The payroll process

Everything small businesses need to know about payroll (and taking care of employees).

Setting up payroll

The quick guide to setting up payroll the first time

Get a simple to-do list for getting your business ready to pay employees the right way.

Payroll outsourcing: 7 signs it’s time for outside help

Is doing payroll yourself starting to feel tough? Get advice on when to look for help.

Common payroll tax forms and deadlines for 2024 and 2025

Find simple instructions and best practices for running payroll on your own.

Year-end payroll checklist for getting payroll and HR right

Take five minutes to make sure you’re not missing anything with our detailed end-of-year checklist for payroll and HR.

Calculating payroll

How to calculate payroll taxes: Step-by-step instructions

Make payroll mistakes a thing of the past. These step-by-step instructions to calculate employer payroll taxes (plus tax rates) will help you get it right.

What is gross pay vs. net pay: Here's the differences

Get the full rundown on gross pay vs. net pay, and what each means for paying your employees and running payroll.

Picking the perfect pay schedule for your business

Get help choosing the right pay period for your company. See the pros and cons of a bi-weekly schedule, a bi-monthly pay period, and other options.

What is FUTA? 2024 Federal Unemployment Tax Rates and Info

Figuring out FUTA? Here’s all you need to know about Federal Unemployment Tax, including tax rates, calculations, tax credits, and paying the IRS.

Tips & best practices

Choosing a payroll provider for your business? 10 questions to ask

Check out the 10 questions to ask when choosing a payroll provider. From getting the right features to spotting hidden fees, find everything you need to know.

Payroll records retention: How long to keep payroll records in a business?

Keep everything compliant and organized by getting a clear picture of how long you need to hang onto payroll records and taxes.

What are pay stubs? Facts and reference guide for employers

Employers use pay stubs to keep payroll information on file and make it easy for employees to understand their earnings for each pay period.

10 steps to keep Uncle Sam off your back (and out of your pocket) in 2024

These 10 simple things small business owners can do to make tax time easier can be started today — and are well worth the time.

Compliance & taxes

Common payroll tax forms and deadlines for 2024 and 2025

Find simple instructions and best practices for running payroll on your own.

2024 Payroll Tax Filing Deadlines (and Potential Penalties!)

Get the full rundown of current deadlines for filing and paying federal payroll taxes, including FICA taxes, FUTA, taxes, Form 941, and more.

W-2 vs 1099: Which form do you use?

W-2 tax and 1099 tax forms serve different purposes when it comes to your business and tax obligations.

Received an IRS notice? Here’s what your business needs to do

If the IRS sent you a notice, you’re not alone. See what the common notices mean, plus get advice for how to take care of them and get the Tax Man back on your good side.

BACKED BY EXPERTS

Content you can count on

To make sure you get the best, most accurate information, all our content is written and reviewed by experts who really know their stuff when it comes to small business payroll, HR, and compliance.

Mistake-free payroll starts here

Think of this as your small business payroll guide! Every month, we help thousands of businesses like yours calculate their pay runs, pay their employees, and process IRS tax filings.

While we offer payroll software that makes it easy and affordable to offload these responsibilities, we know lots of you choose to go it alone. We were once a small business ourselves, so we admire your DIY spirit. At the same time, we know what it’s like to be up in the middle of the night trying to solve a payroll problem: You’re not alone (even if it feels like it sometimes).

Everything every small business owners should know about payroll tax deductions

Get the complete rundown on payroll deductions for FICA, FUTA, state, and other payroll taxes. We make it easy to understand.

How to pay remote employees and contractors

If your employees are working out-of-state, there are a few things to remember as you manage payroll for remote employees and contractors.

Payroll tax withholding: Everything employers need to know

Understand all the basics of payroll tax withholding in just a few minutes. Our detailed guide has all the answers for small business owners.

Payroll tutorials, guides, articles and more

In this resource center, you’ll find articles and tutorials that detail every step of the payroll process — and we try to make sure they don’t sound like they were written by the IRS.

You’ll also find lists of important deadlines and detailed explanations about tricky concepts like net pay vs. gross pay or figuring out whether someone on your payroll is technically an employee who you need to withhold taxes from.

What’s the difference between exempt and non-exempt employees?

Learn how to classify your employees as exempt or non-exempt, and what conditions need to be met for each employee classification.

Owner’s draw vs. salary: How to pay yourself as a business owner

What’s the best way to pay yourself if you’re a small business owner? Learn the pros and cons of owners’ draws and salaries for different business types.

How to compare payroll solutions and choose the best one for your business

Get a printable checklist for comparing payroll solutions — and our best advice for finding a payroll company that moves your business forward.

