Updated March 17, 2025.
Starting a business is all about making decisions. You'll need to decide what your business does, how it's going to operate, the kind of people you are going to hire, where your business is located—and these are just things you ask yourself before you've even begun the process of getting the business off the ground. Every day, you'll be tasked with making any number of decisions. For business owners, this is just the norm. But even though this may be what your normal day-in and day-out looks like, it doesn't make it any less stressful.
At Payday HCM, we understand this stress. Plenty of potential clients have approached us with this exact issue, looking to minimize the amount of time they spend on the more minute aspects of business operations and alleviate their level of stress. With these considerations, the words professional employer organization (PEO) and common paymaster will often come up—but what do these even mean?
In this article, we’ll go over the five differences between a PEO and a common paymaster. We’ll dive into the basic functions of each of these solutions, the varying tax implications of a PEO and a common paymaster, the different levels of support, how they suit different business types, and the amount of control and flexibility you have with each option. By the end of this article, you have all the knowledge you need to take your business to the next level.
In this article, you will learn:
- The Basic Functions of a PEO and Common Paymaster
- Tax Implications and Savings of a PEO and Common Paymaster
- PEO and Common Paymaster’s HR and Compliance Support
- Their Suitability for Different Business Types
- Control and Flexibility: How Do They Hold Up
1: The Basic Functions of a PEO and a Common Paymaster
First things first is understanding the basic functions of a PEO and a common paymaster, and the operations that they both do.
PEO: A Co-Employment Model
A PEO operates on a co-employment model, fundamentally changing the relationship between an employer and its employees. When you work with a PEO, you are outsourcing an assortment of HR-related tasks while you retain control of the other aspects of business operations.
This partnership allows small to medium-sized companies to outsource various HR tasks and focus on what matters to them as a business. These tasks include payroll processing, employee benefits, workers' compensation administration, and ensuring compliance with state and federal employment laws.
This model is particularly beneficial for businesses looking to expand their HR capabilities without the overhead of an entire in-house HR department. By pooling the employees of multiple client companies, PEOs can negotiate better rates for health insurance and other benefits, providing small businesses access to benefits typically reserved for larger corporations. It brings a level of HR expertise and legal compliance knowledge that can be invaluable, especially for businesses without specialized HR staff.
Common Paymaster: Simplifying Payroll for Related Companies
A common paymaster is a system designed for businesses that are part of a more prominent corporate family or group of related companies. It helps to simplify the payroll process by designating one entity within the group to act as the 'paymaster’.
This entity handles payroll responsibilities for employees who work for multiple companies within the group. The primary advantage of this system is its ability to streamline payroll administration and reduce the administrative burden of managing multiple payrolls.
This approach helps to ensure Social Security and Medicare taxes are calculated accurately, avoiding overpayment for employees who split their time across different companies in the group. This system is most beneficial for groups where employees frequently work across various entities, as it centralizes payroll processing and reduces the complexity associated with managing payroll in a large corporate environment.
2: Tax Implications and Savings of a PEO and a Common Paymaster
Next, we'll get into the differing tax situations when employing either a PEO or a common paymaster approach.
PEO: Potential for Lower Employment Taxes
The tax implications of partnering with a PEO can prove beneficial for businesses. A PEO consolidates the payroll of multiple client companies which can lead to more favorable tax rates due to their more extensive aggregate employee base. This can result in lower employment taxes and potentially provide access to more competitive health and workers' compensation insurance rates.
PEOs assume the responsibility of payroll tax reporting and compliance, which can be a complex and time-consuming process. This ensures compliance with tax laws and reduces the administrative burden on businesses. PEOs often have the expertise to identify tax credits and incentives that client companies may be eligible for, further reducing their overall tax burden.
Common Paymaster: Reducing Payroll Tax Liability
The common paymaster arrangement can be particularly advantageous when it comes to payroll tax liability, especially for businesses with employees across multiple related companies. This system ensures that Social Security and Medicare taxes are not overpaid for these employees.
Typically, there is a limit to how much Social Security tax is owed per employee per year, regardless of how many companies they work for within the same corporate family. Having a single paymaster correctly aggregates the total compensation paid to an employee, ensuring that Social Security taxes are accurately calculated and not overpaid.
This arrangement can lead to significant tax savings, particularly for high-earning employees who exceed the Social Security wage base limit when their incomes from multiple companies are combined. It also simplifies the tax reporting process, as the common paymaster is responsible for issuing W-2 forms and managing other payroll-related tax filings for these employees.
3: PEO and Common Paymaster’s HR and Compliance Support
One of the larger functions of a PEO is HR services. We go into how this role varies between a PEO and common paymaster system here.
PEO: Comprehensive HR Services
A PEO provides a comprehensive suite of HR services beyond just payroll processing. This full-service approach includes things like employment law compliance, employee relations, training and development, performance management, and even assistance with recruitment and hiring processes. This can be especially helpful for businesses without a dedicated HR department.
