Payroll for small businesses and CIS, from Liverpool

Running payroll for a small business means more than paying wages. Under PAYE (Pay As You Earn), you take income tax and National Insurance off each payment and report it to HMRC on or before every pay day. You also have workplace pension duties, and staff need the right forms at the right times.

We run the whole process. You tell us about new starters, leavers and any changes to hours or pay. We do the rest.

• Weekly, fortnightly, four-weekly or monthly pay runs
• Payslips sent to you or straight to your staff
• Reports to HMRC on or before each pay day
• Workplace pension enrolment and contribution uploads
• Starter and leaver forms, and P60s at the end of the year
• A director-only payroll for one-person companies

Payroll suits a routine. Most of our employers pick a fixed day each period to send us changes, such as overtime, holiday pay, a new starter or someone leaving. We check the figures, run the payroll and send everything back the same way each time. If you are taking on your first employee, we register you with HMRC as an employer, set up the scheme and explain what you need to keep on file for each member of staff.

If you pay subcontractors for construction work, you are a contractor under the Construction Industry Scheme (CIS). You must check each subcontractor with HMRC, deduct the right amount from the labour part of their pay, and file a CIS return by the 19th of every month.

Many builders are both. They take on subcontractors and also work for bigger firms. We handle both sides. If you are the one having tax taken off, see our CIS tax refund service and our guide to gross payment status.

1. 1

   Free chat and fixed price

   We talk through how many people you pay, how often, and whether CIS applies. You get a written price within one working day.

2. 2

   Set-up or move-over

   For a new employer, we register the PAYE scheme. If you already run payroll, we take over the history so year-to-date figures carry on correctly.

3. 3

   Each pay period

   You send changes by an agreed day. We calculate pay, send payslips and report to HMRC.

4. 4

   Each month for CIS

   You send the invoices you have paid. We work out the deductions, file the return by the 19th and send each subcontractor a statement.

5. 5

   What to pay

   You get a simple summary of what to pay staff, HMRC and the pension provider.

• Reporting late. HMRC expects a report on or before each pay day, not at the end of the month.
• Deducting from materials. CIS is taken from labour only. Taking it from materials over-deducts and causes disputes.
• Skipping the check. Without checking a subcontractor with HMRC, you cannot know whether to deduct 20%, 30% or nothing.
• Forgetting a nil return. If you are registered as a contractor and paid no one in a month, HMRC still needs to hear from you.
• Missing pension duties. Every new employer has workplace pension duties from the first day someone starts.

We price payroll and CIS into one fixed monthly fee with the rest of your work. Limited companies start from £150 a month, and businesses with staff or several services usually sit in the growing business package from £220. The exact figure depends on headcount and pay frequency. See our fees page.

• Your PAYE reference and Accounts Office reference, if you already run payroll
• Details of each employee: start date, pay rate, tax code and starter information
• Your workplace pension provider login, if you have one
• For CIS: each subcontractor’s name, UTR and the invoices you have paid