll Services takes what Intuit does one step further. Advantage offers complete tax filing services, “signed and sealed payroll checks,” easy to read management reports, and up to three separate direct deposit accounts per individual employee for free. They offer four different ways to file your payroll- by telephone, fax, electronic timesheet, and via the Internet. The telephone service is handy since all you have to do is use their organizer to document the payroll and then tell an agent over the phone who inputs it all in for you. Their Internet service is almost exactly like Intuit’s — you log in to your account and can do payroll from anywhere with Internet capabilities.

CompuPay also offers online payroll services, along with phone/fax payroll, transferring data from your PC, and specialty payroll for customers who may have odd books (like restaurants and construction companies). Much like Advantage, you can pick up the phone and call CompuPay to get your payroll inputted or fax it in using forms provided. The online services can handle businesses with one to over 1,000 employees and is available 24 hours a day for your convenience.

Whatever payroll service you choose, make sure they are reliable and able to do their jobs smoothly and efficiently. The last thing any employer needs is disgruntled employees because the payroll service provider messed up their paychecks and they’re unable to pay their bills on time. Finding decent payroll services may not be easy, but working with someone you can trust is always important. Good luck!