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.
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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.