Gone are the days when the only way for accountants to calculate payroll was to painstakingly enter and manually check payroll data for deductions, withholdings, and inaccuracies.
Payroll software streamlines the payroll process and helps to reduce human error. Its automated done-for-you services save you time and money by making manual data entry and endless auditing a thing of the past.
In this article, we’ve taken the guesswork out of purchasing payroll software and rounded up some of the best payroll software for accountants in 2023. We will cover the pros and cons of each service, explain how much they cost, and explain what each brand of software is best for.
- QuickBooks Payroll: Best Overall
- Gusto: Best for Growing Firms
- Rippling: Best for Small Firms
- OnPay: Best Accountant Perks
- Trolley: Best for International Payments
- Xero: Best for Gusto Users Who Need Full Accounting Software
- Paychex: Best for New Firms
- Sage 50cloud: Best Training Network for Accountants
- Zoho Books: Best for Zoho App Users
- Wave: Best for Accountants on a Budget
Best Payroll Software for Accountants
The best payroll software for accountants should include key features, such as automated payroll, payroll deductions and withholdings, tax calculation and filing, direct deposit, customer support, benefits administration, and employee self-service portals.
QuickBooks Payroll: Best Overall
QuickBooks Payroll offers three basic payroll plans and three payroll and bookkeeping bundles. It provides automatic payroll, 1099 e-filing, product support, next-day direct deposit, time tracking services, and 401(k) plan and health benefits administration. QuickBooks’ Payroll Elite plan will also pay up to $25,000 in fees and interest if you receive a payroll tax penalty from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Pros
- Offers both basic payroll plans and full-service accounting packages
- Time tracking tools make it easy for employees to clock in and out and for you to approve employees’ times from anywhere
- Provides tax penalty protection with its Payroll Elite plan
Cons
- Costs can add up, with its Payroll Elite plan costing $125/month, plus $10 extra per employee per month
Pricing
QuickBooks Payroll starts at $45/month, with a 50% discount for your first three months. Accountants receive 30% off the base subscription cost plus 15% off employee and contractor fees when they bill QuickBooks Payroll to their firm.
Why Choose
QuickBooks Payroll is a versatile option for accountants who only need payroll services and works for those who want a comprehensive package that can cover most of their bookkeeping needs.
Gusto: Best for Growing Firms
Gusto offers automatic tax filing, unlimited payrolls, and next-day direct deposit. Additionally, it serves as a health insurance broker and can integrate with time-tracking software.
Pros
- Can integrate with other platforms, such as Xero and QuickBooks
- Offers health and life benefits
- Plans available for new businesses, small businesses, growing businesses, contractors, and the self-employed
- International contractor payments in over 120 countries
Cons
- If an employer uses an outside broker, it will cost them $6 extra per eligible employee per month to manage health insurance plans
Pricing
Gusto Payroll plans start at $40/month, plus $6/month per person. Contractor-only businesses can receive their first six months for $0 a month, plus $6 per contractor per month, then pay $35/month. Accountants that partner with Gusto receive free firm payroll subscriptions, and up to 20% revenue share or discounts for their clients.
Why Choose
Gusto provides everything you need to make sure payroll runs smoothly and can integrate with time tracking, accounting, and expense management software.
Rippling: Best for Small Firms
Rippling provides both US and global payroll services. Its payroll software includes workflow templates, HR and IT reports, automated tax compliance, time tracking, expense management, and benefits administration tools.
Pros
- Guarantees that payroll will be 100% error-free
- Capable of integrating with accounting software
- Budget-friendly, starting at just $8 per month per user
Cons
- Can’t manage payroll for more than 2,000 employees
Pricing
Pricing starts at $8 per user per month. Accountants can receive special pricing when they partner with Rippling.
Why Choose
Rippling is a good choice for smaller businesses that work internationally. Its mobile app makes it easy for employees to request time off and view their pay stubs and W-2s. Additionally, it can integrate with over 500 other programs, making it easy to incorporate its payroll software with other accounting software.
OnPay: Best Accountant Perks
OnPay provides unlimited payroll services, built-in HR software, benefits administration, direct deposit payments, tax filings, payroll deductions, and wage garnishments.
Pros
- Free account migration
- Employees can be paid via direct deposit, debit card, or printed check (no additional cost for any payment methods)
- 401(k), health, vision, life, and disability insurance options for employees
Cons
- Employers must pay for W-2 or 1099 forms to be printed and mailed to their employees, as well as for any service fees, and premiums for any additional health, retirement, or workers’ comp insurance policies
Pricing
OnPay is $40/month, plus $6/month for every active employee. The first month and the setup are free. Accountants that partner with OnPay receive free firm payroll software, revenue sharing, marketing resources, and discounts.
Why Choose
You can use OnPay to calculate payroll for businesses of all sizes. It’s a solid choice for companies that need benefits administration and integrates easily with accounting and time-tracking software. Its employee self-service portal saves the hassle of handling employee record requests by enabling employees to find pay stubs and tax forms online.
Trolley: Best for International Payments
Trolley offers a basic payroll service that can integrate with accounting software and can send payments in over 135 currencies.
Pros
- Unlimited users included in all plans
- No hidden fees
- Easy to send payments internationally
Cons
- Tax form collection, end-of-year tax statements, and e-file not included with its most economical Pay Plan
- Transaction fees apply to businesses that make over 500 transactions or send more than $100,000 of Foreign Exchange (FX ) each month
Pricing
Plans start at $49 per month, with a 30-day trial period.
