Best Payroll Software for Accountants in 2022
Charlette has over 10 years of experience in accounting and finance and 2 years of partnering with HR leaders on freelance projects. She uses this extensive experience to answer your questions about payroll.
Robie has more than five years of content writing experience and specializes in writing about payroll and human resources software for small businesses.
This article is part of a larger series on Payroll Services.
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 CPAs. Below are our seven top-recommended payroll software for accountants.
- QuickBooks Payroll for Accountants: Best (overall) for accountants, especially QuickBooks Accounting users
- Gusto for Accountants: Best for small accounting businesses wanting help marketing their payroll service
- Rippling for Accountants: Best for accountants with clients needing to manage remote employees
- OnPay for Accountants: Best for accounting companies requiring flexible permissions for managing client payroll duties
- Patriot Payroll for Accountants: Best for accounting firms looking for an affordably priced payroll solution
- Paychex for Accountants: Best for accounting firms wanting continuing education perks for accountants
- SurePayroll for Accountants: Best for accountants looking for client billing tools that let them adjust fees per customer
Best Payroll Software for Accountants Compared
Starter Monthly Pricing | Discounts for Clients and Accountants | Special Promotion | In-house Accounting Solution** | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | $5 per employee + $45 base fee | ✓ | 30-day free trial | ✓ |
 | $6 per employee + $40 base fee | Accountants can pass discounts to clients | One month free trial | Integrates with accounting tool |
 | $8 per employee + $35 base fee* | ✓ | ✕ | Integrates with accounting tools |
 | $6 per employee + $40 base fee | Accountants can pass discounts to clients | One month free trial | Integrates with accounting tools |
 | $4 per employee + $37 base fee | Accountants only | 60-day free trial | ✓ |
 | $5 per employee + $39 base fee | Accountants only | Three months free trial | Integrates with accounting tools |
 | $3 per employee + $39.99 base fee* | Accountants only | Two months free trial | Integrates with accounting tools |
*Pricing is based on a quote we received
**Access to the providers’ accounting software may require additional fees
If you’re unsure which payroll for accountants platform is best for your business, answer a few questions in our free quiz and we will help you decide.
Which Payroll Software for Accountants is Right For You?
If you’re unsure which payroll software for accountants is best for your business, answer a few questions in our free quiz and we will help you decide.
QuickBooks Payroll for Accountants: Best Overall Payroll Software for Accountants
QuickBooks Payroll for Accountants
Overall Score: 4.68
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 $5–$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
- Revenue share program allows you to pass a 50% discount to your new clients for three months—but your clients will be billed; plus, you get 30% of the billed base fees and 15% of the employee fees for 12 months as a revenue share
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 client permissions, guarantees tax accuracy, and includes 24/7 support—plus, its accounting and payroll modules sync seamlessly with each other.
If you sign up for its free 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 free access to QuickBooks Payroll Elite (which you can use to pay your employees), discount pricing for your clients, a revenue share option, and a partner ProAdvisor program with preferential rates for both you and your customers.
Scoring an overall of 4.68 out of 5 in our evaluation, QuickBooks Payroll for Accountants earned high marks (4 and above) in nearly 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 rating because, unlike Gusto 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)
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 $5 per employee. For your new clients, discounts are available, but only for the first three months.
Accountants who are part of QuickBooks’ ProAdvisor program can also choose to pay the monthly fees on behalf of their clients. This allows them to enjoy an ongoing ProAdvisor discount. They can even pass the discount to new clients through a Direct Discount option, but this is only for the first 12 months—plus, QuickBooks will send the billings directly to the clients.
Since our Last Update:
QuickBooks Payroll has launched a revenue share program, wherein partner accounting firms or accountants (except those who offer audit services) get a monthly payout for new client subscriptions (30% from base fees and 15% from per-employee fees). However, you can only collect the monthly payouts or revenue shares during your clients’ first 12 months of using QuickBooks Payroll via your firm. Aside from the revenue share, new clients get 50% off base subscription fees for the first three months.
