Tips for Certified Payroll

Certified payroll is submitted weekly to the agency that oversees government contracts. The federal form WH-347 lists employees, their wages, any benefits they are entitled to, the type of work performed and the hours worked. A certified payroll form shows withholdings and gross wages as well as a statement of compliance.

A payroll report is considered to be “certified” when it has a signed statement of compliance, which indicates the payroll forms are complete and accurate and also that each employee has been paid no less than the correct wage for the work performed.

If a company head of payroll or owner puts a written signature on a statement of compliance, they are expected to understand the fact that any willful falsification of payroll information may lead to civil or criminal prosecution.

Tips for Certified Payroll

Generating and submitting a certified payroll report can be difficult for contractors who work on public works projects or construction projects that are government funded. Below are some common misconceptions and mistakes regarding certified payroll.

• Some payroll providers and contractors think that one payroll format or form meets certain payroll requirements in all 50 states but this is not true as some states have multiple forms that are required to be filled out and electronic filing requirements.
• Some payroll providers and contractors believe that a certified payroll report must be completed by a certified payroll professional and pass some type of exam, but this is not true. Anybody can become a Certified Payroll Professional as long as they meet criteria set forth by the American Payroll Association.
• Some payroll providers and contractors think certified payroll reports that have been built into their payroll software provides them with all of the necessary information and tools in order to complete the process – but this is not always the case. Some may require a more in-depth filing method.

Creating these reports takes time and effort. If you want to be sure you are meeting all of the required criteria and getting all of your information accurate, feel free to reach out to us for help!