Table of Contents
Best Payroll for Accountants Compared
*Access to the providers ’ accounting software may require extra fees
**Pricing is based on a quote we received
If you ’ rhenium uncertain which payroll for accountants platform is best for your business, answer a few questions in our release quiz and we will help you decide.
Which Payroll Software for Accountants is Right For You?
If you ’ rhenium not sure which payroll for accountants is best for your business, answer a few questions in our spare quiz and we will help you decide
Question 1
Do you want unlimited payroll runs?
doubt 1 of 5
1 minute approx
Yes
No
Question 2
Are you looking for fast direct deposits?
question 2 of 5
1 moment approx
Yes
I ’ molarity o with a standard two-day timeline
No
Question 3
Is offering employee benefits plans to your clients important to you?
motion 3 of 5
1 hour approx
Yes
No
Question 4
Do you prefer a partner program that provides discounts only to accountants/accounting firms?
question 4 of 5
1 moment approx
Yes
I like the option to share discounts with clients
Discounts for accountants and clients, please
Question 5
What types of accountant perks would you like to enjoy?
interview 5 of 5
1 infinitesimal approx
gross sharing
Learning courses
I precisely want discounted price
QuickBooks Payroll for Accountants: Best Overall Payroll Software for Accountants
QuickBooks Payroll for Accountants
Overall Score:
4.61
OUT OF
5
| rat CRITERIA | Accountant Tool | 4.50 | OUT OF | 5 |
| Ease of Use | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Expert Review | 4.38 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| HR Features | 4.50 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Payroll Features | 4.25 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Popularity | 4.38 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Pricing | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Reporting | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 |
What We Like
- Unlimited pay runs
- Fast direct deposits with next- and same-day options
- Robust tax penalty protection
- Integrates seamlessly with QuickBooks Accounting
- Discounted payroll plans for clients plus free payroll software access for accounting firms (requires signing up for its free QuickBooks Online Accountant tool)
What ‘s Missing
- Must use QuickBooks for accounting
- Basic HR features only
- Tax penalty protection is available only in the Elite plan
- Local tax payments and filings are not included in the basic Core tier
QuickBooks Payroll for Accountants Pricing
Software fees
- Three plans (Core, Premium, and Elite) with monthly base fees of $45–$125 plus $4–$10 per employee, per month
Accountant perks
- Free access to QuickBooks Payroll Elite if you get QuickBooks Online Accountant
- ProAdvisor discount program deducts 30% from the monthly software base fees and 15% from the per-employee fees—but your firm will be billed
- Free access to QuickBooks online courses
Client discounts
- Direct Discount option offers 30% off the monthly software base fees and 15% off the per-employee fees for your clients’ first 12 months of service—but your clients will be billed
If you use QuickBooks for your clients, then we highly recommend QuickBooks Payroll for Accountants. It lets you set node permissions, guarantees tax accuracy, and includes 24/7 support—plus, its accounting and payroll modules sync seamlessly with each other. And if you sign up for its unblock QuickBooks Online Accountant solution, you can easily access your clients ’ QuickBooks accounts to check their books, edit transactions, and address issues. It even comes with barren access to QuickBooks Payroll Elite ( which you can use to pay your employees ), discount rate price for your clients, and a collaborator ProAdvisor program with discriminatory rates for both you and your customers .
Scoring an overall of 4.61 out of 5 in our evaluation, QuickBooks Payroll for Accountants earned high marks ( 4 and above ) in all of our criteria given its solid account and payroll solutions, ease of manipulation, full-bodied coverage, and guileless price. Users besides appreciate its effective payroll tools as it helps simplify employee give process. however, its circumscribed HR tools prevented it from getting a perfect rat because, unlike ADP and Paychex, QuickBooks doesn ’ deoxythymidine monophosphate have a cortege of HR solutions for managing the entire employee lifecycle .
QuickBooks Payroll for Accountants Discounts & Perks
With QuickBooks Payroll for Accountants, your clients can choose from three QuickBooks Payroll plans ( Core, Premium, and Elite ) with monthly fees that start at $ 45 plus $ 4 per employee. For your modern clients, discounts are available but only for the foremost three months .
Accountants who are contribution of QuickBooks ’ ProAdvisor program can besides choose to pay the monthly fees on behalf of their clients. This allows them to enjoy an ongoing ProAdvisor rebate. They can even pass the discount to new clients through a Direct Discount choice, but this is only for the beginning 12 months, plus QuickBooks will send the billings directly to the clients .
| QuickBooks Payroll Plans | regular price | Client Discount* | ProAdvisor Discount for Accountants | send Discount for Clients |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| kernel | $ 45 per month + $ 4 per employee monthly | $ 22.50 per month + $ 4 per employee monthly | $ 31.50 per month + $ 3.40 per employee | $ 31.50 per calendar month + $ 3.40 per employee monthly |
| premium | $ 75 per month + $ 8 per employee monthly | $ 37.50 per month + $ 8 per employee monthly | $ 52.50 per month + $ 6.80 per employee monthly | $ 52.50 per calendar month + $ 6.80 per employee monthly |
| Elite | $ 125 per calendar month + $ 8 per employee monthly | $ 62.50 per month + $ 8 per employee monthly | $ 87.50 per calendar month + $ 8.50 per employee monthly | $ 87.50 per month + $ 8.50 per employee monthly |
*Your new clients get 50 % off of the software foundation fee for the first three months. note that the discounted rates may change, thus check QuickBooks Payroll ’ s web site from time to time to view the latest promotions on offer .
bill, however, that QuickBooks Payroll doesn ’ deoxythymidine monophosphate offer local tax charge and payment services in its Core software. You have to convince your clients to sign up for at least a agio plan if they want wide payroll tax file services ( union, state, and local ). While you get discriminatory pricing under the ProAdvisor program, QuickBooks Payroll for Accountants ’ discounted Premium tier ( $ 52.50 per calendar month plus $ 6.80 per employee monthly ) is still pricier than Patriot Payroll—which offers full-service payroll and automated tax filings for only $ 30 per month plus $ 4 per employee monthly .
