--- title: "Payroll processing support for marketing agencies & consultancies" description: "Payroll processing support for marketing agencies & consultancies: payroll processing under your authority in Gusto, ADP, Paychex, QuickBooks Payroll." url: https://ledgerbpo.com/industries/agencies/payroll-support/ updated: 2026-09-11 publisher: LedgerBPO (SS Support Network LLC) language: en-US --- # Payroll processing support for marketing agencies & consultancies Payroll processing for marketing agencies & consultancies means a mixed workforce: salaried strategists, hourly production staff, commissioned business developers and a bench of contractors who must never appear on payroll. Our payroll support desk prepares each run in Gusto, ADP or your payroll platform from approved hours and commission schedules, checks new hires and leavers, and posts the payroll journal to QuickBooks Online or Xero by department and client where you want it. - Since 2020 - US · UK · CA · AU - Named accountant plus backup - Your software, no lock-in [Get a custom quote](https://ledgerbpo.com/get-a-quote/) [Book a 20-minute call](https://ledgerbpo.com/book-a-call/) Updated September 2026 ## How it runs for marketing agencies and consultancies You approve every run. We keep contractors in accounts payable with a W-9 so worker classification stays clean and 1099 reporting stays separate. ## What is payroll processing outsourcing? Payroll processing outsourcing means a remote team prepares each pay run inside your payroll software: reconciling hours, entering changes, checking deductions and producing the run for the employer to approve. The employer keeps the payroll account, the bank authority and the legal responsibility. The provider posts the payroll journal and reconciles it, so payroll and the books agree. ## What we handle for marketing agencies and consultancies - Prepare each payroll run from approved hours and commission schedules - Post payroll journals by department, and by client where billed - Keep contractors in AP with W-9s, never on the payroll file - Reconcile payroll tax liabilities and benefit deductions monthly - Track PTO accruals and bonus provisions so month-end costs are complete ## The KPI that matters here Payroll journal posted and reconciled to the payroll provider report within 2 business days of each run. ## Agencies compliance notes ### 1099 contractor reporting Agencies rely on freelancers, and the IRS requires Form 1099-NEC for nonemployee compensation above the annual threshold, which is $2,000 for payments made in 2026. We collect W-9s at vendor setup, code every contractor payment, and hand your preparer a reconciled 1099 report each January. Your firm reviews and files; we do not sign. ### Retainers and deferred revenue A retainer billed before the service period is a liability until the work is delivered. We keep a deferred revenue schedule that releases each retainer to income as hours are logged or the month ends, so your P&L matches the work actually performed. ### WIP and unbilled revenue Work delivered but not yet invoiced is an asset that lenders and buyers ask about. We reconcile unbilled hours from Harvest or your PM tool against the ledger monthly, so WIP is real, aged and collectible. ### Gross versus net for media ASC 606 and IFRS 15 ask whether the agency is principal or agent for media it buys on a client's behalf. We apply the treatment your CPA or accountant chooses and keep the pass-through account reconciled to platform statements so the answer is documented. ## Agencies software we work in - [QuickBooks Online](https://ledgerbpo.com/software/quickbooks-online/) - [Xero](https://ledgerbpo.com/software/xero/) - [Stripe](https://ledgerbpo.com/software/stripe/) - [Bill.com](https://ledgerbpo.com/software/bill-com/) - [Gusto](https://ledgerbpo.com/software/gusto/) - [Expensify](https://ledgerbpo.com/software/expensify/) - [Dext](https://ledgerbpo.com/software/dext/) - Harvest - [All 50 platforms](https://ledgerbpo.com/software/) ## More for marketing agencies and consultancies Other services for agencies - [Bookkeeping](https://ledgerbpo.com/industries/agencies/bookkeeping/) - [Invoicing and billing](https://ledgerbpo.com/industries/agencies/invoicing-and-billing/) - [Accounts receivable](https://ledgerbpo.com/industries/agencies/accounts-receivable/) - [Accounts payable](https://ledgerbpo.com/industries/agencies/accounts-payable/) - [Bank reconciliation](https://ledgerbpo.com/industries/agencies/bank-reconciliation/) - [Month-end close](https://ledgerbpo.com/industries/agencies/month-end-close/) - [All agencies services](https://ledgerbpo.com/industries/agencies/) Payroll support in other industries - [Auto repair shops & dealerships](https://ledgerbpo.com/industries/auto/payroll-support/) - [Behavioral health practices](https://ledgerbpo.com/industries/behavioral-health/payroll-support/) - [Daycares, schools & education](https://ledgerbpo.com/industries/childcare-education/payroll-support/) - [Clinical laboratories](https://ledgerbpo.com/industries/clinical-labs/payroll-support/) - [The full payroll support page](https://ledgerbpo.com/services/payroll-support/) ## Frequently asked questions ### Do you run payroll or just the bookkeeping side? We prepare the run in your payroll platform from approved data and you approve and release it, so the money movement stays with you. After each run we post the journal, reconcile the liabilities and check that tax payments cleared. Gusto, ADP, Paychex and QuickBooks Payroll are the platforms we see most often at agencies. ### How do you keep freelancers separate from employees? Freelancers are set up as vendors in accounts payable with a W-9 on file and are paid through Bill.com or your bank, never through payroll. Their costs are coded to client jobs rather than to salaries. This keeps 1099-NEC reporting separate from W-2 reporting and gives your CPA a clean answer on worker classification. ### Can payroll cost be allocated to clients? Yes, where you track time by client we allocate salaried cost using hours from Harvest or your PM tool, posting the split with classes or tracking categories. This turns the payroll journal into a direct labor cost by account, which is the missing piece in most agency profitability reports. Next step ## Books closed. Invoices paid. Every month. Tell us what is going on with your books or billing. You will hear from a named person within 1 business day, with a custom quote and a plan for the first close. - Reply from a named person within 1 business day - No setup fee, month-to-month - Your software, your data, no lock-in Start with a custom quote [Get a custom quote](https://ledgerbpo.com/get-a-quote/) [Book a 20-minute call](https://ledgerbpo.com/book-a-call/) Or call [+1-657-777-0006](tel:+16577770006) during US, UK or Australian business hours. --- Source: https://ledgerbpo.com/industries/agencies/payroll-support/ · Contact: https://ledgerbpo.com/contact/ · Full site map for agents: https://ledgerbpo.com/llms.txt