The process
Up and running in days Zero
stress from there.
Getting started with Accupay & Books is designed to be fast and frictionless. We handle the heavy lifting of setup, migration, and onboarding — so you can hand things over and get back to your business.
Discovery call
Proposal turnaround
Typical onboarding
Dedicated contact, always
Getting started
Four steps from first call to fully operational
The entire journey from your first conversation to your first on-time payroll run — mapped out clearly so you know exactly what to expect at every stage.
A relaxed, no-obligation conversation where we learn about your business — your team size, current setup, payroll frequency, compliance needs, and what's causing friction right now. No sales pitch. Just a genuine conversation to understand if we're the right fit.
We send you a clear, written proposal — scoped specifically to your business. It covers exactly which services are included, the delivery cadence, the SLAs we commit to, and a transparent fixed monthly fee. No vague quotes, no hidden add-ons.
Once you sign off the proposal, your dedicated professional is assigned and onboarding begins. We take ownership of the data handover, system access, and historical records — keeping things moving without disrupting your business.
From your first live payroll run, we operate as your back-office team. Monthly payroll, bookkeeping, compliance submissions, and reporting — all delivered on schedule, with a named point of contact available in your time zone throughout.
The handover checklist
We'll guide you through every item — but here's what we typically need to get started. Most clients have everything ready within a day.
You don't need to do any of this
- Migrating historical payroll data from your old system
- Setting up payroll software if you don't have one
- Registering or updating employer details with HMRC / IRS / CRA
- Connecting accounting and payroll software integrations
- Building the chart of accounts for your bookkeeping
- Configuring pension portal access and contributions
Month by Month
What your ongoing service looks like
Once onboarded, here's exactly what happens every month — the recurring cycle that keeps your payroll accurate, your books clean, and your compliance current.
Week 1
Data collection
We gather timesheets, starters, leavers, salary changes, expenses, and any pay adjustments from you or your HR system — via a simple, consistent process every month.
Week 1–2
Payroll processing
Gross-to-net calculations run. Tax, NI/FICA/CPP/EOBI deductions applied. Payslips generated. A pre-approval summary is sent to you before anything is finalised or submitted.
Pay Date
Data collection
RTI / 941 / CRA / FBR submissions filed on time. Payslips distributed to employees. Payroll journal posted to your accounting software. Pension upload completed.
Month End
Data collection
Bank reconciliation completed. Accounts payable and receivable updated. Month-end close processed. P&L, balance sheet, and management report delivered to you before the 10th of the following month.
Nothing is submitted without your sign-off
Before every payroll run is finalised and every HMRC / IRS / CRA submission is made, you receive a pre-approval summary to review. You approve, we submit. You stay in control without doing any of the work.
We flag issues before they become problems
If we spot a discrepancy, an upcoming compliance deadline, a regulatory change that affects your payroll, or an anomaly in your books — we tell you proactively. You don't need to ask or chase.
Your Team
Dedicated professionals, not a ticket queue
Every client is assigned a named team — not a shared inbox. Your professionals learn your business, your preferences, and your processes. They're available in your time zone, every working day.
Payroll specialist
Manages your payroll end-to-end — calculations, submissions, payslips, and year-end returns. Certified in your jurisdiction.
Bookkeeper
Maintains your accounts, reconciles your books monthly, and prepares your management accounts and financial reports.
Account manager
Your main point of contact. Oversees delivery, coordinates the team, and handles any queries or escalations same-day.
Always in your hours
- • UK clients: GMT / BST working hours
- • US clients: EST or PST as required
- • Canadian clients: ET / PT / MT covered
- • Pakistani clients: PKT business hours
How we work with you
- • Email for documents and monthly reports
- • Slack, Teams, or WhatsApp for day-to-day queries
- • Monthly review call available on all plans
- • Shared folders for payroll and bookkeeping files
No single point of failure
- • Every client has a primary and secondary contact
- • Holiday cover is always arranged in advance
- • Payroll never misses a deadline due to staff absence
- • Full knowledge transfer if your contact changes
Tools & Security
We work in your systems, securely
We integrate with the tools you already use — or help you set up the right ones. Every engagement operates on a secure remote setup with encrypted access, VPN working, and signed NDAs from day one.
