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Payroll Software
Payroll software allows companies to easily process employee payrolls and accurately track tax withholding, overtime, vacation time, and other benefits. With this software, payroll processing becomes a simple task that a business can accomplish in-house.
Payroll Software Functions
These are some of the things that payroll software can do.
Set Up – Easily input company and employee wage, benefit, and tax information, and set up pay scales including overtime and holiday pay.
Data Entry – Time sheet data can be entered directly into a computer, saving time and minimizing errors. Some payroll software provides web-based time reporting, making it easy for field and telecommuting employees to submit their time sheets.
Process Payroll – The software takes the input information and automatically calculates employee pay, benefits, and taxes. It also calculates employer taxes and mandatory payments such as Worker's Compensation.
Make Changes – Use payroll software to easily make changes to employee information or status, alter wage and benefit scales, and update tax rates.
Answer Questions – The software provides the ability to easily look up information and answer employee questions about their pay, benefits, and taxes.
Reduce Costs – Processing payroll in-house may be much cheaper than contracting out for this service.
Comply With Requirements – Payroll software automatically generates many of the reports that are required by state and federal tax authorities. The software can create paper reports or magnetic media files.
Manage Benefit Plans – Payroll software makes it easy to manage complex benefit plans including health insurance, life insurance, cafeteria plans, and retirement and 401K plans. You can also track contributions for disability and unemployment insurance.
Streamline Accounting – Some software will automatically transfer payroll information into a company's general ledger and bank reconciliation programs, making it unnecessary to re-enter this data.
Checks or Direct Deposit – Automatically print employee payroll checks or direct deposit their pay into a designated bank, savings and loan, or credit union.
Create Reports – Customize and print comprehensive payroll reports.
Print Forms – Generate and print W-2 and tax statement forms easily.
Automatic Downloads – Some payroll software companies provide periodic updates to tax tables via automatic download.
Why Use Payroll Software?
Automated payroll systems have many advantages over manual record keeping. These systems make payroll processing easier for staff and employees and reduce errors. The software also helps managers monitor and maintain control of payroll processing.
With payroll software, a business can direct deposit employee payroll checks and save everyone the time and hassle of depositing their paychecks in the bank. This also eliminates the possibility of lost or stolen paychecks.
Some software companies offer various editions of payroll software that are geared toward the needs of specific types of businesses such as hotels and restaurants, manufacturing industries, health care companies, farms, and small businesses.
Payroll software provides a company with the ability to easily track payroll and maintain a comprehensive perspective on payroll expenses.
By Carla Wakeman
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