Regular Pricing ($/Employee/Month) | Revenue Share Client Discount* ($/Employee/Month) | ProAdvisor Discount for Accountants ($/Employee/Month) | Direct Discount for Clients ($/Employee/Month) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Core | $45 + $4 | $22.50 + $5 | $31.50 + $4.25 | $31.50 + $4.25 |
Premium | $75 + $8 | $37.50 + $8 | $52.50 + $6.80 | $52.50 + $6.80 |
Elite | $125 + $8 | $62.50 + $10 | $87.50 + $8.50 | $87.50 + $8.50 |
*Your new clients get 50% off the software base fee for the first three months. Note that the discounted rates may change, so check QuickBooks Payroll’s website from time to time to view the latest promotions on offer.
Note, however, that QuickBooks Payroll doesn’t offer local tax filing and payment services in its Core package. You have to convince your clients to sign up for at least a Premium plan if they want full payroll tax filing services (federal, state, and local). While you get preferential pricing under the ProAdvisor program, QuickBooks Payroll for Accountants’ discounted Premium tier ($52.50 per month plus $6.80 per employee monthly) is still pricier than Patriot Payroll—which offers full-service payroll and automated tax filings for only $37 per month plus $4 per employee monthly.
QuickBooks Payroll for Accountants Key Features
Payroll
Setting up QuickBooks Payroll is very easy, and you can pay contractors, hourly workers, and salaried employees with just a few clicks. It comes with automatic and unlimited pay runs, and salary payouts can be done through paychecks and via next-day and same-day direct deposits. Its mobile app (for iOS and Android devices)—which is our top-recommended payroll app for small businesses—lets you process payroll and even e-file taxes while on the go. While the other providers on this list (except Gusto, Rippling, OnPay, and Patriot Payroll) have mobile apps, these don’t offer electronic tax filings.
Tax filing services
Apart from year-end tax report prep and delivery, federal and state tax filings are included in QuickBooks Payroll’s tax services. However, if you require local tax filings, you need to get either its Premium or Elite tier. Elite subscribers also get a tax penalty guarantee, where QuickBooks will cover all penalties (up to $25,000 per year) in case of tax filing errors—regardless of who made a mistake. The other payroll software for accountants in this guide may offer a similar coverage but only for tax filing mistakes that their representatives will make.
Accountant-specific tools
Access to client management solutions and the free QuickBooks Online Accountant tool, including the seamless integration between QuickBooks products, make managing both client payroll and bookkeeping easy for accountants. Apart from the ProAdvisor and client discounts, its partner program includes access to training and resources to help improve your skills and grow your accounting business.
HR
Employee onboarding, paid time off (PTO) monitoring, and time tracking with QuickBooks Time (formerly TSheets) are just some of the HR features that QuickBooks Payroll offers. While it provides an HR advisor and HR support center 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’ compensation (via AP Intego), you are granted access to 401(k) plans and health insurance that is available in all US states. This is unlike Gusto’s health benefits, which only cover 39 states.
If you want to learn whether its payroll functionalities can handle your clients’ pay processing needs, then read our QuickBooks Payroll review.
Gusto: Best Payroll Software for Accountants Wanting Help Marketing Their Payroll Services
Gusto
Overall Score: 4.38
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
- Simple, Plus, and Premium plans with monthly fees that start at $40 plus $6 per employee, per month
- Its Premium tier (custom priced) includes all of Gusto’s features and a dedicated customer success manager
Accountant perks
- Free access to its Plus 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 service that provides 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. And 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 4.38 out of 5, with perfect scores in pricing, popularity, and reporting capabilities. It lost some points for fewer HR features than others on our list and for not providing insurance in all 50 states (unavailable in Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, West Virginia, and Wyoming), although it does offer online onboarding. 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 for Accountants Discounts & Perks
With Gusto, you and your clients can choose from three reasonably priced plans (Simple, Plus, and Premium) with monthly fees that start at $40 plus $6 per employee. New clients are only entitled to a one-month free trial, although you can choose to share your accountant discount with them.
