The best payroll software for accountants makes it easy to handle payroll for many clients. It should integrate with accounting software, have a dashboard to manage multiple clients, and offer benefits specific to the needs of certified public accountants (CPAs). Below are our seven top-recommended payroll software for accountants.
- QuickBooks Payroll for Accountants: Best overall payroll software for accountants and those needing fast direct deposits
- Gusto for Accountants: Best for small business full-service payroll and advertising accountant payroll solutions
- OnPay for Accountants: Best for client migration support and managing payroll duties
- Patriot Payroll for Accountants: Best accountant payroll software for discount perks
- SurePayroll for Accountants: Best payroll accounting software for simple pay runs
- Rippling for Accountants: Best all-in-one HR payroll software with information technology (IT) tools to manage remote employees
- Paychex for Accountants: Best payroll processing software for accountants needing flexible plans for fast-growing clients
QuickBooks Payroll is a great option for businesses that have many different types of employees due to its versatility, ease of use, and wide variety of features. | ||
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QuickBooks Payroll is a great option for businesses that have many different types of employees due to its versatility, ease of use, and wide variety of features. |
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Why You Can Trust Fit Small Business
At Fit Small Business, our mission is to provide small business owners with the best answers to their small business questions. We are committed to bringing you unbiased evaluations of payroll software and services, as well as comprehensive information about payroll processes and labor regulations that will impact your business and the way you manage employees.
We use product data and a detailed methodology to objectively assess the Payroll solutions we recommend, regardless of whether they are a partner company. Our evaluations and ratings are based on a set of criteria, which includes features, pricing, ease of use, and customer support. We also apply our expert insights and consider real-world user feedback to help you make the best purchasing decision.
Best Payroll Software for Accountants Compared
All the payroll systems we reviewed provide the essential tools that accountants need to process client payroll, such as salary calculations and deductions, direct deposit payments, and tax administration services. These providers also offer access to employee benefits plans (except Patriot Payroll), new hire onboarding, and employee self-service tools. Below are some of the key features, including basic pricing and accountant discount details.
Free Trial | Starter Monthly Pricing | Contractor-only Payroll Plan | Additional Fees for Payroll Tax Filings | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 30 days* | $6 per employee plus $45 base fee | $15 monthly for 20 workers; plus $2 for each additional worker | Local tax filings available only in higher tiers |
 | 30 days* | $6 per employee plus $40 base fee | $6 per employee plus $35 base fee monthly | ✕ |
 | 30 days | $6 per employee plus $40 base fee | ✕ | ✕ |
 | 30 days | $4 per employee plus $37 base fee** | ✕ | $12 monthly for each additional state filing |
 | None, but offers new clients up to six months free payroll* | $5 per employee plus $29.99 base fee** | ✕ | $9.99 for local tax filings in OH and PA |
 | None, but new users get the first month free* | $8 per employee plus $35 base fee*** | ✕ | ✕ |
 | None, but offers new clients up to three months free payroll* | $5 per employee plus $39 base fee | ✕ | ✕ |
*This promotion can end at any time. Visit the providers’ websites to view the latest promos on offer.
**These represent fees for Patriot Payroll and SurePayroll’s full-service plan with tax filing services. Both providers also offer a do-it-yourself option, where you handle tax filings yourself.
***Pricing is based on a quote we received; includes Rippling’s workforce management, payroll, and time tracking solutions.
Free Payroll Software For Your Firm | Discounted Pricing for Accountants | In-house Accounting Solution* | Other Perks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ✓ | ✓ (with option to pass discounts to clients) | ✓ |
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| ✓ (if you onboard one client every 12 months) | ✓ (with option to pass discounts to clients) | None |
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| ✓ | ✓ (with option to pass discounts to clients) | None |
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| If you have six or more clients | ✓ | ✓ |
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| If you have 10 clients | ✓ | None |
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| ✓ (payroll for up to 25 employees only) | For clients only | None |
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| ✕ | For clients only | None |
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*Access to the providers’ accounting software may require additional fees.
