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Run the Payroll Fee Auditor →Blog · Payroll Management · Agency
Agency Payroll Recordkeeping: What Nobody Tells You | BEG(2026)
Payroll recordkeeping for marketing agencies starts at the federal baseline, three years for payroll records and two for the time records behind them, then adds what reaches this industry: OSHA 29 CFR 1904 Subpart B, Appendix A and OSHA 29 CFR 1904.1. BEG: $25 per employee per month in your existing platform or $45 on isolved, live in 3 to 5 days.
Records specific to marketing agencies
Advertising and Related Services (NAICS 5418) and Specialized Design Services (5414) are on OSHA's partially exempt industry list, so agencies in those codes do not keep OSHA 300 logs unless OSHA or BLS asks in writing. Fatalities, in-patient hospitalizations, amputations and eye losses must still be reported.
A company that had 10 or fewer employees at all times during the last calendar year is exempt from OSHA injury and illness recordkeeping regardless of industry, measured by peak employment across the whole company.
The federal baseline every employer keeps
29 CFR 516 requires payroll records for three years and the records they were computed from, time cards, schedules and piece or commission records, for two years. Employment tax records stay four years after the return they support. Forms I-9 stay three years from hire or one year from separation, whichever is later. For marketing agencies the practical rule is that the pay codes for 1099 vs W-2 freelancer classification and project-based bonuses produce records of their own, and an audit reads those, not the summary.
The rules behind this page, with sources
General information, not legal advice. Every rule below was read on the agency page linked next to it.
- Advertising and Related Services (NAICS 5418) and Specialized Design Services (5414) are on OSHA's partially exempt industry list, so agencies in those codes do not keep OSHA 300 logs unless OSHA or BLS asks in writing. Fatalities, in-patient hospitalizations, amputations and eye losses must still be reported. [OSHA 29 CFR 1904 Subpart B, Appendix A]
- A company that had 10 or fewer employees at all times during the last calendar year is exempt from OSHA injury and illness recordkeeping regardless of industry, measured by peak employment across the whole company. [OSHA 29 CFR 1904.1]
Read the full guide to how to prepare for a payroll audit, and the rest of the marketing agency payroll library.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Marketing agency records: OSHA 29 CFR 1904 Subpart B, Appendix A
Advertising and Related Services (NAICS 5418) and Specialized Design Services (5414) are on OSHA's partially exempt industry list, so agencies in those codes do not keep OSHA 300 logs unless OSHA or BLS asks in writing. Fatalities, in-patient hospitalizations, amputations and eye losses must still be reported.
Marketing agency records: OSHA 29 CFR 1904.1
A company that had 10 or fewer employees at all times during the last calendar year is exempt from OSHA injury and illness recordkeeping regardless of industry, measured by peak employment across the whole company.
How long does a marketing agency keep payroll records?
Three years for payroll records and two for supporting time records under the FLSA, four years for employment tax records under the IRS rule, and longer where an industry rule cited above says so.
What does managed payroll cost for a marketing agency?
$25 per employee per month inside your existing platform or $45 on BEG's isolved HCM, all-inclusive, with a $500 monthly minimum. 1099 vs W-2 freelancer classification, project-based bonuses and multi-state remote teams are configured at setup, not billed as add-ons.
Related Resources
Anthony leads payroll solutions at Business Executive Group, a national managed payroll firm serving businesses across industries including Marketing & PR Agencies. BEG manages payroll at $25-$45 PEPM, all-inclusive, with deep expertise in compliance, multi-state filing, and industry-specific payroll requirements. Get instant pricing at beghr.com.
Authoritative source: U.S. Department of Labor: Wage and Hour Division
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