Resources

Make better payroll decisions before and after payday.

Use practical guides, comparisons, checklists, and examples for payroll setup, corrections, provider switches, tax notices, state and local obligations, and independent review.

Browse payroll guides Open sample packet

Sample packet Marlow Goods correction record Facts, rules, deltas, residual, verifier.

Checklist Switch payroll mid-year Prior-provider data and YTD continuity.

Template Notice response packet Agency claim, settlement evidence, open gaps.

Guide Correction review path Original run, late fact, repriced delta.

The Margin.

A first-party library for payroll operators, small-business owners, CPAs, bookkeepers, and agent builders.

Recommended path Proof demo Sample packet Review scope Intake form

Essay Can payroll be proven? Guide Set compensation responsibly without pricing the worker Guide Keep the paycheck from becoming an extraction platform The Margin Expense reimbursements need a workflow, not a label The Margin What full-service payroll actually means The Margin Switching payroll mid-year without breaking W-2s The Margin What to collect before answering a payroll tax notice The Margin Tip credit and tipped payroll: what employers need to prove The Margin Why payroll corrections should not rewrite history Guide How payroll corrections work in Runbook Demo Proof demo path Sample Marlow Goods proof packet Review Switching payroll mid-year Solution Switch to Runbook payroll Status See review availability Checklist Payroll tax notice evidence Checklist Prior-provider switch checklist Review Payroll notice packet Solution Payroll tax notices Review Wrong paycheck or correction Solution Wrong paycheck questions Review Advisor payroll packet Solution Accountants and advisors Compare Runbook vs payroll exports Compare Runbook vs provider support tickets Compare Runbook vs spreadsheet payroll review Guide Automatic payroll safety checklist Guide What records prove payroll?

Payroll glossary.

Plain-language terms that link back to payroll records and source rules.

Gross-to-net

The path from wages to net pay after taxes, deductions, reimbursements, and corrections.

Taxable wage base

The wage amount used to calculate a tax after caps, exemptions, and jurisdiction rules.

Quittance

Runbook’s sealed proof artifact for a payroll record, designed for independent verification.

Knowledge horizon

What the payroll system knew at the time a run was approved or corrected.

Correction delta

The difference created when a late fact reprices a prior payroll period.

Rule snapshot

The payroll rule content bound to a calculation so the result can be replayed.

Tools and checklists.

Each tool starts with the evidence a defensible payroll answer needs.

DemoProof pathSample packet, verifier, review scope, and intake handoff.

SampleProof packetLate rate correction, notice claim, residual, and test-backed amounts.

ReviewSwitching payrollPrior-provider data collection and YTD review.

ChecklistPrior-provider switch checklistRecords to collect before a full-service payroll handoff.

ChecklistNotice evidenceAgency claim, payroll record, deposits, filings, and open questions.

ReviewNotice packetEvidence list before agency response.

ReviewPaycheck correctionOriginal run, late fact, repriced period, and carryforward delta.

NextEstimate calculatorsGross-to-net and employer-cost examples with labeled assumptions.

State and local guides.

This is where regional payroll expertise becomes a moat.

Missouri payroll guide

Employer registration, withholding, unemployment, local considerations, and year-end records.

Kansas payroll guide

Withholding, unemployment, border-state concerns, and worker-location evidence.

Kansas City and St. Louis

Local payroll tax explainers with examples and citation-backed rule sources.

Switching payroll mid-year.

The pain is obvious and time-sensitive: prior-provider data, wage-base continuity, tax accounts, and year-end readiness all have to line up.

Before switchingCollectVerify

Company setupTax accounts, jurisdictions, pay schedules, bank details.Which accounts are live, pending, or missing.

Worker dataRates, elections, direct deposit, deductions, contractor records.Effective dates and missing forms.

Prior payrollYTD wages, taxes, deductions, benefits, liabilities, payments.Wage-base continuity and W-2 readiness. Open switch review.

Have payroll work that needs proof?

Reviews are paused. Inspect the sample packet and current availability before sharing documents.

See review status See sample packet