As a Gusto partner, you enjoy several perks, like free payroll migration for your clients and free payroll software for your firm (provided you enroll one client with Gusto per year). You also get the chance to be People Advisory Certified and featured in the Gusto Partner Directory.
When signing up for Gusto’s partner accountant program, 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 discount or revenue share varies, depending on the number of clients you have. Newly enrolled accountant partners are also required to run client payroll with Gusto within 30 days of signing up for the program to receive the resulting discount or revenue share.
Starter | Bronze | Silver | Gold | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Number of Gusto Clients | 1–2 | 3–14 | 15–49 | 50+ |
Discount or Revenue Share Percentage | ✕ | 10% | 15% | 20% |
Free Gusto Complete Payroll for Your Firm | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
One-month Free Trial for your Clients | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Gusto Account Dashboard | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Free marketing collateral | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Gusto Partner Badges and Featured Partner Listing | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Customer Support | Dedicated account rep | Dedicated account rep | Dedicated rep and VIP support | Dedicated rep and VIP support |
You need to have at least three clients with Gusto to enjoy discount perks. If you want to get discounted pricing or plan to pass discounts to your customers, consider QuickBooks Payroll. Its accountant partner program doesn’t have client limits and offers higher discounts (30% and 15% off the monthly base and per-employee fees, respectively) compared to Gusto’s 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’s pay processing features. Aside from hourly and salaried employees, it can handle payroll for contractors and hourly and salaried 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 direct deposits.
Tax filing services
Unlike QuickBooks Payroll, all of Gusto’s plans include tax payment and filing services for federal, state, and local taxes. It also handles year-end tax reporting (W-2 and 1099) and won’t charge you extra for this, unlike SurePayroll and Paychex.
Accountant-specific tools
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. Plus, with Gusto Pro, you get a client dashboard 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.
Marketing collaterals
All accountant partners get free Gusto marketing collateral, cobranded dashboards, and referral tools to help advertise payroll services to clients. As your incentive level increases, 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.
HR
Aside from online new hire forms and onboarding tools, Gusto lets you upload and store electronic documents (like e-signed offer letters) on its platform. If you subscribe to its higher tiers, you get basic time tracking, workforce costing, expert advisers, and an HR library that contains job description templates, sample policies, and HR guides.
Employee benefits
While its health insurance is available only 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 spending accounts (FSAs), health reimbursement, 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 “Cashout” feature in case your client’s staff need early access to earned wages.
However, your clients won’t be able to maximize all of Gusto’s benefits offerings if their business is located in a state 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’s payroll, benefits, and HR features, check out our Gusto review.
Rippling for Accountants: Best Payroll Software for Accountants With Clients Looking for Payroll, HR & IT Tools
Rippling for Accountants
Overall Score: 4.33
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*
- $35 plus $8 per employee monthly; includes access to Rippling’s core workforce management platform plus full-service payroll and time tracking solutions
- IT tools (such as device, app, and computer inventory management) cost $5 per user monthly
- Benefits administration costs extra; pricing is based on your insurance broker
Accountant perks
- Free HR and payroll for your firm (up to 25 employees)
- Dedicated support
Client discounts:
- Discounts of up to 35%
*Pricing is based on a quote we received
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 even has efficient computer devices and apps provisioning and deprovisioning processes, plus Rippling can store your unused computers in its warehouse for safekeeping.
However, its partner accountant program isn’t as robust as Paychex’s (with its CPE webinars). Aside from a client dashboard, Rippling only provides discounts for your clients and free payroll, dedicated support, and HR tools for your firm.
