Hire a Payroll Service as Your Small Business Grows

A basic cost-effective solution
in a growing business is to hire
a payroll service provider.

Are you getting overwhelmed now that your small business is growing and want to know where to begin? Hire a payroll service.

It might have been easy to track the handful of employees working at a single location, but diversification and revenue growth often leads to hiring additional employees, sometimes at multiple locations. A burgeoning payroll also means keeping up with additional compliance and regulation issues.

If you find yourself dedicating more time than you can afford to managing payroll, you should strongly consider using a payroll service provider, who generally takes care of these basic things:

• Taxes
• Payroll delivery and reporting
• Direct deposits and check printing
• Wage garnishment

Also, consider these other compelling reasons to outsource payroll duties: Payroll administrators can provide payroll preview services that let you know exactly how much payroll liability you face. And payroll service companies can track employees' time and attendance with an online time clock or proprietary time-management software.

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READ MORE>> SmallBusinessComputing.com: Should You Hire a Small Business Payroll Service?

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• GBC Payroll Services' Website   
• About GBC Services
• Payroll Taxes and Your Business
• Helpful Payroll Related Articles

A Summary of What an External Audit Includes: Questions and Answers

Ensure the health of your business;
hire a professional external audit.

Q: What does the process of an external audit for your business entail?

A: Basically, an external audit occurs once a year and focuses on the company’s performance and compliance. Accounting records are commonly examined in an external audit to make sure no errors exist in the financial statement, which is important for investors and regulatory requirements.

External auditors have no affiliation with the company, which offers the company an unbiased examination.

Here are some of the most frequently asked questions:

• Q: What is a Typical Audit Time-Frame?
  
  A: An external audit does not have a standard length. The audit goes on until the external auditors have finished. Generally, an external audit begins at the end of the company’s fiscal year, since that is when the accounting books are closed and financial statements for the year are prepared. The external auditors may communicate with internal auditors when any questions arise during the process, but the external auditors are not influenced by the internal auditors.
  
• Q: Is There any Pre-Audit Planning Needed?
  
  A: Before the external auditor begins, certain activities must be completed. The auditor must meet with management of the company to determine if any internal changes in control, procedures or other factors have affected company record keeping and reporting. Such factors can include changes in industry regulations, legal matters or changes in company structure and operations.
  
• Q: What Goes on for the Duration of the Audit?
  
  A: The reporting phase is the main part of the external audit, which is done on site at the company being audited. In this phase, auditors examine the company’s ability to record and process data accurately in reports, such as in financial statements. This is done by going through the records used to create the statement, or other documents, and re-creating them to see if they were created correctly by the company. During this phase, the auditors may request additional files or documentation from the company’s internal auditors or ask questions about how conclusions were drawn.
  
• Q: What Outcome Should be Expected as a Result?
  
  A: At the end of the audit, the external auditors prepare and deliver a summary report to the company. The summary report details all of the findings from the audit. This includes discrepancies found in the reporting and non-compliance of rules and regulations. The auditor findings offer the company a way to correct any discrepancies and become compliant before a regulatory body notices.

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READ MORE>> smallbusiness.chron.com: What Does the Process of Performing an External Audit Include?

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For All Your Accounting and Auditing Needs Call GBC 678-366-9232

Characteristics of An Effective External Audit for Your Business

Consider the contributions of the
managament and audit committee
in the audit assessment also.

An effective audit truly challenges and tests the contents of the financial statements in order to form an opinion on whether they present a true and fair view. An audit must, of course, comply with all relevant auditing and ethical standards as well.

An effective audit must also include:

• An audit process tailored to the risks facing the entity, the business structure and the regulatory environment.
• An audit team that is technically strong, perceptive, intellectually curious and independent-minded — bringing an informed professional skepticism to bear on management’s approach and assertions.
• An audit approach that is based on an understanding of the control environment, including the role of information technology in supporting the financial reporting process.
• An audit culture that seeks continuous improvement and increased quality.

Fundamentally, an effective audit must deliver the right audit opinion, in which shareholders will have confidence.

Two more important characteristics are:

1. Communications and reports to those charged with governance that reflect the audit team’s thought processes and rationale for conclusions. These should discuss management’s approach, alternatives considered, relevant comparators and a clear articulation of the final conclusion.
2. Effective interaction with management and the audit committee throughout its performance — everyone must understand what the ‘audit issues’ are, why they are ‘issues’ and how they will be resolved.

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READ MORE>> ey.com (Ernst & Young): Assessing the Effectiveness of the External Audit Process

Call GBC Income Tax Services today at 678-366-9232 for all your tax and IRS needs!
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Four Major Benefits of Hiring a Payroll Service Provider

The No. 1 task for a small business
to outsource is... yes, PAYROLL.

Are you considering hiring a professional payroll service provider for your growing business? 

