Payroll is a critical component of any large company. It deals with more than just salary matters, as it is a key element of human resources. This department handles the overall workforce of a company and its associated tax deductions. It is also responsible for ensuring that all payroll taxes and withholdings are paid and remitted. In addition, the payroll department has other functions like maintaining employee records and supporting HR activities.
Having well-defined payroll management solutions improves the company’s employee engagement and satisfaction, facilitates business processes and boosts compliance with state laws and regulations. A well-organized system of dispatching salaries, maintaining payment records and filing taxes also reduces the risk of wage claims and pricey penalties.
However, the task of payroll management is complicated and labor-intensive. It requires the payroll department to keep track of a lot of information and handle it on a daily basis. In addition, there are many different federal and state taxes that need to be remitted on a regular basis, and the list of required deductions is long.
The payroll department must also keep track of the hours worked by non-exempt employees. This data must be accurate to ensure that the employees get properly paid for overtime work. For salaried employees, the gross pay must be accurately calculated, taking into account all benefits and deductions. In addition, the payroll department must be able to adjust deductions for new hires or changes in existing benefit or withholding options.
It is also essential for the payroll department to have access to a comprehensive set of data that includes an employee’s current and past pay information, tax withholding information, deductions, health insurance coverage and retirement savings options. The ability to access this data quickly is especially important for companies that outsource their payroll function.
There are a variety of books that explore payroll topics like best practices, laws and regulations, and fraud detection. These payroll books provide the readers with a better understanding of the fundamentals of the payroll process. The Essentials of Payroll Management: A Comprehensive Guide is one such book that discusses the key issues in managing payroll, including establishing policy, measuring performance, cost accounting and outsourcing.
This is a great resource for those who want to understand how to make the most of the functionality of their payroll software. The authors provide an overview of the major features of popular payroll systems and offer step-by-step instructions on how to use them. This book is ideal for anyone who wants to streamline their payroll processing and ensure that all federal and state tax obligations are met.
Another payroll book to consider is the Certified Payroll Professional Exam Secrets Study Guide. This guide covers core payroll concepts, paystubs and the payroll process and is suitable for all levels of experience. It is among the most popular choices for those preparing to take the Certified Payroll Professional, CPP, test.