Scoring an overall of 4.33 out of 5 in our evaluation, Rippling received ratings of 4 and up in all of our criteria, with perfect marks in reporting and popularity. Many users like its intuitive interface and the seamless integration between its products. However, its paid HR advisory services and lack of a dedicated payroll specialist (similar to what Paychex offers to its clients) 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)
Rippling for Accountants Discounts & Perks
Rippling’s partner program provides accountants free access to payroll and HR solutions that you can use for your firm (up to 25 employees only). You even get a dedicated partner success manager 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 also enjoy discounts of up to 35%. However, if you want training perks, then consider QuickBooks Payroll and Paychex since both include learning courses in their partner programs.
Rippling for Accountants Key Features
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.
Tax filing services
With Rippling, you don’t have to worry about filing payroll taxes yourself. Its tax services cover year-end reporting in addition to federal, state, and local tax payments and filings.
Accountant-specific tools
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.
HR
Rippling’s suite of HR tools is designed to help you manage employees more efficiently. It has job posting, applicant tracking, time tracking, onboarding, and learning management solutions in addition to payroll and benefits options. If you need expert advice, sign up for its HR help desk add-on 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 tool 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 administration.
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 over 500 business apps. None of the providers on this list have a partner network this extensive.
For a more detailed look at its functionalities, see our Rippling review.
OnPay: Best Payroll Software for Accountants Needing Flexible Permissions To Manage Client Payroll Duties
OnPay
Overall Score: 4.24
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
- $40 per month plus $6 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 has six levels of system permissions (more robust than the other providers in this guide), allowing you to efficiently manage client payroll and user access, as well as delegate pay processing tasks (such as payroll approvals) to customers. 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+ 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 QuickBooks Payroll).
The platform earned an overall rating of 4.24 out of 5 in our evaluation. It received scores of 4 and above in nearly all of our criteria, given its HR functionalities, reporting capabilities, efficient payroll tools, and affordably priced plan that many users appreciate. It would have ranked higher on our list had it offered an in-house accounting software (like QuickBooks and Patriot do).
A screenshot of OnPay’s dashboard for payroll accountants (Source: OnPay)
OnPay for Accountants Discounts & Perks
OnPay’s partner accountant perks include free account setup, free data migration, marketing resources, free payroll for your firm, and options for either discount or revenue sharing. You can also pass the discount to your clients and have OnPay send billing statements to their offices. 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 | ✕ | 10% | 15% | 20% |
Free Payroll for Your Firm | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Marketing Resources | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Partner Badge | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Co-branding | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ |
OnPay for Accountants Key Features
Payroll
OnPay can handle payroll for employees and contractors from various business types (like startups and SMBs), organizations (nonprofits and religious), and industries (such as restaurant, healthcare, dental, fitness, and agriculture). It 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 or not you’re eligible for two- or four-day direct deposits.
While risk assessment is a safety precaution that OnPay has put in place, you may not be able to offer two-day direct deposits to your clients if they don’t meet OnPay’s requirements. Some of your clients with large payroll amounts may even be approved for a “wire only” option, wherein they will handle the direct deposit transfers themselves. For fast direct deposit, 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 also offers year-end reporting and, like SurePayroll and Paychex, you have to pay extra if you want OnPay to print and mail the W-2s and 1099s to your employees and contractors.
Accountant-specific tools
You get access to a client dashboard, expert support from payroll professionals, and free client migration services.
HR
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 and Rippling.
Employee benefits
OnPay provides your clients health insurance, which is available in all 50 states (unlike Gusto’s, which is limited to 39 states). Other benefits include disability, life, and retirement plans.
Head over to our OnPay review 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: 4.07
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 option
Patriot Payroll for Accountants Pricing
Software fees
- $37 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
Patriot Payroll, which is the least expensive option in this guide, lets you handle client payroll efficiently. It also comes with time tracking and basic HR solutions for monitoring staff work hours, creating overtime rules, and managing an online employee database. 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 4.07 out of 5, with perfect marks in reporting, pricing, and popularity among users. 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 easily switch between company accounts. (Source: Patriot Payroll)
Patriot Payroll for Accountants Discounts & Perks
Accounting firms that join Patriot Payroll’s partner program enjoy discounted rates based on the number of clients they have. It offers product discounts of up to 20% for its payroll, accounting, time and attendance, and basic HR modules. Unlike discount perks from Gusto and OnPay, which require at least three customers, Patriot Payroll provides 5% off even if you only have one client.
