TopSource Worldwide - US

UK-headquartered global employment and payroll provider with delivery hubs in India; EOR in 180+ countries via owned entities and partners; also global payroll, entity setup and accounting.

Global EOR Listed in 20 country lists Prominent in 15 markets

By TheEORDirectory Editorial Team

Researched from company registers and providers' own published terms, and reviewed by a second editor before publication.

Last updated 5 November 2026

Fact	Value
Established	2003
Founders	Guil Hastings
Region / headquarters	Not yet verified
Website	topsourceworldwide.com ↗
What it does	UK-headquartered global employment and payroll provider with delivery hubs in India; EOR in 180+ countries via owned entities and partners; also global payroll, entity setup and accounting.
Entry price	Quote-based (no public price)
Countries covered	180+ (provider's own claim)
G2 rating	2.8/5 (4 reviews) (read on g2.com, 4 Nov 2026)
Last verified	4 Nov 2026

How it operates by country

🇨🇳 China	TopSource Worldwide (UK HQ, delivery hubs in India) offers EOR in 180+ countries via owned entities and partners, plus global payroll, entity setup and accounting. In China TopSource publishes a country guide and provides EOR through its owned entity or vetted partner (not disclosed per country), with local payroll processing.
🇩🇪 Germany	TopSource Worldwide (UK HQ, delivery hubs in India) offers EOR in 180+ countries via owned entities and partners, plus global payroll, entity setup and accounting. In Germany TopSource publishes a country guide and provides EOR through its owned entity or vetted partner (not disclosed per country), with local payroll processing.
🇬🇧 United Kingdom	Dedicated UK Employer of Record commercial offering. Service model: UK EOR; entity model not confirmed. Location information: Publishes a London contact location at 71–75 Shelton Street, London WC2H 9JQ. Hire Without an Entity.
🇫🇷 France	TopSource Worldwide (UK HQ, delivery hubs in India) offers EOR in 180+ countries via owned entities and partners, plus global payroll, entity setup and accounting. In France TopSource publishes a country guide and provides EOR through its owned entity or vetted partner (not disclosed per country), with local payroll processing.
🇲🇽 Mexico	TopSource Worldwide (UK HQ, delivery hubs in India) offers EOR in 180+ countries via owned entities and partners, plus global payroll, entity setup and accounting. In Mexico TopSource publishes a country guide and provides EOR through its owned entity or vetted partner (not disclosed per country), with local payroll processing.
🇧🇷 Brazil	TopSource Worldwide supports Brazilian employment through EOR, payroll and ongoing employment administration, with a wider service range for companies entering and expanding internationally. It is a useful fit for employers placing a small number of specialised staff in Brazil as part of a broader commercial or operational expansion. Beyond EOR, its services include global payroll, talent acquisition, entity setup and management, mobility, and HR and benefits advice. These capabilities allow a business to connect its initial hiring requirements with the longer-term work of establishing and running a local operation. TopSource Worldwide’s expertise in Brazilian hiring and expansion is demonstrated through the Cortland International case study on its website. The manufacturer of advanced ropes, slings and tethers needed skilled employees across several markets. TopSource enabled it to employ and pay professionals in Brazil and other countries through EOR and payroll services, supporting growth before Cortland had its own local entities. Brian Boyce’s account of the partnership emphasises dependable employee payments and support. The engagement achieved accurate, on-time payroll after the transition, showing the operational value of coordinating employment administration across a distributed international team.
🇵🇭 Philippines	TopSource Worldwide (UK HQ, delivery hubs in India) offers EOR in 180+ countries via owned entities and partners, plus global payroll, entity setup and accounting. In the Philippines TopSource publishes a country guide and provides EOR through its owned entity or vetted partner (not disclosed per country), with local payroll processing.
🇦🇷 Argentina	TopSource Worldwide. Dedicated Argentina EOR service for hiring without a client entity. Buenos Aires-specific presence not established.
🇦🇺 Australia	TopSource Worldwide (UK HQ, delivery hubs in India) offers EOR in 180+ countries via owned entities and partners, plus global payroll, entity setup and accounting. In Australia TopSource publishes a country guide and provides EOR through its owned entity or vetted partner (not disclosed per country), with local payroll processing.
🇪🇸 Spain	Dedicated Spain EOR service covering employment contracts, payroll and statutory administration without a client entity.
🇵🇱 Poland	TopSource Worldwide (UK HQ, delivery hubs in India) offers EOR in 180+ countries via owned entities and partners, plus global payroll, entity setup and accounting. In Poland TopSource publishes a country guide and provides EOR through its owned entity or vetted partner (not disclosed per country), with local payroll processing.
🇮🇳 India	Dedicated India EOR service with published India-specific EOR terms.
🇨🇴 Colombia	TopSource Worldwide offers Colombian EOR services alongside managed payroll. Clients can connect local employment, benefits and payroll administration with support across their international operations.
🇨🇦 Canada	TopSource Worldwide offers Employer of Record services for companies hiring employees in Canada, with local employment and payroll administration.
🇪🇬 Egypt	Dedicated Egypt EOR service page offering employment without the client opening an Egyptian entity.

Brazil profile

TopSource Worldwide supports Brazilian employment through EOR, payroll and ongoing employment administration, with a wider service range for companies entering and expanding internationally. It is a useful fit for employers placing a small number of specialised staff in Brazil as part of a broader commercial or operational expansion.

Beyond EOR, its services include global payroll, talent acquisition, entity setup and management, mobility, and HR and benefits advice. These capabilities allow a business to connect its initial hiring requirements with the longer-term work of establishing and running a local operation.