Multistate Pay Runs | Standard Direct Deposit Timelines | Health Benefits Available in 50 States | Time Tracking Tools | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ✓ | Next day | HI, VT, and DC aren’t covered | Included in higher tiers |
| Included in higher tiers | Two and four days | 37 states only | Included in higher tiers |
| ✓ | Two and four days* | ✓ | Via third-party integration |
| ✓ (additional state tax filings cost $12 per state) | Two days for qualified companies | ✕ | Paid add-on |
| ✓ (charges $9.99 for multi-state tax filings) | Two days | ✓ | Via third-party integration (costs extra) |
| ✓ | Two days | ✓ | Included in quote |
| ✓ | Two days | ✓ | Paid add-on |
*Eligibility for either two- or four-day direct deposits is based on OnPay’s risk assessment
Quiz: Determine Your Ideal Accountant Payroll Software
QuickBooks Payroll: Best Payroll Processing Software for Accountants
Pros
- 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)
Cons
- Must use QuickBooks for accounting
- Basic human resources (HR) features only
- Tax penalty protection that covers tax filing errors regardless of who make the mistake is only in the Elite plan
- Local tax payments and filings are not included in the basic Core tier
- Time tracking and same-day direct deposits are available in higher tiers
If you use QuickBooks for your clients, then we highly recommend QuickBooks Payroll for Accountants. It lets you set client permissions, guarantees tax accuracy, includes 24/7 support, and allows you to pay workers via next- and same-day direct deposits. Plus, its accounting and payroll modules sync seamlessly with each other, making it easy for you to manage your clients’ general ledgers.
If you sign up for its free QuickBooks Online Accountant solution, you can access your clients’ QuickBooks accounts easily to check their books, edit transactions, and address issues. It even comes with discount pricing for your clients, a revenue share option, free access to QuickBooks Payroll Elite (which you can use to pay your employees), and a partner ProAdvisor program with preferential rates for both you and your customers. Visit the ProAdvisor program page on its website to find out more about it.
Scoring an overall of 4.68 out of 5 in our evaluation, QuickBooks Payroll for Accountants earned high marks in all of our criteria, given its solid accounting and payroll solutions, ease of use, robust reporting, and transparent pricing. Users also appreciate its efficient payroll tools as it helps simplify employee pay processing. However, its limited HR tools prevented it from getting a perfect overall rating because, unlike Gusto, Rippling, and Paychex, QuickBooks doesn’t have a suite of HR solutions for managing the entire employee lifecycle.
QuickBooks Payroll for Accountants provides you with a dashboard where you can track all of your clients’ payroll transactions. (Source: QuickBooks Payroll)
As a partner, you are granted access to client management solutions and the free QuickBooks Online Accountant tool, functionalities that make managing both client payroll and bookkeeping easy for accountants. Apart from the ProAdvisor and client discounts, its partner program comes with training programs to help improve your skills and grow your accounting business.
You can enroll in free QuickBooks Online Certification training programs to gain expertise in Intuit QuickBooks products like payroll and accounting. (Source: Intuit QuickBooks)
Pay processing
You can pay contractors, hourly workers, and salaried employees with just a few clicks. Payroll runs are unlimited and automatic, with salary payouts made through paychecks and via next-day and same-day direct deposits. On-the-go business owners can even process payroll via the mobile web browsers of smartphones and tablets.
Tax penalty guarantee
Users are covered by a tax accuracy guarantee, where the provider will handle all tax filing penalties if its representatives are at fault. However, Elite plan holders also get a tax penalty guarantee, where QuickBooks will cover penalties of up to $25,000 per year—regardless of who made the tax filing error. The other accountant payroll software in this guide only offer a tax accuracy guarantee.
Employee benefits
In addition to pay-as-you-go workers’ compensation (via AP Intego) and 401(k) plans (via Guideline), you are granted access to health insurance that’s available in nearly all states (Hawaii, Vermont, and the District of Columbia aren’t included). This is unlike Patriot Payroll, which doesn’t offer benefits plans, and Gusto’s health benefits, which only cover 37 states.
QuickBooks integrations
One of the advantages of using QuickBooks for accounting and payroll is the seamless integration between the two products. You don’t have to worry about using API tools to connect these solutions. Plus, you can integrate QuickBooks with third-party systems, such as Expensify, Ramp, ClockShark, Time Tracker by eBillity, HubSpot, and Zapier.