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 discount you enjoy.
Silver | Gold | Platinum | Diamond | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Numbers of Client Accounts | 1–5 | 6–20 | 21–50 | 51+ |
Payroll Software for Clients | 5% discount | 10% discount | 15% discount | 20% discount |
Payroll Software for Your Firm | 5% discount | Free | Free | Free |
Accounting Software for Clients | 5% discount | 10% discount | 15% discount | 20% discount |
Accounting Software for Your Firm | 5% discount | Free | Free | Free |
Cobranding | Free | Free | Free | Free |
Time and Attendance Add-On | 5% discount | 10% discount | 15% discount | 20% discount |
HR Add-on* | 5% discount | 10% discount | 15% discount | 20% discount |
*Patriot’s HR solution consists of employee information, document management, and HR reporting tools.
For clients only requiring payroll and automated 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 other providers on this list are better options since they have several options that include health, workers’ compensation, and retirement plans—although Gusto’s health insurance coverage is limited to 39 states.
Patriot Payroll for Accountants Key Features
Payroll
Pay hourly and salaried employees with ease, including contractors. You can run payroll as many times as you want without having to pay extra. You can also set Patriot Payroll to run automatically—provided you have already processed a successful payroll and don’t expect any changes to it. In addition to paychecks and direct deposits, it supports PTO accrual tracking, multiple pay rates, and customizable hours, earnings, and deduction types.
Tax filing services
Depositing and filing your federal, state, and local taxes are part of Patriot Payroll’s tax services. The provider will even submit your year-end payroll tax filings to the appropriate agencies at no cost (SurePayroll and Paychex charge extra for this).
Accountant-specific tools
With Patriot Payroll’s client dashboard, you can add and manage your customers’ payroll information with ease. If you enroll in its partner program, it offers a cobranding service where your firm’s branding will appear throughout its software.
HR
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, as it offers helpful checklists, offer letters, and payroll onboarding tools. If you or your client require a robust suite of HR tools, consider Rippling or Paychex.
If you want to understand its features more, including the pros and cons of using the system, read our Patriot Payroll review.
Paychex for Accountants: Best Payroll Software for Accountants Looking for Continuing Education Perks
Paychex for Accountants
Overall Score: 4.05
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’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. On top of that, it 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 4.05 out of 5. It scored the lowest in pricing because most of its HR and payroll products require you to call for a quote. It also charges by pay run, making it more expensive for most clients. 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 learning management and even PEO services.
Paychex’s AccountantHQ solution provides you real-time access to your clients’ payroll and HR information. (Source: Paychex)
Paychex for Accountants Discounts & Perks
As part of its partner program, you’re granted access to Paychex Flex (an online payroll solution), including a variety of accountant tools and resources. Paychex will also provide you with its official logo and company description that you can add to your firm’s website.
Paychex for Accountants Key Features
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.
Tax filing services
Its payroll tax administration services cover the payment and filings of federal, state, and local taxes on your behalf. It also offers year-end tax report preparation and delivery. 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 also offers similar services, but you have to get its highest tier if you want automated local tax filings.
Accountant-specific tools
In addition to its AccountantHQ client dashboard, Paychex’s partner program includes free access to 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.
HR
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.
Head over to our Paychex Flex review if you want to find more to like about this cloud-based system.
SurePayroll for Accountants: Best Payroll Software for Accountants Wanting Customizable Client Billing Tools
SurePayroll for Accountants
Overall Score: 4.00
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 monthly 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 quote we received
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 (i.e., 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 out of 5, earning high marks of 4 and above in pricing, HR tools, payroll functionalities, and reporting. While it offers efficient payroll and accountant tools and has mostly positive feedback on online review sites, it scored the lowest in popularity among users since its average number of reviews on third-party sites is below 500.