The challenge
Managing EOBI, SESSI, PESSI, FBR withholding, gratuity, and provident fund simultaneously is specialist work
The gap
Many growing PK businesses lack a structured HR department — leading to inconsistent contracts, leave records, and payroll errors
The opportunity
Outsourcing Finance and HR to a specialist firm reduces overhead while raising the quality of reporting and compliance
How we keep your data safe
- •NDA signed before any access is granted — on every engagement, without exception
- •VPN-based remote working on all client systems — no open or unsecured connections
- •Encrypted file transfer for all payroll and financial documents
- •No client data stored on personal devices — all work on secure, managed setups
- •UK GDPR-compliant data processing for all UK and EU-adjacent clients
- •Access permissions scoped to exactly what each team member needs — no over-permissioning
- •Regular access reviews and off-boarding procedures when engagements change
- •ICO registration maintained for UK client data handling
By Market
How onboarding differs by region
The core process is the same everywhere — but each market has specific registration steps, tax reference requirements, and submission portals we handle on your behalf.
What we set up for UK clients
- •HMRC PAYE scheme registration or transfer of agent authority
- •RTI (Real Time Information) submission access configured
- •Pension portal access — NEST, The People's Pension, or your existing provider
- •Auto-enrolment staging date confirmed and compliance letter prepared
- •Employee tax codes verified and carried forward from previous payroll
- •Making Tax Digital (MTD) VAT setup if bookkeeping is included
- •GDPR data processing agreement signed
Questions
Common questions about getting started
How long does onboarding actually take?
+Most clients are fully onboarded and live within 5 working days of signing the proposal. More complex setups — multi-entity, multi-jurisdiction, or where historical data needs significant cleaning — can take up to 2 weeks. We'll give you a realistic timeline in the proposal, not an optimistic one.
What if we're switching from another payroll provider?
+We manage the transition. We request your historical payroll reports from the outgoing provider, reconcile the records, and run a parallel check payroll before going live — so there's no risk of discrepancies on your first live run. We've handled dozens of provider switches and know how to make them clean.
Do we need to change our existing software?
+Not unless you want to. We work with the tools you already have — Xero, QuickBooks, Sage, BrightPay, Gusto, ADP, and others. If you don't have a system yet, we'll recommend the right one for your size and market, and set it up for you as part of onboarding.
What happens if something goes wrong with a payroll run?
+Errors are extremely rare — we catch most issues during the pre-approval check before anything is submitted. But if an issue does arise post-submission, we fix it immediately and take full ownership of any corrective filings or correspondence with HMRC, the IRS, or CRA. You don't chase; we do.
Can we add services as our business grows?
+Yes — and this is by design. Most clients start with payroll only and add bookkeeping, pensions, or full back-office support as they grow. Because your team already knows your business, adding a service takes days rather than starting a fresh onboarding process.
Is there a minimum contract or lock-in period?
+No lock-in. We work on a rolling monthly basis. You can cancel with one month's notice at any time — though in practice, our clients stay because the service works, not because they're contractually obligated to. We think that's a better way to run a business relationship.
How do we communicate day-to-day?
+However works best for you. Most clients use email for monthly documents and reports, and a messaging tool — Slack, Microsoft Teams, or WhatsApp — for quicker day-to-day queries. Your account manager responds same-day for anything urgent, and within a few hours for routine queries.
Client stories
What our clients say
From first call to first payroll run — in their own words.
"I booked a call on a Tuesday. By the following Monday we had our first payroll run done. I genuinely could not believe how fast and painless it was."
Sarah C. 
Finance Director, London SME
"They migrated three years of messy payroll history from our old provider without a single question coming back to us. It just got done."
Michael R. 
CEO, Chicago-based startup
"The onboarding for our 200-person Pakistan team took less than a week. EOBI, SESSI, FBR — all configured correctly from day one. Very impressive."
Ahmed K. 
COO, Karachi corporate