TopSource Worldwide’s expertise in Brazilian hiring and expansion is demonstrated through the Cortland International case study on its website. The manufacturer of advanced ropes, slings and tethers needed skilled employees across several markets. TopSource enabled it to employ and pay professionals in Brazil and other countries through EOR and payroll services, supporting growth before Cortland had its own local entities.

Brian Boyce’s account of the partnership emphasises dependable employee payments and support. The engagement achieved accurate, on-time payroll after the transition, showing the operational value of coordinating employment administration across a distributed international team.

Brazil facts

Brazil services	EOR + payroll — Employment, payments and ongoing administration
Brazil client example	Cortland International — Hiring skilled staff for international expansion
Expansion support	Entity setup & management — Connect initial hiring with a longer-term operation
Additional services	Recruitment + mobility — HR and benefits advice also available
EOR fee	Custom proposal — Price the Brazil headcount and service scope.
Operating focus	Multi-country teams — Coordinated employment and payroll across markets
Reviewed	2 November 2026

Services in Brazil

Brazil EOR	Available as part of the agreed Brazil service scope.
Global payroll	Available as part of the agreed Brazil service scope.
Talent acquisition	Available as part of the agreed Brazil service scope.
Entity services	Available as part of the agreed Brazil service scope.
HR and benefits	Available as part of the agreed Brazil service scope.

Strengths and watch-outs in Brazil

✓ Cortland International is a named example of employees being hired and paid in Brazil through an international EOR and payroll engagement. It is particularly relevant to employers placing a few specialised professionals in the country to support wider growth.
✓ EOR and payroll services can support different stages of a Brazilian expansion: initial employment before an entity is ready and payroll administration once the business has its own operation. The broader entity-services offering can help coordinate that plan.
✓ Talent acquisition, mobility and benefits advice extend the relationship beyond monthly payroll. This is useful when the Brazilian hiring project includes recruitment, relocation or the design of an employment package for a specialised role.
✓ The Cortland engagement connects payroll reliability with market expansion. For organisations with employees spread across several countries, a coordinated service can reduce the administrative burden of managing separate local payroll relationships.
✗ A broad expansion engagement can include several chargeable workstreams. Separate Brazilian EOR employment, recruitment, mobility, entity setup and ongoing accounting or administration in the proposal so you can compare both initial and recurring costs.
✗ For a very small Brazil-only team, some of the wider international and entity-management services may be unnecessary. Choose the scope around actual headcount and expansion milestones rather than committing to a full package at the outset.

Sources

UK profile

TopSource Worldwide, now trading as TopSource, grew out of Britain’s payroll and employment-services industry. Its roots go back to TopSource Global Solutions in 2003 and PEO Worldwide in 2013, brought together through Horizon Capital’s £22 million investment commitment in 2020 under co-founders Guil Hastings and Paul Sleath. From its London base, the group expanded through acquisitions including Select Payroll Solutions and Compandben in 2021, followed by Blueback Global and Bradford Jacobs’ EOR division in 2022. With Hastings returning as CEO in 2026, that payroll heritage continues into its current combination of UK employment, international EOR, managed payroll and accounting support across a stated 164 countries.

TopSource Worldwide is a UK-headquartered, private-equity-backed payroll and employment services group offering Employer of Record in 164 countries (its about page separately says 180+) through owned entities and in-country partners, alongside global and UK payroll, contractor of record, entity setup and management, talent acquisition, immigration and HR advisory. It claims 400+ staff, 1,600+ customers and 1.2 million payslips a month, with offices in London, Pune, Sunnyvale and Seattle (provider claims).

The UK is its home market. Its UK page says hires are employed through TopSource's 'established structure' without naming the company. Companies House shows two group companies at 71-75 Shelton Street, London: TopSource Worldwide (PEO) Ltd (08827617, incorporated 2013 as PEO Worldwide Limited, SIC 78300 human resources provision) and TopSource Worldwide (UK) Ltd (04626779, incorporated 2003 as TopSource Global Solutions Limited). Both are controlled by TopSource Worldwide Group Limited (12987655). The Home Office register of licensed sponsors dated 26 October 2026 lists Topsource Worldwide (UK) Ltd, London, as an A-rated Skilled Worker sponsor. The directory has not confirmed which of the two companies issues UK EOR employment contracts.

The UK page covers PAYE and RTI filing, 15% employer NIC above the GBP 5,000 threshold, pension auto-enrolment, the written statement of particulars, right-to-work checks and preparation for the Employment Rights Act 2025 unfair-dismissal change on 1 January 2027, and quotes a typical two-to-five-day start. Pricing is a flat monthly fee per employee quoted per country. No price list is published and the /pricing/ URL returns a 404. G2 shows 2.8/5 from four reviews.

