What a payroll service does, and who does it now
A full-service payroll company moves the money and files for you. With Selfroll you do those parts yourself, with exact steps. Here's the split.
| Task | Who | How |
|---|---|---|
| Work out gross pay, withholding and net pay | Selfroll | Run payroll: type it in plain English or use the form. |
| Pay employees by direct deposit | You | Send take-home pay from your business account in your bank's app (transfer, ACH, or your bank's direct deposit). Selfroll gives the amount. |
| Deposit federal payroll taxes (941) | You | EFTPS, by the date Selfroll shows. Monthly: the 15th of the next month. |
| Deposit federal unemployment tax (940) | You | EFTPS, only when more than $500 is owed; otherwise pay with Form 940. |
| Pay state income tax withholding | You | OkTAP, monthly by the 20th or quarterly, per Selfroll's schedule. |
| Pay state unemployment tax | You | OESC Employer Portal, with the quarterly report. |
| File Form 941 each quarter | Selfroll prepares, you file | Selfroll fills a draft. You check, sign, and mail it or e-file it with software you choose. |
| File the state quarterly withholding return (WTH-10001) | Selfroll prepares, you file | Selfroll gives the two figures. You file on OkTAP. |
| File the state unemployment report | Selfroll prepares, you file | Selfroll lists each person's wages. You enter them in the OESC portal. |
| File Form 940 each year | Selfroll prepares, you file | Selfroll fills a draft. You check, sign, and file. |
| Give employees W-2s; file W-2s and W-3 with SSA | Selfroll prepares, you file | Selfroll fills employee copies and totals. You hand them out and type them into SSA Business Services Online. |
| File state W-2s and the annual reconciliation | Selfroll prepares, you file | Selfroll gives the totals. You upload or type them on OkTAP by January 31. |
| Track every deadline | Selfroll | Calendar page, with an .ics file for Google, Apple, or Outlook calendars. |
| Pay stubs | Selfroll | Each paycheck page prints a stub. |
| Pay penalties for its own mistakes (tax guarantee) | You | No guarantee here. Late or wrong deposits are your penalties, so act on the reminders. |
| Talk to the IRS or state for you | You | Selfroll isn't your agent. You handle notices; a CPA can help. |
| New-hire reporting, I-9s, workers' comp | You | Not covered yet. Report new hires to your state and keep I-9s on file. |
One-time setup
Do these before your first payday. Inside the app you can tick them off.
- Have an EIN
Your S corp's federal employer ID. Free from the IRS. Open
- Enroll in EFTPS
eftps.gov, Enrollment, Business. Enter your EIN, business details and bank account. The PIN comes by mail in about 5 to 7 business days, so do this before your first payday. Open
- Register for SSA Business Services Online
Sign in with Login.gov or ID.me and register your company to file W-2s for free. An activation code may come by mail, so start by early January. Open
- Register an Oklahoma withholding account on OkTAP
oktap.tax.ok.gov. You'll use it for payments, the quarterly WTH-10001, and the year-end W-2 upload. Open
- Open an Oklahoma unemployment account with OESC
OESC Employer Portal, Apply for Tax Account Number. New employers start at 1.5%. Open
- Collect forms from each employee
Federal W-4, Oklahoma OK-W-4, and I-9. Enter the W-4 choices in Setup. Open
- Set up payments in your bank
Add each employee's account as a payee for transfers or ACH, from your business account.
- Add the deadlines to your calendar
Calendar page, Download .ics, then import it.
Switching from a payroll service mid-year
Enter the year-to-date wages already paid so the Social Security and unemployment wage limits stay right, and ask your old provider for its quarter-to-date filings. Selfroll's numbers start from the first paycheck you run here. For a mid-quarter switch the old provider's 941 and yours won't add up automatically, so plan the switch at the start of a quarter.
General information, not tax or legal advice. See the Terms.