QuickBooks Payroll for Accountants Key Features
Payroll
Setting up QuickBooks Payroll is identical slowly, and you can pay contractors, hourly workers, and salaried employees with merely a few clicks. It comes with automatic and inexhaustible give runs, and wage payouts can be done through paychecks and via next-day and same-day calculate deposits. Its mobile app ( for io and Android devices ) —which is our top-recommended payroll app for little businesses—lets you process payroll and tied e-file taxes while on the become. While the other providers on this number ( except Gusto, Rippling, OnPay, and Patriot Payroll ) have mobile apps, it doesn ’ deoxythymidine monophosphate offer electronic tax filings .
Tax filing services
aside from year-end tax report homework and delivery, federal and country tax filings are included in QuickBooks Payroll ’ s tax services. however, if you require local tax filings, you need to get either its bounty or Elite tier. Elite subscribers besides get a tax punishment guarantee where QuickBooks will cover all penalties ( up to $ 25,000 per year ) in case of tax charge errors—regardless of who made a error. The early payroll software for accountants in this template may offer a similar coverage but merely for tax filing mistakes that their representatives will make .
HR features
Employee onboarding, paid time off ( PTO ) monitoring, and time tracking with QuickBooks Time ( once TSheets ) are just some of the HR features that QuickBooks Payroll offers. While it provides an HR adviser and HR support kernel via its third-party partner ( Mineral ) to help keep you compliant, these services are unavailable to accountants calling on behalf of their clients .
Employee benefits
In addition to pay-as-you-go workers ’ recompense ( via AP Intego ), you are accord access to 401 ( kilobyte ) plans and health policy that is available in all US states. This is unlike Gusto ’ s health benefits, which entirely cover 39 states .
If you want to learn whether its payroll functionalities can handle your clients ’ pay work needs, read our QuickBooks Payroll inspection
Gusto: Best Payroll for Accountants Wanting Help Marketing Their Payroll Services
Gusto
Overall Score:
4.38
OUT OF
5
| rate CRITERIA | Accountant Tools | 3.50 | OUT OF | 5 |
| Ease of Use | 4.50 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Expert Review | 4.38 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| HR Features | 4.13 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Payroll Features | 4.75 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Popularity | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Pricing | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Reporting | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 |
What We Like
- Integrates with several accounting programs
- Partner program for accountants has a revenue share option and a dedicated account representative
- Access to free marketing collateral to advertise your payroll services
What ‘s Missing
- Lacks an in-house accounting system
- Health insurance coverage limited to 39 states
- Time tracking and next-day direct deposits available only in higher tiers
- Lacks special discounts for clients (unless accountants opt to pass discount perk to customers)
Gusto for Accountants Pricing
Software fees
- Core, Complete, and Concierge plans with monthly fees of $39–$149 plus $6–$12 per employee, per month
- Select tier that includes all of Gusto’s features and a dedicated customer success manager; custom priced and requires at least 25 employees
Accountant perks
- Free access to its Complete plan if you onboard one client with Gusto each year
- Revenue share or discounted pricing option (10%–20% discount on Gusto services can be passed to clients)
Client discounts
- No special client discounts
Gusto is a highly rated and popular payroll avail that provides HR support. It offers an accountant partnership program that goes beyond supplying customer payroll and includes documentation programs and marketing venues for getting more clients. And with Gusto Pro, you get a customer splashboard and tools to help you serve your customers well .
In our evaluation, Gusto earned an overall rate of 4.38 out of 5 with perfect scores in price and report capabilities. It lost some points for not having as many HR features as others on our list and for not providing policy in all 50 states, although it does offer on-line onboarding. however, users inactive love its efficient payroll and tax file services, plus they find its features robust given its price .
Gusto for Accountants Discounts & Perks
With Gusto, you and your clients can choose from four sanely priced plans ( Core, Complete, Concierge, and Select ) with monthly fees that start at $ 39 plus $ 6 per employee. New clients are alone entitled to a one-month free trial, although you can choose to share your accountant deduction with them .
As a Gusto partner, you enjoy several perks like complimentary payroll migration for your clients and free payroll software for your firm ( provided you enroll one customer with Gusto per year ). You besides get the prospect to be citizenry Advisory Certified and featured in the Gusto Partner Directory .
