Payrolls in Ireland in general but especially in small businesses can be a time consuming nightmare even in today’s digital age. A payroll is an area where you don’t want to cut corners to save yourself time and money. If you are running a modest sized business or if you are an employer with one or more employees, then QuickBooks payroll software might be the solution that will save you both time and money. I’ve based my decision for this review on my own personal experience with QuickBooks payroll software, the numerous positive reviews found online, and also on the strong endorsement of The Accounting Officer .
Here are a couple of interesting payroll softwares that will be good for you.
Surf
Surf Accounts is an Irish system whose cloud-based accounting software and Customer Relationship Management system perfectly suit small and medium-sized businesses. A Surf subscription includes:
- Free unlimited telephone and email support for their clients, so you can always get help when you need it.
- Stylish invoicing, bank reconciliation, inventory management, and payroll are just some of the features that Surf offers. The software is fully adapted to Irish tax standards and very user-friendly.
- All their systems can be updated in real-time collaboration with your accountant and accessed anytime, anywhere, and on any device.
- Business owners and accountants can work in the system at the same time, making account management quick and easy. There is no need to look for backups or restores, decreasing downtime and other issues.
Why choose Surf?
Surf Accounts is perfect for you if… you’re a small to medium-sized company that wants software that can manage all your business finances in one place.
Pricing: Free 30-day trial with a monthly subscription starting at just €14.95 with a free advisor login. (Checked in August 2021)
Sage
Sage One is UK-based and has an Irish adapted system that is good for both small and medium-sized companies. They offer different packages based on your needs so you can choose the best fit for your company.
A Sage subscription includes:
- Invoicing, payments, reporting, and connection to your bank account.
- Always up-to-date with the latest legislation on VAT requirements.
- You can add an additional user to your account (an enhanced subscription plan is required.)
- Sage offer training for their software at an additional cost.
Why choose Sage?
Sage is perfect for you if… you’re just starting out. You can start with Sage Business Cloud and when you grow, you can upgrade to Sage 200cloud or SageX3.
Pricing: Free 2-month trial then €10–€25 + VAT per month (Checked August 2021)
Kashflow
Kashflow is a UK product that, like Xero, has had to adapt to the Irish market. The interface on Kashflow is very user-friendly and easy to navigate, but probably not at the same level as Xero. The company is well established in the UK market and has won numerous awards.
Kashflow’s adaptation to the Irish market has made it a very popular choice of software.
- It handles bank feeds for the majority of Irish banks very well.
- It can handle the Irish cash accounting for VAT. Crucially, it can also manage the Irish Return of Trading Details.
- KashFlow offers payroll features so your bookkeeping and payroll systems can be integrated.
Why choose KashFlow?
The only negative is that there appears to be little movement in the area of innovation. The interface also lacks the sharp sleek look of some of its competitors.
Kashflow is perfect for you if … you want an online accountancy software that gets the job done and gets it done at a low price.
Pricing: Offers a free trial then it is £9-£24 + VAT per month for the first 4 months. (Checked in August 2021).
AccountsIQ
AccountsIQ is an Irish system and so has all the functionality that Irish legislation requires, and also UK, U.S., and Australia functionality if you need it. We would recommend AccountsIQ for larger businesses or high-potential startups. As the system is sophisticated, the price is higher than the other software mentioned.
- The system serves a different market to the two providers profiled above. It is designed for companies whose accounting requirements are more complex.
- From a functionality perspective, it works very well. The dashboard is intuitive and the system, in general, is quite user-friendly, considering that it’s aimed at more complex businesses.
- Accounts IQ is designed for multi-entity and multi-currency accounting.
- Reports are sophisticated and include non-financial reports, which are important for smooth business operation.
- The VAT reporting is robust, although we have experienced some issues with bounced lodgements not being reflected correctly on VAT returns.
Why choose AccountsIQ?
The only negative is the limit on concurrent users – i.e. the number of people logged in and using it at the same time. This is based on your subscription. If you exceed the number of users allowed on your subscription, the system will not allow you to log on.
AccountsIQ is perfect for you if… you’re a large business or a high potential startup that needs a fully enabled and easy-to-use Irish platform with consolidation capabilities.
Pricing: Prices can be found by contacting AccountsIQ directly.
RUN Powered by ADP
Perhaps the most recognizable name in payroll, ADP has launched several applications that are aimed at the small business market. One of their most popular applications is RUN Powered by ADP, which is designed for businesses with 49 employees or less.
The application offers an easily navigated payroll dashboard, with a handy menu bar at the top of the dashboard that offers access to additional features.
RUN Powered by ADP offers an easily navigated user dashboard. Source: ADP software.
RUN Powered by ADP offers four plans, with many of its more powerful features only included in the top two plans. The application also offers a mobile app for iOS and Android devices, though it is not included in the base pricing.
All plans offer free direct deposit, new employee onboarding, and the ability to pay contractors. In addition, tax reporting and remittance is included with all plans. RUN Powered by ADP also offers a variety of HR resources, but only in their top plans.