UK facts

UK employing entity	Own UK group companies (provider claim: UK hires are employed through its 'established structure'). The UK page does not name the employing company. TopSource Worldwide (PEO) Ltd carries the HR-provision SIC code, and TopSource Worldwide (UK) Ltd holds the sponsor licence. Which one issues UK EOR contracts is not stated.
Companies House	08827617, TopSource Worldwide (PEO) Ltd (formerly PEO Worldwide Limited, renamed 5 April 2022), and 04626779, TopSource Worldwide (UK) Ltd (formerly TopSource Global Solutions Limited, renamed 5 April 2022), both England & Wales
Registered office	71-75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2H 9JQ (both companies)
Incorporated	30 December 2013 (PEO Ltd); 2 January 2003 (UK Ltd). Share capital was not verified from the register pages reviewed.
Status and filings	Both active. Last accounts made up to 30 March 2025, next due 30 December 2026. No insolvency history is shown.
Directors	PEO Ltd: Nima Abrishamchian (since 2 September 2024) and Bryan Nicholas Davies (since 29 March 2022). UK Ltd: the same two plus William Wallace Hastings (director and secretary since 2003). Ian David Larkin resigned from both boards on 31 March 2026.
Ownership	Person with significant control of both companies: TopSource Worldwide Group Limited (12987655), notified 14 December 2020. The group says it is private-equity backed (investor not named on the pages reviewed).
Sponsor licence	Topsource Worldwide (UK) Ltd, London, is listed as Worker (A rating), Skilled Worker route, on the Home Office register dated 26 October 2026. PEO Ltd is not listed. The UK EOR page does not say whether TopSource sponsors visas for EOR hires.
Contract types	Contracts tailored per hire (notice, probation, hours, confidentiality and IP set to client terms), with a written statement of particulars as a day-one right. Fixed-term availability is not published.
Payroll and statutory	PAYE and employee NIC at source, 15% employer Class 1 NIC above GBP 5,000 with reliefs, RTI on or before each pay date, auto-enrolment at the 3% employer minimum including re-enrolment and declaration of compliance, SSP and statutory family pay, and National Living Wage bands
Benefits	Statutory benefits included. Optional benefits are benchmarked locally. The UK page lists private medical insurance, income protection, enhanced pension and extra leave as typical additions but does not itemise what TopSource provides or the cost.
Onboarding time	Typically two to five days for a UK hire; five business days in most markets (provider claim)
Pricing	Not published. Flat monthly fee per employee quoted per country, not linked to salary, with volume discounts and no onboarding, offboarding or platform seat fees; statutory costs passed through at cost (provider claims). The /pricing/ URL returns a 404.
Provider UK page	topsourceworldwide.com/employer-of-record/united-kingdom ↗

Services in the UK

Employer of Record	Employs UK staff through TopSource's own UK structure on a tailored contract with a day-one written statement of particulars. It agrees salary and National Living Wage banding, completes the right-to-work check before the start date, adds the employee to its PAYE scheme and quotes a typical two-to-five-day start (provider claim).
Payroll, NIC and pension	Monthly payroll with payslips and P60s, PAYE and employee NIC at source, 15% employer NIC above GBP 5,000 with under-21, apprentice and Employment Allowance reliefs applied where eligible, RTI filed on every pay date, and full auto-enrolment administration including opt-outs, three-yearly re-enrolment and the declaration of compliance to The Pensions Regulator.
HR advisory and offboarding	In-country advice on contract changes, performance and compliant exits, with dismissals run to a documented process ahead of the 1 January 2027 unfair-dismissal change. Includes a named account manager, a 24/5 phone line and a quarterly compliance and cost audit (provider claims).
UK payroll for own-entity clients	Domestic UK payroll outsourcing for companies that already run their own UK entity, listed separately from global payroll.
Contractor of record	Compliant engagement and payment of contractors, plus a contractor misclassification audit through its HR advisory line.
Entity setup and transition	Entity setup and ongoing entity management, with employees transferable from EOR to the client's own UK company without an exit penalty (provider claim).
Talent acquisition and immigration	Recruitment and global mobility support. A group company holds an A-rated Skilled Worker sponsor licence, but whether it sponsors EOR hires is not stated.

Strengths and watch-outs in the UK

✓ Employs through its own UK group companies, verifiable on Companies House, with group roots going back to 2003 and a common parent, TopSource Worldwide Group Limited.
✓ A group company, Topsource Worldwide (UK) Ltd, is an A-rated Skilled Worker sponsor on the Home Office register, which few EOR providers can show in the UK.
✓ Detailed UK page as a home-market provider: 15% employer NIC above GBP 5,000, RTI, auto-enrolment, right-to-work and the 2027 unfair-dismissal change.
✓ Fee structure is explained: a flat per-employee fee that does not rise with salary and no onboarding, offboarding or seat fees (provider claim).
✓ Broad UK range beyond EOR, including domestic payroll, contractor of record, entity setup and an EOR-to-entity transfer.
✗ Weak independent review record: G2 shows 2.8/5 from only four reviews; the 4.8/5 Gartner figure on its site is a provider claim.
✗ No published prices: fees are quote-only and the /pricing/ URL returns a 404.
✗ The UK page does not name the employing company, say whether fixed-term contracts or visa sponsorship for EOR hires are offered, or price optional benefits.
✗ No security certifications are published, and the site gives conflicting country counts (164 versus 180+).
✗ Board turnover: a director resigned from both UK companies on 31 March 2026, and PEO Ltd records four director resignations since 2022.

Reviews

G2: 2.8/5 from 4 reviews (read 26 October 2026; page modified 23 September 2026). The profile is vendor-claimed with limited features and shows no pricing.
Trustpilot: not retrieved (Trustpilot blocked automated access).
Capterra: no listing found.
Google: not retrieved. The provider's own site claims 4.8/5 on Gartner Peer Insights (provider claim, not verified).

Reviews are reported as found and are not verified by the directory.

