2022 Top QuickBooks Payroll Award · Elite Intuit Partner since 2012
Payroll Services That Pay Your Team Right and Tie Out to Your Books
Outsourced payroll processing, setup, and cleanup for growing businesses in Charlotte, across North Carolina, and nationwide, run by the same accountants who keep your books.
✔ Fixed-price, no hourly billing
✔ Senior accountant review
✔ US-based team
4.6
Google rating
500+
Businesses served
2022
Top QuickBooks Payroll Award
15+
In business
A+
BBB accredited
QUICK SUMMARY: Certum Solutions provides outsourced payroll services for U.S. businesses with roughly $1M to $50M in revenue: ongoing payroll processing, payroll setup and implementation, payroll cleanup and reconciliation, and payroll provider selection across QuickBooks Workforce, Paychex Flex, & Intuit Enterprise Suite. All projects are fixed-price, with no hourly billing.
Because our team also handles bookkeeping, every payroll run maps to your general ledger, departments, and job costing. Based in Monroe, NC (Charlotte metro) and serving businesses in all 50 states. Book a free payroll consultation
The Basics
What Are Outsourced Payroll Services?
Outsourced payroll services are when a third party handles some or all of your payroll: calculating wages, taxes, and deductions, running each pay cycle, managing direct deposit, and making sure payroll taxes are deposited and filed on time. Certum Solutions adds the step most payroll companies skip: reconciling every payroll to your books.
Payroll providers like ADP and Paychex sell software and a support line. Local payroll bureaus run checks. Accounting firms close the books. Certum Solutions covers the work that falls between them: choosing the right payroll platform, setting it up so it posts correctly to your chart of accounts, running payroll inside it, and catching the errors that otherwise surface months later as tax notices or a payroll liability balance nobody can explain.
TALK TO A PAYROLL SPECIALIST
Payroll that reconciles every month, not just at year-end.
See what your current setup is costing you in rework and risk.
DIAGNOSE
Signs Your Payroll Has Outgrown Its Current Setup
Payroll rarely breaks all at once. It drifts. These are the signals we see most often when a business first calls us.
Payroll liability accounts never zero out
Someone re-keys payroll journal entries every pay period
You hired in a second state and aren't sure you're registered
Job costing or department reports show labor in the wrong place
You received a payroll tax notice in the last 12 months
One person is the only one who knows how payroll works
What Payroll Problems Look Like From Your Seat
Founders & CEOs
Feel it as risk: one missed deposit or misclassified worker can cost more than a year of payroll service fees.
COOs & operations leaders
Feel it as rework: hours lost to timesheet chasing, manual imports, and fixing paychecks after the fact.
Controllers & finance managers
Feel it at close: wage expense that doesn't match the register and liabilities that won't tie out.
SERVICES
What's Included in Our Outsourced Payroll Services
Payroll as a one-time project, an ongoing monthly service, or both. Pick the pieces you need.
Ongoing Payroll Processing
We run payroll every pay period inside your platform, review hours and changes, and confirm it posts correctly.
Hourly, salaried, multi-state
Bonus, commission, off-cycle
New hires, terminations, final pay
1099 payments, W-2 & 1099 support
Payroll System Assessment
A fixed-fee written recommendation: stay, switch, or restructure. Complex projects get our Discovery Report. Never open-ended hourly advising.
Payroll Setup & Implementation
One-time, fixed-fee configuration: tax accounts, pay schedules, earnings and deductions, direct deposit, and accounting mapping.
HR, Time Tracking & Onboarding
Time and attendance, PTO, self-onboarding, and HR reporting configured to feed payroll. Paychex clients: SixFifty HR compliance coordinated too.
QuickBooks Time setup →
Payroll Cleanup & Reconciliation
We trace why payroll and the general ledger disagree, correct mapping and history, and leave liabilities that tie out monthly.
Benefits & 401(k) Integration
Health, HSA, and 401(k) providers, including Paychex retirement and Guideline, connected so deductions and contributions post correctly.
