The questions that separate providers - all askable before you sign
Payroll providers are easy to compare on price and hard to compare on whether the filings actually happen. These are the questions that produce different answers from different providers - and the answers a Greenwich buyer should insist on.
Two free marketplace paths: one form brings back multiple vetted payroll providers who know they are competing for the account.
The IRS holds the employer responsible for depositing and reporting employment taxes even when payroll is outsourced, so a Greenwich owner who hires a provider is buying reliability and proof of filing - not a transfer of liability, which is the single most misunderstood fact in this market.
Payroll services quoted to Greenwich businesses in 2026 run $20-$150 a month in base fees plus $4-$15 per employee per month, which puts a ten-person Greenwich payroll at roughly $70-$250 a month before year-end filing and add-on charges.
Greenwich plus 12 surrounding communities within 40 km hold about 119,507 people, which is enough employer density that several payroll providers will quote the same account - the competition a single quote request is meant to create.
Ask any Greenwich payroll provider for its EFTPS and state e-file confirmations for a sample client month. Providers that file on time produce them immediately; the answer to that one request tells you more than any pricing page.
Payroll providers are easy to compare on price and hard to compare on the thing that matters - whether the filings actually happen, on time, in Ohio. The questions below are the ones that separate providers, and every one of them can be asked before you sign anything.
Put a provider comparison out to competing quotes before you compare prices
Two free marketplace paths: one form brings back multiple vetted payroll providers who know they are competing for the account. Competing quotes are the only reliable way to see what your headcount actually prices at.
External links go to the marketplaces' own sites and forms. This site may earn a referral fee at no cost to you - it never changes the data above, and no individual payroll provider pays to appear in our research.
The four ways to buy payroll, compared
| Type | 2026 cost shape | Who signs and files | Fits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payroll software | $20-$150/mo plus per employee | You do - the software prepares, you remain the filer | One state, stable staff, an owner who tracks deadlines |
| Full-service payroll | $70-$250/mo at 10 employees | The provider files as your agent; the IRS still holds you responsible | Most small employers, especially with hourly staff or turnover |
| PEO / co-employment | $30-$100/person/mo or a share of gross payroll | The PEO reports under its own arrangement - terms vary, read them | Employers buying benefits and HR alongside payroll |
| Bookkeeper or CPA firm | Hourly or monthly retainer | The firm prepares and files on your behalf | Businesses already paying for accounting and wanting one relationship |
Verify before any signature
- Ask which returns the provider signs and files: Form 941 quarterly, Form 940 annually, Ohio withholding and unemployment wage reports
- Ask for sample filing confirmations from a recent client month - on-time filers produce them without hesitation
- Confirm whether the provider is a reporting agent, a certified professional employer organization, or software only - the liability differs and the IRS publishes the distinction
- Confirm the error policy in writing: who pays interest and penalties on a provider-caused late deposit, and up to what limit
- Check that the provider registers you correctly in every state where you have an employee, including new states mid-year
- Confirm data portability: full payroll history export in a usable format, at any time, at no charge
- Verify the renewal price and the notice window required to cancel, then calendar the notice date the day you sign
Walk away when you see
- A quote that shows a base fee but will not put the all-in monthly total at your headcount in writing
- 'Tax filing included' with no statement of who pays the penalty when a deposit is late
- Refusal to provide filing confirmations - EFTPS receipts and state e-file acknowledgements - on request
- An introductory rate with no written renewal price, or an auto-renewal clause with a short notice window
- Per-employee pricing that keeps billing for terminated employees through the end of the year
- No named contact for tax notices, or a support model that routes IRS correspondence back to you unhandled
- Export restrictions on your own payroll history if you leave - your records should follow you
- A provider that cannot say which Ohio filings it makes on your behalf and which stay with you
What a payroll quote should include - and what the padded version sells
A complete quote includes
- The all-in monthly total at your real headcount, not just the base fee
- Full-service tax filing and deposits stated as included, with the returns named
- Year-end W-2 and 1099 filing priced, or explicitly included
- Every state you employ someone in, registered and filed for
- A written error policy: who pays penalties and interest on a provider-caused late deposit
- The renewal price and the cancellation notice window, in writing
Red flags in a payroll proposal
- A headline price that excludes tax filing, sold back as an add-on
- Per-employee billing that continues for terminated employees
- 'Compliance guaranteed' with no named returns and no penalty policy
- Refusal to show filing confirmations for a sample client month
- An introductory rate with an unstated renewal price
- Payroll history you cannot export in full if you leave
The one request that tells you everything
Ask any provider for EFTPS confirmations and state e-file acknowledgements from a recent client month, with client details redacted. Providers that file on time produce them without hesitation, because the confirmations already exist. The ones that hesitate are telling a Greenwich buyer something no pricing page will.