Gusto: Best for Small Business Payroll & Advertising Payroll Services
Pros
- Integrates with several accounting programs
- Partner program for accountants has a revenue share option and a dedicated account representative
- Access to free payroll (Gusto Plus plan for your firm) and free marketing collateral to advertise your payroll services
- Has applicant tracking, job posting, and performance review tools
Cons
- Lacks an in-house accounting system
- Health insurance coverage limited to 37 states (as of this writing)
- Time tracking, multi-state pay processing, and next-day direct deposits available only in higher tiers
- Lacks special discounts for accountants (only offers discounts to pass to clients or keep as revenue share)
Gusto is a highly rated and popular payroll service that provides solid pay processing and HR support. It offers an accountant partnership program that goes beyond supplying client payroll and includes certification programs and marketing venues for getting more clients. With Gusto Plus, you get a client dashboard and tools to help you serve your customers well.
In our evaluation, Gusto earned an overall rating of 4.66 out of 5, with perfect scores in pricing and reporting capabilities and high ratings (4 and up) in other categories. It lost some points for not providing insurance in all 50 states (unavailable in Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming, as of this writing). However, users still love its efficient payroll and tax filing services, plus they find its features robust given its price.
Gusto Pro’s dashboard shows a list of “Action Items” to help you run payroll and manage client accounts. (Source: Gusto)
Gusto may not have in-house accounting software like QuickBooks and Patriot, but it can integrate with accounting programs, such as Xero, FreshBooks, and QuickBooks. You get a client dashboard, Gusto Pro, to help you manage your customers’ payroll needs, track pay run deadlines, and spot issues like missed and blocked payrolls. It also includes access to helpful resources on maintaining revenue and regulatory changes, enabling you to provide personalized guidance to your clients.
In addition, all accountant partners get free Gusto marketing collateral, cobranded dashboards, and referral tools to help advertise payroll services to clients. As your client base grows, you get additional marketing resources—like inclusion in Gusto’s partner directory, Gusto partner badges that you can add to your website, and a featured partner profile.
Gusto Pro’s analytics tool allows you to get the data and client payroll trends you need to manage customer accounts. (Source: Gusto)
Full-service payroll with tax filings
Unlike QuickBooks Payroll, all of Gusto’s plans include tax payment and filing services for federal, state, and local taxes. It also handles tax filings and year-end tax reporting.
HR solutions
Gusto offers the basic tools you need to manage time tracking, new hire reporting, onboarding, and workforce costing. Expert HR advisers are also available, including an HR library that contains job description templates, sample policies, and HR guides. It even has job posting tools to help you advertise open jobs, as well as a performance management solution for assessing your employees’ performance at work.
Employee benefits
While its health insurance is available only in 37 states, Gusto offers a wide range of benefits options like pay-as-you-go workers’ comp, health reimbursement, 529 college savings, and 401(k) plans. Your clients and their employees can also download the Gusto Wallet, Gusto’s free financial management app that has time tracking capabilities and a paycheck splitter option if you want to automatically transfer a portion of your payroll funds to a separate account as savings.
OnPay: Best for Client Migration Support & Managing Payroll Duties
Pros
- User-friendly interface
- Free payroll for your firm with no client minimums
- Partner program for accountants include discounts and revenue sharing options
- Has six levels of permissions for delegating payroll tasks and controlling system access
Cons
- 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 (but you can print and mail these yourself at no cost)
- Lacks an accounting solution
OnPay lets you provide clients with payroll, essential HR tools, and benefits options available in all 50 states. Its software has six levels of system permissions (more robust than the other providers in this guide), allowing you to manage client payroll and user access efficiently as well as delegate pay processing tasks, such as payroll approvals, to customers. However, if you want to streamline HR tasks across multiple business software like accounting, consider Rippling, as it offers customizable workflow triggers that work with its 500-plus partner systems.
For its accountant partner program, you get a client dashboard and an incentive scheme that lets you choose between revenue sharing and discounted pricing. What we like best about OnPay for Accountants is that you get free payroll software for your firm without having to meet client limits or add a customer to your client base every year (like Patriot Payroll and Gusto). It even offers free account setup and data migration services, such as setting up your dashboard, adding client info and employee data, and inputting prior wages into its system.