Sources

Germany profile

TopSource Worldwide is a UK-headquartered global employment and payroll group that says it was founded more than two decades ago, is backed by private equity and offers Employer of Record services in 164 countries through a mix of owned entities and vetted in-country partners, alongside global payroll, entity setup and management, contractor of record, talent acquisition, immigration and HR advisory services (provider claims). Its leadership page lists Guil Hastings as chief executive and founder, with Nima Abrishamchian as chief financial officer, Bryan Davies as chief operating officer and Doug Sawers as chairman. The German company register aggregator northdata lists a group of London-registered companies under the TopSource Worldwide name, including Topsource Worldwide (UK) Ltd (Companies House 04626779) and Topsource Worldwide (PEO) Ltd (Companies House 08827617).

No German employing entity could be identified. Searches of northdata for "TopSource GmbH" and "TopSource Worldwide" returned no active German company connected to the provider, and the Germany page says only that TopSource employs German hires "through our established structure" without stating whether that is an owned GmbH or a partner. The provider does not mention the Arbeitnehmerueberlassungsgesetz, an AUeG licence, the 18-month maximum assignment or equal pay after nine months anywhere on the pages reviewed. The Germany page does describe the service in detail: a written German-language employment contract under the BGB with probation, notice and leave terms, registration with the Krankenkasse and tax authorities before the start date, monthly payroll in euros with Lohnsteuer withholding and employer social insurance calculated against the 2026 contribution ceilings, and handling of dismissals under the Kuendigungsschutzgesetz including works council (Betriebsrat) hearings and social selection.

No price is published for Germany; the general EOR page describes a flat monthly fee per employee quoted per country that does not rise with salary, statutory costs passed through at cost, and no onboarding, offboarding or platform fees, while the site's pricing URL returns a 404 page. Onboarding is stated inconsistently as "days" on the Germany page, one to two weeks in the Germany FAQ and five business days on the general EOR page. G2 shows an average of 2.8/5 from 4 reviews, and no Germany-related review could be read.

Germany facts

German employing entity	Not published. The Germany page says TopSource employs German hires "through our established structure" and the general EOR page says the group covers 164 countries "through owned entities and vetted in-country partners", but neither page states whether Germany is served by an owned GmbH or a partner. No German company connected to the provider was found on northdata.
Commercial register	Not published. Northdata searches for "TopSource GmbH" and "TopSource Worldwide" returned no German entity linked to the provider; the only results under the TopSource Worldwide name are London companies registered at Companies House, including Topsource Worldwide (UK) Ltd (04626779), Topsource Worldwide (PEO) Ltd (08827617), Topsource Worldwide Group Ltd (12987655) and Topsource Worldwide Topco Ltd (12983420). An unrelated-looking, dissolved "Top Source Europe GmbH" in Duesseldorf (HRB 53990) appears in the results with no stated connection to the provider.
Registered office	Not published for Germany. The UK group companies listed on northdata are registered in London.
Founded	Not published for a German entity. The about page says the group was founded "over two decades ago" (provider claim).
Company status	Not published for Germany (no German entity identified).
Managing directors	Not published (no German entity identified). Group leadership page lists Guil Hastings (chief executive officer and founder), Nima Abrishamchian (chief financial officer), Bryan Davies (chief operating officer), Doug Sawers (chairman) and Tom Maizels and Jamie White (non-executive directors).
AÜG licence	Says nothing. The Germany page, the general EOR page and the about page do not mention Arbeitnehmerueberlassung, an Erlaubnis zur Arbeitnehmerueberlassung from the Bundesagentur fuer Arbeit, the 18-month Hoechstueberlassungsdauer or equal pay after nine months, and do not say whether a licensed partner is used.
Contract types	A written employment contract in German under the Buergerliches Gesetzbuch and relevant collective terms, with probation, notice, leave and social-insurance details set out; the general EOR page says notice periods, probation, working hours, confidentiality and IP clauses are tailored per hire. Fixed-term, part-time and mini-job contracts are not specifically listed.
Payroll and statutory	Monthly payroll in EUR with Lohnsteuer withheld under the employee's tax class, church tax and solidarity surcharge where applicable; employer social insurance calculated against the 2026 ceilings (EUR 8,450 per month for pension and unemployment, EUR 5,812.50 for health and long-term care) at 9.3% pension, 8.75% health including the 2.9% average supplement, 1.8% long-term care (1.3% in Saxony) and 1.3% unemployment, plus the 0.15% insolvency levy, the U2 maternity levy and accident insurance by risk class; remittance to the Krankenkasse and Finanzamt each month; registration with the Krankenkasse and tax authorities before the start date. The page states the U1 sick-pay levy "typically falls away under an EOR" because it applies only to employers with 30 or fewer staff.
Compliance services stated	Dismissals managed under the Kuendigungsschutzgesetz with documented process, social selection (Sozialauswahl) and prior hearing of any works council (Betriebsrat); statutory notice periods from four weeks to seven months; minimum wage of EUR 13.90 per hour from 1 January 2026 applied automatically; statutory leave, six weeks' continued sick pay and work-permit checks for non-EU hires. The general EOR page adds right-to-work checks and a quarterly compliance and cost audit of the client's global workforce. False self-employment (Scheinselbstaendigkeit) is not mentioned on the Germany page, although the group sells a separate contractor misclassification analysis.
Optional benefits	Statutory benefits plus customisable benefits benchmarked by in-country specialists (general EOR page). The Germany FAQ names a company pension scheme (betriebliche Altersvorsorge), a 13th-month or holiday bonus and vacation days above the statutory 20 as the most competitive additions. Private health insurance is not specifically published.
Other services in Germany	Entity setup and entity management (including transfer of an EOR team to the client's own GmbH), global payroll, contractor of record and contractor misclassification analysis, talent acquisition, global mobility and immigration, salary benchmarking, market selection advisory, global benefits review, HR advisory, accounting and BPO (provider's service list); an employment cost calculator and a custom Germany quote returned within one business day.
Stated onboarding time	Stated inconsistently: "working in days" on the Germany page, "typically within one to two weeks for social insurance registration and contract execution" in the Germany FAQ, and "typically 5 business days in most markets" on the general EOR page (provider claims).
Entry price	Not published. The general EOR page describes a flat monthly fee per employee quoted per country in the client's chosen currency, which does not rise with salary, with volume discounts; statutory employer costs are passed through at cost with no mark-up; no onboarding, offboarding or platform seat fee and no exit penalty if employees transfer to the client's own entity (provider claims). The site's /pricing/ URL returns a 404 page and G2 states that pricing details are not available.
Security certifications (group)	Not published on the pages reviewed.
Provider Germany page	topsourceworldwide.com/employer-of-record/germany ↗

