5 Easy Tips for Better Payroll, Just in Time for National Payroll Week

Everyone loves that I-just-got-paid feeling; but actually running payroll? Not always a walk in the park. Payroll is the backbone of an organization’s HR and finance operations, and even small improvements can reduce risk, save time, build employee trust, and capitalize on that payday feeling.

National Payroll Week (NPW) happens during the week of Labor Day—this year, it’s September 1–5, 2025. Founded in 1996, NPW celebrates the critical work of payroll professionals, but it’s also an opportunity to optimize your payroll practices to make them more efficient, compliant, and employee-friendly.

We’ve gathered our best actionable tips to help payroll pros build their best payroll process yet—just in time for National Payroll Week.

1. Stay in the know

Compliance is ever-evolving, especially for the payroll world. Payroll professionals should subscribe to IRS Quick Alerts, the IRS newsletter, and updates from the revenue and employment departments in their state to stay ahead of ongoing legislative and regulatory updates. You can also stay in the loop through industry organizations and publications, like Payroll Org, SHRM, or HR Brew.

Where, when, and how your employees work have tax implications you need to be aware of. Luckily, a good payroll software can make that a whole lot simpler. The right payroll product makes it easy for you to categorize, track, and access that information when you need it.

BambooHR^® is working overtime to help you stay on top of all the changes. With regular product updates, you’re always up to speed on the latest BambooHR^® Payroll innovations.

2. Avoid penalties and interest

Missing a tax deadline can leave you with costly penalties and interest fees. In addition to business income taxes, employers are also responsible for making quarterly employment tax payments to cover their share of employees’ Medicare and Social Security, as well as contributing to unemployment funds. Make sure you have a plan in place to complete all your quarterly and annual tax filings on time.

Here are some important IRS deadlines to remember:

• January 15: Q4 estimated taxes due (tax on income earned September 1–December 31 of previous year)
• January 31: Completed W-2 forms must be issued to all employees
• March 15: Business income tax return due for partnerships and S corporations
• April 15:
  • Q1 estimated taxes due (tax on income earned January 1–March 31)
  • Business income tax return due for sole proprietorships and C corporations
• June 15: Q2 estimated taxes due (tax on income earned April 1–May 31)
• September 15: Q3 estimated taxes due (tax on income earned Jun 1–August 31)

If you have concerns about your internal payroll taxes workflow, consider investing in a payroll software that can handle quarterly tax filings on your behalf.

3. Improve the employee experience

A smooth payroll process is essential to a positive employee experience. It can even impact turnover rates, with many people starting to look for a new job after just a few payroll errors. Common payroll mistakes often come down to inaccuracies in data, whether from double data entry or manual entry processes. With that in mind, prioritize using a payroll platform that eliminates manual entry and automates data syncs.

A payroll platform that allows for self-service can also be a game changer—when employees have a user-friendly interface for updating their own information, important payroll data (like withholding amounts) won’t slip through the cracks.

Another easy way to improve the employee payroll experience is with paperless W-2 delivery. Employees won’t have to wait for their W-2s to arrive in the mail, and your payroll team won’t have to deal with all that physical paperwork. Additionally, since many people file their taxes online or work with a CPA, a PDF copy of their W-2 will be simpler to use or share with their accountant.

4. Break down silos

National Payroll Week is a great opportunity to establish or work on your partnerships with HR, finance, and legal departments, and ensure you have processes in place to confirm you're receiving all the information you need to run payroll or file with tax agencies.

Working with HR

Does your HR department provide fringe benefits? This is a good time to dig a little deeper to understand the types of fringe benefits offered and their value. Implement a process to review the benefits offered at your org on a regular basis, and stay up to date on what the IRS considers taxable wages.

Bonus tip: When it comes to understanding fringe benefits, take a close look at group-term life insurance. Payroll should audit wage reports for imputed income that results from group-term life insurance coverage exceeding $50,000.

Working with finance

Establish a process with your finance department for reconciling payroll reports with the company's general ledger to ensure financial accuracy.

Working with legal

Check in with your legal department on recent legal updates. How are you communicating and preparing for the impact of the recent federal budget bill? Are there recent updates to wage and hour laws you need to be aware of?

5. Prepare for year-end, year-round

Payroll professionals are always thinking ahead: the next payroll run, quarterly filings, and of course, year-end. By keeping a consistent schedule, payroll professionals can reduce last-minute stress, stay compliant with the IRS and state agencies, and maintain employee trust by delivering correct and timely paychecks.

Take these steps now to help ensure a smooth year-end:

• Submit third-party sick pay amounts using the correction request form with vendor reports to ensure accurate tax reporting.
• Record missing taxable fringe benefits such as stock options, personal vehicle use, tuition, or transportation benefits.
• Review deduction reports to confirm employee and employer amounts align with IRS W-2/W-3 instructions.
• Submit correction requests before year-end to ensure accurate filings and to determine whether an amendment is needed.

National Payroll Week is a time to celebrate the unsung heroes who ensure employees are paid accurately and on time. It’s also the perfect moment to step back and assess payroll processes.

By focusing on compliance, employee experience, and better communication, payroll teams can build stronger, more resilient systems that support both the organization and its people.