Nationwide Payroll Processing

Posted Wednesday, January 14, 2026

Key Takeaways

  • DIY payroll with ADP is not “manual payroll.” You’re not calculating taxes or preparing filings. Yuck, sounds terrible, right? Rather, you’re mostly reviewing and approving payroll while ADP handles the compliance engine in the background.
  • Payroll Quick Launch (PQL) prevents the messy stuff. Most payroll problems happen during setup, and a PQL is designed to get state/local accounts, ADP configuration, and training done correctly the first time.
  • Payroll planning helps you land in the Goldilocks zone. Reasonable salary, payroll cadence, and income tax withholdings can be dialed in to reduce surprises and avoid unnecessary payroll taxes. A tax reduction strategy if you will.
  • Cash flow flexibility is a feature, not a loophole. Running your own payroll means you can pause payroll, run minimum payroll, or trigger a year-end bonus when it makes sense for you and your business.
  • Family payroll can be a real strategy when done right. Paying kids or a spouse can unlock planning opportunities, but it has to be legitimate, properly documented, and coordinated with entity structure and reasonable salary rules.

Ugh! Every business owner hates payroll. Hates running it. Hates paying to run it. Hates licking stamps. Yet, here we are.

WCG is no longer processing payroll runs for clients through ADP. That change is intentional — and it’s designed to improve the overall experience for clients, not reduce support.

Payroll processing is recurring administrative work. It’s important, but it’s not where your biggest tax savings or impactful support come from. We want our advisory team spending time on the work that actually moves the needle: reasonable salary strategy, QBID optimization, family member payroll considerations, and advanced tax strategies to reduce taxable income. That’s the fun stuff!

So our model is simple (or at least we think so)-

The WCG Payroll Path

  • We set payroll up correctly including state and local accounts (we’ll talk about our PQL- payroll quick launch in a bit).
  • We build a payroll plan tied to your tax strategy, and review with you for comfort and understanding.
  • Then you run payroll inside ADP — and ADP does the heavy lifting (filings, deposits, compliance, reports).
  • Boom! Done.

WCG ADP Partnership

This approach gives you control and flexibility, while keeping your WCG team of tax advisors focused on high-impact tax planning and strategy.

We understand many business owners feel overwhelmed by the idea of running payroll themselves especially if you already have a full plate. The good news is that DIY payroll inside ADP is not “manual payroll.” Once your accounts are set up and you’ve been trained, most clients find payroll takes only a few minutes per run (and maybe zero minutes with ADP’s RUN & Done). You’re not calculating taxes or preparing filings. Yuck. We just twitch thinking about that too.

Also! ADP has strong mobile tools for both business owners and employees. As the part-time payroll admin, you can run payroll, review reports, and handle quick changes from your phone. On the employee side, self-service access reduces the “Can you resend my paystub?” and “Can you change my direct deposit?” requests that turn payroll into a time sink. And if you use RUN & Done (automatic recurring payroll), payroll can feel close to autopilot—while still giving you control.

You’ll also appreciate the flexibility and control (especially for cash flow) while WCG remains your strategic partner and is here to support payroll planning and tax planning throughout the year.

Are we over-selling this? Maybe a little. But once it’s set up, payroll really is a snap.

Step 1: Payroll Quick Launch (PQL)

We open your payroll accounts, set up ADP, train you, and support you for 60 days. Most payroll problems happen at the beginning: missing accounts, incorrect settings, local registrations skipped, or a setup mistake that triggers agency notices later. Our Payroll Quick Launch prevents that.

For a typical flat fee of $950 (most jurisdictions — some like Ohio or Portland, Oregon might be higher), WCG will:

  • Open your state payroll tax accounts.
  • Open any required local payroll tax accounts (city/county/school district, when applicable).
  • Gather and organize your payroll data for setup (business banking and direct deposit information).
  • Coordinate submission of setup details into ADP (yes, we have the bat phone).
  • Provide a 90-minute live screen-share tutorial so you can run payroll confidently (you probably won’t need the full 90 minutes, but we’d rather have too much time than not enough).
  • Provide 60 days of email support after launch so you aren’t stuck when something unexpected comes up.

This is the “payroll foundation” step — done correctly once so payroll stays predictable. Most clients find that after the first one or two payroll runs, it becomes a simple monthly routine especially with ADP’s mobile tools and recurring payroll options (cue the shiny-feature talk… but it really does make this easier).

