Outsourced bank reconciliation and payroll prep for accountants
Outsourced bank reconciliation services and payroll support for UK accounting practices. We keep client bank accounts reconciled in QuickBooks and prepare each payroll run in Staffology or IRIS to draft, ready for your team to approve before anything reaches HMRC.
A month of bank recs and payroll, date by date
Payroll runs to fixed HMRC dates in each tax month, which runs from the 6th to the 5th. Bank reconciliation fits around it. This is the rhythm we agree with a practice for a typical monthly-paid client.
| When | Task | Who |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly, or the cadence you set | Bank feed transactions matched and categorised; unmatched items and missing receipts listed and chased | We prepare |
| Payroll input cut-off, a set number of working days before payday | Starters, leavers, hours, overtime, sickness, holiday and pay changes collected from the client and checked against last month | We prepare |
| Between cut-off and payday | Payroll run prepared to draft, with a variance report against the previous period and payslips ready to release | We prepare, your team approves |
| On or before payday | Full Payment Submission (FPS) sent to HMRC | Your team submits |
| Month end | Each bank account reconciled to the statement closing balance, with a list of reconciling items and open queries | We prepare, your team reviews |
| By the 19th of the following tax month | Employer Payment Summary (EPS) for any reduction claimed, such as statutory pay recovery | We draft, your team submits |
| By the 19th | PAYE payment by cheque must reach HMRC | Client pays |
| By the 22nd | Electronic PAYE payment cleared with HMRC for the previous tax month | Client pays, we send the reminder |
Sources: GOV.UK, "Running payroll: reporting to HMRC" (FPS on or before payday, EPS by the 19th); GOV.UK, "Pay employers' PAYE" (22nd of the next tax month electronically, 19th by post, 22nd after the quarter end for quarterly payers).
What we prepare and what your practice approves
Payroll errors reach employees' bank accounts and HMRC's records on the same day. Approval and submission stay with your team for that reason.
We prepare
- Bank feed matching and categorisation in QuickBooks
- Month-end reconciliations with reconciling items listed
- Chasing clients for missing receipts, invoices and statements
- Payroll change requests collected before the cut-off
- Payroll runs prepared to draft in Staffology or IRIS
- Variance reports and draft EPS figures
- PAYE payment reminders to clients, in wording you approve
Your practice approves
- Coding rules and how unusual transactions are treated
- Sign-off on each month's reconciliation
- Approval of every payroll run before payslips are released
- Submission of the FPS and EPS to HMRC
- Employment status, benefits and pension decisions
- Anything that needs advice to the client
Bank reconciliation outsourcing that keeps the books current
An unmatched payment found in the week it happens takes minutes to clear. Found at year end, it can take an afternoon of digging through statements.
Our time audit for UK practices looks at where these hours go.
- Feeds matched on schedule. We work through each client's bank feed at the cadence you set, applying your coding rules and existing bank rules.
- Gaps chased early. Missing receipts and unexplained transfers go to the client within the week, with follow-ups logged against each item.
- Reconciled to the statement. At month end each account is agreed to the closing balance on the bank statement, and anything left over is listed with a reason.
- Ready for VAT and MTD. Clean, categorised records feed straight into VAT returns and MTD quarterly updates your team prepares.
Payroll prep inside the software you already run
We work as an extra pair of hands for your payroll team, using logins you issue and can remove at any time.
Staffology and IRIS
Runs prepared in your payroll software, using your pay schedules, pay elements and payslip settings.
Changes captured once
One request to each client before cut-off, covering starters, leavers, hours and pay changes, so nothing arrives after the run is approved.
Records kept for HMRC
Payroll records must be kept for 3 years from the end of the tax year they relate to. We file inputs and approvals where your practice keeps them.
Source: GOV.UK, "PAYE for employers: keeping records".
Bank reconciliation and payroll questions
How often should bank reconciliations be done?
For most clients, matching bank feed transactions weekly and reconciling to the statement monthly works well. Busy or cash-heavy clients may need more frequent matching. We agree the cadence with your practice client by client and report anything still unreconciled at each month end.
When must an FPS be sent to HMRC?
On or before payday, every time employees are paid, including for employers who pay HMRC quarterly. We prepare the run to draft ahead of payday so your team has time to approve it and submit the Full Payment Submission under the practice's credentials.
When is the EPS due and when must PAYE be paid?
An Employer Payment Summary claiming reductions, such as statutory pay recovery, is due by the 19th of the following tax month. PAYE paid electronically must reach HMRC by the 22nd of the next tax month, or by the 19th if paid by cheque. Quarterly payers pay by the 22nd after the quarter ends.
Can you work in Staffology, IRIS and QuickBooks?
Yes. We prepare payroll in Staffology and IRIS and reconcile bank accounts in QuickBooks, all through logins your practice issues. Your client data stays in your systems and you can see and remove our access at any time. If you use other bookkeeping or payroll software, tell us at scoping.
Who submits payroll to HMRC?
Your practice. We collect changes, prepare the run and draft the EPS figures, then your team reviews the variance report, approves the payroll and submits the FPS and EPS. That keeps every HMRC submission under your practice's own control and credentials, with a clear approval record for each run.
How long must payroll records be kept?
HMRC requires employers to keep payroll records for 3 years from the end of the tax year they relate to. We store payroll inputs, change requests and approval notes in your practice's own systems so the trail is there if HMRC asks.
Often handed over alongside
MTD-ready reporting
Quarterly records for sole trader and landlord clients in Making Tax Digital.
Billing
Monthly bookkeeping and payroll fees invoiced on time, with reminders sent.
Client onboarding
Bank feeds, payroll details and authorisations collected when a client joins.
Hand over next month's reconciliations and payroll
Tell us how many bank accounts and payrolls you run and in which software, and we will map out the monthly rhythm.
Virtual Service AssistsPractice admin for UK accountants
Outsourced compliance and practice administration for UK accounting and tax firms, worked on UK hours inside the software you already use.
- GMT working hours
- GDPR-conscious handling
- B2B supplier, no payroll
Get in touch
- info@virtualserviceassists.com
- Phone
- +233 24 410 8277
- Hours
- Monday to Friday, on GMT
- Based in
- Pantang Hospital Avenue, GA East, Accra, Ghana
© 2026 Virtual Service Assists, the trading name of ASAH-ADU VIRTUAL SOLUTIONS. Business registration BN828460626.