The platform earned an overall rating of 4.34 out of 5 in our evaluation. It received scores of 4 and above in nearly all of our criteria due to its solid reporting capabilities, efficient payroll tools, and affordably priced plan that many users appreciate. It would have ranked higher on our list had it offered non-standard benefits options (like Gusto’s financial management app and Paychex’s financial wellness tools) and an in-house solution for monitoring business finances (such as QuickBooks and Patriot’s accounting software).
A screenshot of OnPay’s dashboard for payroll accountants (Source: OnPay)
You get free integration setup with QuickBooks or Xero, making it easy for you to sync payroll data with these accounting solutions. OnPay even offers custom item mapping setup with both software to help you create accurate general ledger entries. And, while you can choose to keep payroll processing control to yourself, OnPay’s six-level permission settings allow you to delegate payroll tasks to someone else from your firm or hand it off to clients.
OnPay allows you to assign other accountants in your firm to access and manage the payroll customer accounts of specific clients. (Source: OnPay)
Payroll
OnPay offers unlimited pay runs, multiple pay rates and schedules, and multistate payrolls. You can pay employees through check, debit card, and direct deposits. Note that you have to undergo OnPay’s risk assessment to identify whether you’re eligible for two- or four-day direct deposits. For fast direct deposits without the risk assessment, we recommend QuickBooks Payroll—it has next-day and same-day options.
Essential HR tools
Employee onboarding, PTO management with in-app requests and approvals, offer letters, and state new hire reporting are some of OnPay’s HR functionalities. It even has built-in document templates, compliance alerts, online document storage, and an HR resource library. For HR tools that include background checks and online training courses for your clients’ employees, consider Paychex, Gusto, and Rippling.
Employee benefits
OnPay provides your clients’ health insurance, which is available in all 50 states (unlike QuickBooks Payroll and Gusto, which don’t cover three and 13 states, respectively). Other benefits include disability, life, and retirement plans.
Patriot Payroll: Best for Accountant Payroll Software for Discount Perks
Pros
- Affordably priced plans
- Discounts of up to 20% or more, depending on the number of client accounts
- In-house accounting solution
- Free access to its payroll and accounting systems if you have six of more clients
- Cobranding throughout its software
Cons
- Limited HR tools; lacks self-onboarding tool for new hires
- Multistate filings cost extra
- No access to employee benefits plans (but offers free integration with its workers’ comp and retirement plan partners)
- Time tracking, online document management, and accounting solutions are paid add-ons
Patriot Payroll made it on our list of best payroll processing software for accountants because of its affordability, solid accounting and pay processing tools, and competitive discount offers. It has basic HR solutions for monitoring staff work hours, creating overtime rules, and managing employee information. While these tools are paid add-ons, adding both to Patriot’s payroll platform makes it ideal for your clients who employ mostly hourly workers and want to accurately capture employee attendance.
In our evaluation, Patriot Payroll earned 4.21 out of 5, with perfect marks in reporting and pricing. It also received high scores in accountant-specific and pay processing tools, given its helpful client dashboard, seamless integration with its accounting software, including QuickBooks, and the ease of running payroll with Patriot. It scored the lowest in HR features because it lacks onboarding, state new hire reporting, and benefits options.
Patriot Payroll’s client dashboard lets you switch between company accounts easily. (Source: Patriot Payroll)
With Patriot Payroll’s client dashboard, you can add and manage your customers’ payroll information with ease. A cobranding service is also available, where your firm’s branding will appear throughout its software. While it offers accounting software integration with QuickBooks Desktop and QuickBooks Online, Patriot has its own accounting solution that you can purchase for either $20 or $30 per month.
Patriot’s onboarding dashboard lets you monitor your client onboarding activities online. (Source: Patriot Payroll)
Payroll
Pay hourly and salaried employees with ease, including contractors. In addition to unlimited payroll, you can also set its system to run automatically—provided you have already processed a successful payroll and don’t expect any changes to it. In case your clients want to give employee bonuses, simply add the expected take-home amounts into Patriot, and its “Net to Gross Payroll” tool will automatically gross it up for taxes.