Fine print: WCG does not provide ongoing payroll processing / recurring payroll processing, ongoing employee onboarding/termination inside ADP, and ongoing payroll change management (hours, wage changes, etc.). However, we are a major partner with ADP and have some pull, and we aren’t afraid of going to bat for you. At the end of the day, you are our client, not ADP.

Step 2: Payroll Planning

Payroll isn’t just payroll. It’s tax planning in disguise. Payroll is one of the most controllable levers in your business and for S Corps, it’s also required. The goal isn’t just compliance; the goal is a payroll strategy that stays clean, minimizes surprises, and supports your broader tax planning. Ok, neat. But we are talking about payroll, right?

Payroll planning is customized and typically part of ongoing advisory and tax planning work based on entity type, income patterns, and your household tax picture. We use payroll intentionally to dial in reasonable salary, optimize income tax withholdings, and reduce “surprise” tax bills in April. If your income is lumpy or unpredictable, we can also build a minimum payroll plan with a year-end true-up bonus so you stay flexible without breaking payroll compliance.

With payroll planning, WCG helps you create a plan that can include:

  • Reasonable salary calculations (S Corp shareholder payroll done carefully — not too high, not too low making Goldilocks proud)
  • Payroll cadence guidance (monthly vs. biweekly, yet we prefer monthly to align with household bills)
  • Withholding strategy — including increased federal and state withholding to account for your overall household tax liability (this is huge!)
  • Guidance that works with lumpy/bumpy income (read our minimum payroll article or see below)
  • Periodic adjustments when your income changes (growth, seasonal swings, new revenue, etc.)

If income is seasonal or unpredictable, one solution is a minimum monthly payroll (example: $500/month) to keep accounts active and compliant, paired with a December off-cycle bonus to true-up salary using hindsight not guesswork.

This approach helps protect cash flow, reduce payroll stress during the year, and still land the year correctly. Unsure? We can help. Keep in mind too that payroll including income tax withholdings are deemed evenly paid throughout the year (so no underpayment penalties you can easily get with typical estimated tax payments).

Step 3: DIY Payroll Processing (with ADP doing the heavy lifting)

You approve payroll. ADP runs the compliance engine. WCG focuses on strategy. Once configured correctly, payroll typically looks like this:

  • confirm salary / enter hours
  • review the payroll preview
  • approve payroll
  • done

Next, ADP handles the compliance and processing engine:

  • payroll tax calculations
  • payroll tax deposits
  • direct deposit into personal checking accounts
  • quarterly and year-end filings (W-2s, W-3s, state equivalents)
  • agency confirmations
  • reporting and audit trail

You stay in control — without needing to become a payroll specialist.

tax planning

WCG Tax Planning Service Levels

Tax planning has these levels- projections, advisory and strategy. Learn more about the differences.

car loan interest

Advanced Tax Reduction

You pluck all the low hanging tax reduction fruit. Now what? See our Advanced Tax Strategies here.

Reducing Taxes (the sister webpage)

This is the original tax reduction strategy article with basic and straightforward things you can do.

Why Business Owners Like Processing Their Payroll Directly

The “DIY” is control, flexibility, and speed — not extra complexity.

Clients often prefer DIY payroll once they see what it actually involves.

  • Cash flow control: pause payroll, run minimum payroll, or trigger a bonus when you choose. Going on family leave? Gap in income? Between contracts?
  • Speed: add employees, adjust pay, and run payroll when needed without waiting on your tax advisor or payroll specialist.
  • Always-on access: payroll history, reports, W-2s, and filings are available anytime, and employees can often access their own paystubs and tax forms through ADP’s app (less back-and-forth for you).
  • Reduced dependency risk: payroll doesn’t stall because someone else is unavailable or backlogged.
  • Low admin burden: mobile tools, employee self-service, and recurring payroll options mean payroll usually takes only a few minutes per run.
  • Scales with you: ADP can integrate with time tracking and accounting tools as your business grows (package-dependent).

The Real Value Proposition

We understand many clients expect a CPA firm to “handle payroll.” Frankly, that is your father’s CPA. Today, business owners want their tax advisors and CPAs focusing on saving them taxes- highest and best use of their engagement. As a result, we’ve shifted the payroll run itself to you + ADP so your WCG team can spend time on what matters most:

  • advanced tax strategies that reduce taxable income
  • reasonable salary and compensation planning
  • proactive year-round planning
  • helping you make decisions that improve long-term outcomes

Payroll compliance needs to be done correctly. But ongoing payroll processing is rarely where the financial impact comes from. Our goal is to focus our expertise on high-impact planning while giving you a payroll system that stays simple and reliable.

