The questions our clients actually ask.

Yes, through an employer-of-record partner. The partner becomes the legal employer and signs the employment contract, and you direct the day-to-day work. We help you choose the provider, set up the hire and stay your point of contact. When you form your own US company, we move the employee onto your own payroll.

It is the best time. The most expensive mistakes happen at the first hire: a missing state registration, the wrong classification, no workers' comp on day one. Setting it up correctly first costs far less than fixing it later.

This is more common than you think. We find what is missing, fix it in the right order, and make sure your employee is paid correctly for the time already worked.

No. Your accounts stay in your company's name and under your control. You give us our own access, which you can remove at any time.

No. We work inside a payroll platform in your company's name, either the one you already use or one we set up for you. You keep the account if you ever stop working with us.

The IRS charges a penalty from 2% to 15% of the late deposit, depending on how late it is. States add their own penalties. Tracking every deadline is part of what we do each month.

Not until you know what it says. Many notices are routine requests or reminders. Send it to us and we will explain what it means and handle the response.

We run your hiring process: job descriptions, posting, first-round interviews and the offer. The hiring decision stays yours. Fixed fee per role, not a percentage of salary.

Only if the work really is independent. The answer depends on how much control you have over the work, and several states, including California and New Jersey, apply a stricter test. Getting it wrong means back taxes and penalties, so we review each case before anyone is paid.

The employee completes their section by the first day of work. The employer must review documents and complete its section within three business days of the start date.

We do not prepare immigration filings. We make sure onboarding is correct for employees who are authorized to work, and we coordinate with your immigration attorney when a visa is involved.

Under federal law, the employer mandate applies to companies with 50 or more full-time-equivalent employees. Smaller companies are not federally required to offer it, though many do to compete for talent. We help you decide and coordinate with licensed brokers.

In most states, yes. Thresholds vary: Georgia requires coverage at three employees, and Texas lets employers opt out. We confirm the rule for each state you hire in and get coverage in place.

There is no federal requirement, but many states and cities, including California, New York and New Jersey, require paid sick leave. We set up leave policies that meet the rules where your people work.

We fix it and we pay for it. When you send accurate information and funds on time, any penalty or interest caused by our error is ours to pay, as set out in the liability terms of our service agreement. We also handle the correction and any notice that follows.

A fixed fee based on the number of states, the types of workers and where you are starting from. No percentage of payroll and no surprise charges, and your price is fixed for 12 months. Partner services are priced by the partner and shown to you separately. See How it works.

On three things: how well the provider fits your situation, how it works with the systems you already use, and how reliably it serves teams your size. We lay out the options and the tradeoffs, and nothing is chosen without your approval. Transparency note: some providers pay us a referral fee. We tell you when one does, and it never decides which one we recommend.

No. MeritEase is an HR and payroll services firm. We do not give legal advice, sell insurance or act as the employer of your team. When you need any of those, we bring in a licensed partner and work alongside them.

Yes. Besides English, our team works in Mandarin and Korean, which helps when leadership or headquarters is outside the US.

Your accounts are already in your name, so there is nothing to transfer back. We hand over a clean record of where everything stands.