Payroll
Get in touchAt Professional Accountants, we provide support to businesses with the most sensitive and compliance-heavy areas of business administration. For employers and across the UK, whether you’re managing a team of two or two hundred, accurate and timely payroll is essential, not just for employee satisfaction, but for legal and tax compliance.
Our tailored payroll services help businesses avoid HMRC penalties, streamline reporting, and save valuable time, all while ensuring staff are paid correctly and on schedule. With evolving employment legislation and pension obligations, outsourcing payroll can free up internal resources and give you peace of mind.
Why Should Businesses Outsource Their Payroll Processing?
Outsourcing payroll offers significant benefits—chief among them being accuracy, compliance, and time savings. For many businesses, managing payroll in-house involves complex calculations, tax code updates, HMRC reporting, and ever-changing legislation.
One small error can lead to missed payments, unhappy staff, or fines. By outsourcing, businesses can shift the burden to professionals who specialise in payroll compliance, ensuring deadlines are met and statutory requirements are fulfilled.
What Do Payroll Services Cost?
The cost of payroll services ranges from £25 to over £50 per month for small businesses, depending on the number of employees, payroll frequency, and the level of service required.
Costs are primarily influenced by employee volume, weekly or monthly processing cycles, pension auto-enrolment management, P11D reporting, and any additional year-end submissions or custom reports.
Contact Professional Accountants to get customised quotes for managing payroll at your business.
What Payroll Tasks Can Be Managed by a Professional Provider?
A professional payroll provider can manage every stage of payroll processing to ensure accuracy, compliance, and efficiency, including:
Gross-to-net pay calculations – Accurately determining employee take-home pay after deductions.
PAYE and National Insurance management – Calculating and submitting all required payments to HMRC.
Payslip generation and distribution – Producing digital or printed payslips for each employee.
RTI (Real Time Information) submissions – Ensuring all payroll data is reported to HMRC on time each pay period.
New employee onboarding – Setting up new starters, processing P45s, and ensuring correct tax codes are applied.
Tax code updates and adjustments – Managing employee tax changes and ensuring payroll reflects current HMRC data.
Student loan and statutory deduction processing – Handling repayments, maternity/paternity pay, and other statutory requirements.
End-of-year reporting – Producing and filing documents such as P60s and P11Ds for employees and HMRC.
Pension auto-enrolment compliance – Enrolling eligible employees, managing contributions, and liaising with pension providers.
Ongoing payroll support – Providing expert advice on payroll queries, compliance updates, and process optimisation.
Do Payroll Services Include Payslips, RTI Submissions, and Pension Auto-Enrolment?
Most payroll services are designed to include the full suite of legally required tasks, such as generating secure digital or printed payslips, submitting RTI reports to HMRC with each pay run, and complying with pension auto-enrolment duties.
Some also offer branded payslips, online employee portals, and integration with pension providers like NEST, The People’s Pension, and others. If you have specific needs—such as salary sacrifice schemes or multiple pension schemes—most reputable providers can accommodate those as well.
How Often Can Payroll Be Processed for Staff—Weekly, Fortnightly, or Monthly?
In , businesses typically opt for monthly payroll for salaried staff and weekly or fortnightly pay cycles for part-time, temporary, or hourly staff. Professional providers can accommodate multiple pay schedules, ensuring each employee group is paid on time and according to contract.
Changing pay cycles, adding ad hoc payments or bonuses, or adjusting for bank holidays are also commonly managed by payroll specialists to ensure everything runs smoothly.
Can Payroll Providers Handle Holiday Pay, Sick Pay, and Statutory Leave?
Most professional payroll providers are fully equipped to manage statutory payments and absences. This includes calculating and processing statutory sick pay (SSP), statutory maternity/paternity/adoption pay (SMP, SPP, SAP), and statutory holiday pay based on the latest UK employment law.
They also help businesses handle more complex scenarios like accrued leave during furlough, part-time worker entitlements, or enhanced parental pay policies if applicable.
Is Outsourcing Payroll a Cost-Effective Way to Reduce Admin Time and HMRC Errors?
For many businesses, in-house payroll becomes costly in terms of software, staff training, and time spent dealing with queries, updates, and HMRC correspondence. Outsourcing eliminates these overheads and significantly lowers the chance of miscalculations or non-compliance.
A reliable payroll provider ensures accuracy, keeps up with legal changes, and submits reports on time, reducing the chance of penalties or disputes.
What Payroll Software and Compliance Systems Are Used by Firms?
Payroll providers often use recognised HMRC-compliant software platforms such as BrightPay, Xero Payroll, Sage, IRIS, or Moneysoft. These systems offer automation, audit trails, and integration with accounting software.
Cloud-based systems also allow for employee self-service portals, direct BACS payment integration, and real-time compliance tracking. In addition to software, reputable providers maintain GDPR-compliant data handling practices and may undergo regular audits to ensure data security and quality assurance.
Contact Professional Accountants for a consultation on getting payroll services for your business.