HR tools
Patriot offers a time tracking solution with customizable overtime rules and a basic HR software for managing employee information 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 or OnPay. Both have offer letters, customizable checklists, and payroll onboarding tools. If you or your client require a robust suite of HR tools, consider Rippling or Paychex.
SurePayroll: Best for Accountants Needing Simple Payroll Tools
Pros
- Unlimited and automatic pay runs
- Revenue share or direct billing options
- Offers an online branded client portal
Cons
- Free payroll software perk is only available to those with at least 10 clients
- Revenue sharing has a monthly add-on fee
- Limited HR tools
SurePayroll is a Paychex company and offers many of the same services, but it’s a simpler and less expensive software. In addition to full-service payroll, tax filings, basic HR tools, and access to benefits options, it offers a partner program for accountants with a platform for managing clients, dedicated support, and wholesale pricing. It also provides white-label branding features, such as you can customize its client portal. For an additional fee, you can use its Revenue Share option to manage client billings. This allows you to set specific markup fees for each client and send them invoices.
In our evaluation, SurePayroll received an overall rating of 4.20 out of 5, earning high marks of 4 and above in nearly all categories. While it offers efficient payroll and partner accountant tools, it scored the lowest in HR functionalities because it doesn’t have a built-in time tracker and its benefits options aren’t as robust as Gusto and Paychex’s benefits packages.
A snapshot of SurePayroll’s client dashboard for partner accountants (Source: SurePayroll)
With SurePayroll, partner accountants get white-label branding so you can customize its client portal to match your company’s color scheme. It may not have an accounting solution like QuickBooks and Patriot, but its platform can connect with accounting software like Xero, Zoho Books, LessAccounting, Kashoo, QuickBooks, Sage 50, and AccountEdge.
Aside from a client dashboard, SurePayroll grants partner accountants free access to a library of marketing resources and case studies to help you grow your accounting practice. (Source: SurePayroll)
Flexible payroll options
You get unlimited pay runs each month with payout options that include paper checks and two-day direct deposits. Similar to Patriot Payroll, it offers a full-service pay processing package with tax filing services and a DIY plan, which is optimal for clients with a very small team—provided you’re willing to handle tax payments and filings yourself.
Employee screening
SurePayroll lacks the time tracking solutions that the other providers on this list offer (except OnPay). However, it provides robust new hire screening tools that include background checks, drug screening, behavioral assessments, and skills testing.
Employee benefits
SurePayroll’s benefits offerings include health insurance, 401(k) plans, and workers’ compensation. If your clients are looking for a financial wellness program for employees, consider Paychex.
Rippling: Best Payroll Software for Accountants With Clients Looking for Payroll, HR & IT Tools
Pros
- Payroll, IT, and HR tools are modular—you can select solutions that you need
- Robust integration options with more than 500 apps
- Partner program includes discounts for clients and a dedicated partner success manager
Cons
- 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
Compared to the other providers in this guide, Rippling allows you to provide clients with a wider range of solutions given its modular HR, payroll, benefits, and IT tools. It can help you manage the business apps and computer devices that employees use, making it easy for your IT teams to handle the provisioning and deprovisioning processes. Finance solutions are also available, allowing you to track expense claims and provide employees access to a corporate card they can use for business-related purchases.
However, its partner accountant program isn’t as robust as Paychex’s with its continuing professional education (CPE) webinars and QuickBooks’ with its preferential rates for accounting professionals. Aside from a client dashboard, Rippling only provides discounts for your clients and free payroll, dedicated support, and HR tools for your firm.
Since Our Last Update:
Rippling has released a new headcount planning and compensation bands solution. This feature provides you with a single source of truth for all your headcount numbers and compensation costs, streamlining the process of tracking approved headcount for new hires while preventing out-of-compensation band salary offers.
Scoring an overall of 4.16 out of 5 in our evaluation, Rippling received ratings of 4 and up in our reporting, pricing, pay processing, and expert assessment criteria. Many users like its intuitive interface and the seamless integration between its products. However, its add-on charges for many of its HR solutions (like time tracking and HR advisory services), including the lack of discounted pricing specifically for partner accountants, prevented Rippling from ranking higher on our list.
