StartEaseWhat is Managed payroll? A plain-English guide
A person at StartEase runs your payroll with you. You approve it. You pay your team from your own bank.
Managed payroll is a payroll service where a StartEase payroll manager does the payroll work for your company and you approve it. The software is included. You pay $24 an hour for the hours worked on tasks you approved, with no subscription, no per-employee fee and no per-payment fee from StartEase.
- A payroll manager at StartEase does the payroll work for you.
- You approve every payroll, every task and every hour.
- You pay $24 an hour for the hours used. No subscription.
How it works
- Your manager proposes a taskFor example a payroll, a return or a notice reply, with the hours it needs.
- You approve itNothing starts until you do.
- The work is done and loggedEvery step is recorded with the time and proof.
- You see the feeIt appears on your ledger.
What your payroll manager handles
Every payroll
- Prepares payroll from your hours and timesheets.
- Checks it against 14 federal and state rules.
- Sends it to you to approve.
- Pay stubs and reports follow from the approved payroll.
Federal taxes
- Prepares federal deposits and Forms 941 and 940.
- Deposits and files as your authorized agent only if you sign IRS Form 8655 and choose it.
State taxes and registration
- Registers you in each state where you have employees.
- Prepares state unemployment and withholding reports and new-hire reports.
- Files state returns once you sign the authorization each state requires.
People changes
- Onboards new hires, including Form W-4 and Form I-9.
- Sets up a leaver's final pay.
- Prepares W-2, W-3 and 1099-NEC forms each year.
Agency notices
- Explains the notice in plain words.
- Prepares the reply for you to approve.
- Keeps the deadline on your calendar.
Paying your team coming soon
- Prepares the bank payment file (NACHA/ACH) from the approved payroll.
- You upload it at your own bank.
Deadlines
- Puts every due date on one calendar.
- Proposes the work ahead of time, so you approve it before it is due.
Records and proof
- Logs every step with the time and proof.
- Keeps payroll records for five years from each pay date.
- CSV export on request.
What stays with you
- You approve every payroll, every task and every extra hour.
- You pay your team from your own bank. StartEase does not pay your employees or contractors.
- You sign the authorizations, and you decide who makes federal deposits.
A month with Managed payroll: an example
Example company: 8 employees in one state, paid every two weeks. The hours are examples to show how it works. They are not a quote.
| Week | What happens | Hours | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Your manager prepares payroll and checks it against 14 rules. You approve it. | 1 | $24 |
| 2 | A new hire joins. Onboarding, Form W-4 and Form I-9. | 1 | $24 |
| 3 | Payroll is prepared and approved. | 1 | $24 |
| 4 | A state agency sends a notice. Your manager explains it and prepares the reply. You approve it. | 2 | $48 |
| Month | 5 | $120 |
Months with a quarterly return add that task, which you approve first. On your ledger every line shows the date, the task and the time log.
What it is not
- Not a subscription. A month with no approved work has no hours to pay for.
- Not a payment service. Your money stays in your bank until you authorize the payment.
- Not out of your control. You approve each step.
The software is included: timesheets, time off, holidays, employee self-onboarding, pay stubs, reports and forms. See what you get for $24 an hour.
Next
- Hourly cost compared with a monthly subscription
- The benefits of Managed payroll
- How Managed payroll works, step by step
Questions people ask
Does StartEase pay my employees?
No. You pay your team from your own bank. When it is available, StartEase prepares the bank payment file and you upload it at your bank.
Is Managed payroll a subscription?
No. There is no subscription. You pay $24 for each hour your payroll manager works on tasks you approved. See what you get for $24 an hour.
Who files my payroll taxes?
Your payroll manager prepares them. StartEase files federal returns and makes federal deposits as your authorized agent only if you sign IRS Form 8655 and choose it. State returns are filed once you sign the authorization each state requires.
Can I see what my payroll manager did?
Yes. Every step is in the task log with the time and proof, and every fee is on your ledger.