When signing up for Gusto ’ s collaborator accountant course of study, you will be asked to choose one of its discount and incentive options :
- Gusto to bill your clients at discounted rates
- Gusto to bill your clients using advertised rates but you’ll receive revenue shares
- Gusto to bill you at a discounted rate
The percentage of the dismiss or tax income contribution varies, depending on the number of clients you have. newly enrolled accountant partners are besides required to run node payroll with Gusto within 30 days of signing up for the program to receive the resulting deduction or gross plowshare .
| starter | tan | silver | gold | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Gusto Clients | 1–2 | 3–14 | 15–49 | 50+ |
| Discount or Revenue Share Percentage | x | 10 % | 15 % | 20 % |
| barren Gusto Complete Payroll For Your firm | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| One-month Free Trial for your Clients | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Gusto Account Dashboard | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| rid market collateral | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Gusto Partner Badges and Featured Partner Listing | ten | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Customer Support | Dedicated report rep | Dedicated rep and VIP hold | Dedicated rep and VIP patronize | Dedicated rep and VIP subscribe |
You need to have at least three clients with Gusto to enjoy dismiss perks. If you want to get discounted price or plan to pass discounts to your customers, consider QuickBooks Payroll. Its accountant partner program doesn ’ metric ton have node limits and offers higher discounts ( 30 % and 15 % off the monthly free-base and per-employee fees, respectively ) compared to Gusto ’ sulfur discounts ( 10 % –20 % only ) .
Gusto for Accountants Key Features
Payroll
Unlimited payroll, multiple pay rates and schedules, and automatic pay runs, are just some of Gusto ’ mho pay process features. aside from hourly and salaried employees, it can handle payroll for contractors and hourly and compensable employees. It supports pay cards, paychecks, and direct deposits with four- and two-day options, and if you sign up for its higher tiers, you get next-day conduct deposits .
Tax filing services
Unlike QuickBooks Payroll, all of Gusto ’ s plans include tax requital and filing services for federal, country, and local anesthetic taxes. It besides handles year-end tax report ( W-2 and 1099 ) and—unlike SurePayroll, ADP, and Paychex—won ’ t charge you extra for this .
Marketing collaterals
All accountant partners get free Gusto market collateral, cobranded dashboards, and referral tools to help advertise payroll services to clients. As your incentive flat increases, you get extra marketing resources—like inclusion in Gusto ’ s spouse directory, Gusto partner badges that you can add to your web site, and a sport partner profile .
HR features
aside from on-line newly rent forms and onboarding tools, Gusto lets you upload and shop electronic documents ( like e-signed offer letters ) in its platform. If you subscribe to its higher tiers, you get basic time track, work force cost, adept advisers, and an HR library that contains job description templates, sample policies, and HR guides .
Employee benefits
While its health policy is available merely in 39 states, Gusto offers a wide range of benefits options like commuter benefits, pay-as-you-go workers ’ comp, health savings accounts ( HSAs ), flexible spend accounts ( FSAs ), health reimbursement, and 401 ( kilobyte ) plans. Your clients and their employees can besides download the Gusto Wallet, Gusto ’ s dislodge fiscal management app that has time tracking capabilities and a “ Cashout ” feature in case your customer ’ south staff need early access to earned wages .
however, your clients won ’ thymine be able to maximize all of Gusto ’ s benefits offerings if their business is located in a submit not covered by its health insurance. For health plans available across the US, consider any of the other providers on this list ( except Patriot Payroll ) .
For more information about the platform ’ mho payroll, benefits, and HR features, check out our Gusto review .
OnPay: Best Payroll Software for Accountants With Clients in Agriculture & Farming Industries
OnPay
Overall Score:
4.24
OUT OF
5
| rating CRITERIA | Accountant Tools | 4.00 | OUT OF | 5 |
| Ease of Use | 3.50 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Expert Review | 4.38 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| HR Features | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Payroll Features | 4.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Popularity | 3.75 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Pricing | 4.50 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Reporting | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 |
What We Like
- User-friendly interface
- Free payroll for your firm with no client minimums
- Partner program for accountants include discounts and revenue sharing options
What ‘s Missing
- Access to two- or four-day direct deposits depends on OnPay’s risk assessment
- Limited third-party software integrations
- Year-end tax report printing and mailing services cost extra
- Lacks an accounting solution
OnPay for Accountants Pricing
Software fee
- $36 per month plus $4 per employee monthly
Accountant perks
- Free payroll for your firm (no client minimums required)
- Discounted pricing and revenue share options
Client discounts
- 10%–20% off the monthly software fees
OnPay lets you provide clients with payroll, essential HR tools, and benefits options available in all 50 states. Its software is flexible enough to handle pay process and tax filings for businesses in alone industries, like farming and farming, as it can file Form 943 taxes, including taxes of workers on H-2A visa .
similar to Gusto, its partner platform for accountants comes with a node dashboard and an bonus scheme that lets you choose between gross sharing and discounted pricing. You can even pass the discount rate to your clients and have OnPay send billing statements to their offices. What we like best about OnPay for Accountants is that you get free payroll software for your firm without having to meet customer limits or add a customer to your customer base every year ( like QuickBooks Payroll ) .
Following closely behind Gusto, OnPay earned a 4.24 out of 5 in our evaluation. It received scores of 4 and above in closely all of our criteria given its HR functionalities, reporting capabilities, effective payroll tools, and affordably priced design that many users appreciate. It would have ranked higher on our list had it offered an in-house account software ( QuickBooks and Patriot does ) .