A snapshot of SurePayroll’s client dashboard for partner accountants. (Source: SurePayroll)
SurePayroll for Accountants Discounts & Perks
SurePayroll doesn’t publish its payroll accountant pricing on its website, but you can easily request a quote from the provider. The one we received indicates that its pricing is based on the number of clients you have, wherein monthly base fees (which start at $39.99) decrease as your client base increases. It also offers two free user seats, after which it charges $3 per employee monthly for each additional staff; W-2/1099 filings cost an extra $45 plus $4.50 per tax form.
1–9 Clients | 10–24 Clients | 25–49 Clients | 50–99 Clients | 100+ Clients | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Per-client Monthly Base Fees | $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 partner accountant program also includes free account setup and free access to its payroll tool that you can use for your firm—provided you have 10 or more clients. Flexible billing options are also 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 revenue sharing. With Gusto, QuickBooks Payroll, and OnPay, you only have to sign up for its partner accountant program and either select revenue 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 paper checks and two-day direct deposits. Similar to many of the providers on this list, SurePayroll has an automatic pay run feature—which is optimal for client payrolls that don’t have any changes.
Tax filing services
SurePayroll will handle federal, state, and local tax remittances and filings for you—although local tax services in Ohio and Pennsylvania cost extra ($9.99 monthly). Similar to Paychex, it handles year-end tax reporting for a fee ($45.00 per client plus $4.50 per W-2/1099).
If most of your clients are startups and small business owners with limited payroll budgets, SurePayroll’s add-on fees for W-2/1099 tax reports may be too expensive. For year-end payroll tax reporting that doesn’t require extra costs, consider Gusto, Patriot Payroll, Rippling, and QuickBooks Payroll.
Accountant-specific tools
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.
HR
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 with access to short-term loans for your employees, consider Paychex. For your customers looking for a health reimbursement option, Gusto is a good option, but its health insurance isn’t available in 11 states (Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, West Virginia, and Wyoming).
Read our SurePayroll review to learn more about the platform’s pay processing tools.
How We Evaluated the Best Payroll 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%
Pricing
20%
Accountant-specific Tools
15%
Payroll Features
15%
Expert review
10%
HR features
10%
Ease of Use
5%
Popularity
5%
Reporting
20% of Overall Score
We gave points for plans that cost less than $50 per user, as well as companies that offered transparent pricing, multiple options, unlimited pay runs, and zero setup fees. We checked if the provider has transparent pricing, zero setup fees, and multiple plan options with unlimited pay runs. Those priced at $50 or less per employee monthly were also given extra points. Gusto, QuickBooks Payroll, and Patriot Payroll scored highest in this area—although Patriot Payroll is the most affordable among the three.
20% of Overall Score
We looked for payroll software with partner accountant programs, discounted pricing for both clients and accountants, and a client portal. We also considered whether it has an in-house accounting solution or integrates with popular accounting software. QuickBooks and Patriot received the highest scores in this criteria.
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. All of the software we reviewed scored 4 and above here.
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. QuickBooks Payroll, Gusto, Paychex, Rippling, and OnPay are in the lead with a score of 4.38 out of 5 in this criteria.
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 benefits options, health insurance available across the US, and a self-service portal. OnPay and Paychex are high scorers here because both allow you to provide clients with employee benefits plans in addition to essential 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 also looked at whether the provider offers live support and integration options with online tools that most SMBs use. QuickBooks Payroll received perfect scores in this criteria because of its intuitive interface, extensive how-to guides, and easy 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. Also, any software with 1,000+ reviews on any third-party site is preferred. Gusto, Paychex, Rippling, and Patriot earned a perfect rating in this criterion.
5% of Overall Score
Preference 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 just want to recommend payroll software to your clients, then check out our guides on the best payroll software and leading payroll services.
Bottom Line
Finding a 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 manually input payroll-related data 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—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 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.