Services in Germany

Employer of Record	TopSource becomes the legal employer of the German hire through what it calls its established structure, agrees the role, salary and benefits with the client, confirms the social-insurance treatment and checks work-permit needs for non-EU hires, issues a German-language employment contract under the BGB, registers the employee with the Krankenkasse and tax authorities before the start date and runs monthly payroll in euros. The provider does not state whether the employer is an owned GmbH or a partner, and does not mention an AUeG licence.
German payroll and social insurance	Calculates salary, withholds Lohnsteuer according to tax class plus church tax and solidarity surcharge where due, deducts the employee's social insurance and pays the employer's share across pension, health, long-term care and unemployment insurance against the 2026 contribution ceilings, together with the insolvency levy, U2 levy and accident insurance; remits to the Krankenkasse and Finanzamt each month.
Contracts, dismissal protection and works councils	Contracts set out probation, notice, leave and social-insurance details and can be tailored on notice periods, working hours, confidentiality and IP. The provider says it manages lawful, documented exits under the Kuendigungsschutzgesetz, applies social selection in operational dismissals, and hears the works council (Betriebsrat) before any dismissal where one exists.
Benefits administration	Statutory benefits are included; supplementary benefits are benchmarked by in-country specialists and approved by the client in advance. For Germany the provider suggests a company pension (betriebliche Altersvorsorge), a 13th-month or holiday bonus and additional vacation days as competitive options.
Account management and employee support	A named account manager and a 24/5 phone line to in-country experts for the client, and a dedicated onboarding manager plus a direct line for the employee on payslips, leave, sick pay and social-insurance questions; a quarterly compliance and cost audit of the client's workforce (provider claims).
Entity setup and transfer to a GmbH	Entity setup and ongoing entity management for clients that outgrow the EOR; the Germany FAQ says many clients enter through the EOR and move to their own GmbH later, and that TopSource transfers the team when the time comes with no exit penalty.
Contractor of record and misclassification analysis	A separate contractor of record service and a contractor misclassification audit are offered group-wide; the Germany page itself does not address false self-employment (Scheinselbstaendigkeit).
Pricing model	A flat monthly fee per employee quoted per country that does not change with salary, statutory employer costs passed through at cost with no mark-up, no onboarding, offboarding or platform seat fee, and a written quote for Germany within one business day; the fee itself is not published.
Portico platform and integrations	The Portico platform gives clients a real-time view of their global workforce with a single invoice and dashboard, an API and integrations with HRIS, finance and ATS tools (provider claims).

Strengths and watch-outs in Germany

✓ The Germany page is detailed and current, setting out the 2026 contribution ceilings, the four social-insurance branches and their employer rates, the insolvency and U2 levies, the EUR 13.90 minimum wage, the Kuendigungsschutzgesetz thresholds, social selection and the works council hearing requirement.
✓ The pricing model is explained even though the fee is not: a flat per-employee fee that does not rise with salary, statutory costs at cost with no mark-up, and no onboarding, offboarding, platform or exit fees, with a written Germany quote promised within one business day.
✓ Support is service-led rather than ticket-based, with a named account manager, a 24/5 phone line to in-country experts, a dedicated onboarding manager for the employee and a quarterly compliance audit (provider claims).
✓ The group offers entity setup and management, global payroll, contractor of record, immigration and benchmarking from one provider, and states that EOR employees transfer to a client's own GmbH without an exit penalty.
✓ It is a long-established, private-equity-backed group that says it has operated for over two decades with 400+ employees and 1.2 million payslips a month, and its UK group companies are traceable on Companies House through the northdata listing.
✗ No German employing entity is identified: northdata searches found no TopSource GmbH, and the Germany page does not say whether German hires are employed by an owned entity or an in-country partner.
✗ The provider says nothing about the Arbeitnehmerueberlassungsgesetz, an AUeG licence, the 18-month maximum assignment or equal pay after nine months, which are central to the legality of an EOR arrangement in Germany.
✗ No fee is published for Germany, the /pricing/ URL returns a 404 page and G2 lists no pricing, so the cost can only be established by quote.
✗ The independent review record is weak: G2 shows 2.8/5 from only 4 reviews and the individual reviews could not be read, so there is no Germany-specific feedback to rely on.
✗ The provider's own figures are inconsistent across its pages: onboarding is given as days, one to two weeks or five business days, the Gartner rating as 4.8/5 or 5/5, customers as 1,500+ or 1,600+, and coverage as 164 or 180+ countries; no information security certifications are published.

