FAQs

What is outsourced payroll services? 

Basically, we cover everything payroll-related, including salary processing, PAYE payments, tax code adjustments, starters and leavers management, employee record maintenance, mandatory and voluntary deductions handling, prescribed documentation production, and monthly and annual report generation. With furlough, pensions and changes to HMRC, we take the headache out of managing your periodic and annual payroll requirements.

How does the outsourced payroll service work at Quill? 

Upon initial set up, you work closely with your payroll clerk by providing full details of your employees, their related salaries, contributions, deductions and pensions. From that point onwards, you just need to notify us, on a monthly basis, of any changes to your staffing. We will prompt you for this information, so you don’t need to worry about remembering to keep us in the loop. This process can be performed by your preferred method of communication.

Once we know if any changes have occurred, we’ll do everything thereafter, from adjusting salaries to administering pension payments.

What is a payroll number?

A payroll number is how the payroll department at your company distinguishes between each employee. Your payroll number will usually be found on your payslip.

What is auto enrolment and how do you outsource that? 

Automatic enrolment, or auto enrolment for short, is recently introduced workplace pension reform which applies to every business. Quill Payroll includes an optional pension management service in accordance with auto enrolment legislation. This includes checking for eligible joiners, performing complex contribution calculations, managing opted leavers, preparing statutory employee correspondence, uploading the pension contributions and pay data to the pension provider’s website with a clear audit trail maintained throughout.

Our Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals-member staff are fully conversant in the latest legislation and reform, so you don’t have to be.

Am I limited to specific pension providers?

No, any pension provider can be chosen. We’ve already established interfaces with common providers for your benefit. If a non-common provider is selected, a one-off charge will apply to set up the contribution and pay information upload interface.

What’s Real Time Information (RTI) and how do I comply?

Abbreviated as RTI, this HMRC reform has been described as one of the biggest changes to PAYE since it was introduced in 1944. Mandatory compliance to RTI’s electronic submission of payroll information requirements was applicable from April 2013. RTI demands that information on PAYE, NIC and student loans are sent every time payroll’s processed. Our Bacs-approved bureau guarantees that the correct information is submitted accurately and on time, thereby avoiding late-payment penalties and ensuring regulatory compliance.

How much does outsourced payroll services cost? 

At Quill, there are two rates depending on the service chosen – basic payroll or payroll and pension. The standard payroll service is charged at £28.50 per month for the first 2 employees, with additional members chargeable at £4 per person. So, the cost reflects your staffing levels. The optional pension service is approximately £20 per month on top.

As Quill Payroll is completely bespoke, depending upon your unique requirements, extra costs may apply, for example, to post payslips directly to employees’ home addresses.

Please contact our Quill Payroll division by email at info@quillpayroll.co.uk to discuss your business’s needs and secure exact pricing for the outsourcing service.

Am I assigned my own payroll clerk?

Yes, you’ll be assigned a single designated member of our Quill Payroll team, with second-in-command to cover holidays or other absences, who can be contacted by email, phone, fax or post.

Is there any software installed locally at my firm?

No, the service is undertaken on our cloud-stored, HMRC-approved payroll software, thereby lessening the workload of your in-house IT team and easing the strain on your own servers.

Where’s my payroll data stored and is it secure?

Your important, highly confidential payroll data is stored securely within our data centre, protected by full encryption, password-protected access, multi-level storage and off-site back up to ISO 27001 standard. Your paperwork is kept in our safe repository for a 6-year period.

How do I access my payroll data?

We send reports on a regular basis, dependent upon your pay cycle. For example, weekly pay run clients will receive weekly reports. If additional reports are required, for purposes such as inspections or internal audits, these are provided upon request at no additional cost.

Can I get support at payroll year end?

Absolutely. We work within your designated time scales and perform all your year end duties including P60 printing, P35 and P14 submission.

Is there a specific time period for committing to use the service?

Yes, as specified in our standard contract, there’s a minimum 12 months’ commitment with 30 days’ notice of cancellation.

If I cancel my service contract, will I retain my payroll data?

Yes. Your data is your property and will be provided in an appropriate format for your retention.

How will I pay for the Quill Payroll service?

We ask that you set up a direct debit with your bank to pay for your Quill Payroll service. You will automatically receive an invoice at the start of each month requesting payment.

What about business continuity and disaster recovery planning?

By becoming our client, you automatically inherit our business continuity and disaster recovery plan. Our comprehensive plan is designed as a timely response to any disruptive or extended interruption of normal business operations and services. It provides a sound basis upon which to base emergency response, resumption and recovery planning efforts to minimise the effect on your business. We can confidently guarantee access to your payroll clerk, deputy or supervisor at any time during the working day / week.

What do users of Quill Payroll think of the service?

Quill Payroll clients wax lyrical about the outsourced payroll service’s efficiency, simplicity, reliability and accuracy benefits which deliver cost and time saving advantages.

Read our client testimonials to find out how Quill Payroll has enabled businesses to remove the stress of running their own payroll and pensions in-house.

How do I contact the Quill Payroll division?

Call 0161 236 2910, email info@quillpayroll.co.uk, fax 0161 237 1131, post to Quill, Castle Quay, Manchester, M15 4NJ.