FURTHER READING Your payroll is compliant. Is your employee handbook? See our SixFifty HR compliance software review →
ONE TEAM
Payroll and Bookkeeping Services Under One Roof
Certum Solutions offers payroll and bookkeeping services together, and most of our payroll clients use both. One team handles both, so wages post to the correct accounts, departments, classes, and jobs, and payroll liabilities are reconciled during every monthly close with senior accountant review.
With separate vendors, nobody owns the handoff. Our ongoing accounting services team sees payroll and the general ledger side by side every month
Add Payroll Bookkeeping to Your Monthly Plan
A monthly add-on to any bookkeeping tier. Each payroll recorded by department, class, or job, with liabilities reconciled every close. See pricing in the quote tool
How Payroll Fits With Bookkeeping, Tax, and Fractional CFO Work
| Service | What it covers | Learn more |
|---|---|---|
| Payroll services | Paying people correctly, including setup, processing, and reconciliation | This page |
| Bookkeeping & accounting | Transactions, monthly close, and financial statements | Bookkeeping services |
| Business tax services | Income tax filing and planning | Tax services |
| Fractional CFO | Forecasting, labor cost strategy, and leadership | Fractional CFO |
“Not only do I trust your team to be doing the work accurately for me behind the scenes, but also to be consistently training me up on how I can use the tools.”
- Michael Reddington · Professional Services Client
RUN IT IN-HOUSE, CORRECTLY
Payroll Software Training and Ongoing Support
Many businesses need more than payroll alone. Certum supports HR-related services through system configuration, integration, and process support. HR System Support Includes:
Ongoing support plans
Essentials, Priority, or Managed: someone who knows your setup answers payroll questions.
Software training tracks
Fixed-scope training for QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Enterprise, and Intuit Enterprise Suite payroll.
On-site training
For teams that learn best in the room, at your location.
Get a Payroll Recommendation in One Call
Tell us a little about your payroll and we'll come to the consultation with a recommendation, not a sales pitch.
Prefer to call? (980) 210-6946
PLATFORM-AGNOSTIC
Payroll Platforms We Set Up, Run, and Support
Partner relationships with Intuit (Elite Partner since 2012), Gusto, Paychex, and Zoho (Silver Partner). We recommend whichever payroll system fits your business, not whichever pays the most.
Intuit Enterprise Suite
Payroll with multi-entity reporting
BEST FOR
Multi-entity businesses outgrowing QBO
Advanced.
WHAT WE HANDLE
Payroll across entities, labor allocation,
construction job costing, migration.
WHO SHOULD NOT USE IT
Single-entity companies with simple
reporting.
Paychex Flex
Payroll, HR, benefits, 401(k), SixFifty
BEST FOR
Growing businesses wanting a dedicated rep plus HR in one relationship.
WHAT WE HANDLE
We bring in our dedicated Paychex partner team, then map payroll to your books, coordinate HR, retirement, and SixFifty, and reconcile monthly.
WHO SHOULD NOT USE IT
Owners wanting the lowest-cost DIY tool with no rep.
QuickBooks Workforce
Formerly QuickBooks Online Payroll · plus QuickBooks Time
BEST FOR
Businesses already on QuickBooks Online.
WHAT WE HANDLE
Setup, migration, Workforce Payroll / Premium/ Elite selection, job and class mapping, ongoing processing.
WHO SHOULD NOT USE IT
Businesses not on QBO or IES, or that need an outsourced HR team.
Still on QuickBooks Desktop or Enterprise payroll? We support it today and plan your move when you're ready. QuickBooks data migration services
STARTING POINT
Which Payroll Platform Should We Set Up for You?
The right platform depends on your accounting system, headcount, number of states, and industry reporting needs. Your consultation confirms it.
| Your situation | Usually the best fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| On QuickBooks Online, under 50 employees | QuickBooks Workforce | Wages post to QuickBooks automatically |
| Multiple entities or outgrowing QBO Advanced | Intuit Enterprise Suite + Workforce | Payroll across entities, consolidated reporting |
| Startup or small team, wants self-service | Gusto | Fast onboarding, strong integrations |
| 50+ employees, multi-state, broader HR needs | ADP or Paychex Flex | Dedicated service teams, HR depth |
| Running Zoho Books or Zoho One | Zoho Payroll (where available) | Native sync with Zoho Books |
| Construction with job costing or prevailing wage | QuickBooks Workforce or IES Construction | Labor posts to jobs and cost codes |
FURTHER READING Moving off ADP or Gusto? Read what it takes to move your payroll to QuickBooks.