OnPay for Accountants Discounts & Perks
OnPay ’ s collaborator accountant perks include free report apparatus, free data migration, selling resources, free payroll for your firm, and options for either discount or tax income sharing. You can besides pass the dismiss to your clients. The incentives are based on the number of clients you have .
| 0–2 Clients | 3–19 Clients | 20–19 Clients | 50+ Clients | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Discount or Revenue Share Percentage | adam | 10 % | 15 % | 20 % |
| complimentary Payroll for your tauten | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| marketing Resources | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Partner Badge | ten | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Co-branding | ten | x | adam | ✔ |
OnPay for Accountants Key Features
Payroll
OnPay can handle payroll for employees and contractors from assorted commercial enterprise types ( like startups and SMBs ), organizations ( nonprofits and religious ), and industries ( such as restaurant, healthcare, alveolar consonant, fitness, and farming ). It offers unlimited pay up runs, multiple yield rates and schedules, and multistate payrolls. You can pay employees through check, debit calling card, and direct deposits. note that you have to undergo OnPay ’ south risk judgment to identify whether or not you ’ re eligible for two- or four-day address deposits .
While risk appraisal is a condom precaution that OnPay has put in position, you may not be able to offer two-day calculate deposits to your clients if they don ’ thyroxine meet OnPay ’ south requirements. Some of your clients with big payroll amounts may even be approved for a “ telegram only ” option, wherein they will handle the lead lodge transfers themselves. For firm send deposition, we recommend QuickBooks Payroll—it has next- and same-day options .
Tax filing services
OnPay will handle all payroll tax calculations, payments, and filings for you. It besides offers year-end report and—like ADP, SurePayroll, and Paychex—you have to pay excess if you want OnPay to print and mail the W-2s and 1099s to your employees and contractors .
HR features
Employee onboarding, PTO management with in-app requests and approvals, offer letters, and state newly hire report are some of OnPay ’ s HR functionalities. It even has built-in document templates, conformity alerts, on-line document storage, and an HR resource library. For HR tools that include background checks and on-line train courses, consider Paychex, ADP, or Rippling .
Employee benefits
OnPay provides your clients health policy, which is available in all 50 states ( unlike Gusto ’ sulfur, which is limited to 39 states ). other benefits include disability, life, and retirement plans .
head over to our OnPay revue to find more to like about this platform .
Patriot Payroll for Accountants: Best for Accounting Firms Wanting an Affordable Payroll Tool
Patriot Payroll for Accountants
Overall Score:
4.08
OUT OF
5
| denounce CRITERIA | Accountant Tools | 4.50 | OUT OF | 5 |
| Ease of Use | 3.25 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Expert Review | 3.13 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| HR Features | 2.25 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Payroll Features | 4.38 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Popularity | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Pricing | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Reporting | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 |
What We Like
- Affordably priced plans
- Discounts of up to 20%
- In-house accounting solution
- Free access to its payroll and accounting systems if you have 6+ clients
- Cobranding throughout its software
What ‘s Missing
- Limited HR tools
- Interface is not customizable
- Multistate filings cost extra
- Lacks employee benefits options
Patriot Payroll for Accountants Pricing
Software fees
- $30 plus $4 per employee for its full-service payroll plan
Accountant perks
- Free payroll and accounting software for your firm if you have at least six clients; 5% discount for 1–5 customers
- 5%–20% discount for its time and attendance and HR modules
Client discounts
- 5%–20% discount
Read more: Cheapest Car Insurance in Arizona | Bankrate
Patriot Payroll, which is the least expensive option in this steer, lets you handle client payroll efficiently. It besides comes with time tracking and basic HR solutions for monitoring staff function hours, creating overtime rules, and managing an on-line employee database. While these tools are paid add-ons, adding both to Patriot ’ s payroll chopine makes it ideal for your clients who employ by and large hourly workers and want to accurately capture employee attendance .
In our evaluation, Patriot Payroll earned 4.08 out of 5 with perfect marks with report, pricing, and popularity among users. It besides received high scores in accountant-specific and pay processing tools given its helpful customer splashboard, seamless integration with its accounting software ( including QuickBooks ), and the facilitate of running payroll with Patriot. It scored the lowest in HR features because it lacks onboarding, state newly hire report, and benefits options .
Patriot Payroll for Accountant Discounts & Perks
account firms that join Patriot Payroll ’ randomness partner program delight discounted rates based on the numeral of clients they have. It offers merchandise discounts of up to 20 % for its payroll, report, clock and attendance, and basic HR modules. Unlike dismiss perks from Gusto and OnPay, which require at least three customers, Patriot Payroll provides 5 % off flush if you entirely have one node .
While you can ’ t pass the discount to your customers, paying Patriot Payroll ’ s subscription fees on behalf of your clients lets you set your own price for your services—regardless of the dismiss you enjoy .
| argent | gold | platinum | diamond | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Numbers of Client Accounts | 1–5 | 6–20 | 21–50 | 51+ |
| Payroll Software for Clients | 5 % rebate | 10 % dismiss | 15 % deduction | 20 % dismiss |
| Payroll Software for your fast | 5 % discount | unblock | loose | free |
| accounting Software for Clients | 5 % discount rate | 10 % discount rate | 15 % rebate | 20 % rebate |
| account Software for your firm | 5 % deduction | free | free | free |
| Co-branding | dislodge | 10 % rebate | 15 % rebate | 20 % discount rate |
| Time and Attendance Add-On | 5 % discount rate | 10 % discount | 15 % discount rate | 20 % rebate |
*Patriot ’ mho HR solution consists of employee data, document management, and HR report tools .