TOOLS

Add it up with our state tax calculators

If you’re having a hard time finding local information, we also pulled together a detailed list of state tax agencies, tax rates, and free calculators to help you with the math:

Dive into the payroll particulars

It may not exactly be fun, but processing payroll doesn’t have to be painful, either. If you ever encounter a problem or need more help, we’ll always be here. We do all the math, pay your employees, and file payroll taxes for a low monthly fee. We’ll even talk to the IRS if something ever goes wrong.

But if you’re doing things yourself (like 40% of small business owners), you can probably find answers to all your payroll questions here. Good luck with payroll (and everything else), and let us know if you ever need any help with the process!

Understanding reasonable compensation for S Corporation owners: A comprehensive guide

Learn how reasonable compensation works in payroll, how to use IRS tips for setting appropriate wages, and why S Corps should be familiar with it.

How costly are the consequences of payroll errors? 12 that employers should get familiar with

By avoiding these 12 consequences of payroll errors, employers can run a smoother operation, grow their business, and retain their top employees.

Business owner learns about common payroll myths

Debunking four common payroll myths

We debunk four common payroll myths to help you navigate this essential business function with confidence.

Employer’s guide on how to learn payroll (and is this hard to do?)

Is payroll hard to learn? See why all employers can do it themselves with tips on getting started from a bookkeeper with 10+ years of experience.

Navigating direct deposit rules by state: An employer's guide to understanding where it's mandatory

Is direct deposit mandatory where you do business? Learn about direct deposit by state and if you need to pay employees this way.

Why payroll reporting matters: 7 reports employers can and probably should run

Learn why payroll reporting should be on every employer’s radar and 7 common payroll reports that make sense to start running today and on a regular basis.

11 Common payroll errors for employers to prevent (plus tips to avoid mistakes altogether)

This primer covers 11 common payroll errors that employers make when paying employees and how business owners can avoid them.

Benefits of direct deposit that all employers should know (plus frequently asked questions)

Get familiar with the benefits of direct deposit, why employers use it, why your employees will appreciate it, and get more resources on setting it up.

Employer's guide to managing payroll: A step-by-step approach

Managing payroll takes time and this business guide will show you everything you need to manage this process on your own or with a service provider.

A better way to
get payroll right

Try OnPay out yourself to see how easy payroll and HR can be. To get started, just share a few basic details about your business. Our team of pros will set everything up and import your employees’ information for you.

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The payroll process

Setting up payroll

The quick guide to setting up payroll the first time

Setting up payroll

Payroll outsourcing: 7 signs it’s time for outside help

Setting up payroll

Common payroll tax forms and deadlines for 2024 and 2025

Setting up payroll

Year-end payroll checklist for getting payroll and HR right

Calculating payroll

How to calculate payroll taxes: Step-by-step instructions

Calculating payroll

What is gross pay vs. net pay: Here's the differences

Calculating payroll

Picking the perfect pay schedule for your business

Calculating payroll

What is FUTA? 2024 Federal Unemployment Tax Rates and Info

Tips & best practices

Choosing a payroll provider for your business? 10 questions to ask

Tips & best practices

Payroll records retention: How long to keep payroll records in a business?

Tips & best practices

What are pay stubs? Facts and reference guide for employers

Tips & best practices

10 steps to keep Uncle Sam off your back (and out of your pocket) in 2024

Compliance & taxes

Common payroll tax forms and deadlines for 2024 and 2025

Compliance & taxes

2024 Payroll Tax Filing Deadlines (and Potential Penalties!)

Compliance & taxes

W-2 vs 1099: Which form do you use?

Compliance & taxes

Received an IRS notice? Here’s what your business needs to do

BACKED BY EXPERTS

Content you can count on

Mistake-free payroll starts here

Everything every small business owners should know about payroll tax deductions

How to pay remote employees and contractors

Payroll tax withholding: Everything employers need to know

Payroll tutorials, guides, articles and more

What’s the difference between exempt and non-exempt employees?

Owner’s draw vs. salary: How to pay yourself as a business owner

How to compare payroll solutions and choose the best one for your business

Add it up with our state tax calculators

Dive into the payroll particulars

Understanding reasonable compensation for S Corporation owners: A comprehensive guide

How costly are the consequences of payroll errors? 12 that employers should get familiar with

Debunking four common payroll myths

Employer’s guide on how to learn payroll (and is this hard to do?)

Navigating direct deposit rules by state: An employer's guide to understanding where it's mandatory

Why payroll reporting matters: 7 reports employers can and probably should run

11 Common payroll errors for employers to prevent (plus tips to avoid mistakes altogether)

Benefits of direct deposit that all employers should know (plus frequently asked questions)

Employer's guide to managing payroll: A step-by-step approach

LET’S DO THIS

A better way to get payroll right

A better way to
get payroll right