Managed Payroll Firms in the UK: Companies and Services Guide (2026)
AC
Acumon Chartered Accountants·13 min read
This practical guide looks at companies offering managed payroll services across the UK, with a focus on their service scope, client types, and areas of expertise. It is designed as an overview rather than ranking companies against one another. The selection includes larger companies with broad payroll, HR, tax, and compliance capabilities as well as more focused specialists concentrating mainly on payroll administration. Each company brings a different mix of services, sector experience, and support models. The aim is to give enough context to compare the options and identify companies that match specific business and payroll requirements.
Acumon
Acumon is a UK firm of chartered accountants providing managed payroll services to businesses that want to transfer regular payroll processing and related employer obligations to an external team. Payroll is handled in-house by UK-based professionals qualified by the Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals (CIPP).
The company supports employers with the full payroll cycle, including gross-to-net calculations, PAYE, National Insurance, Real Time Information submissions, statutory payments, workplace pensions, payslips, and year-end reporting. Payroll can be processed weekly, fortnightly, four-weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annually, depending on the employer’s requirements.
Managed payroll can extend beyond the standard monthly pay run. Acumon handles employee starters and leavers, tax codes, bonuses, commissions, overtime, holiday pay, payroll journals, department reporting, and communication with HMRC. Secure cloud payslips provide employees with access to their payroll documents without requiring employers to distribute them manually.
The payroll team also supports workplace pension requirements. This includes employee assessment, pension deductions, auto-enrolment processing, compliance declarations, pension scheme setup, and ongoing administration. Auto-enrolment can form part of the outsourced payroll service or be provided separately where payroll remains with another company.
Acumon has additional payroll capabilities for employers with less standard arrangements. These include Construction Industry Scheme payroll, IR35 and off-payroll working matters, tips and tronc arrangements, employees relocating to the UK, cross-border employment, dual residence issues, and tax equalisation matters.
International businesses employing people in the UK can use Acumon as their UK payroll function. The team can assist with HMRC registration, operate UK payroll, manage pension obligations and statutory payments, and provide payroll information to overseas head offices or global payroll systems.
Managed Payroll Capabilities
Acumon provides managed payroll support across standard, specialist, and internationally connected employment arrangements.
These include:
Weekly, fortnightly, four-weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual payroll
PAYE and National Insurance calculations
Real Time Information submissions
Statutory sick, maternity, paternity, and shared parental pay
Workplace pension and auto-enrolment administration
CIS payroll for contractors and subcontractors
International and cross-border payroll matters
Tronc, tips, gratuities, and service charge arrangements
Payroll engagements include a named UK-based payroll contact, while processing is carried out internally by Acumon’s payroll team.
Regulatory Licences and Registrations
Acumon’s payroll work is supported by professional payroll qualifications and the wider regulatory registrations held by the accounting practice.
These include:
Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals (CIPP) qualifications held by payroll staff
ICAEW registration as a chartered accountancy practice
ICAEW registration to carry out audit work in the UK
UK company registration
CIPP-qualified payroll professionals maintain knowledge of current UK payroll legislation and HMRC requirements, while the wider practice operates within the professional framework applicable to ICAEW-regulated accountancy work.
Core Services
Acumon’s managed payroll service covers recurring payroll processing together with the employer reporting and administration connected with each payroll cycle.
These include:
Managed payroll processing
Gross-to-net payroll calculations
PAYE registration and administration
RTI FPS and EPS submissions
Workplace pension auto-enrolment
Pension deductions and reporting
Statutory payment calculations
BACS payment support
Employee payslips and P60s
P11D preparation
Year-end payroll processing
Payroll journals and department reporting
CIS payroll
HMRC liaison
International payroll support
The service can cover the payroll process from initial employer registration and payroll setup through to recurring pay runs and year-end reporting. Employers retain responsibility for approving payroll information, while Acumon handles the calculations, submissions, documentation, and routine administration around the pay cycle.
Managed payroll can be particularly relevant where internal finance or HR teams do not maintain dedicated payroll expertise, or where payroll obligations become more complicated as the workforce changes.
Acumon works with businesses that are:
Moving payroll away from an internal process
Switching from another payroll company
Employing staff in the UK for the first time
Managing several payroll frequencies or employee groups
Introducing workplace pension auto-enrolment
Employing contractors within CIS or off-payroll arrangements
Operating tips, gratuities, service charges, or tronc schemes
Managing UK employees within an international corporate group
For businesses changing payroll arrangements, Acumon can collect existing payroll data and year-to-date information, rebuild the payroll on its systems, and support a transfer during the tax year rather than requiring the employer to wait until the start of a new one.
Address: 1-2 Craven Road, Ealing, London, W5 2UA, UK
MHR
MHR provides managed payroll services alongside its HR, payroll and workforce technology. Its outsourced model is aimed at organisations that want payroll processing to sit with an external team while retaining access to payroll information and wider workforce systems.
