What a payroll service does, and who does it now
A full-service payroll company moves the money and files for you. With Selfroll you do those parts yourself, with exact steps. Here's the split.
| Task | Who | How |
|---|---|---|
| Work out gross pay, withholding and net pay | Selfroll | Run payroll: type it in plain English or use the form. |
| Pay employees by direct deposit | You | Send take-home pay from your business account in your bank's app (transfer, ACH, or your bank's direct deposit). Selfroll gives the amount. |
| Deposit federal payroll taxes (941) | You | EFTPS, by the date Selfroll shows. Monthly: the 15th of the next month. |
| Deposit federal unemployment tax (940) | You | EFTPS, only when more than $500 is owed; otherwise pay with Form 940. |
| Pay state income tax withholding | You | OkTAP, monthly by the 20th or quarterly, per Selfroll's schedule. |
| Pay state unemployment tax | You | OESC Employer Portal, with the quarterly report. |
| File Form 941 each quarter | Selfroll prepares, you file | Selfroll fills a draft. You check, sign, and mail it or e-file it with software you choose. |
| File the state quarterly withholding return (WTH-10001) | Selfroll prepares, you file | Selfroll gives the two figures. You file on OkTAP. |
| File the state unemployment report | Selfroll prepares, you file | Selfroll lists each person's wages. You enter them in the OESC portal. |
| File Form 940 each year | Selfroll prepares, you file | Selfroll fills a draft. You check, sign, and file. |
| Give employees W-2s; file W-2s and W-3 with SSA | Selfroll prepares, you file | Selfroll fills employee copies and totals. You hand them out and type them into SSA Business Services Online. |
| File state W-2s and the annual reconciliation | Selfroll prepares, you file | Selfroll gives the totals. You upload or type them on OkTAP by January 31. |
| Track every deadline | Selfroll | Calendar page, with an .ics file for Google, Apple, or Outlook calendars. |
| Pay stubs | Selfroll | Each paycheck page prints a stub. |
| Pay penalties for its own mistakes (tax guarantee) | You | No guarantee here. Late or wrong deposits are your penalties, so act on the reminders. |
| Talk to the IRS or state for you | You | Selfroll isn't your agent. You handle notices; a CPA can help. |
| New-hire reporting, I-9s, workers' comp | You | Not covered yet. Report new hires to your state and keep I-9s on file. |
One-time setup
Do these before your first payday. Track them on the setup checklist.
- Have an EIN
Your S corp's federal employer ID. Free from the IRS. Open
- Enroll in EFTPS
eftps.gov, Enrollment, Business. Enter your EIN, business details and bank account. The IRS says enrollment can take up to five business days to process, then the PIN comes by mail, so do this well before your first payday. Open
- Register for SSA Business Services Online
Sign in with Login.gov or ID.me. Under SSA's new process (effective November 7, 2026), your company's Responsible Entity Officer registers the EIN and SSA mails a registration code that can take 15 to 20 days, so register well before January. Open
- Register an Oklahoma withholding account on OkTAP
oktap.tax.ok.gov. You'll use it for payments, the quarterly WTH-10001, and the year-end W-2 upload. Open
- Open an Oklahoma unemployment account with OESC
OESC Employer Portal, Apply for Tax Account Number. New employers start at 1.5%. Open
- Collect forms from each employee
Federal W-4, Oklahoma OK-W-4, and I-9. Enter the W-4 choices in Setup. Open
- Set up payments in your bank
Add each employee's account as a payee for transfers or ACH, from your business account.
- Add the deadlines to your calendar
Calendar page, Download .ics, then import it.
Switching from a payroll service mid-year
Enter the year-to-date wages already paid so the Social Security and unemployment wage limits stay right, and ask your old provider for its quarter-to-date filings. Selfroll's numbers start from the first paycheck you run here. For a mid-quarter switch the old provider's 941 and yours won't add up automatically, so plan the switch at the start of a quarter. More in Switching from Gusto or OnPay to do-it-yourself payroll.
General information, not tax or legal advice. See the Terms.