— Payroll services
Payroll services for California & Nevada small businesses
A full-service payroll company for contractors, restaurants, and owner-operated small businesses. Flat monthly fee. Payroll processing, tax filings, tip reporting, and workers' comp audit defense included — and the owner gets paid first, every cycle.
What a payroll provider should actually cover
Payroll processing
Every cycle run on time with direct deposit, stubs, and owner pay built in — not bolted on.
Payroll tax filings
941, 940, CA EDD, NV UI and MBT filed and paid. We open the IRS notices so you never have to.
Workers' comp audit defense
We take the NCCI audit end-to-end. Misclassified codes are where contractors quietly overpay thousands.
Worker classification
W-2 vs 1099 documented by role and trade so a DOL or EDD knock doesn't turn into back taxes.
Tip & service charge reporting
Tip pools, credit-card tips, Form 8027 — clean for the IRS and for your staff.
A human who answers
Direct line to the person who runs your payroll. No queue, no offshore script.
Everything in the flat monthly fee
No per-run charges, no filing add-ons, no "that's a different department." Most California and Nevada small businesses land between $149 and $299 per month.
Get a flat-fee quote- Unlimited pay runs (weekly, biweekly, semi-monthly)
- Direct deposit and pay stubs
- Federal 941 / 940 filings and deposits
- California EDD (DE 9 / DE 9C) filings
- Nevada UI and Modified Business Tax filings
- New-hire reporting and garnishments
- W-2 and 1099-NEC preparation
- Restaurant tip reporting and FICA tip credit
- Certified payroll for public works jobs
- Workers' comp audit defense, start to finish
- Worker classification review (W-2 vs 1099)
- Profit First owner-pay setup
Who we run payroll for
Contractors & trades
HVAC, electrical, plumbing, framing, landscaping, and auto shops — including certified payroll and crews that cross the CA/NV line.
MoreRestaurants & bars
Tip pools, credit-card tips, FICA tip credit, seasonal staff, and Form 8027 reconciliation.
MoreOwner-only S-corps
One-person payroll done right, with reasonable compensation documented before the IRS asks.
MorePayroll services near you
Not on the list? We serve small businesses statewide in California and Nevada — payroll runs remotely, and the review call is 20 minutes. Comparing providers? Read Gusto and Paychex vs. Profit First Payroll or our small business payroll software breakdown.
Payroll service questions, answered
- What does a full-service payroll company actually do?
- We run every pay cycle, calculate and remit federal and state payroll taxes, file 941s, 940s, state unemployment, and Nevada Modified Business Tax, handle new-hire reporting and W-2s/1099s at year end, and defend your annual workers' comp audit. You approve hours; we handle the rest.
- How much do your payroll services cost?
- Most California and Nevada small businesses land between $149 and $299 per month, all-in — flat monthly fee based on headcount and pay frequency, with tax filings and audit defense included. No per-run surprises and no setup fee.
- Is there a minimum number of employees?
- No. We run payroll for one-person S-corps all the way to 60-person crews. Single-owner S-corp payroll is one of the most common setups we handle because reasonable compensation has to be right.
- Can you take over payroll mid-year from Gusto, ADP, or Paychex?
- Yes. We migrate year-to-date wages, tax deposits, and employee records, reconcile the quarter you're in, and run your next cycle on schedule. Most transitions take under two weeks.
- Do you handle multi-state payroll?
- Yes — most often California and Nevada together, including crews that cross state lines. We register the entity, set up withholding, and file in each state.
- What makes you different from an outsourced payroll provider with a 1-800 number?
- You get a person, not a ticket queue — plus Profit First setup, so the owner's pay comes out of every cycle first instead of whatever's left at the end of the month.
— Founder story
Built by blue-collar, for blue-collar.
Profit First Payroll was founded by Matt Frechette, who brings 20+ years of hands-on experience in blue-collar environments. He's seen shops thrive — or unravel — because of poor cash flow, inconsistent owner pay, late crew checks, and workers' comp audit nightmares. PFP is built explicitly for trades and labor-heavy businesses: proper crew classification, project-based volatility, and protecting profit in high-risk industries.