Paying Your Kids Through Payroll

Turn household money into tax-advantaged money (when done correctly). Putting your kids on payroll can be a smart strategy to shift income into their lower tax brackets while keeping the work legitimate and documented. In many cases, wages up to the child’s standard deduction can be tax-free for the child — and still deductible for the business.

This strategy is nuanced and entity-type dependent, and it must follow IRS rules and state labor laws. Aside from that, adding your children to payroll can create meaningful household planning benefits.

Mini takeaways:

  • Wages up to the child’s standard deduction can be tax-free for the child (example: $15,000 in 2025).
  • They can remain your dependent.
  • Entity type matters: LLCs may avoid payroll taxes for children under 18, but S Corps and C Corps generally do not
  • Kids can use earned income to fund Roth IRAs / IRAs and build early retirement savings (or even save for college!).
  • Work must be legitimate and documented (job description + time tracking + reasonable pay).
  • In some cases, a Family Management LLC structure may help for S Corps.

Learn more: Putting Your Kids on the Payroll

Seriously, they’re gonna take your money anyway. Might as well make it a tax deduction. Think about this way- to give them a $1,000, you have to go earn $1,500.

[page_title]

Reasonable S Corp Salary

What is a reasonable salary? What is unreasonable? Afraid of paying too much in payroll taxes?

Learn More

Adding Your Spouse to Payroll

Adding a spouse to payroll can create planning opportunities that aren’t available when only one spouse is on payroll. It can improve deduction capability for certain expenses, expand retirement contribution options, and support benefit planning. It can also create additional payroll taxes that need to be weighed carefully.

This is a strategy decision, not a default move — and it should be coordinated with reasonable salary planning.

Mini takeaways:

  • Can expand household retirement contributions with relatively small incremental payroll tax cost (unemployment usually)
  • May improve deductibility of certain expenses (meals, travel, mileage, etc.) when properly supported (the good stuff)
  • Can help qualify for certain household credits (example: dependent care credit) when both spouses work
  • Requires planning to avoid unnecessary Social Security and unemployment taxes
  • Compensation should match real work performed and reasonable salary concepts (yawn)

Learn more: Adding Your Spouse to Payroll

Payroll Welcome Kit

See our complementary kit that will help you kick start your payroll for shareholders!

Learn More

Payroll Planning

Payroll planning is customized and typically part of ongoing advisory and tax planning work based on entity type, income patterns, and your household tax picture. What makes WCG different is that we don’t treat payroll as a standalone chore; rather, we treat it as integral to tax strategy. Payroll planning impacts reasonable salary, retirement contributions, tax withholding, cash flow planning, and even family payroll strategies (spouse and kids, when appropriate). Most business owners either overpay salary and generate unnecessary payroll taxes, or underpay and create audit risk — we help you land in the Goldilocks zone.

We also adjust payroll withholding to reflect your real household tax liability, not just what a payroll computer guesses from a paycheck. In other words, your business income (and shareholder distributions) do not have a withholding component, so increase withholdings to account for this income source. The result is a payroll plan that stays stable, supports your goals, and helps keep taxes predictable all year.

Next Steps

If you want payroll set up correctly, a tax-smart payroll plan, and the ability to run payroll inside ADP with confidence, we can help and get started with Payroll Quick Launch (PQL) and Payroll Planning.

Frequently Asked Questions

certified accountant near me

Does WCG offer payroll services?

Yes — but in a smarter way. WCG focuses on payroll setup, training, and payroll planning, while you run payroll inside ADP and ADP handles filings, deposits, and year-end forms.

Why does WCG not directly process payroll?

Because payroll processing is recurring admin work, and it isn’t sustainable at the market price point for a tax advisory CPA firm. We’d rather spend that time on tax strategy, optimization, and planning that actually saves you money.

Will I need to process payroll “manually?”

Nope. DIY payroll in ADP is mostly “review and approve.” ADP calculates payroll taxes, handles deposits, and files the forms so you don’t have to learn payroll law the hard way.

What is Payroll Quick Launch (PQL)?

PQL is WCG’s payroll onboarding service where we open your payroll accounts, set up ADP, train you live, and provide 60 days of email support. Think of it as the “no surprises” way to start payroll.

What does Payroll Planning include?

Payroll planning typically includes reasonable salary guidance, withholding strategy (so you don’t get crushed in April), payroll cadence recommendations, and adjustments when income changes. It’s payroll that actually works with your tax plan.

Can I pause payroll if cash flow is tight?

Yes, and this is one of the biggest benefits of running payroll yourself. You stay in control of timing, minimum payroll options, and when to trigger a bonus without waiting on anyone’s schedule.