ADP is reluctant to release pricing details for their payroll plans, preferring to speak to business owners about the plans and services available. However, they have stated that pricing for a business paying 10 employees would likely start at around $150-$180/monthly, depending on the plan and additional services purchased.
Read The Blueprint’s full RUN Powered by ADP review
Payroll4Free
Designed for small businesses with less than 25 employees, Payroll4Free offers decent payroll processing. While Payroll4Free does not offer tax filing and remittance in the free version, you can choose to add tax reporting and remittance for a small fee.
Payroll4Free uses a grid interface for faster data entry. Source: Payroll4Free software.
Although the core application is free, Payroll4Free includes valuable features such as direct deposit capability, and includes a grid entry option to speed up the process of entering payroll related data. Payroll4Free handles all payroll setup, but the process is complicated and in the end doesn’t save you any time.
Payroll4Free’s interface is dated, though the application is easily navigated, with a set of tiles on the home screen representing all available payroll features.
Payroll4Free lets you pay both employees and contractors, and processes all year-end forms such as W-2s and 1099s. In addition, they offer an employee portal, a nice feature for any payroll service, and particularly nice for a free service.
For smaller businesses with limited budgets, Payroll4Free can be a lifesaver. If you absolutely must have tax reporting and remittance, Payroll4Free offers complete tax service for $15/month.
Paycor
Paycor is designed for small to mid-size businesses, offering a payroll solution designed specifically for businesses paying 10 employees or less. Paycor offers a long list of payroll features, including direct deposit, an employee self-service option, and the ability to pay contractors.
Paycor includes a user-friendly dashboard that displays current payroll related information. Source: Paycor software.
A mobile app is included for both iOS and Android devices, and Paycor also includes complete tax reporting and remittance. HR resources are available in Paycor’s top two plans, and an onboarding feature is offered in the most expensive plan.
Paycor offers easy, intuitive navigation, with complete initial system configuration handled by Paycor. A pay grid is used to quickly enter payroll data, and you have the option to pay your employees by direct deposit, pay card, or check.
Paycor offers Small Business (one to 39 employees) and Mid-Market (40+ employees) bundles. The Small Business bundle offers three payroll plans: Basic, which starts at $99/month for up to 10 employees; Essential, which starts at $149/per month for up to 10 employees and includes HR capability and employee garnishment options; and Complete, which is $199/month and also includes HR templates, employee onboarding, and integration with third-party accounting applications.
If you have more than 10 employees, you’ll need to request a quote from Paycor.
Add-on modules such as Time & Labor Management, Employee Scheduling, Benefits Management, and Recruiting & Applicant Tracking are also available.
Read The Blueprint’s full Paycor review
Paychex Flex
Paychex Flex is designed for businesses of any size and has three plans to choose from: Paychex Go, for up to 10 employees; Select, for between 10 and 49 employees, and Enterprise for larger businesses.
All plans offer new-hire reporting, 24/7 support, automated employment, and income verification, paycards, and multistate payroll capability, as well as complete tax reporting and remittance.
Paychex Flex includes a customizable user dashboard. Source: Paychex Flex software.
Paychex Flex offers easy system navigation from the user dashboard, which displays current payroll information while offering easy access to system functions.
The software includes direct deposit and has an employee portal where pay stubs, tax forms, and vacation and sick balances can be accessed.
Paychex Flex processes both W-2s and 1099s at an additional fee, with other features such as a Workers’ Compensation report, General Ledger Service, and State Unemployment Insurance only available in the higher-priced plans.
Paychex Go, designed for up to 10 employees, starts at $59/month, with a $4 fee per employee assessed as well. Pricing for both Paychex Flex Select and Paychex Flex Enterprise are available directly from the company upon request, with an option to request pricing available on the Paychex Flex website.
Most of the features in the more expensive plans are available as an add-on option, with pricing available directly from Paychex Flex. You’ll also pay more if you add additional features, such as Time and Attendance, HR, and Employee Benefits Administration.
Gusto
Easy to use and compatible with requirements in all 50 states, Gusto makes payroll management easy. This software for payroll comes fully loaded with a number of important features. It can handle benefits, healthcare plans, taxes, 401(k) plans, and time tracking. It’s also fully compatible with most accounting software platforms, including the big names like FreshBooks, QuickBooks, and Xero. Small businesses can opt for the most basic Core plan when just starting off, levelling up to the more full-service options as your business grows. At the higher Concierge level, Gusto’s plan includes HR features including onboarding and surveys.
Square
You might associate Square with the portable square-shaped credit card reader, but this company has grown to include full-service payroll software as well. Like Gusto, Square’s services are customizable so you can adapt the plan to suit your company’s needs. The software can accommodate full-time employees as well as part-time workers and freelance contractors, paying both hourly rates and monthly salaries. It can also manage health benefits, which employees can see when they log in to their own Square accounts.
Conclusion
Payroll software has evolved in recent years and the advent of cloud-based accounting and payroll software has made it easier than ever for companies to manage payroll whether they have a single employee or one hundred. Companies that once used spreadsheets and manual calculations to stay on top of their payroll now use modern, user-friendly online payroll tools to automate much of the paperwork and tedious calculations.