What this means in Greenwich
Cheap payroll and expensive payroll fail in the same direction: a filing that did not happen. What you are buying, at any price, is verifiable proof that deposits and returns went out on time in Ohio - if a provider cannot produce that proof on request, the discount is not a discount.
This page is independent research, not legal, tax or accounting advice. Federal deposit rules and state wage, unemployment and final-paycheck laws change - verify current requirements with the IRS and your state labor and revenue agencies, or with a licensed CPA or attorney, before acting.
Put a provider comparison out to competing quotes before you compare prices
Two free marketplace paths: one form brings back multiple vetted payroll providers who know they are competing for the account. Competing quotes are the only reliable way to see what your headcount actually prices at.
External links go to the marketplaces' own sites and forms. This site may earn a referral fee at no cost to you - it never changes the data above, and no individual payroll provider pays to appear in our research.
Common questions
What hidden fees do payroll companies charge?
The recurring surprises are year-end W-2 and 1099 filing at roughly 4-8 dollars per form, additional state tax filings at 6-20 dollars per state per month for remote employees, off-cycle or bonus runs at 5-50 dollars each, setup or implementation fees, charges for mailed paper checks, and per-employee fees that continue for terminated staff. Ask for the full fee schedule in writing, not the pricing page.
How much does a payroll service cost for a small business?
In 2026 published pricing, payroll services charge a monthly base fee of roughly $20-$150 dollars plus $4-$15 dollars per employee per month. A ten-employee business commonly lands between $70 and $250 dollars a month before add-ons. Full outsourced processing is often quoted per person instead, at roughly $30-$100 dollars per employee per month. These are directional market ranges, not quotes.
When does a final paycheck have to be paid?
That is set by state law, and it differs for employees who are fired versus employees who quit. Several states require immediate payment on termination; others allow the next regular payday; a few add a penalty that accrues per day until the check is delivered. Unused vacation payout is likewise state-specific. The rule for Ohio is on this site's final-paycheck page with its source.
Do I have to file W-2s and 1099s electronically?
Almost certainly yes. The threshold dropped to 10 returns: if you file 10 or more information returns of all types combined in a calendar year, they must be filed electronically. Articles still citing the old 250-return threshold are out of date. Any full-service payroll provider files electronically as standard - confirm it is included rather than billed per form.
What is the penalty for depositing payroll taxes late?
The federal failure-to-deposit penalty runs 2% for deposits up to 5 days late, 5% for 5-15 days, 10% beyond 15 days, and 15% if the tax remains unpaid more than ten days after the IRS issues a notice. Filing Form 941 late adds a separate penalty of about 5% of the unpaid tax per month, capped near 25%.
Put a provider comparison out to competing quotes before you compare prices
Two free marketplace paths: one form brings back multiple vetted payroll providers who know they are competing for the account. Competing quotes are the only reliable way to see what your headcount actually prices at.
External links go to the marketplaces' own sites and forms. This site may earn a referral fee at no cost to you - it never changes the data above, and no individual payroll provider pays to appear in our research.
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