Rippling has a centralized “Client Command Center” for viewing reminders, generating reports, and running client payroll. (Source: Rippling)
Unlike QuickBooks and Patriot, Rippling lacks an in-house accounting tool—although it can integrate with QuickBooks, Sage Intacct, and Xero. Keeping track of all of your customers’ payroll needs and timelines is also made easy with Rippling’s client command center. Plus, it assigns all partner accountants with a dedicated Rippling Advisor who will serve as their point person if they have inquiries about the platform’s features, the program’s marketing tools, and more.
With the online accountant partner directory, you can create a listing for your firm and market your services to Rippling customers. (Source: Rippling)
Payroll
Unlimited pay runs and auto-calculations of pay rates are just some of Rippling’s payroll features. You can pay both employees and contractors either through paychecks or direct deposits. Rippling even flags errors and pay data discrepancies between your draft pay runs and processed payrolls.
Integrated payroll, benefits, and time tracking tools
With Rippling, you only need to enter data once, and its software will automatically reflect the changes across its solutions. You also don’t have to worry about having to do employee attendance data uploads because its time tracking tool connects seamlessly with its payroll solution, making it easy for you to capture the actual hours worked for pay processing.
Feature-rich HR platform
Rippling’s suite of HR tools is designed to help you manage employees more efficiently. It has job posting, applicant tracking, onboarding, and learning management solutions. If you need expert advice, sign up for its HR help desk add-on to get one-on-one support from an HR professional.
IT tools
Rippling makes assigning and deploying computer devices to new hires easy. You can even install the necessary apps to computer devices and restrict access for resigning employees. Best of all, Rippling can connect with more than 500 business apps. None of the providers on this list have a partner network this extensive.
Paychex: Best Payroll Software for Accountants Needing Flexible Plans for Fast-growing Clients
Pros
- Full suite of HR tools
- Full-featured payroll options
- Continuing education through Paychex’s online courses and Accountant Knowledge Center
Cons
- Pricing isn’t all transparent
- Time tracking, benefits, and HR advisory services are paid add-ons
- Lacks accountant-only discounts
Paychex’s payroll and HR software for accounting professionals offers technology and partnerships that help you provide excellent service for your clients. It starts with a client dashboard, called AccountantHQ, where you can work with clients to run payroll (through its Paychex Flex solution) or run it yourself. Next, it adds HR tools like onboarding, new hire reporting, background checks, and hiring services.
Payroll plans are also flexible and can fit the needs of rapidly scaling businesses. It even includes access to professional education webinars, compliance support, resources and tools to help improve client relationships, and a dedicated account services team of accountant relationship managers.
In our evaluation, Paychex earned an overall of 4 out of 5. It scored the lowest in pricing because most of its HR and payroll products require you to call for a quote. Nonetheless, it offers a terrific range of payroll and tax filing services, including a dedicated payroll specialist. You can offer clients HR support, given Paychex’s wide selection of online tools—from hiring and employee benefits to performance reviews and learning management.
Paychex’s AccountantHQ solution provides you real-time access to your clients’ payroll and HR information. (Source: Paychex)
In addition to its “Accountant HQ” client dashboard, Paychex’s partner program includes free continuing professional education webinars made possible through its collaboration with CPA.com and Wolters Kluwer. Registering with its Accountant Knowledge Center also grants you more access to helpful resources, such as videos and the latest industry updates. And while Paychex doesn’t have an in-house accounting software like QuickBooks and Patriot, its Paychex Flex solution can integrate with popular accounting tools like Xero, Sage Intacct, and QuickBooks.
You can access learning courses directly from your client dashboard or via the Accountant Knowledge Center page on Paychex’s website. (Source: Paychex Flex)
Payroll
With Paychex Flex, you can pay contractors and employees through direct deposits, pay cards, or paychecks. It even offers check logo and signing services. Aside from customizable earning and deduction types, you can choose from three pay entry options that include a grid view for easy pay data entry.