Reviews

G2 overall: 2.8/5 from 4 reviews (read on g2.com, 8 October 2026; page last modified 23 September 2026). The profile is claimed by TopSource Worldwide but has limited features, and G2 lists no pricing information. Individual review texts could not be read from the page, so no Germany-related review was found.
The provider's own website carries unattributed testimonials, including one from a "Director of Research Operations" praising the client success manager's availability and one from a "Chief Human Resources Officer" describing the account manager as "like having your own TopSource HR representative on your team". These are selected by the provider and not independently verified.
The provider states a 4.8/5 rating on Gartner Peer Insights on its EOR page and "Rated 5/5 by users on Gartner" on its about page; the Gartner listing was not read for this entry.

Reviews are reported as found and are not verified by the directory. The G2 base is very small (4 reviews) and the individual reviews were not readable; the website testimonials are provider-selected.

Sources

China profile

TopSource Worldwide (trading as TopSource since 2025) is a UK-headquartered employment, payroll and entity services group. Its timeline states that TopSource Global Solutions was founded in 2003 with a UK payroll practice, opened an India payroll practice in 2007, and merged in 2020 with PEO Worldwide (founded 2013) after investment from Horizon Capital; founder Guil Hastings returned as CEO in 2026. Its EOR terms are issued by Topsource Worldwide Group Limited, and Companies House lists Topsource Worldwide (PEO) Ltd, company number 08827617, at 71-75 Shelton Street, London, WC2H 9JQ. TopSource states EOR coverage of 164 countries "through owned entities and vetted in-country partners".

In mainland China, TopSource's China EOR page describes hiring through "an EOR that already holds registered entity status in China", and its article "Hiring in China without an Entity: EOR vs FESCO", updated 14 September 2026, states that "TopSource employs your hire in China on a direct labour contract through our local entity", arguing that labour dispatch is unsuitable for permanent staff because of the 10 percent cap (provider claims). The Chinese entity is not named, and no unified social credit code, registered address, city, legal representative or labour dispatch licence is published; the EOR terms refer generically to a "Delivery Partner". The pages state that TopSource calculates the five insurances and housing fund at the employee's city rates, withholds IIT monthly and handles the annual reconciliation, and describe 30 days' notice and N or N+1 severance.

No China price is published; the EOR page describes a flat monthly fee quoted upfront with no onboarding, offboarding or platform fees, but the 2026 EOR annex defines an Implementation Fee, a deposit of at least one month's employment cost, a six-month initial term with 90 days' notice, and offboarding fees of GBP 500 per employee on resignation or termination and GBP 350 per hour plus legal fees on transfer to the client's own entity. Onboarding is stated at one to two weeks on the China page and 5 to 10 days on the EOR page. G2 shows 2.8/5 from 4 reviews; Gartner Peer Insights shows 4.6/5 from 16 ratings.