Why Choose
Trolley is excellent for businesses that pay freelancers, contractors, and international workers, as it integrates with a global banking network that allows it to send payments to people in over 215 countries.
Xero: Best for Gusto Users Who Need Full Accounting Software
Xero is accounting software that uses Gusto as its preferred payroll provider. Via Gusto, Xero provides direct deposit and automated payroll, tax filings, and deductions, as well as self-service that allows employees to access W-2s and pay stubs online.
Pros
- Gusto payroll transactions accessible through Xero
- Easy to set up and pay 1099 contractor expenses
- Automated payroll and tax filings
- Accountants can receive access to free Gusto payroll and HR tools as well as bulk discounts as their practices grow
Cons
- Not optimized for businesses with more than 100 employees
Pricing
Users that sign up for Gusto through Xero receive their first 30 days free. Then Gusto’s plans start at $46/month. Gusto offers accountants free firm payroll software, revenue sharing, and discounts.
Why Choose
Small to medium-sized businesses that already use Xero’s accounting software will find it simple to integrate with Gusto to fulfill their payroll needs. Accountants scaling their practices can receive additional benefits as their businesses grow.
Paychex: Best for New Firms
Paychex provides payroll and tax services, HR tools, and a mobile payroll processing app. Its accountant dashboard helps you manage your clients all in one place.
Pros
- 24/7 customer support
- Payroll protection service (free for first three months)
- Integrates with its time-tracking system
- Accountant dashboard
Cons
- Pricing is not available without a consultation
Pricing
Pricing is customized and depends on business size.
Why Choose
Paychex offers payroll services and customized pricing plans for businesses of all sizes. Paychex’s payroll service includes payroll protection, discounted credit monitoring through Experian, and discounted small business loans from Biz2Credit, a financial services provider. Its time tracking, benefits administration, and HR tools help simplify payroll processing.
Sage 50cloud: Best Training Network for Accountants
Sage 50cloud is accounting software that offers payroll services as one of its features. Its payroll services allow you to pay employees via direct deposit and monitor payroll records and withholdings.
Pros
- Provides invoicing, banking, and inventory services
- Able to add payroll to all of its plans
- Plans billed monthly or yearly
Cons
- Payroll is an add-on feature for Sage 50cloud’s accounting software
Pricing
New customers receive a 20% discount for their first year, then plans start at $578/year. Payroll pricing is tiered based on the number of employees.
Why Choose
Sage 50cloud provides you with invoicing, payment and billing management, and inventory accounting tools. Sage 50cloud also offers accountants a training and support network, as well as preferred pricing for your clients.
Zoho Books: Best for Zoho App Users
Zoho Books’ online payroll service, Zoho Payroll, automates payroll, calculates taxes, and provides benefits administration.
Pros
- Zoho Payroll is integrated with Zoho Books, making it easy to track payroll expenses
- Downloadable payroll forms help simplify income tax reporting
- Health insurance and retirement benefits
- 24/7 customer support Monday-Friday
Cons
- Currently only available in twelve states
Pricing
You can get a one-month free trial of Zoho Payroll, then it is $19 a month plus $3 per employee, or you can pay $190 annually, plus $30 per employee.
Why Choose
Zoho Payroll provides automated payroll, an employee self-service portal, and payroll administration. Zoho Payroll easily integrates with Zoho Books. When you purchase an annual subscription to Zoho Payroll, you receive two months free.
Wave: Best for Accountants on a Budget
Wave’s payroll service includes direct deposit, tax form generation, employee self-service, and worker’s comp for small businesses.
Pros
- Wave’s invoicing software, accounting software, and US banking software are all completely free
- Payroll subscribers have access to Wave’s support team
- Online employee self-service
Cons
- Wave’s support team is only available from 9 AM to 4:45 PM, Monday through Friday, via email or chat
- Wave’s payroll tax service is currently only available in certain states
Pricing
Wave offers a 30-day free trial for its payroll add-on, then it costs $20 a month in self-service states, or $40 per month in tax service states. There is an additional $6 fee for each active employee or independent contractor.
Why Choose
Wave’s free invoicing, accounting, and banking software combined with its low-cost payroll services make it an economical choice for payroll for small businesses.
Methodology
We evaluated payroll software that has the essential features that accountants need to serve their clients, including automated payroll, tools for calculating withholdings and deductions, and benefits administration. We looked for economical payroll software that delivers the most quality for the price and made sure to include software that offers perks specifically for accountants.
Conclusion
QuickBooks Payroll is a dependable option for anyone, including accountants who only need payroll services and those who want an all-inclusive accounting program.
Accountants who need a full-service payment provider optimized for small businesses can use Gusto or a combination of Xero and Gusto. Gusto provides accountants with free payroll software for their firms.
Rippling is best for small to medium-sized local or global businesses with less than 2,000 employees.
OnPay is a wise choice for accountants looking for free firm payroll software, discounts, and marketing resources.
Trolley’s payroll service is good for businesses that pay international employees or contractors, as it can send payments to more than 215 countries in over 135 currencies.
Newer businesses may benefit from Paychex’s payroll protection service, and discounted credit monitoring and business lending solutions.
Accountants who already use Zoho Books or Sage 50cloud will find Zoho Payroll and Sage 50cloud’s add-on payroll service convenient and simple to use.
Accountants looking for a cost-effective combination of accounting and payroll services need look no further than Wave, which offers free accounting, invoicing, and banking software, and a low-cost payroll service.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do accountants process payroll?
Yes, accountants do process payroll. Accountants analyze financial data and track and manage payroll and payroll taxes.
