Payroll Services for Small Businesses, Sole Traders & Freelancers
Having employees or paying yourself a salary through your company is a great milestone for your business – but it comes with responsibilities. EVLAteam offers a fully managed, stress-free payroll service to ensure you and your employees are paid accurately and on time. We help small businesses, sole traders, and freelancers across the UK navigate PAYE, National Insurance, pensions, and HMRC reporting with ease, so you can focus on what you do best.
What Is Payroll and Who Needs It?
Payroll is the process of calculating and distributing wages to employees (or to yourself as a company director) and handling all related tax and National Insurance obligations. This includes reporting pay details to HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) every time you run payroll under the Real Time Information (RTI) system. In the UK, if you have any employees – even just one – or if you’re the director of a limited company taking a salary, you are required to run payroll and submit these details to HMRC.
Sole traders without employees generally do not need to run a payroll for themselves (since you simply draw profits), but as soon as you hire staff or start paying yourself a formal salary through a company, payroll becomes essential. This ensures the right amount of Income Tax and National Insurance is deducted and reported. It also covers obligations like workplace pension contributions (auto-enrolment) and student loan or other deductions. In short, if you’re paying wages in your business, payroll is for you.
Why Is Payroll Challenging for Small Businesses?
Managing payroll on your own can be complex and time-consuming. Here are some common challenges that small business owners and freelancers face with payroll:
- Time-Consuming Administration
Calculating salaries, taxes, and pension contributions every week or month takes up valuable time. This is time you could spend growing your business instead of wrestling with spreadsheets and HMRC forms.
- Complex Rules & Compliance
UK payroll comes with ever-changing rules – tax codes, National Insurance rates, student loan thresholds, statutory pay (sick pay, maternity/paternity), workplace pension auto-enrolment, and more. Keeping up with the latest HMRC regulations (like RTI submissions and pension laws) is a lot to handle. Yet it’s essential to stay compliant to avoid fines and penalties for late or incorrect filings.
- Risk of Errors
Payroll mistakes can be costly. Errors might mean employees are paid the wrong amount or incorrect tax is withheld. This can lead to unhappy employees and potential HMRC penalties if, for example, PAYE is underpaid. Small businesses often don’t have an in-house payroll expert, so mistakes are more likely when juggling it yourself.
- Deadlines & Paperwork
Payroll isn’t just calculating wages – it involves on-time reporting and documentation. You need to send HMRC a full payment submission for each pay run, provide employees with payslips, issue P45 forms when someone leaves, and distribute P60 forms at year-end. These tasks have strict deadlines and can pile up quickly for a busy entrepreneur.
The good news?
A professional payroll service solves these problems. By outsourcing your payroll to EVLAteam, you offload the tedious admin and ensure everything is done correctly and on schedule. No more last-minute scrambles to meet HMRC deadlines or puzzling over complex calculations – we take care of it all for you.
Our Payroll Services – Fully Managed and Hassle-Free
At EVLAteam, we provide a comprehensive payroll solution tailored to small businesses, contractors, and freelancers. Our service is fully managed, which means we handle every aspect of your payroll from start to finish. Here’s what our payroll service includes:
Payroll Setup
& PAYE Registration
If you’re new to employing staff (or becoming an employer as a director), we’ll help you register for PAYE with HMRC and set up your payroll system correctly from day one.
Weekly/Monthly
Payroll Processing
Whether you pay your staff weekly, fortnightly, or monthly, we’ll calculate each employee’s wages or salary, including any overtime, bonuses, or commissions. We handle all deductions such as Income Tax (PAYE) and National Insurance contributions, as well as student loan repayments or other statutory deductions.
Auto-Enrolment Pension Management
We manage your workplace pension obligations seamlessly. Our team will handle employee pension enrolments, calculate employer and employee pension contributions, and submit the required reports to your pension provider to keep you compliant with auto-enrolment laws.
Payslip Generation
For every payroll run, we generate detailed payslips for your employees. These can be provided electronically (secure digital payslips) or printed, as per your needs. Your staff will clearly see their earnings, deductions, and net pay each period.
Real Time Information (RTI) Filings
We submit all required RTI reports to HMRC on your behalf every time we run payroll. This includes Full Payment Submissions (FPS) each pay period and any required Employer Payment Summaries (EPS). You won’t have to worry about navigating HMRC’s online systems – we ensure your filings are accurate and on time.
Starter and Leaver Processing
When a new employee joins, we’ll set them up on the payroll (and handle any P45 or starter checklist information). If someone leaves your business, we process their final pay correctly, issue their P45 form, and update HMRC so you remain compliant.