China facts

Chinese employing entity	TopSource states that it employs the hire "on a direct labour contract through our local entity" in China and that an EOR "that already holds registered entity status in China" lets clients hire without a WFOE (provider claims, China EOR page modified 23 September 2026 and FESCO article updated 14 September 2026). The entity is not named. The group-level EOR page says coverage of 164 countries is "through owned entities and vetted in-country partners" and the EOR terms refer to a "Delivery Partner", so whether the Chinese employer is a TopSource subsidiary or a partner cannot be confirmed from the published pages. No FESCO, CIIC or other partner is named for China.
Business registration	Not published. No Chinese legal name (有限公司), unified social credit code (统一社会信用代码) or SAMR registration is published for a TopSource entity in China, and a web search on 20 October 2026 returned no Chinese registry listing. The UK contracting company named in the EOR terms is Topsource Worldwide Group Limited; Companies House lists a related company, Topsource Worldwide (PEO) Ltd, company number 08827617, incorporated 30 December 2013, formerly PEO Worldwide Limited, SIC 78300. A company-data aggregator listed Topsource Worldwide Group Limited under company number 12987655, which the directory did not verify on Companies House.
Registered office	Not published for the Chinese entity; no city is stated. Topsource Worldwide (PEO) Ltd gives its registered office as 71-75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London, United Kingdom, WC2H 9JQ (Companies House). Gartner Peer Insights lists the head office as London, United Kingdom, and the group names India delivery operations with India-specific terms and ISO certificates issued to Topsource Infotech Solutions Private Limited.
Founded	Not published for the Chinese entity. The group timeline states TopSource Global Solutions was founded in 2003; PEO Worldwide, the EOR business, was founded in 2013 and the two merged as TopSource Worldwide in 2020. Gartner lists the year founded as 2004.
Company status	Not published for the Chinese entity. Topsource Worldwide (PEO) Ltd is shown as Active on Companies House with last accounts made up to 30 March 2025.
Legal representative / management	Not published for the Chinese entity. The group names Guil Hastings as founder, appointed CEO in 2020 and returning as CEO in 2026, Tom Green as Chief Commercial Officer and Nima Abrishamchian as Chief Financial Officer; Mark Robbins, Global Sales Director, authored the China FESCO article. No China-based staff are named on the pages reviewed, although the China payroll page refers to "our experts for China".
Dispatch licence	Not published. TopSource's FESCO article states that labour dispatch (劳务派遣) is capped at 10 percent of the workforce and limited to temporary, auxiliary or substitute roles under the 2012 Labour Contract Law amendment and the 2014 Interim Provisions, and that a modern EOR "signs a standard, direct labour contract through its own licensed Chinese entity" instead; it describes TopSource as employing on a direct labour contract through its local entity rather than by dispatch. No labour dispatch licence (劳务派遣经营许可证), human resources service licence or document number is published, and the pages do not use the term labour outsourcing (劳务外包).
Contract types	The China pages describe 30 days' written notice or pay in lieu for termination without cause "during a fixed-term contract", an open-ended contract to be offered after two consecutive fixed-term contracts or ten years' service, probation tied to contract length (up to two months for a one-to-three-year contract, six months for three years or more) at no less than 80 percent of the full wage, and the one-month written-contract deadline with the double-wage penalty. The group EOR annex defines each Employment Agreement as being "for an indefinite period and subject to any labour laws". Which contract term TopSource uses by default in China is not published.
Payroll and statutory	Monthly payroll paid in RMB by domestic bank transfer within China's foreign exchange controls; the five insurances (pension at employer 16 percent and employee 8 percent, medical, unemployment, work injury, maternity) and the housing provident fund of 5 to 12 percent calculated at city-level rates and caps based on where the employee is based, with a contribution base bounded by 60 to 300 percent of the local average wage; employer cost quoted at roughly 27 to 35 percent on top of gross in Shanghai and Beijing; monthly IIT withholding on a cumulative basis after the CNY 60,000 standard deduction with filing to the local tax bureau; annual IIT reconciliation managed, including year-end bonus treatment; payslips reconciled to each city's tax and social insurance bureau filings; consolidated reporting in the client's base currency. The China pages carry an employment cost calculator with indicative figures.
Compliance services stated	Written labour contract within one month to avoid the double-wage penalty; city-level social insurance and housing fund registration; monthly IIT and the annual reconciliation; termination handled by TopSource as employer with 30 days' notice or pay in lieu and N or N+1 severance; guidance on the open-ended contract rule and the no at-will employment principle; contractor misclassification analysis offered as an advisory service. The EOR annex states that any HR process, including termination, is communicated to the employee solely by TopSource, that TopSource engages independent local lawyers at the client's cost where a legal determination is needed, and that the client bears severance, pay in lieu and proven legal costs where a termination lacks statutory grounds. Work permits and Z visas for foreign hires in China are not specifically addressed on the China pages; the group offers a Global Mobility and Immigration service, and the annex treats work permit and visa fees as ad-hoc fees.
Optional benefits	The China EOR page FAQ states that competitive employers in China typically add supplementary commercial health insurance, meal or transport subsidies and an annual bonus tied to Chinese New Year, and that the 13th-month salary is customary but not mandatory. The EOR annex states that statutory and supplementary benefits are provided by TopSource at the client's expense, with sourcing and management of specific benefits or insurance chargeable as ad-hoc fees. No China benefits menu or pricing is published.
Other services in China	Fully managed China payroll for clients with their own WFOE registered with the tax and social insurance authorities; entity setup and entity management; transactional accounting; HR advisory including salary benchmarking, market selection advisory, global skills analysis, benefits benchmarking and contractor misclassification analysis; talent acquisition; global mobility and immigration; contractor of record; Portico client and employee portals with an API for HRIS and ATS integration. The EOR page states that employees transfer to the client's own entity "with no exit penalty", while the EOR annex and offboarding fee list charge client-driven transfers of employment at GBP 350 per hour plus external legal fees.
Stated onboarding time	One to two weeks on the China EOR page, "largely governed by the mandatory city-level social insurance registration process" (provider claim). The group EOR page states 5 to 10 day onboarding in its description and "5 business days to onboard" in its headline figures, which is shorter than the China-specific figure.
Entry price	Not published for China. The EOR page describes "one flat monthly fee per employee" in the currency the client chooses, quoted upfront, that does not rise with salary, plus the country's statutory employer costs, and states there are no onboarding, offboarding or platform seat fees. The EOR services annex (2026) nonetheless defines a one-time Implementation Fee payable on signing, a Monthly Services Fee subject to annual increase in line with the UK Retail Price Index, an Annual Services Fee, Ad-Hoc Services Fees, a Deposit of the greater of one month of Consultant Fees or a higher amount reflecting local rules and notice periods, and an Off-Boarding Fee; the offboarding fee list sets GBP 500 per employee for resignations and client-initiated terminations and GBP 350 per hour plus external legal fees for transfers of employment or mutual termination agreements. The initial term is six months and either party may then terminate on 90 days' notice; fees are invoiced in local currency with the exchange rate set by Ebury or another provider chosen by TopSource. Gartner describes pricing as per employee per month fees that vary by country.
Security certifications (group)	ISO 27001, ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certificates are published on the Legal and Compliance Portal, each issued to Topsource Infotech Solutions Private Limited (the India entity); a group information security self-assessment questionnaire dated 22 March 2024 is also listed. No SOC 2 report or certificate covering the UK or any Chinese entity is published.
Provider China page	topsourceworldwide.com/employer-of-record/china ↗

