Sage Software—Sage Payroll Services

by Mark Weinstein, CPA
866-271-6054
www.sagepayservices.com

Sage Software introduced Sage Payroll Services to the payroll marketplace in April 2004, but Sage Software has been in the payroll business for more than 20 years. Sage Payroll Services is an outsourced payroll offering for small to midsize businesses and organizations. Accountants can opt to partner with Sage either through the Sage Software Accountants Network and/or through the Sage Certified Business Partner Program. Sage Payroll Services is built using web-native architecture within the secure confines of Sage Online Services. Available 24/7, Sage Payroll Services delivers real-time reporting.

Sage Payroll Services requires nothing more than an Internet connection. Clients enter company, employee and payroll code data, followed by data input, review and approval of entries. Then, Sage Payroll Services takes over by delivering a secure, online, real-time access and reporting system. Sage Payroll Services handles direct deposit, tax deposits, reporting and compliance filing, including gross-to-net calculations and electronic report delivery and archive. Sage Payroll Services supports on-demand, in-house printing of checks or users can opt to fully outsource with a check printing and year-end W-2 printing service, followed by delivery to a single or multiple locations.

Learning curve
Since Sage Payroll Services is a hosted, online service, there is no software to install, no hardware to buy, and no update or other maintenance tasks to perform. Data entry is straightforward and data-entry screens are populated with relevant company information during the enrollment process.

Upon logging into the online portal of Sage Payroll Services, users of Sage's accounting and HR/payroll products will immediately feel right at home with Sage Payroll Services, as it sports the same look and feel of the vendor's accounting or HR/payroll application. Payroll professionals using accounting products not supported by Sage will quickly pick up the Sage Payroll Services interface and will find themselves quickly enabled to enter data. Here again, once data entry is complete and approved, Sage Payroll Services takes over and performs its payroll outsourcing duties. 4 1/2 stars

Features & Services
Sage Payroll Services offers support for multiple pay groups and an unlimited number of departments with the same pay date. It handles unlimited direct deposit accounts, tax calculations for all 50 states, SDI and SUI reporting, ACH tax deposits, real-time gross-to-net or net-to-gross payroll calculations, new hire reports, and electronic report delivery in *.PDF format. Also available is support for on-demand in-house printing of checks or full outsourced payroll with check printing and full-service delivery, including separate client locations, if desired. Like many outsourced payroll products, Sage Payroll Services offers a penalty-free guarantee, provided that payroll data is provided on a timely basis and sufficient funds exist to satisfy applicable tax deposit obligations. 5 stars

Reporting capabilities
Sage Payroll Services automatically provides users with 15 comprehensive reports, provided in electronic *.PDF format for printing and archiving. Alternatively, Sage Payroll Services can retain the archived Sage Payroll Services reports on its hosted site. 5 stars

Integration/import & export
Upon completion of data entry, Sage Payroll Services takes over. Integrated Sage accounting applications are synchronized with the Sage Payroll Services Host system. Upon completion of the synchronization routine, payroll data on the Sage in-house accounting program will have been fully updated with all current payroll information as reflected in the host system. Result: high-octane integration. Sage Payroll Services exports data and can also import timesheet data. In addition to several Sage accounting solutions, it also includes the ability to integrate with Sage Abra HRMS and Sage Compliance Services (formerly known as FLS Tax Compliance Services) for tax compliance. 5 stars

Training & support
A hallmark of Sage products up and down its line of software and services is quality customer support, state-of-the-art training and the availability of professional consulting. For the full-service online offering, the Sage Payroll Services support team is on call, providing hands-on assistance to help where and when needed, from initial implementation to follow-up service issues. 5 stars

Summary
No matter what degree of outsourcing is chosen, Sage Payroll Services is a comprehensive and powerful payroll product with state-of-the-art integration abilities. Sage Payroll Services is truly a turnkey payroll service that delivers online services accessible on an in-house basis—the best of both worlds. Powerful integration with Sage Compliance Services for tax compliance, Sage Abra HRMS for HR management, and the various Sage accounting systems only adds to the attractiveness of Sage Payroll Services. The average rate per paycheck, per employee is $1.65, with no additional fees for time clock interface, check signing, data downloads, report archive and GL integration. 5 stars

Want more information on how Sage Payroll Services—Abra Edition links with Sage Abra HR?
Visit—www.sagepayservices.com