NOT SURE WHICH PROVIDER FITS?
Get a platform-agnostic payroll recommendation.
From a team that has implemented all of them.
REMOTE & EXPANDING TEAMS
Multi-State Payroll Support for
Certum Solutions supports multi-state payroll for businesses with employees in more than one state, including fully remote hires. We set up state withholding and unemployment accounts, coordinate the registrations your provider needs, configure local taxes where they apply, and confirm each state before its first payroll runs.
Multi-state errors compound quietly: a missing registration can mean months of withholding sent to the wrong state before anyone notices.
FURTHER ASSISTANCE Hiring someone who lives across the NC/SC line? Get the multi-state payroll compliance checklist →
INDUSTRIES
Payroll Services by Industry
Construction & Trades
Labor to jobs, phases, and cost codes; certified payroll for prevailing-wage projects; multiple pay rates.
Nonprofits
Wages allocated to programs, admin, and fundraising; grant-funded positions; Form 990-ready.
Retail, Franchise & Hospitality
Hourly staff, tips, multiple locations, location-level labor reporting.
Manufacturing & Distribution
Direct vs. indirect labor so cost of goods sold is accurate.
Professional Services & Startups
Clean salaried payroll and contractor payments that scale without a rebuild.
CLEAR SCOPE
Payroll Compliance: What We Cover and What We Don't
We reduce payroll compliance risk through correct setup, review, and reconciliation, and we're clear about where our work stops.
What we don't do
❌ We are not a PEO or employer of record
❌ We are not a benefits broker or investment advisor
❌ We don't give legal or HR policy advice
❌ Tax deposits and filings run through your platform's tax service
What we cover
✓ Federal, state, and local payroll tax setup
✓ Multi-state configuration and registration coordination
✓ Worker classification flags (W-2 vs. 1099)
✓ Quarterly and year-end reconciliation: 941, 940, W-2, 1099
✓ Clean documentation and audit trails
FURTHER ASSISTANCE Q4 941, January W-2 and 1099 deadlines, and the dates people forget. Keep the 2026 tax calendar handy →
PROCESS
How Our Payroll Engagements Work
01
Step 1: Payroll & HR Assessment
We review your process, provider, states, and how payroll posts to your books
02
Step 2: Recommendation & Fixed-Fee Proposal
A written recommendation and fixed-fee proposal, plus monthly pricing for ongoing payroll.
03
Step 3: Setup, Cleanup, or Migration
Configure the platform, correct history, build the accounting
mapping.
04
Step 4: Parallel Check & First Payroll
A test payroll compared to your prior provider so go-live
matches to the penny.
05
Step 5: Ongoing Processing & Reconciliation
We run payroll each period (if chosen) and reconcile it to your books monthly.
SWITCHING
Switching Payroll Providers Without Missing a Pay Date
We manage provider switches end to end: timing the cutover around quarter-end, moving year-to-date history and tax accounts, rebuilding deductions and mapping, and validating the first payroll. Thinking about a January 1 switch? Q4 is when most businesses decide.
HONEST FIT
Who Our Payroll Services Are (and Aren't) For
A strong fit
✓ Roughly 5–250 employees and $1M–$50M in revenue
✓ Adding employees in new states or hiring remote
✓ Construction, nonprofit, manufacturing, multi-location
✓ Payroll and books don't reconcile today
✓ Want payroll and bookkeeping from one firm
Probably not a fit
❌ Want a PEO to become the employer of record
❌ Large enterprises on a dedicated HRIS like Workday
❌ Looking only for the cheapest check-printing service
❌ Need employment-law or HR policy advice
WHY CERTUM
Why Charlotte-Area and U.S. Businesses Choose Certum Solutions for Payroll
A woman-owned accounting and systems consulting firm based in Monroe, NC, serving Charlotte-area businesses in person and remotely, plus clients in all 50 states. Accountants first, software second.