For clients only requiring payroll and automatize tax filing solutions, Patriot Payroll is a great choice as it is affordably priced and has full-payroll services. however, if you want to offer access to employee benefits, the early providers on this list are better options since they have respective options that include health, workers ’ recompense, and retirement plans—although Gusto ’ s health policy coverage is limited to 39 states .
Patriot Payroll for Accountants Key Features
Payroll
Pay hourly and salaried employees with facilitate, including contractors. You can run payroll adenine many times as you want without having to pay extra. You can besides set Patriot Payroll to run automatically—provided you have already processed a successful payroll and don ’ t expect any changes to it. In accession to paychecks and directly deposits, it supports PTO accumulation traverse, multiple pay rates, and customizable hours, earnings, and discount types .
Tax filing services
Depositing and filing your federal, state of matter, and local taxes are part of Patriot Payroll ’ s tax services. The provider will flush submit your year-end payroll tax filings to the appropriate agencies at no monetary value ( ADP, SurePayroll, and Paychex charge excess for this ) .
HR tools
Patriot offers a clock time tracking solution with customizable overtime rules and a basic HR software for managing employee data and documents online. however, both of these tools are paid add-ons. For an affordably priced payroll software to help clients onboard new hires, consider Gusto as it offers helpful checklists, offer letters, and payroll onboarding tools. If you or your client require a robust suite of HR tools, consider ADP, Rippling, or Paychex .
If you want to understand more about its features, including the pros and cons of using the system, read our Patriot Payroll recapitulation .
Paychex for Accountants: Best Payroll for Accountants Looking for Continuing Education Perks
Paychex for Accountants
Overall Score:
4.05
OUT OF
5
| rate CRITERIA | Accountant Tools | 3.50 | OUT OF | 5 |
| Ease of Use | 4.75 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Expert Review | 4.38 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| HR Features | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Payroll Features | 4.13 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Popularity | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Pricing | 3.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Reporting | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 |
What We Like
- Full suite of HR tools
- Full-featured payroll options
- Continuing education through Paychex’s online courses and Accountant Knowledge Center
What ‘s Missing
- Pricing isn’t all transparent
- Charges by pay run
- Payroll tax administration and year-end reporting cost extra
Paychex for Accountants Pricing
Software fees
- Three Paychex Flex plans (Essentials, Select, and Pro) with monthly fees that start at $39 plus $5 per employee
Accountant perks
- Accountants are granted access to online continuing professional education (CPE) courses and resources
Client discounts
- No special client discounts
Paychex ’ second payroll and HR software for accounting professionals offers technology and partnerships that help you provide excellent service for your clients. It starts with a node dashboard, called AccountantHQ, where you can work with clients to run payroll ( through its Paychex Flex solution ) or run it yourself. adjacent, it adds HR tools like onboarding, new hire report, background checks, and hiring services. then, it includes access to professional department of education webinars, conformity hold, resources and tools to help improve node relationships, american samoa well as a give report services team of accountant relationship managers .
In our evaluation, Paychex earned an overall of 4.05 out of 5. Like ADP, its pricing took a collision, as most of its HR and payroll products require you to call for a quote. It besides charges by pay run, making it more expensive for most clients. however, it offers a terrific range of payroll and tax charge services, including a dedicate payroll specialist. You can offer clients HR defend, given Paychex ’ s wide choice of on-line tools—from lease and employee benefits to learning management and even PEO services .
Paychex for Accountants Discounts & Perks
As part of its collaborator plan, you ’ re concede access to Paychex Flex ( an on-line payroll solution ), including a diverseness of accountant tools and resources. Paychex will besides provide you with its official logo and company description that you can add to your firm ’ second web site .
Paychex for Accountants Key Features
Payroll
With Paychex Flex, you can pay contractors and employees through send deposits, pay cards, or paychecks. It even offers check logo and sign services. away from customizable earn and deduction types, you can choose from three pay submission options that include a grid view for slowly pay data submission .
Tax filing services
Its payroll tax administration services cover the requital and filings of federal, state, and local taxes on your behalf. It besides offers year-end tax composition homework and manner of speaking. note, however, that Paychex may charge extra for some of these services. For tax services that are included in your payroll plan, consider Gusto, Rippling, Patriot Payroll, and OnPay. QuickBooks Payroll besides offers alike services, but you have to get its highest tier if you want automated local tax filings .
HR features
New lease report, an HR library with business forms, and a undertaking conformity kit with e-posters for federal and state updates are some HR tools you can get with Paychex Flex. It besides offers newfangled hire onboarding, background checks, learning management, access to HR experts, and an on-line employee handbook—provided you sign up for one of its higher tiers .
Employee benefits
With Paychex, you can provide your clients access to health, alveolar consonant, and vision indemnity in all 50 states. It besides offers HSA, FSA, and 401 ( thousand ) plans and a fiscal health program—a profit that none of the providers on this tilt have .
interested to learn about this cloud-based payroll software ? Check out our Paychex Flex follow-up .
