5.0 out of 5 based on 41 reviews
Payroll Outsourcing for Small Businesses
Payroll that lands in your books correctly the first time, because the people running it are the same people closing your month.
2–4 wksTypical payroll setup
IncludedIn the weekly subscription
CPAReviewed
★★★★★“Since adding Alex with Stronghold Accounting for our bookkeeping, it has truly been a Godsend for our business. Alex cleaned up a difficult QuickBooks transition and became a game changer for our month-to-month bookkeeping.”Patty LeslieTampa
★★★★★“I like that you're helping me strategize, not just giving me numbers. There were still blind spots that you've been able to uncover for me. I didn't think that was possible.”JoelService-business owner
★★★★★“Alex and his team helped bring the books current and continue to provide monthly support while helping plan for growth.”Dr. MaloneLake Mary
★★★★★“Alex is sharp, detail-oriented, and genuinely passionate about his work. He explains the numbers clearly and helps business owners gain more control over their finances.”Baxter McCoyOrlando
★★★★★“Since adding Alex with Stronghold Accounting for our bookkeeping, it has truly been a Godsend for our business. Alex cleaned up a difficult QuickBooks transition and became a game changer for our month-to-month bookkeeping.”Patty LeslieTampa
★★★★★“I like that you're helping me strategize, not just giving me numbers. There were still blind spots that you've been able to uncover for me. I didn't think that was possible.”JoelService-business owner
★★★★★“Alex and his team helped bring the books current and continue to provide monthly support while helping plan for growth.”Dr. MaloneLake Mary
★★★★★“Alex is sharp, detail-oriented, and genuinely passionate about his work. He explains the numbers clearly and helps business owners gain more control over their finances.”Baxter McCoyOrlando
★★★★★“Since adding Alex with Stronghold Accounting for our bookkeeping, it has truly been a Godsend for our business. Alex cleaned up a difficult QuickBooks transition and became a game changer for our month-to-month bookkeeping.”Patty LeslieTampa
★★★★★“I like that you're helping me strategize, not just giving me numbers. There were still blind spots that you've been able to uncover for me. I didn't think that was possible.”JoelService-business owner
★★★★★“Alex and his team helped bring the books current and continue to provide monthly support while helping plan for growth.”Dr. MaloneLake Mary
★★★★★“Alex is sharp, detail-oriented, and genuinely passionate about his work. He explains the numbers clearly and helps business owners gain more control over their finances.”Baxter McCoyOrlando
What payroll outsourcing is
Payroll outsourcing hands wage calculation, tax withholding, filings and payments to an outside provider. Stronghold offers outsourced payroll services as part of a bookkeeping engagement rather than as a standalone product, which means payroll is recorded into your books as it runs instead of being reconciled back afterwards.
Who this is for
Your bookkeeper cannot answer payroll questions and your payroll provider cannot answer bookkeeping ones.
You have contractors and employees and are not confident the classification is right.
You are an S-corp owner and nobody has told you whether your salary is reasonable.
You run payroll in one system and your books in another, and they disagree.
Payroll runs fine but nothing about it is recorded properly until year end.
You are already a Stronghold bookkeeping client and want one fewer vendor.
Payroll services for small business are usually bought separately from bookkeeping, which is exactly how the two end up disagreeing. Combined bookkeeping and payroll services close that gap.
This is not the right fit if you want payroll alone with no bookkeeping attached. We will point you to a standalone provider instead.
What’s included
Payroll processingPayroll processing on your schedule, weekly, biweekly or semimonthly
Withholding and filingsFederal and state tax withholding, deposits and filings
New hire reportingNew hire reporting
Year-end formsW-2 and 1099 preparation at year end
Classification reviewEmployee and contractor classification review
Owner compensationOwner compensation review for S-corps, coordinated with your tax planning
Straight into the booksPayroll entries recorded directly to your books each cycle, not reconstructed later
Florida-specific handlingReemployment tax (RT-6) and the state’s new hire reporting requirement
Payroll support is available in all 50 states through established platforms including ADP, Paychex, Gusto, and QuickBooks Payroll.
How it works
STEP 1 · DAY 0Discovery callHeadcount, pay schedule, states, and what you are running now.
STEP 2 · WEEKS 1–4SetupPayroll setup typically takes 2-4 weeks as part of the Foundation Buildout.
STEP 3 · BEFORE FIRST PAYROLLValidationWe reconcile employee records, tax accounts, and year-to-date pay history before the first live run; any parallel cycle is scoped with the selected payroll provider.
STEP 4 · ONGOINGOngoingPayroll runs and posts to the books in the same cycle.
What it costs
Included in the subscriptionPayroll service is included in the weekly subscription. The client pays the separate payroll-platform cost charged by providers such as Gusto, ADP, or Paychex.
See bookkeeping pricing →Why Stronghold
One team, one set of numbers. The most common payroll problem we see is not a failed filing. It is payroll and books that were never reconciled to each other, discovered in March.A CPA looks at owner compensation. For S-corp owners this is the single highest-value payroll conversation there is, and a payroll processor will not have it with you.Classification gets reviewed, not assumed. Contractor versus employee is a decision with real exposure attached, and we would rather raise it early.
Proof
Payroll entries flow into the books in the same cycle, with labor costs available for project and customer tracking.
Combined bookkeeping and payroll5.0 stars from 41 reviews. Read them →
Alex M. Riccio, CPAFounder & CEO
The most common payroll problem we see is not a failed filing. It is payroll and books that were never reconciled to each other, discovered in March.
Talk to Alex →Payroll services near you
Payroll Services: Tampa
Stronghold’s Tampa office is at 1646 W Snow Ave, Tampa, FL 33606, (813) 336-1498. We run payroll for Tampa businesses as part of a bookkeeping engagement, including Hillsborough County employers dealing with local business tax receipt requirements alongside state reemployment tax.
Tampa office →Payroll Services: Lake Mary
Our Lake Mary office is at 1540 International Pkwy STE 2000-242, Lake Mary, FL 32746, (407) 431-0348, serving Seminole County and the greater Orlando area.
Lake Mary office →Related services
Services you'll need with payroll
Common questions
Payroll questions
Do you offer payroll on its own?
No. Payroll is delivered as part of a bookkeeping engagement. Running payroll without visibility of the books is where most of the errors we get called about start.
What is the difference between managed payroll services and payroll outsourcing services?
Very little, in practice. Both describe an outside provider running the payroll cycle for you. What differs between providers is how much sits inside the service: filings, classification review, year-end forms, and whether any of it reaches your books without someone re-keying it.
Are there payroll services near me?
Stronghold has offices in Tampa and Lake Mary and handles small business payroll services for clients across Florida and the wider US. Payroll does not require proximity.
How much do payroll services cost?
Payroll service is included in the weekly subscription; the client pays the payroll platform's separate fee.
Can you take over payroll mid-year?
Yes. We migrate year-to-date history so W-2s at year end are correct.
Do you handle payroll in states outside Florida?
Yes. Stronghold supports payroll in all 50 states through established payroll platforms.
Do you handle 1099 contractors as well as employees?
Yes, including W-9 collection and 1099-NEC filing at year end.
I’m an S-corp owner. Can you tell me what salary to take?
We review it as part of tax planning and give you a defensible position. It is one of the more consequential numbers in an S-corp and it is worth getting right before year end rather than after.
Do you file our payroll tax returns?
Stronghold handles proactive tax planning and works with an integrated tax-preparation partner for filing. We coordinate the year-end handoff so the books, planning, and return preparation stay connected.
Get payroll and books on the same page
Book a free discovery call and we will look at how the two are connected today.
Book a Free Discovery Call