Hands-free pay runs
Its “Paychex Voice Assist” feature offers a hands-off experience in processing, reviewing, updating, and submitting payroll. This voice-activated tool, which works on any Google Assistant-compatible device, comes with built-in verification and artificial intelligence (AI) solutions for user authentication. You can start a new pay period, make adjustments, or continue a pay run that’s already in progress—without having to manually log into your Paychex Flex account.
Wide range of HR solutions
New hire reporting, an HR library with business forms, and a labor compliance kit with e-posters for federal and state updates are some HR tools you can get with Paychex Flex. It also offers new hire onboarding, background checks, learning management, access to HR experts, and an online employee handbook—provided you sign up for one of its higher tiers.
Employee benefits
With Paychex, you can provide your clients access to health, dental, and vision insurance in all 50 states. It also offers HSA, FSA, and 401(k) plans and a financial wellness program—a benefit that none of the providers on this list have.
How We Evaluated the Best Payroll Processing Software for Accountants
The first thing we looked for is payroll software with partner programs specific to accountants. The software also needed to provide more than discounted pricing, so we checked for client dashboards and benefits specific for accountants. Then, we compared essential features, such as pay runs, tax filings, and HR tools. Finally, we considered the price for clients and accountants.
Click through the tabs below for a more detailed breakdown of our evaluation criteria.
20% of Overall Score
20% of Overall Score
We allotted the most points to providers that offer preferential rates to accountants. We also looked for additional additional partner perks like client discounts, revenue share options, and access to free payroll software. Extra points were given to payroll software providers with an in-house accounting solution.
15% of Overall Score
We gave priority to software that has two-day direct deposit, handles all payroll tax payments and filings, and provides a penalty-free guarantee.
15% of Overall Score
In this criterion, we assess whether the software’s ease of use, pricing, and the width and depth of its payroll and HR tools are ideal for SMBs.
10% of Overall Score
Access to expert support, including online onboarding and state new hire reporting, are the top HR features we looked for, followed by time tracking, diverse benefits options, health insurance available across the US, and a self-service portal.
15% of Overall Score
Payroll service and software should be simple to set up, be customizable, and have a user-friendly interface. Aside from user reviews, we also looked at whether the provider offers live support and integration options with online tools that most SMBs use.
5% of Overall Score
Preference was given to software with built-in basic payroll reports, customization options, and the functionality to export reports into CSV file formats.
If you just want to recommend payroll software to your clients, then check out our guides on the best payroll software and leading payroll services. To help you select the ideal pay processing solution for your firm, read our finding a payroll software guide.
Accountant Payroll Software Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Yes, they do. With a payroll system, accountants can efficiently and compliantly process their clients’ pay runs and tax filings. Some payroll software even have expense management tools to help accountants track and process employee business expense claims.
Apart from payroll and accounting systems, accountants may use expense management, invoicing, and billing solutions—if those functionalities aren’t included in the accounting software.
Pricing can vary, depending on the features included. An accountant payroll software with basic pay processing tools can cost anywhere from $40–$50 monthly for one employee. Those with advanced HR payroll tools are priced at around $80 to $100+ for one employee monthly.
For accountants or accounting firms, it’s important to find an online system that can handle the payroll needs of your clients—from simple pay runs to processing multi-state payroll. Pricing, ease of use, compliance tools, and customer support are also important, as well as tax filing services (so you don’t need to handle these yourself). Consider the integration options offered and the HR tools included (such as time tracking, new hire reporting, and onboarding), as these can streamline processes.
Bottom Line
Finding payroll software that also offers an accounting solution is critical if you’re offering payroll accounting services. It makes bookkeeping easy and doesn’t require you to input payroll-related data manually into your books since its accounting and payroll tools integrate seamlessly with each other. If you have preferred accounting software, check if it offers payroll and vice versa. Then, consider the needs of your clients and add-on solutions that would be helpful to you and your customers, such as basic HR and benefits options.
We find QuickBooks Payroll is the best payroll software for accountants managing small businesses because you can use its integrated payroll and accounting platform to transfer payroll data to the general ledger, saving you time from doing it yourself. It also offers free payroll for your company, a client dashboard, a revenue share option, and discounted rates for you and your clients.