The managed service is delivered by payroll specialists with CIPP and IPASS accreditations. MHR handles payroll calculations and processing while supporting legislative compliance and regular payroll delivery. Its wider platform makes the service particularly relevant where an organisation wants payroll to operate alongside HR and workforce management rather than as a completely separate bureau relationship.
Key Facts
Ideal for: Medium and larger organisations with structured HR and payroll operations
Core services: Managed payroll processing, payroll administration and compliance support
Specialization: Payroll connected with HR and workforce management technology
Professional expertise: CIPP and IPASS-accredited payroll specialists
Market coverage: UK and Ireland
Contact Information:
Website: mhrglobal.com
Phone: 0115 945 6000
Address: Britannia House, Mere Way Campus, Nottingham NG11 6JS
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/mhr_solutions
Facebook: www.facebook.com/MHRSolutions
Twitter: x.com/mhr_solutions
Instagram: www.instagram.com/mhr_international
PayCheck
PayCheck is a specialist UK payroll provider offering fully managed payroll to businesses, finance departments, HR teams and accountancy practices. Its service can accommodate weekly, fortnightly, four-weekly and monthly payroll cycles while covering the main administrative and statutory requirements attached to each pay run.
Managed payroll includes payslip production, RTI submissions, starter and leaver processing, statutory payment calculations and year-end work. PayCheck can also manage pension auto-enrolment and employee payments through its BACS bureau service. White-label payroll is available for accountants and professional services companies that want payroll processing carried out behind their own client relationship.
Key Facts
Ideal for: SMEs, finance teams, accountants and professional services companies
Zellis focuses on payroll and HR services for organisations with larger or more complex workforces. Its managed payroll offering combines payroll operations with payroll technology, reporting and service management rather than functioning solely as an external calculation bureau.
The service can cover payroll calculations, statutory requirements, reporting, employee queries and ongoing operational support. Zellis also provides application management and integration with HR and workforce management systems. Self-service dashboards and payroll reporting are available for organisations that need greater visibility over payroll performance and data while outsourcing much of the day-to-day process.
IRIS provides outsourced payroll services supported by its own payroll technology. UK employers can submit employee information through an online portal while the provider’s payroll specialists manage calculations, compliance work and regular payroll processing.
Its broader payroll offering covers BACS services, pensions and year-end requirements. IRIS has developed sector-specific options as well, including payroll and pension services for schools and academy trusts and tronc management for hospitality businesses. Global payroll services are available separately for organisations managing employees across several countries.
Key Facts
Ideal for: UK businesses, education organisations and hospitality employers
Core services: Outsourced payroll, PAYE processing, statutory reporting and pensions
Sector capabilities: Education payroll and hospitality tronc management
Professional expertise: CIPP-accredited payroll specialists
Technology: HMRC-recognised payroll software and online employer portal
DCS Payroll is a UK specialist payroll outsourcing provider operating from Sunderland and Glasgow. Its managed service is configurable around the employer’s payroll frequency and administrative requirements, including weekly, fortnightly, four-weekly and monthly processing.
The company handles calculations, deductions, starters and leavers, payroll documents, HMRC reporting and routine payroll administration. Employers can add pension auto-enrolment management, payrolling benefits in kind and BACS employee payments. A secure portal provides employers and employees with access to payroll reports, payslips and related documents.
Key Facts
Ideal for: Businesses looking for a specialist UK payroll bureau
Core services: Managed payroll processing, payroll administration and HMRC reporting
Additional services: PBIK, pension auto-enrolment and BACS payments
Payroll frequencies: Weekly, fortnightly, four-weekly and monthly
Technology: Secure client and employee payroll portal
ADP provides payroll outsourcing as part of a broader portfolio of payroll, HR and workforce services. Its managed payroll model transfers regular payroll processing to an external service team and can extend to handling payroll-related employee enquiries.
The provider is more closely oriented toward organisations that require structured processes, scalable technology and support across larger or more complicated workforce environments. Businesses can combine payroll processing with employee payroll support, reducing the amount of routine payroll administration that remains with internal HR or finance teams.
Cintra combines payroll outsourcing with its Cintra People HR and payroll platform. Employers can hand over regular payroll processing while continuing to access payroll information, reports and employee records through a cloud-based system.
Its outsourced service can be supplemented with pension administration, employee payments, P11D preparation, benefit processing and other payroll administration. Employee self-service is available for payslips, P60s, P11Ds and selected HR information. This combination suits employers that want managed payroll while retaining a relatively direct view of payroll data and related workforce processes.
Key Facts
Ideal for: Employers wanting outsourced payroll with integrated HR technology
Core services: Payroll outsourcing, payroll processing and payroll reporting
Additional services: BACS payments, pension reporting, P11Ds and benefits administration
Technology: Cintra People payroll and HR platform
Employee access: Self-service payroll and HR functionality
Security: Published payroll security and assurance certifications
Moorepay offers fully managed payroll alongside payroll and HR software. Businesses provide payroll changes such as starters, leavers, salary adjustments and bonuses, after which Moorepay’s team validates the information, performs calculations and prepares payroll outputs for approval.