Rippling for Accountants: Best Payroll for Accountants With Clients Looking for Payroll, HR & IT Tools
Rippling for Accountants
Overall Score:
3.78
OUT OF
5
| rating CRITERIA | Accountant Tools | 4.13 | OUT OF | 5 |
| Ease of Use | 4.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Expert Review | 4.38 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| HR Features | 4.38 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Payroll Features | 4.13 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Popularity | 3.75 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Pricing | 2.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Reporting | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 |
What We Like
- Payroll, IT, and HR tools are modular—you can select solutions that you need
- Robust integration options (over 500 apps)
- Partner program includes discounts for clients and accountants
What ‘s Missing
- You need to get its core workforce management platform before you can buy other solutions
- Pricing isn’t all transparent
- Purchasing all of its tools can get pricey
Rippling for Accountants Pricing
Software fees*
- Core workforce management platform: $10 per employee monthly
- Full-service payroll: $8 per employee monthly
- Employee benefits: $6 per employee monthly
- Flex HSA/FSA and commuter benefits: $6 per employee monthly
- App management: $8 per employee monthly
- Device management: $8 per employee monthly
Accountant perks
- Free HR and payroll for your firm (up to 25 employees)
Client discounts:
- Discounts of up to 35%
*Pricing is based on a quotation we received
Compared to the other providers in this guide, Rippling allows you to provide clients with a broad roll of solutions given its modular HR, payroll, benefits, and IT tools. It even has efficient calculator devices and apps provision and deprovisioning processes, plus Rippling can store your unused computers in its warehouse for safekeeping. however, its collaborator accountant course of study international relations and security network ’ triiodothyronine adenine full-bodied as ADP ’ south ( with its benchmarking perks ) and Paychex ’ s ( with its CPE webinars ). aside from a customer splashboard, Rippling only provides discounts for your clients and free payroll and HR tools for your firm .
Scoring an overall of 3.78 out of 5 in our evaluation, Rippling received ratings of 4 and up in payroll and HR features, reporting capabilities, and still of consumption. many users even like its intuitive interface and the seamless integration between its products. It scored the lowest in price because details of its product suite ’ mho monthly fees aren ’ t all posted on its web site, plus it can get pricey if you purchase all of its HR, IT, benefits, and payroll modules .
Rippling for Accountants Discounts & Perks
Rippling ’ mho spouse program provides accountants free access to payroll and HR solutions that you can use for your firm ( up to 25 employees merely ). You flush get a dedicated partner achiever director and partner enablement materials, so you can become a better payroll adviser to your clients .
For your new customers, it offers free white-glove payroll migrations to help your clients easily transition from their current payroll system to Rippling. Your clients can besides enjoy discounts of up to 35 %. however, if you want training perks, consider QuickBooks Payroll, Paychex, and ADP since all three include learning courses in their spouse programs .
Rippling for Accountants Key Features
Payroll
outright pay runs and auto-calculations of pay rates are just some of Rippling ’ mho payroll features. You can pay both employees and contractors either through paychecks or direct deposits. Rippling even ease up errors and pay data discrepancies between your gulp pay runs and processed payrolls .
Tax filing services
With Rippling, you don ’ t have to worry about filing payroll taxes yourself. Its tax services cover year-end report in accession to federal, department of state, and local anesthetic tax payments and filings .
HR features
Rippling ’ south suite of HR tools is designed to help you manage employees more efficiently. It has job post, applicant track, time track, onboarding, and learning management solutions in addition to payroll and benefits options. If you need technical advice, sign up for its HR assistant desk addition to get one-on-one support from an HR professional. however, if your clients prefer having access to a dedicated payroll specialist, then Paychex is an ideal instrument for them .
Employee benefits
You can choose to get one or all of its benefits modules, which include ACA and COBRA administration, flex benefits ( commuter benefits, FSA, and HSA ), and benefits presidency .
For a more detail spirit at its functionalities, check out our Rippling review .
SurePayroll for Accountants: Best Payroll for Accountants Wanting Customizable Client Billing Tools
SurePayroll for Accountants
Overall Score:
3.62
OUT OF
5
| rat CRITERIA | Accountant Tools | 3.50 | OUT OF | 5 |
| Ease of Use | 3.25 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Expert Review | 3.75 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| HR Features | 2.75 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Payroll Features | 3.75 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Popularity | 1.88 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Pricing | 4.25 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Reporting | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 |
What We Like
- Payroll for accountants pricing includes two free employee seats
- Revenue share or direct billing options
- Offers an online branded client portal
What ‘s Missing
- W-2/1099 reporting costs extra
- Doesn’t provide continuing education perks
- Revenue sharing has a monthly add-on fee
- Limited HR tools
SurePayroll for Accountants Pricing
Software fees*
- Pricing starts at $39.99 per month plus $3 per employee monthly (fees decrease as the number of clients increases)
Accountant perks
- Free payroll for your firm with 10+ clients; discounted pricing
- Branded client portal
- Revenue share or direct billing options
Client discounts
- No special client discounts
*Pricing is based on a quotation mark we received
SurePayroll is a Paychex company and offers many of the same services, but it ’ s a childlike and less expensive software. In addition to full-service payroll, tax filings, basic HR tools, and access to benefits options, it offers a partner platform for accountants with a platform for managing clients, dedicate support, and wholesale price. It besides provides white-label stigmatization features ( i.e., you can customize its customer portal site ). For an extra fee, you can use its Revenue Share option to manage client billings. This allows you to set specific markup fees for each customer and send them invoices .
In our rubric, SurePayroll received an overall rat of 3.62 out of 5, earning high marks of 4 and above in pricing and report. While it offers efficient payroll and accountant tools and has largely plus feedback on on-line recapitulation sites, it scored the lowest in popularity among users since its average number of reviews on third-party sites is below 500 .