What if my income is lumpy or unpredictable?

That’s exactly why payroll planning exists. We can build a minimum payroll plan with a year-end true-up bonus so payroll stays compliant without stressing your cash flow all year.

Can I add my spouse to payroll?

Sometimes yes, and it can be a great strategy for retirement contributions and household planning. But it can also create extra payroll taxes, so we’ll only recommend it when the math and the facts work.

Can I put my kids on payroll?

Potentially, yes — and it can be a powerful tax move when done correctly. The work must be legitimate and documented, and the tax benefits depend heavily on your entity structure and your child’s age.

What happens if I mess something up?

First, ADP catches a lot of issues automatically, and most payroll runs are straightforward once setup is clean. If something gets weird, WCG can help you think through the situation, but the goal is to build a system that doesn’t create fires in the first place.

Tax Planning Season

Tax planning season is here! Let's schedule a time to review tax reduction strategies and generate a mock tax return.

Tax Planning Services
Bookkeeping Services

Tired of maintaining your own books? Seems like a chore to offload?

Accounting Services

Professional Consultation

Did you want to chat about this? Do you have questions about Nationwide Payroll Processing? Let’s chat!

The tax advisors, business consultants and rental property experts at WCG CPAs & Advisors are not salespeople; we are not putting lipstick on a pig expecting you to love it. Our job remains being professionally detached, giving you information and letting you decide within our ethical guidelines and your risk profiles.

We see far too many crazy schemes and half-baked ideas from attorneys and wealth managers. In some cases, they are good ideas. In most cases, all the entities, layering and mixed ownership is only the illusion of precision. As Chris Rock says, just because you can drive your car with your feet doesn’t make it a good idea. In other words, let’s not automatically convert “you can” into “you must.”

Let’s chat so you can be smart about it.

We typically schedule a 20-minute complimentary quick chat with one of our Partners or our amazing Senior Tax Professionals to determine if we are a good fit for each other, and how an engagement with our team looks. Tax returns only? Business advisory? Tax strategy and planning? Rental property support?

Text WCG Offices

Text WCG Offices

Need to get in touch through a quick text? We'll respond within a day.

Chat our amazing team

Call Our Team

Need to speak to a tax professional now? Give us a call 719-387-9800 and we'll get you connected.

Chat with a tax pro

Chat With a Tax Pro

Taxes can be tricky. Chat with a WCG human now and get questions answered.

After almost 6 years with this CPA group, there is NO ONE else we would trust to do our taxes.

L. Matisek

See Review

We've worked with multiple bookkeepers and accountants over the years and WCG has completely blown us away.

N. Sellden

See Review

As a novice business entrepreneur they provided me with the tools to both structure and tax my business efficiently

Mayon Hight

See Review

They've made my taxes a breeze and are worth every dime I pay them for the peace of mind their services provide.

Lynn Shannon

See Review

The good folks at WCG have impressed me, as being highly competent, patient & friendly.

Fred LeBlanc

See Review

They've made my complicated business life simple and I'd recommend them to anyone with a slightly complicated-to-overwhelmingly complicated tax strategy!

Nic J

See Review

For nearly nine years, I have had the privilege of working with WCG and their team of exceptionally knowledgeable and experienced CPAs.

Alex Hickman

See Review

Amanda - WCG CPA - You guys have been invaluable in helping us get this business and tax planning setup properly and executed correctly.

Lance Dodd

See Review

WCG is extremely knowledgable, timely and attune to the unique aspects of our businesses.

Carl Protsch

See Review

WCG CPAs are professional and a pleasure to work with.

Nakapan P.

See Review

They go beyond the call of duties to assist me not only with Tax return matters but with any questions on other personal and company tax matters.

Juan Mayorga

See Review

I've always dreaded tax season, but WCG has made things so easy, even as we changed to an S corp. So happy we found them!

Paige de Kock

See Review

It was great to find an accounting firm eager to take on new clients, answer initial questions in depth, and support our “keep it simple” philosophy.

Stuart B.

See Review

Working with WCG was so easy, shout out to Sally Rhoades who handled my complicated tax situation this year wonderfully and was available for all my questions.

Stefani Cinto

See Review

I am so thankful to be a client of WCG CPAs & Advisors.

Carol Kersten

See Review

It's a wonderful and rare treat to find a company like WCG these days with their high level of service, personal approach, and deep knowledge of accounting.

Jeffree Hilton

See Review

Such a great firm. Great communicators, great attention to detail and overall great people.

Jeff Owens

See Review