The service covers statutory payment calculations, payroll documents, reporting, FPS and EPS submissions and year-end processing. BACS processing and pension-related administration can form part of the payroll workflow. Employers and employees can use the associated cloud platform and mobile functionality to access payroll records and payslips.
Key Facts
Ideal for: Businesses seeking payroll outsourcing with payroll and HR software
Core services: Managed payroll, statutory calculations, RTI and reporting
Payment services: BACS processing
Pensions: Auto-enrolment payroll support
Technology: Cloud payroll platform and employee mobile access
PayEscape provides fully managed payroll using a combination of UK payroll specialists and cloud-based payroll technology. The service covers regular payroll calculations as well as PAYE, National Insurance, pension deductions and the statutory processes associated with paying employees in the UK.
Employers can use PayEscape for payslips, P60s, RTI submissions, auto-enrolment administration, statutory payments and year-end work. Payroll can also be connected with its HR and time and attendance products, which is useful for employers seeking to reduce separate data entry between workforce management and payroll.
Key Facts
Ideal for: UK employers wanting payroll, HR and time data within connected systems
Core services: Fully managed payroll, RTI, statutory payments and reporting
Pensions: Auto-enrolment administration
Technology: Cloud payroll platform
Integration: HR, time and attendance and third-party systems
Address: Payescape House, 18-20 Church Street, Ballymoney, BT53 6DL
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/payescape
Facebook: www.facebook.com/payescape
Twitter: x.com/PayescapeUK
Instagram: www.instagram.com/payescape
Payroll Service (UK) Ltd
Payroll Service (UK) Ltd operates as a specialist outsourced payroll provider for UK businesses and accountancy practices. Its managed service transfers routine payroll calculations and processing to an external team rather than requiring the employer to maintain its own payroll system and specialist knowledge.
The provider handles payslips, RTI submissions, pension auto-enrolment, CIS payroll and year-end reporting. Payroll information can be processed from timesheets through to payment deductions, making the service suitable for employers seeking to outsource both the calculation stage and much of the related payroll administration.
Key Facts
Ideal for: UK SMEs and accountancy practices
Core services: Managed payroll processing, RTI and payslips
Pensions: Auto-enrolment administration
Additional services: CIS payroll and year-end reporting
Delivery model: Specialist outsourced payroll bureau
Be Payroll provides outsourced payroll, workplace pension and CIS support to UK businesses and accountancy practices. The service is built around handing regular payroll administration to a dedicated payroll specialist rather than using payroll software alone.
Its managed payroll work covers the recurring payroll cycle together with statutory deadlines and compliance tasks. Pension and CIS support can be added where relevant, giving employers a single provider for several connected payroll responsibilities. The model is particularly suited to organisations that prefer direct specialist support and a payroll-focused provider rather than a broader HR software platform.
Key Facts
Ideal for: UK businesses and accountancy practices
Core services: Outsourced payroll processing and administration
Pensions: Workplace pension support
Additional services: CIS payroll support
Delivery model: Dedicated payroll specialist
Professional expertise: CIPP-qualified payroll capability
TIA Payroll Services is a UK outsourced payroll bureau based in Southampton and serving employers across the country. Its service handles regular payroll processing while covering the statutory submissions and documentation associated with PAYE payroll.
The provider manages RTI submissions, auto-enrolment pension administration, year-end filings and P60 production. It also offers payroll for limited companies and white-label payroll services for accountancy practices. This gives TIA a fairly focused proposition for smaller and mid-sized businesses as well as accountants that want to outsource payroll processing for their own clients.
Key Facts
Ideal for: UK businesses, limited companies and accountancy practices
Core services: Outsourced payroll processing, RTI and year-end filing
Pensions: Auto-enrolment administration
Additional service: White-label payroll for accountants
Professional credentials: CIPP accreditation and HMRC-recognised payroll bureau status
Choosing between managed payroll services companies in the UK depends on business size, sector, the maturity of internal processes, and the regulatory requirements involved. Some companies combine payroll with wider HR, tax, accounting, or compliance support, while others concentrate on a narrower payroll specialism. The right partner should provide reliable independent support alongside practical measures that reduce operational risk and strengthen business resilience. For some organisations, a broader integrated service will make more sense, while others may need focused payroll expertise without additional services. This guide is intended to provide neutral context for comparing different approaches and narrowing the search to companies that fit the organisation’s actual requirements.
AC
Written by the Acumon team
Acumon is an ICAEW-registered firm of chartered accountants and registered auditors
based in London, with offices in Pitstone, Aylesbury and Bournemouth. Need advice on
anything covered here? Talk to us.
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