SurePayroll for Accountants Discounts & Perks
SurePayroll doesn ’ t publish its payroll accountant price on its web site, but you can easily request a quote from the supplier. The matchless we received indicates that its price is based on the total of clients you have, wherein monthly base fees ( which start at $ 39.99 ) decrease as your node basal increases. It besides offers two complimentary user seats, after which it charges $ 3 per employee monthly for each extra staff ; W-2/1099 filings cost an supernumerary $ 45 plus $ 4.50 per tax class .
| 1–9 Clients | 10–24 Clients | 25–49 Clients | 50–99 Clients | 100+ Clients | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| monthly Base Fees ( $ /Client ) | $ 39.99 | $ 35.99 | $ 33.99 | $ 29.99 | $ 27.99 |
| Per-Employee Fees ( In Excess of 2 ) | $ 3.00 | $ 3.00 | $ 3.00 | $ 3.00 | $ 3.00 |
| year-end Reporting Base Fees | $ 45.00 | $ 45.00 | $ 45.00 | $ 45.00 | $ 45.00 |
| Per W-2/1099 Filing Fees | $ 4.50 | $ 4.50 | $ 4.50 | $ 4.50 | $ 4.50 |
SurePayroll ’ s collaborator accountant course of study besides includes release bill apparatus and free entree to its payroll tool that you can use for your firm—provided you have 10 or more clients. flexible charge options are besides available .
- Direct billing: SurePayroll will bill you its software costs, allowing you to set a markup rate when invoicing clients for payroll services.
- Revenue share billing: For an additional fee, SurePayroll lets you handle all customer billing through its software. You can even specify markup rates for payroll services on a per-client basis.
SurePayroll is the only payroll software for accountants that we reviewed that charges extra for gross sharing. With Gusto, OnPay, and ADP, you only have to sign up for its partner accountant program and either choice tax income sharing as your incentive or earn dividends .
SurePayroll for Accountants Key Features
Payroll
You get unlimited pay runs each month with payout options that include newspaper checks and two-day direct deposits. like to many of the providers on this list, SurePayroll has an automatic give run feature—which is optimum for client payrolls that don ’ t have any changes .
Tax filing services
SurePayroll will handle federal, country, and local anesthetic tax remittances and filings for you—although local tax services in Ohio and Pennsylvania cost extra ( $ 9.99 monthly ). similar to ADP and Paychex, it handles year-end tax report for a tip ( $ 45.00 per node plus $ 4.50 per W-2/1099 ) .
If most of your clients are startups and little business owners with limited payroll budgets, SurePayroll ’ s accessory fees for W-2/1099 tax reports may be besides expensive. For year-end payroll tax report that doesn ’ triiodothyronine require extra costs, consider Gusto, Patriot Payroll, Rippling, and QuickBooks Payroll .
HR features
SurePayroll lacks the time tracking solutions that the early providers on this list offer ( except OnPay ). however, it provides robust new hire screen tools that include background checks, drug shield, behavioral assessments, and skills testing .
Employee benefits
SurePayroll ’ s benefits offerings include health indemnity, 401 ( kilobyte ) plans, and workers ’ recompense. For employee deduction perks and a fiscal health program, consider ADP. If your clients are looking for a health reimbursement choice, Gusto is a beneficial option but its health insurance covers only 39 states .
Read our SurePayroll review to learn more about the platform ’ s pay process tools .
ADP Accountant Connect: Best Accountant Payroll for Growing Businesses
ADP Accountant Connect
Overall Score:
3.54
OUT OF
5
| fink CRITERIA | Accountant Tools | 4.00 | OUT OF | 5 |
| Ease of Use | 4.38 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Expert Review | 3.75 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| HR Features | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Payroll Features | 4.50 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Popularity | 4.38 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Pricing | 0.50 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Reporting | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 |
What We Like
- Has flexible plans that cater to different business sizes
- Partner accountant program has a revenue-sharing incentive
- Free access to ADP Connect Accountant client dashboard
What ‘s Missing
- Nontransparent pricing
- Year-end tax reporting costs extra
- Charges setup fees
ADP Connect Accountant Pricing
Software fees
- Custom priced; call ADP to request a quote
Accountant perks
- Revenue share incentive
- Access to payroll and HR experts, marketing tools, and tax research and industry resources
Client discounts
- No special client discounts
many businesses turn to ADP because it provides a comprehensive examination plant of payroll and HR tools with scalable plans and products that cater to startups, growing businesses, midsize companies, and bombastic enterprises. Its little business payroll software for those with up to 49 employees ( ADP Run ) has payroll, basic HR, and job post ( via ZipRecruiter ) functionalities .
ADP besides offers its Accountant Connect solution for loose, which comes with a node splashboard, so you can easily access your customers ’ data, tax forms, and other reports. It even grants you access to recompense benchmark data, avail desk hold, and market resources, in addition to a advantage plan that lets you earn gross when your clients choose ADP for payroll .
It earned an overall score of 3.54 out of 5 in our evaluation, with ratings of 4 and up in most of our criteria given its solid pay serve, wide range of HR solutions, reporting capabilities, accountant tools, and rest of use. ADP is besides highly rated by many reviewers because, apart from streamlining essential HR and payroll processes, its interface is generally easy to learn and use. interim, its nontransparent pricing pulled its score down significantly .
note that many of its solutions, including some of its services, are either pay add-ons or available only in a merchandise ’ s higher tiers. You and your clients may end up having to pay a big amount if you get all of its on-line tools. If your customers are primarily modest business owners, providers like Patriot Payroll, QuickBooks Payroll, Gusto, and OnPay are good options put up affordably priced payroll plans .
