541214 Payroll Services

Official definition

This U.S. industry comprises establishments (except offices of CPAs) engaged in the following without also providing accounting, bookkeeping, or billing services: (1) collecting information on hours worked, pay rates, deductions, and other payroll-related data from their clients and (2) using that information to generate paychecks, payroll reports, and tax filings. These establishments may use data processing and tabulating techniques as part of providing their services.

Source: US Census Bureau, 2022 NAICS descriptions.

When to use a different code

Census classifies these close-sounding activities somewhere else. Businesses mainly engaged in:

• Establishments of CPAs are classified in U.S. Industry 541211, Offices of Certified Public Accountants.
• Establishments of non-CPAs providing tax return preparation services only are classified in U.S. Industry 541213, Tax Preparation Services.
• Establishments of non-CPAs providing accounting, bookkeeping, or billing services along with payroll services are classified in U.S. Industry 541219, Other Accounting Services.
• Establishments primarily engaged in processing financial transactions (except central bank) are classified in Industry 522320, Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities.
• Establishments primarily engaged in providing data processing services (except payroll processing services and financial transaction processing services) at their own facility for others are classified in Industry 518210, Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services.

Source: US Census Bureau, 2022 NAICS cross-references.

Businesses that use this code

• Bookkeeping business

Activities listed under 541214

The Census index assigns these 3 activities to this code. If your business matches one, this is your code.

• Motion picture production payroll services
• Payroll processing services
• Talent payment services

Source: US Census Bureau, 2022 NAICS index file.

SBA size standard for 541214

To count as a small business for SBA loans and federal contracts under NAICS 541214, your business (including affiliates) must not exceed $39 million in average annual receipts. Check your business.

Source: SBA table of size standards, effective March 17, 2023.

Closest UK SIC 2007 codes

There is no official one-to-one link between NAICS and UK SIC. These codes share the same international class (ISIC Rev. 4: 6920), so treat them as a starting point and check the definition.

• 69201Accounting and auditing activitiesUK SIC
• 69202Bookkeeping activitiesUK SIC
• 69203Tax consultancyUK SIC

Built from Census concordances 2022→2017 NAICS and 2017 NAICS→ISIC Rev. 4.

Similar codes to compare

• 541211Offices of Certified Public Accountants
• 541213Tax Preparation Services
• 541219Other Accounting Services