Many brokers and small business leaders have heard of professional employer organizations (PEO). However, it is still common within the industry to not fully understand how to distinguish one PEO from another.

Until recently, one way this was done was through the Employer Services Assurance Corporation (ESAC), which accredited qualified PEOs as being held to the highest financial and operating standards within the industry.

Then on June 1, 2017, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) designated a select few PEOs as Certified Professional Employer Organizations (CPEO). This group of PEOs became the first to ever be certified under the IRS Certification Program.

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