Year-End Payroll Duties
At the end of the tax year, we take care of all year-end reporting. We prepare and distribute P60 forms to your employees, summarising their yearly pay and deductions. If applicable, we also handle P11D forms to report any employee benefits or expenses. Everything is filed so you meet HMRC’s annual requirements without hassle.
Construction Industry Scheme
Do you work with subcontractors in the construction industry? We’ve got you covered. Under the Construction Industry Scheme, contractors must deduct tax from subcontractors’ payments and send it to HMRC. We will verify subcontractors for you, calculate the correct CIS deductions on each payment, and submit monthly CIS returns to HMRC on your behalf. This ensures you comply with CIS rules and never miss a reporting deadline.
HMRC Liaison
As your agent for payroll, we can communicate with HMRC on your behalf if any issues arise. Whether it’s responding to HMRC notices or helping with PAYE inspections, we’ll be there to support you.
Payroll Services Pricing
We believe in simple, fair pricing for our services. Our payroll service is available as a stand-alone monthly service or as part of an all-in-one accounting package. We tailor the fees to your business size and payroll frequency, ensuring you only pay for what you need.
Flexible Plans: Whether you have one employee or twenty, we have a plan that fits. Pricing is typically based on the number of employees (or subcontractors, in the case of CIS) and how often we run your payroll (monthly, weekly, etc.). This keeps costs affordable for the smallest businesses while covering larger payrolls at a competitive rate.
No Hidden Costs: The price we quote is the price you pay. All standard payroll tasks – payslips, HMRC filings, year-end forms, etc. – are included. You won’t find any surprise add-on fees on your bill.
Bundle Discounts: Many of our clients integrate payroll with our broader accounting services. If you use EVLAteam for bookkeeping or year-end accounts as well, we can bundle services at a discounted fixed monthly fee. This gives you excellent value and one point of contact for all your financial needs.
Instant Quote: Interested in knowing what your payroll would cost? Feel free to get an instant quote through our website or contact us directly. We’ll provide a clear, no-obligation quote tailored to your business, whether you’re a freelancer paying yourself or a small company with a growing team.
Payroll shouldn’t break the bank for small businesses. EVLAteam ensures you get expert service at a price that makes sense for you.
Why Choose EVLAteam for Your Payroll?
When you choose EVLAteam, you’re choosing peace of mind. We take on the heavy lifting of payroll and provide a friendly partnership – so you can concentrate on making your business thrive, knowing your payroll is in safe hands.
We know you have options when it comes to managing payroll. Here are some reasons small businesses and freelancers trust EVLAteam with their payroll:
Save Time & Reduce Stress
Handling payroll in-house can eat up hours of your time each month. We free up that time so you can focus on running and growing your business, not crunching numbers or filling out forms. No more stress about deadlines or complex calculations – we’ve got it under control.
Guaranteed Compliance
With EVLAteam, you can be confident that all HMRC rules and deadlines are met. We stay up-to-date with the latest payroll regulations, tax rates, and requirements. From RTI submissions to pension regulations, we ensure your payroll is always compliant with UK law, sparing you from potential penalties or HMRC issues.
Accuracy Every Time
Our experienced payroll specialists and robust software tools ensure that every payslip and report is accurate. We double-check calculations so that your employees get the right pay and deductions, and your HMRC filings are error-free. Nothing slips through the cracks on our watch.
Friendly, Personal Service
As a family-run business, we pride ourselves on being approachable and responsive. Got a question about your employees’ pay? Need advice on handling a new starter or a bonus payment? We’re just a phone call or email away. You’ll get unlimited advice and quick answers from real human experts who care about your business. No call centres or endless ticket systems – you get direct support from the people handling your payroll.
Transparent, Affordable Pricing
We offer fixed monthly pricing for payroll services with no hidden extras. You’ll know exactly what you pay each month. (For example, if you’re a single director, your payroll could cost as little as a few pounds per week.) If you join EVLAteam partway through the year, we won’t surprise you with any “catch-up” fees – we’ll smoothly take over your payroll anytime. Plus, our payroll services can be bundled with our other accounting packages for even better value.
One-Stop Solution
EVLAteam is not just a payroll bureau – we’re a full accounting and bookkeeping service. That means we see the bigger financial picture for your business. We can coordinate your payroll with your bookkeeping and tax planning, ensuring everything is aligned. This holistic approach helps prevent mistakes and maximises your tax efficiency (for instance, advising on a tax-efficient salary vs. dividends for company directors). With us handling all your accounting needs, you get peace of mind and a simpler life.
Frequently Asked Questions about Bookkeeping
We understand you might have some questions. Here are answers to a few common questions we hear from freelancers and small business owners regarding payroll:
I’m a one-person company director. Do I really need to run payroll for myself?