Services in China

Employer of Record	Employs Chinese staff on what TopSource describes as a direct labour contract through its own local entity, with TopSource appearing on the contract and payslip and explaining the arrangement to each new hire (provider claim; entity not named). TopSource prepares and signs the employment agreement, runs payroll, registers the employee for the five insurances and housing fund in the city of employment, withholds IIT and handles terminations as the legal employer. The China page states onboarding of one to two weeks; a named account manager and a dedicated onboarding manager are assigned.
China payroll and statutory filings	Monthly RMB payroll with the five insurances and housing fund calculated at the rates and caps of the employee's city, monthly IIT withholding on the cumulative basis filed with the local tax bureau, the annual IIT reconciliation including year-end bonus treatment, and payslips in a format that reconciles with each city's tax and social insurance bureau filings. The same service is offered to clients with their own WFOE under the Global Payroll service, with consolidated reporting across countries in the client's base currency.
Termination and offboarding	TopSource conducts terminations as employer after verifying that the ground is permitted under Chinese law, applying 30 days' notice or pay in lieu and N or N+1 severance; where no statutory ground exists it negotiates a mutual termination agreement at the client's cost. The 2026 offboarding fee list charges GBP 500 per employee for resignations and client terminations (deregistration and leaver paperwork) and GBP 350 per hour plus external legal fees for mutual termination agreements and transfers of employment, with other exits agreed by addendum.
Entity setup and management	Sets up and maintains the client's own entity, including a WFOE in China, with the China payroll page stating that a WFOE must be registered with the tax and social insurance authorities before TopSource's payroll service can run. The EOR page says many clients start on EOR and move to their own entity once a country team grows, and that employees transfer with no exit penalty; the EOR annex requires the client to follow statutory transfer rules and cover the transfer costs detailed in the order.
HR advisory and talent services	Salary benchmarking, market selection advisory, global skills analysis, benefits benchmarking and review, contractor misclassification analysis and talent strategy optimisation, together with talent acquisition and a global mobility and immigration service for moving staff between markets. Work permit and visa applications for EOR employees are charged as ad-hoc fees under the EOR annex.
Portico platform and integrations	Client and employee portals (Portico) for HR data, payroll and documents, with an API for syncing attendance, leave, onboarding and benefits data with the client's HRIS and ATS, set up by TopSource's onboarding team.

Strengths and watch-outs in China

✓ States expressly that it employs Chinese hires on a direct labour contract through its own local entity rather than FESCO-style labour dispatch, and its China article explains the 10 percent dispatch cap and the temporary, auxiliary or substitute restriction, which many providers' China pages leave unaddressed.
✓ The China pages describe the payroll mechanics that matter in China: the five insurances and housing fund calculated at the rates and caps of the employee's city rather than a national average, monthly cumulative IIT withholding, the annual reconciliation including year-end bonus treatment, and payslips reconciled to each city's bureau filings.
✓ Publishes its full EOR terms, EOR service annex, offboarding fee list and data protection provisions on a public Legal and Compliance Portal, so the deposit formula, six-month initial term, 90-day notice, RPI-linked fee increases and offboarding charges can be read before any sales conversation.
✓ A two-decade payroll heritage (UK practice since 2003, India since 2007) and a named account manager and dedicated onboarding manager on every EOR account, with Gartner Peer Insights showing 4.6/5 from 16 ratings and the most recent review (October 2026) praising responsiveness across the employee lifecycle.
✓ Offers both EOR and own-entity China payroll on the same platform, with entity setup and management, accounting and HR advisory available for clients that later form a WFOE, and an API for syncing HR data with the client's existing systems.
✗ The Chinese employing entity could not be verified: it is not named, no unified social credit code, address or legal representative is published, the group describes its coverage as a mix of owned entities and vetted partners, and the EOR terms refer to a Delivery Partner, so a copy of the Chinese business licence should be requested before signing.
✗ Published fee statements conflict: the EOR page says there are no onboarding, offboarding or platform fees and no exit penalty on transfer, while the 2026 EOR annex charges an Implementation Fee, RPI-linked increases, a deposit of at least one month's cost, GBP 500 per employee on exit and GBP 350 per hour on transfer, with a six-month minimum term.
✗ No China price or China-specific review evidence is published: pricing is by quote only, the G2 profile shows 2.8/5 from just 4 reviews, onboarding is stated as one to two weeks on the China page but 5 to 10 days on the group page, and work permits for foreign hires in China are not addressed on the China pages.

Reviews

G2 overall: 2.8/5 from 4 reviews (figure supplied; G2 page last modified 23 September 2026, profile claimed but with limited features and no pricing listed). G2 states there are not enough reviews to provide buying insight; third-party summaries of the G2 reviews cite praise for SLA-backed service and access to local HR and payroll experts, and complaints that it can be costly for smaller companies and complex for simple needs.
Gartner Peer Insights: 4.6/5 from 16 ratings for "TopSource Employer of Record" (read 20 October 2026; 63 percent five-star, 38 percent four-star). The most recent review, 4.0/5 on 6 October 2026 from a Director of Human Resources at a US software company, praised responsiveness "from onboarding, performance management, employment changes, all the way through offboarding"; it does not mention China. TopSource's own pages state "rated 5/5 by our customers" against a Gartner Peer Insights logo.
No Capterra or Trustpilot listing and no Reddit thread discussing TopSource in China were found in searches on 20 October 2026.

Reviews are reported as found and are not verified by the directory; no review specific to TopSource's China service was located, and the G2 base of four reviews is too small to be representative.

Sources

Website

Visit topsourceworldwide.com ↗

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Appears in

🌐 Global EORs · 🇨🇳 China · 🇮🇳 India · 🇩🇪 Germany · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · 🇫🇷 France · 🇲🇽 Mexico · 🇧🇷 Brazil · 🇨🇦 Canada · 🇵🇭 Philippines · 🇦🇺 Australia · 🇪🇸 Spain · 🇵🇹 Portugal · 🇵🇱 Poland · 🇨🇴 Colombia · 🇳🇱 Netherlands · 🇳🇬 Nigeria · 🇧🇮 Burundi · 🇿🇦 South Africa · 🇦🇷 Argentina · 🇪🇬 Egypt

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