PEOs typically have a team of HR professionals who bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise in various HR disciplines. This expertise is crucial when navigating the complex landscape of employment laws and regulations, which can vary significantly from state to state and change frequently.
Partnering with a PEO, businesses can remain compliant with these laws, reducing the risk of costly legal issues. Additionally, PEOs often offer customized HR solutions tailored to the business's specific needs, providing support that aligns with the company's culture and objectives.
Common Paymaster: Limited to Payroll Processing
The common paymaster arrangement primarily focuses on payroll processing for employees working across related companies and does not typically extend to broader HR services.
Businesses using this system are responsible for managing their HR tasks and ensuring compliance with employment laws. While utilizing a common paymaster approach can streamline payroll administration and reduce tax liabilities, it does not provide the comprehensive HR support that a PEO offers.
For companies that already have a robust HR department in place, a common paymaster can be an efficient way to manage payroll complexities without the need for additional HR support. For businesses needing more in-house HR expertise, this model might require them to seek external HR services or manage these responsibilities internally, which can be a challenge for smaller businesses.
4: Their Suitability for Different Business Types
Whether your business opts for a PEO or a common paymaster set up largely depends on the kind of business your organization is.
PEO: Ideal for Small to Medium-Sized Businesses
PEOs are particularly well-suited for small to medium-sized businesses that don't have the for a full in-house HR department. A PEO fills this gap by providing a wide range of HR services, including access to high-quality employee benefits, payroll management, compliance assistance, and HR consultancy.
The partnership with a PEO allows smaller businesses to offer competitive benefits and professional HR services, which are crucial for attracting and retaining top talent. Additionally, PEOs bring expertise and compliance support that can be invaluable for businesses navigating the complexities of employment laws and regulations. This is especially beneficial for businesses in a growth phase and need to scale their HR capabilities quickly and efficiently.
Common Paymaster: Best for Corporate Groups
The common paymaster system, on the other hand, is best suited for corporate groups or conglomerates with multiple related entities. This system is particularly effective for businesses where employees work across different companies within the same corporate family.
The main advantage of the common paymaster setup is its ability to streamline payroll processing and reduce the administrative burden associated with managing multiple payrolls for employees who work for more than one company in the group.
This arrangement is most beneficial for larger corporate entities with established HR departments capable of handling the broader spectrum of HR responsibilities. It's an efficient solution for managing payroll complexities in a multi-entity corporate environment but does not provide the comprehensive HR support that a smaller business might need.
5: Control and Flexibility: How Do They Hold Up
A PEO or common paymaster system can often vary in the amount of flexibility offered. Understanding this difference is crucial when deciding between the two.
PEO: Shared Employer Responsibilities
In a PEO arrangement, there is a unique balance of control and flexibility that businesses need to consider. While the business owner retains essential control over employee management and day-to-day business operations, the PEO assumes the role of the employer of record for administrative purposes.
This co-employment model means that the PEO handles various employment-related tasks, such as payroll processing, tax filings, employee benefits administration, and compliance with labor laws.
This shared responsibility can be a significant advantage for businesses that want to focus on their core operations while ensuring their HR functions are managed professionally. It also means businesses share some control over HR processes with the PEO. This shared control is a welcome relief for some business owners, as it offloads complex HR tasks to experts. For others, it might require trust and adjustment, as they are used to having complete control over all aspects of their business.
Common Paymaster: Retaining Full Control
The common paymaster arrangement, in contrast, allows businesses to retain more control over all functions of their business. This system primarily concerns payroll processing for employees across related companies and does not extend into broader HR management areas. Businesses using a common paymaster approach maintain complete control over their HR policies, employee benefits, compliance issues, and other HR-related tasks.
This model particularly appeals to businesses with the resources and desire to manage their HR in-house but are looking for a way to streamline the payroll aspect for employees who work across different entities within the same corporate family. It offers a focused solution that addresses a specific need (payroll processing) without diluting the business’s control over other HR functions.
Evaluate a PEO and Common Paymaster with Confidence
Over the course of running a business, you'll be tasked with making any number of important decisions. These decisions not only require a lot of time and thought, but when stacked on top of one another, can create a large amount of stress for those making them. Add in the added stress of just generally ensuring business operations are going as they should—things like payroll or HR—and you have a situation that is likely all too familiar for many business owners.
There are a number of different approaches a business can take when it comes to alleviating this stress. Opting to utilize a PEO or a common paymaster system can be one of those approaches. Making this decision is a significant step towards resolving your HR and payroll challenges and setting your business on a path to growth and success. With the information provided in this article, you'll have the information you need to start your business on the journey of deciding between these two solutions.
By thoroughly exploring both a PEO and a common paymaster solution and understanding how each aligns with your business objectives, you can make an informed choice that addresses your immediate needs and supports your long-term business goals. Read more on how Payday be a payroll solution for you and your business.