If you operate a limited company and take a salary from it, yes – you need to run a payroll even if you’re the only person on it. This is how you report your income and pay the correct Income Tax and National Insurance to HMRC.
We help many single-director companies by running a simple monthly payroll for the director. It ensures you’re compliant and taking advantage of the most tax-efficient salary level. (If you’re a sole trader, you don’t pay yourself through a payroll – you just take drawings – but if you incorporate your business or have employees, payroll applies to you.)
What information will I need to provide for payroll?
Very little. We try to make it as easy as possible for you. Typically, once we’ve set up your company on our payroll system, all we need each pay period is any variable information like hours worked, overtime, bonuses, or commission for each employee. For salaried staff with no changes, you often don’t need to do anything at all – we’ll process the standard pay.
We’ll also ask you to inform us of any new starters (with their details) or leavers before the payroll, as well as any changes like a new address or a tax code notice you received. We handle all the calculations and filings from there. You basically send us the basics, and we handle the rest!
Do you handle pension auto-enrolment and deductions?
Yes, absolutely. Our service fully covers workplace pension auto-enrolment obligations. We will enroll eligible employees into your pension scheme, calculate the correct pension contributions for employee and employer each payroll, and update the pension provider with the details. We’ll also send out any required employee communications (for example, eligibility letters or opt-out forms) if needed. You won’t have to worry about missing any pension duties – we keep you compliant with The Pensions Regulator’s requirements at all times.
Can EVLAteam process Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) payments for contractors?
Yes. If your business is in construction or you hire subcontractors, we can take care of your CIS reporting. Each month, we will verify your subcontractors with HMRC (to check their registration status and deduction rate), calculate the CIS deductions from their payments, and submit the monthly CIS return to HMRC for you. We’ll also provide deduction statements to your subcontractors so they have records for their tax. Our CIS service ensures you meet all HMRC requirements for contractors, avoiding any penalties for late or incorrect CIS returns.
What if I need to switch to EVLAteam from another accountant or payroll provider mid-year?
Switching to EVLAteam is easy and can be done at any time of the year. You do not have to wait for the new tax year. We will coordinate the handover from your previous payroll provider or accountant. This involves getting your year-to-date payroll figures and any relevant employee details. We’ll ensure a seamless transition with no disruption to paying your staff. And unlike some firms, we don’t charge any catch-up fees or onboarding costs for taking over mid-year – we’ll simply start handling your payroll going forward for our standard monthly fee.
How much does your payroll service cost?
Our pricing is straightforward and tailored to your needs. For a very small business (for example, a single director or one employee), payroll can cost as little as around £30 per month (excl. VAT) (exact quote depends on your circumstances). For businesses with multiple employees, the cost will depend on how many people are on the payroll and how often we run it, but we always ensure it’s affordable. We’ll happily provide you with a free quote – just use our instant quote tool or contact us. And remember, if you’re also looking for accounting or bookkeeping services, we can bundle those with payroll at a discounted rate.
When and how do my employees get paid through your service?
We process the calculations and tell you exactly what needs to be paid, but you remain in control of the payment to employees (for security and simplicity).
Here’s how it works: Before payday, we’ll send you a payroll report with each employee’s net pay (take-home amount) and a summary of taxes to be paid to HMRC. You then simply make the payments to your employees via your normal banking method (standing order, bank transfer, etc.) using the figures we provide.
If you prefer, we can assist in setting up payments through your business bank. The important thing is your employees will receive their wages on time, and they’ll have professional payslips from us detailing everything. We’ll also remind you of the amount and due date to pay HMRC for PAYE and National Insurance each month/quarter.
What if an employee has a question about their pay or taxes?
As part of our service, we’re happy to support you and your team with payroll questions. If an employee has a query about their payslip, tax code, or any deduction, you can simply direct it to us. We can explain their payslip to them (with your permission) or provide you with the information to pass along. We aim to act like an extension of your team. We’ll also keep an eye out for things like incorrect tax codes or notices from HMRC that might affect an employee’s pay, and handle those proactively.
Have more questions? Just ask! We’re here to ensure you feel comfortable and confident with how your payroll is handled.
Ready to Simplify Your Payroll?
Payroll doesn’t have to be a headache for your business. With EVLAteam’s friendly experts by your side, you can ditch the payroll stress and know that this critical task is being handled accurately, affordably, and on time every time.
Get in touch with us today for a free consultation or an instant quote. Let EVLAteam take payroll off your plate – so you can get back to focusing on your business success, while we make sure everyone gets paid correctly and on schedule.
Leave the payslips and tax filings to us, and enjoy the peace of mind that your payroll is in expert hands. ✅
- Phone
01825 222 825
- Email
info@evlateam.co.uk
- Address
1a Falmer Court, London Road, Uckfield, East Sussex TN22 1HN