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Payroll Outsourcing in Georgia for Small Businesses
Payroll outsourcing in Georgia means a provider running payroll under Georgia rules: state withholding (flat 5.39%), new hires reported within 10 days, and a discharged employee's final pay no specific final-pay statute. Pay all wages by the next regular payday. BEG manages it for $45 per employee per month inside the payroll software you already use, all-inclusive, live in 3 to 5 business days.
What a Georgia payroll actually has to get right
General information for 2026, not legal advice. Deadlines and rates change; confirm with the Georgia agency before acting.
| State income tax on wages | Flat 5.39% |
|---|---|
| Pay-frequency law | Semi-monthly for certain employers |
| New hire reporting deadline | 10 days (stricter than federal 20) |
| Final paycheck, discharge | No specific final-pay statute. Pay all wages by the next regular payday. [O.C.G.A. 34-7-2] |
| Final paycheck, resignation | No specific final-pay statute. Pay all wages by the next regular payday. |
| Accrued PTO at separation | No state law forces a payout. Accrued PTO must be paid out only if your written policy or agreement provides for it, so your policy language controls. |
| 2026 minimum wage | Federal $7.25 (state rate $5.15 superseded by FLSA) (state law applies to employers of 6 or more) [DOL state minimum wage table] |
| Overtime rule | Federal FLSA rules (weekly over 40) |
| Paid sick and family leave | No broad state mandate; limited kin-care use law |
| Continuation coverage under 20 employees | Georgia Group Continuation of Coverage, up to 3 months. applies to group accident and sickness contracts generally (not limited to sub-20 employers); functions as state continuation for those not eligible for federal COBRA [O.C.G.A. section 33-24-21.1 (Group accident and sickness contracts; conversion privilege and continuation right provisions)] |
Registrations and filings a provider handles in Georgia
Georgia taxes wages (flat 5.39%), so a Georgia employer carries a state withholding account and a state deposit schedule on top of the federal one, plus a separate Georgia unemployment insurance account with quarterly wage reports, and new hire reports due within 10 days (stricter than federal 20). That new-hire window is shorter than the federal 20 days, and a provider that defaults to the federal timetable will file late in Georgia.
Where Georgia diverges from the federal baseline
Pay frequency: semi-monthly for certain employers. The run calendar is set to that rule at implementation so a schedule change never becomes a wage claim.
Overtime follows federal FLSA rules (weekly over 40), so the federal regular-rate rules govern: bonuses, shift differentials and commissions all fold into the rate before the premium is applied.
On discharge in Georgia the final check is due no specific final-pay statute. Pay all wages by the next regular payday, and on resignation no specific final-pay statute. Pay all wages by the next regular payday. Accrued PTO follows the written policy, so the handbook language decides whether the last check includes it. Full detail on the Georgia final paycheck rules page.
Leave: no broad state mandate; limited kin-care use law. Sick and vacation accrual in Georgia follow the employer's own policy, and payroll tracks exactly what that policy promises, no more. Remote employees working from a mandate state are the exception: their leave follows the state they work in, not Georgia.
What BEG managed payroll includes for Georgia employers
$45 per employee per month, all-inclusive, inside the payroll software you already use, with no monthly minimum and no setup fee. Georgia withholding and unemployment registration, quarterly and annual state filings, new hire reporting within 10 days (stricter than federal 20), final-pay runs on the Georgia deadline, and year-end W-2s are all inside that price. Live in 3 to 5 business days from signing.
Managed Payroll, Handled.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does Georgia have state income tax withholding?
Yes. Georgia taxes wages (flat 5.39%), so every employer with Georgia employees registers a state withholding account, withholds from each check and remits on the state's deposit schedule alongside federal deposits.
When is a final paycheck due in Georgia?
On discharge: no specific final-pay statute. Pay all wages by the next regular payday. On resignation: no specific final-pay statute. Pay all wages by the next regular payday. No state law forces a payout. Accrued PTO must be paid out only if your written policy or agreement provides for it, so your policy language controls. Source: O.C.G.A. 34-7-2.
How often must Georgia employers pay employees?
Georgia pay-frequency rule: semi-monthly for certain employers. A payroll provider sets the run calendar to that rule at setup, so the schedule is never the thing that creates a wage claim.
How fast must new hires be reported in Georgia?
Georgia requires new hire reporting within 10 days (stricter than federal 20). That is shorter than the federal 20-day window, so a national provider that defaults to 20 days will file late in Georgia.
Does Georgia require paid sick leave or paid family leave?
No broad state mandate; limited kin-care use law. With no statewide sick-leave mandate, Georgia accrual rules come from the employer's own policy, and payroll tracks whatever that policy promises.
What is the Georgia minimum wage in 2026?
Federal $7.25 (state rate $5.15 superseded by FLSA) (state law applies to employers of 6 or more). Overtime in Georgia: federal FLSA rules (weekly over 40).
What does managed payroll cost for a Georgia business?
$45 per employee per month, all-inclusive, inside the payroll software you already use, with no monthly minimum and no setup fee. Georgia withholding, unemployment filings, new hire reports and year-end W-2s are included, not add-ons.
Related Resources
Anthony leads payroll solutions at Business Executive Group, a national managed payroll firm serving businesses across industries. BEG manages payroll at $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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