Outsourcing payroll alleviates the time employees spend calculating payroll, determining tax obligations, preparing checks and providing management reports. Payroll firms can offer services such as automated signatures, envelope stuffing and direct deposit of checks. In addition, services such as retirement plans allowing employees to designate automatic deductions from their paychecks are available.

Here are the four major benefits of taking this step, in summary:

1. Accountability: Tax regulations are constantly changing, making errors more and more frequent. Payroll companies can offer services to file state and federal payroll taxes for your business, which alleviates the issue of knowing the latest tax code, filing deadlines, deposit requirements, tax tables, government forms or payroll software version.
2. Tax Expertise: According to the IRS, 40 percent of small businesses pay penalties each year for late or incorrect filings and payments. To avoid this, many payroll providers offer a tax guarantee, ensuring that customers will incur no penalties because the providers take responsibility any fines that may occur. This cost savings can greatly help in justifying the outsourcing of payroll services. (Keep in mind, however, that while the payroll company may assume responsibility for penalties, you may be liable for any insterest charges.)
3. Productivity: Leveraging the expertise of a payroll company can alleviate the time-consuming process of having your internal employees managing payroll. Outsourcing can free your staff's time to pursue more important revenue-generating activities. Because payroll management is a time-consuming activity, removing this burden can allow your employees to focus on more productive items within their realm of expertise.
4. Financial Reporting: Payroll firms can offer reports such as summaries on earning statements, payroll by departments, time sheets, expenses and a host of other reports.

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READ MORE>> SmallBusiness.chron.com: The Advantages of Hiring a Payroll Service Company

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• GBC Payroll Services' Website   
• About GBC Services
• Payroll Taxes and Your Business
• Helpful Payroll Related Articles

Making a Sound Decision in the Selection of an External Auditor

Planning to procure a quality
audit requires time and attention.

Regardless of the type or size of business you are affiliated with—from a small local shop to a large corporation, from a neighborhood health clinic to a major hospital, from a grade school to a university—

an effective audit can improve your operations and possibly yield significant dollar savings.

Selecting a qualified auditor will help you achieve the benefits of an effective audit and help you avoid wasting resources on auditors that aren’t likely to produce a quality audit. If your responsibilities include hiring an independent auditor, do some research first that can help you make a sound decision and get the most for your money.

Companies and public entities should select auditors only after considering the following five basic steps for an effective audit procurement process:

1. Planning—determining what needs to be done and when
2. Communicating Audit Requirements and Soliciting Proposals—writing a clear and direct solicitation document and disseminating it widely
3. Selecting a Qualified Auditor—authorizing a committee of knowledgeable persons to evaluate the ability of prospective auditors to effectively carry out the audit
4. Writing the Agreement: Documenting Expectations—documenting the expectations of both the entity and the auditor
5. Monitoring the Audit: Ensuring a Quality Audit—periodically reviewing the progress of the audit.

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READ MORE/GET COMPLETE GUIDE HERE>> doa.alaska.gov (Intergovernmental Audit Forum):  Choosing an External Auditor

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•     About GBC Services
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Why Should I Get an External Audit?

Quality external auditors will take
the time you don't have to go
through your records with a fine-
tooth comb. Protect your company.

Question: What IS an external audit?

External audits are independent, unbiased reviews of your business’s financial records. You usually can contract an accounting or auditing firm to conduct this review. It can be an expensive exercise, but it has its benefits. While you may consider your organization’s controls and records to be flawless, an external third-party review can assure you if that is actually the case.

Three main advantages are outlined as follows:

1. Identification of Errors: As a business owner, even if you have the expertise to conduct your own audits, the responsibilities of running a business may prevent you from dedicating the time required to seek out errors and omissions in your financial records. An external audit will identify these mistakes and rectify them over the historical data. This, in turn, will provide you with clearer business records and data.
   
2. Internal Control Effectiveness: External auditors perform walk-throughs of each of your business processes and verify that approvals and authority checks are in place and working before a transaction lands in your financial records. They also determine that your computer systems perform correctly. This doesn't cover IT functions, but entails a check for controls in your systems to ensure that only authorized personnel perform certain tasks. The external auditor will advise you on how to address any issues they uncover.
   
3. Acceptance of Audited Statements: You may require a loan for your small business or a letter of credit to obtain merchandise. Banks and lending companies typically will require that you provide audited and reliable financial statements. Your company's net assets adjusted for goodwill can help you anticipate its current value, which can help you set a price for it, if you are willing to sell it. Similarly, tax authorities may be more willing to place reliance on your calculations for income or sales taxes if you present audited financial statements.

Audited financial statements indicate that you are a responsible business owner who practices transparency in your activities.

These acts of transparency contribute to the goodwill of your business. This can all be used easily to settle accounts, diffuse disputes among partners, and to prevent employees from committing fraud. 

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READ MORE>> yourbusiness.azcentral.com: "What Are the Advantages of An External Audit?

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•     About GBC Services
•     GBC Audit Services Website
•     Visit the Internal Revenue Service's Website