Frequently asked questions

Why outsource payroll rather than run it in-house?

As with so many business decisions, it comes down to time, money and risk.

Time - Running payroll in-house can be time consuming, especially given it is essential that every element is correct. The question is can this time be better spent performing tasks elsewhere in the business?
Money - The cost of outsourcing your payroll services needs to be compared to the cost of doing it yourself. The main costs of running payroll in-house are the cost of the software, staff costs and ongoing training expenditure.
Risk - The risk of penalties if information is submitted incorrectly or late to HMRC should be taken in to consideration. With fully managed payroll services, like Proto Payroll, the risk is substantially reduced.

Does Proto Payroll specialise in certain sectors?

Our online payroll services are not industry specific and we are lucky to work with clients of all sizes across a variety of industries. That said, our payroll services are particularly great for:

Start ups and small businesses - Our online payroll services, for companies with one to a hundred employees, are perfectly designed to free up time for business owners allowing them more time grow their businesses.
Accountants - For many freelance accountants and small accountancy firms, whether due to costs or available resources, it just doesn't make sense to perform payroll services themselves. We work with an increasing number of accountants that want to diversify their risk and focus on their core business whilst still getting a financial return.
Academies and schools - Payroll for schools and academies can be complex with a variety of pay grades, pension scheme considerations and HMRC reporting to name a few. That is why we have payroll experts that understand all the requirements for academies and schools so that those responsible for payroll can be confident that it is always accurate.

What does it mean by 'BACS approved'?

Proto Payroll is a BACS approved bureau which means we have the authority to make BACS transfers on behalf of our clients. In this respect, our fully managed online payroll services provide you complete piece of mind. With your approval, we can make the necessary payments from your bank account on payday to your staff and to HMRC when payroll taxes fall due. No more missed deadlines!

does using an online payroll services provider mean I have to compromise on service?

No chance! We pride ourselves on the first class service we provide to our clients. From the minute you choose to use our payroll services you will be assigned a dedicated account manager to help with any queries you have. Furthermore, as you would expect, we will meet with you face to face whenever needed, wherever you are situated at no extra cost to you.

In fact, the benefit to an online payroll services provider is that you and your employees will have access to a secure, GDPR compliant online portal, where:

you can access all payroll related data and payroll reports for your internal reporting. All payroll reports are downloadable and are logged so you can access historic information;
your employees will have access to all their payslips and P60s; and
you have access to payroll information anytime, anywhere. Just log on from your desktop, laptop, tablet or mobile and you will instantly have access to all you payroll information.

Will you charge me for quoting for my payroll?

Absolutely not. In fact, we believe that it should be really easy to get a quote. That's why you can get an instant, no-obligation quote on our homepage without having to enter in loads of information and exposing yourself to being bombarded by 'marketing' emails! Also, we understand that in order for you to make a decision over your payroll services provider you may have further questions. If this is the case, please call us on freephone 0800 233 5199 to speak to one of our helpful team or email queries@protopayroll.co.uk.

Where is Proto payroll located?

We're located in South Manchester and the vast majority of our fantastic clients are situated throughout Cheshire, Manchester and the North West. However because we are an online payroll services provider we successfully service clients anywhere in the UK.