UK Payroll Bureau Services – Fully Managed Payroll Since 2011
We run your payroll from start to finish: payslips, RTI, auto-enrolment and year end, from £2.50 + VAT per payslip. No setup fee and no contract.
- Since 2011
- 500+ clients
- 5.0 on Google (16 reviews)
- ICO registered
- Hiscox insured
What is a payroll bureau?
A payroll bureau is an outside firm that runs your payroll for you. Each pay period you tell us who worked, what they earned and what has changed. We calculate pay, tax, National Insurance and pension deductions, produce the payslips and send HMRC the Real Time Information (RTI) submissions it expects on or before pay day.
You remain the employer throughout. Your staff are on your PAYE scheme, and you pay them from your own bank account. We do the calculating, reporting and filing, and we keep track of the rule changes so you don’t have to.
That makes a bureau different from payroll software, where you still do the work yourself, and different from an employer of record (EOR) or umbrella company, which becomes the legal employer of the workers. Payroll Service (UK) Ltd is a payroll bureau, not an EOR or umbrella company. If you want the longer version, read our full guide to what a payroll bureau does.
What our payroll bureau does for you
More than 500 clients across the UK hand us their pay runs, and we process over 3,000 payslips a month. This is what is covered.
Every pay run
- Weekly, fortnightly, four-weekly and monthly payrolls
- PAYE income tax, National Insurance and student loan deductions
- Secure online payslips for every employee
- RTI Full Payment Submission (FPS) to HMRC, plus the Employer Payment Summary (EPS) where needed
- A payment report and BACS file so you can pay staff from your own bank
- Payroll journals and reports for your bookkeeping
Staff changes and statutory pay
- Starters, leavers and P45s, at no extra charge
- Statutory Sick Pay, Maternity, Paternity and Shared Parental Pay (SSP, SMP, SPP and ShPP)
- Holiday pay calculations
- Attachment of earnings orders and other court orders
Pensions and auto-enrolment
- Auto-enrolment assessment for every employee, every pay run
- Enrolment and re-enrolment
- Pension contribution files for NEST, Smart Pension, The People’s Pension and other providers
- Included in the per-payslip price. See pension auto-enrolment
Year end and specialist payroll
- P60s and year-end submissions, at no extra charge
- P11D support for benefits in kind
- CIS payroll for construction businesses
- A named person in our Cardiff team, not a call centre, and we are available until 10pm for urgent payroll issues
See the full list on our payroll services page.
How it works
Once you are set up, you send us the changes each pay run and we do the rest.
Send us your information
Your PAYE details, employee list, pay rates and pension scheme. If you are switching, send your latest payroll reports too.
We set up within 24 hours
We build your payroll within 24 hours of receiving the information and check the year-to-date figures.
You send hours and changes
Each pay run, send us hours, overtime, bonuses, starters, leavers and sickness by email or spreadsheet.
We process and submit
We run the payroll, submit RTI to HMRC, send payslips to your staff and send you the payment report.
You pay, we file pensions
You pay your staff from your own bank. We send the pension contributions file to your provider.
Pricing
Our payroll bureau pricing is per payslip, so you only pay for the employees you pay. There is no setup fee and no contract, and you can leave whenever you like.
| Pay frequency | Price per payslip |
|---|---|
| Weekly | from £2.50 + VAT |
| Fortnightly | from £2.50 + VAT |
| Four-weekly | from £3.50 + VAT |
| Monthly | from £3.50 + VAT |
- No setup fee
- No contracts
- Auto-enrolment included
Included in the per-payslip price
- Payroll processing and secure online payslips
- RTI submissions to HMRC (FPS and EPS)
- Pension auto-enrolment assessment, enrolment and contribution files
- Starters, leavers and P45s
- P60s and year end
- The payment report and BACS file for each pay run
Late or missed RTI submissions can lead to HMRC penalties. Paying a bureau to file on time is usually far cheaper than putting it right afterwards. See payroll pricing for full details, or ask us for a written quote.
Payroll bureau vs payroll software vs in-house vs EOR/umbrella
Each option suits a different business. This is how they compare on the points that matter most to employers.
Swipe the table sideways to see every option.
| Compare | Payroll bureau (us) | Payroll software | In-house payroll | EOR / umbrella |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Who runs it | Our payroll team, using Sage 50 Payroll or BrightPay | You or a member of your staff | A payroll employee or team on your staff | The provider, as the legal employer of the workers |
| Cost | Per payslip. Ours starts at £2.50 + VAT | A software subscription, plus the time of whoever runs it | A salary, software, training and holiday cover | Usually a per-worker fee that reflects the employer duties the provider takes on |
| Compliance risk | Shared: we calculate and file correctly, and you give us accurate information on time | Mostly yours. The software calculates, but set-up, filing and rule changes are down to you | Yours, and often relies on one or two people | The provider carries employer obligations for the workers it employs |
| Your time | Sending us hours and changes each pay run | Processing, filing, pensions and year end every period | Little for the owner, but it is a paid role | Little, but you give up direct employment |
| Who is the employer | You | You | You | The EOR or umbrella company |
| Best for | Employers who want payroll handled properly without hiring for it | Businesses with the time and confidence to run payroll themselves | Larger employers with enough volume to justify a dedicated role | Businesses that want someone else to be the legal employer of their workers |
If you want your staff on your own PAYE scheme, with someone else doing the work, a bureau is the middle ground. Find out why employers choose us.