ADP Accountant Connect Discounts & Perks
Accountants who sign up in the ADP Revenue Share Incentive Program earn dividends whenever their clients use ADP ’ s suite of HR and payroll solutions. other perks include access to marketing resources, learning courses, and help desk accompaniment .
ADP Accountant Connect Key Features
Payroll
Pay runs can be completed quickly and accurately given ADP ’ s helpful mobile apps ( for io and Android devices ) and automatic payroll feature. Salary payouts for contractors and employees can be done via send deposits, paychecks, and the Wisely Direct debit circuit board. ADP can even deliver paychecks to your clients ’ offices for distribution to employees/contractors .
Tax filing services
Tax file servicesFederal, state of matter, and local tax payments and filings, arsenic well as W-2/1099 report, are included in ADP ’ s payroll tax services. however, year-end tax reputation print and delivery cost extra .
HR features
alike to Paychex, ADP offers newfangled hire onboarding, aim courses, background checks, and expert digest. One matter that sets ADP apart from the other providers on this list is the ZipRecruiter job postings included in its ADP Run product—provided you subscribe to its higher tiers .
Employee benefits
ADP has a wide range of employee benefits options, such as health, alveolar consonant, vision, and retirement plans. And unlike the other payroll software in this guide, it provides employee discounts with brand-name providers and local retailers. This allows you to offer clients a deduction fringe benefit they can provide to their staff .
uncertain whether ADP has the payroll and HR tools that modest businesses need ? Head over to our ADP Run review for an in-depth guide .
How We Evaluated the Best Payroll Software for Accountants
The first thing we looked for is payroll software with partner programs specific for accountants. The software besides needed to provide more than discounted price, so we checked for customer dashboards and benefits specific for accountants. then, we compared the offered features such as pay runs, tax filings, and HR tools. ultimately, we considered the price for clients and accountants .
20 %
Pricing
20 %
Accountant-Specific Tools
15 %
payroll Features
15 %
Expert review
10 %
HR features
10 %
still of Use
5 %
popularity
5 %
Reporting
20% of Overall Score
We gave points for plans that cost less than $ 50 per exploiter, angstrom well as companies that offered crystalline pricing, multiple options, unlimited give runs, and zero setup fees. We checked if the supplier has guileless price, zero setup fees, and multiple design options with inexhaustible pay up runs. Those priced at $ 50 or less per employee monthly were besides given excess points. Gusto, QuickBooks Payroll, and Patriot Payroll scored highest in this area—although Patriot Payroll is the most low-cost among the three .
15% of Overall Score
We gave precedence to software that has two-day direct deposit, handles all payroll tax payments and filings, and provides a penalty-free guarantee. Most of the platforms we reviewed scored 4 and above here, except SurePayroll, which has limited payment options and charges extra for Ohio and Pennsylvania local anesthetic tax filings .
15% of Overall Score
In this standard, we assess whether the software ’ s ease of use, price, and the width and depth of its payroll and HR tools are ideal for SMBs. QuickBooks Payroll, Gusto, Paychex, Rippling, and OnPay are at the contribute with a score of 4.38 out of 5 in this criterion .
10% of Overall Score
access to expert hold including on-line onboarding and state modern lease report are the circus tent HR features we looked for ; followed by benefits options, health insurance available across the US, and a self-service portal vein. ADP, OnPay, and Paychex are the high scorers here because all three allow you to provide clients with employee benefits plans in addition to necessity HR tools .
10% of Overall Score
Payroll service and software should be simple to set up, be customizable, and have a user-friendly interface. We besides looked at whether the provider offers live accompaniment and consolidation options with on-line tools that most SMBs function. QuickBooks Payroll received perfective scores in this criterion because of its intuitive interface, extensive how-to guides, and comfortable payroll setup .
5% of Overall Score
We considered user reviews, including those of our competitors, based on a 5-star scale ; any option with an average of 4+ stars is ideal. besides, any software with 1,000+ reviews on any third-party web site is preferred. Gusto, Paychex, and Patriot earned a perfect rat in this criterion .
5% of Overall Score
predilection was given to software with built-in basic payroll reports and customization options. All of the small business payroll software we reviewed received perfect scores here .
*Percentages of overall score
If you precisely want to recommend payroll software to your clients, check out our guides on the best payroll software and leading payroll services .
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Bottom Line
Finding a payroll software that besides offers an account solution is critical if you ’ ra offer payroll accounting services. It makes bookkeeping easy and doesn ’ deoxythymidine monophosphate command you to manually input payroll-related data into your books since its report and payroll tools integrate seamlessly with each other. If you have preferred account software, check if it offers payroll and vice-versa. then, consider the needs of your clients and addition solutions that would be helpful to you and your customers—like basic HR and benefits options .
We find QuickBooks Payroll to be the best payroll software for accountants managing small businesses because you can use its integrated payroll and account chopine to transfer payroll data to the cosmopolitan daybook, saving you time from doing it yourself. It besides offers dislodge payroll for your company, a client dashboard, a free gross share choice, and discounted rates for you and your clients .
Visit QuickBooks Payroll