✓ Payroll and bookkeeping reviewed by the same team
✓ Platform-agnostic across QuickBooks, Gusto, Paychex, and Zoho
✓ 2022 Top QuickBooks Payroll Award plus 12 more Intuit awards
✓ US-based team, no offshore processing
✓ Honest scope: we tell you what we don't do before you sign
“They are transparent and honest. Unlike other companies that will simply nod and say they can do it all, Certum will ensure that the client is aware of limitations or incompatibilities early on.”
James Frey · IT Consulting Client
FAQ
Payroll Services FAQ
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Outsourced payroll services typically include running each pay cycle, calculating wages, taxes, and deductions, managing direct deposit, handling new hires and terminations, and making sure payroll taxes are deposited and filed on time. Certum Solutions also maps every payroll to your chart of accounts and reconciles payroll liabilities each month, so payroll and your books always agree.
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Both. Certum Solutions can set up or fix your payroll platform as a one-time, fixed-fee project, or run payroll for you every pay period as an ongoing service. Many clients start with a setup or cleanup project and move to ongoing payroll processing once the system is clean.
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Federal, state, and local payroll tax deposits and filings are made through your payroll platform's full-service tax feature, such as QuickBooks Workforce, Gusto, ADP, or Paychex. Certum Solutions makes sure the platform is set up with the right tax accounts and rates, reviews filings, and reconciles payroll tax liabilities to your books.
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Certum Solutions sets up, runs, and supports payroll on QuickBooks Workforce (formerly QuickBooks Online Payroll), QuickBooks Time, Intuit Enterprise Suite, Gusto, ADP, Paychex Flex, and Zoho Payroll. We also support businesses still on QuickBooks Desktop or QuickBooks Enterprise payroll while they plan a move.
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Yes. Certum Solutions is platform-agnostic, so we recommend a payroll provider based on your headcount, number of states, industry reporting needs like job costing or grant tracking, and the accounting system you already use. If your current provider is the right fit and only needs better setup, we tell you that.
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Yes. Certum Solutions offers payroll and bookkeeping together, and most payroll clients use both. With one team handling both, payroll wages post to the correct accounts, departments, and jobs, and payroll liabilities are reconciled during every monthly close with senior accountant review.
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Yes. Certum Solutions configures payroll for employees in multiple states, including remote employees, state withholding and unemployment accounts, and local taxes where they apply. We coordinate the state registrations your payroll provider needs and confirm each state is set up correctly before the first payroll runs there.
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Yes. Certum Solutions sets up construction payroll so labor costs post to the right jobs and cost codes, and configures certified payroll reporting for prevailing-wage projects in platforms that support it, such as QuickBooks Workforce and Intuit Enterprise Suite Construction Edition.
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No. Certum Solutions is not a PEO, an employer of record, a benefits broker, or an investment advisor. We integrate your benefits and retirement plan providers with payroll so deductions and employer contributions calculate correctly and post to the right accounts.
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Outsourced payroll has two costs: your payroll platform subscription, usually a monthly base fee plus a per-employee fee paid to the provider, and the service fee for the firm managing it. Certum Solutions prices setup and cleanup as fixed-fee projects and ongoing payroll by employee count, pay frequency, and number of states. Get a custom quote at certumsolutions.com/pricing.
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No. Certum Solutions prices payroll setup, cleanup, and assessments as fixed-price projects, and ongoing payroll processing, payroll bookkeeping, and software support as flat monthly services. You know the cost before work starts, and a busy payroll month never produces a surprise invoice.
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No. Certum Solutions is based in Monroe, NC, in the Charlotte metro, and works with Charlotte-area businesses in person and remotely. We provide payroll services to businesses in all 50 states. Book a free payroll consultation at certumsolutions.com/book-consultation.
Ready for Payroll You Never Have to Second- Guess?
Accurate paychecks, clean tax filings, and payroll that reconciles to your books every month, from a Charlotte-area team that has done it for 500+ businesses.
Prefer to talk now? (980) 210-6946