Switching to us, even mid-year
You don’t have to wait for 6 April. We take over from any payroll software or provider, at any point in the tax year, whether you use another bureau, your accountant or your own software today.
- We bring across year-to-date pay, tax, National Insurance, student loan and pension figures, so payslips, RTI totals and P60s stay correct
- Your staff stay on your PAYE scheme, and continuing employees don’t need P45s, because you are still their employer
- We set up your payroll within 24 hours of receiving the information, and check it before your first pay run with us
- Your pension scheme stays as it is, and we take over the contribution files
Switching at scale: one accountancy practice moved just under 100 client payrolls to us within one month, covering weekly, fortnightly and monthly pay runs plus CIS.
Security and compliance
Payroll data is some of the most sensitive information a business holds. This is how we look after it.
- Registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office since 2011, registration number Z2786276
- Professional indemnity and cyber insurance with Hiscox
- Written UK GDPR data processing terms that set out how we handle your employees’ data
- 2-step verification on every system we use
- Payslips delivered to your employees online and securely
- Working towards Cyber Essentials
Who we work with
UK employers
Most of our clients are UK businesses of all sizes that want payroll off their desk. We work with employers right across the UK, not just in Cardiff. Read more about payroll services for small businesses.
For accountants
We provide white label payroll for accountants, from £2.50 + VAT per payslip with auto-enrolment, P11Ds and CIS included. Output goes under your logo or unbranded, and each practice has a designated account manager. “We will never approach, upsell or market directly to your clients. Your client relationships are yours — always.”
Overseas employers
If your company is based outside the UK but employs people here, we can set up and run a UK PAYE scheme for you, from £100 to set up and then from £60 a month. You stay the employer, because we are a bureau, not an EOR or umbrella company. Visit our overseas employer payroll service.
What our clients say
Rated 5.0 on Google from 16 reviews.
“Excellent professional service always able to speak to somebody when required.”
“We have used Payroll Service for over 10 years… Nothing is too much trouble.”
“Rhys and the team provide an absolutely exceptional service…”
Payroll bureau FAQs
How much does a payroll bureau cost in the UK?
Our payroll bureau charges per payslip: from £2.50 + VAT for weekly and fortnightly payrolls, and from £3.50 + VAT for monthly and four-weekly payrolls. That includes RTI submissions, auto-enrolment, starters, leavers, P45s, P60s and year end. There is no setup fee and no contract.
Is a payroll bureau worth it for a small business?
Usually, yes. If payroll, pensions and HMRC filings take up time you would rather spend on the business, a per-payslip fee is usually good value. You also get someone who follows rule changes, such as the removal of SSP waiting days in 2026/27, and a named person to call when you have a question.
Do you pay my staff?
No. You stay in control of payments. After each pay run we give you the payment report and BACS file, and you pay your staff from your own business bank account. Your money never passes through us.
Can you take over our payroll mid-year?
Yes. We take over from any payroll software or provider at any point in the tax year. We bring your year-to-date figures across, so payslips, RTI submissions and P60s carry on correctly, and continuing staff don’t need P45s.
Which payroll software do you use?
We run payrolls on Sage 50 Payroll and BrightPay. You don’t need to buy or learn any payroll software yourself. You send us hours and changes, and we send back payslips and reports.
How quickly can you set up our payroll?
We set up your payroll within 24 hours of receiving the information we need. That is your PAYE details, employee information, pay rates and pension scheme, plus your year-to-date reports if you are switching from another provider.
Is my employees’ data safe with you?
Yes. We have been registered with the ICO since 2011 (registration Z2786276), we use 2-step verification on every system, and we work under written UK GDPR data processing terms. We hold professional indemnity and cyber insurance with Hiscox, and we are working towards Cyber Essentials.
Do you handle pensions, CIS and P11Ds?
Yes. Auto-enrolment assessment, enrolment, re-enrolment and contribution files are included in the per-payslip price. We also run CIS for construction businesses and provide P11D support for benefits in kind.
Get a quote from a UK payroll bureau you can talk to
Tell us how many employees you have and how often you pay them, and we will send you a written quote. You can be set up within 24 hours of sending us your information.
Or email us at sales@payrollserviceuk.co.uk