Some online based payroll solution companies have opened their doors to the Nigerian Accounting Firms. Their introduction was a blessing for organizations as they were able to access the software needed for their payroll processes and some other services without having to pay exorbitant sums like what they would be charged if they decided to patronize the software from an outside company.
Well, I believe you are looking for the best payroll software for accounting firms. This is a good place to start.
BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE Workful
Workful is one of the newer online payroll services available, and it’s already making a name for itself with its top-notch customer support, which is why it’s our best customer service option. The geolocation time-clock tracking is easy enough to set up and ensures employees clock in and out from wherever you’ve set as appropriate. Also, employees can submit expenses through the app, so they can get reimbursed with the next payroll run.Pros
- Affordable
- Easy to use
- Includes employee expense tracking
- Offers geolocation time-clock tracking
- Includes document storage
Cons
- Limited reporting features
- Setup seems clunky
Workful is an affordable and easy-to-use application but is not without its restrictions. For example, it doesn’t do automatic tax filing for you. But, it gets our nod for best customer service because it provides fast guidance with easy-to-understand directions for a small business owner.
Workful is one of the easiest-to-use online payroll services available. The left-side main menu is intuitive, and the dashboard is clean. Setup is easy enough, with a tutorial that walks you through establishing your services. Once you have the time-clock set up, it’s kind of hands-off work for you. Employees simply use the app to clock in and out.
When it comes to integrations, Workful doesn’t seem to play well with others. You can integrate QuickBooks Online, but that’s it. Workful is trying to be a single software solution, which is why it offers built-in time tracking, document storage, and HR options. However, if you’re happy with your time-tracking solution, use a different accounting program, or need Indeed or Zapier integrations, Workful isn’t the right payroll software for you.
OnPay
If you currently use Xero or QuickBooks Online, OnPay offers terrific integration with both applications, with integration with FreshBooks expected shortly.
One of the biggest benefits of using OnPay is that access to various HR resources is included in the monthly fee, an option not offered by any of the other payroll applications.
OnPay lets you set up tax rates for as many states as needed. Source: OnPay software.
OnPay offers payroll in all 50 states at no additional cost, with free direct deposit included, and includes complete tax processing from the initial report to filing and tax remittance.
You can also print and distribute year-end tax forms such as W-2s for your employees or have OnPay print and mail them for a small fee. OnPay will also help you migrate payroll data from another application at no charge.
OnPay offers one plan with all features included for $36/month, with a $4 charge for each employee.
OnPay for Accountants
Are you an accountant looking for a payroll solution for multiple clients? Check out OnPay’s accounting partner program.Visit OnPay
QuickBooks Online Payroll
One of the biggest things to consider when choosing a payroll service or software is whether it will integrate with your accounting software. If you’re using QuickBooks Online, that’s one less thing to worry about.
The Review and Submit screen provides an overview of total payroll cost each pay period. Source: QuickBooks Online Payroll software.
Designed for up to 50 employees, QuickBooks Online Payroll makes life a lot easier for your accountant (or you). It offers complete integration with QuickBooks Online Accounting, which updates your G/L with payroll-related expenses, eliminating the need to post entries manually.
Another advantage of using QuickBooks Online Payroll is that it calculates, processes, and files all payroll tax forms, including tax deposits for all the necessary states, saving you or your accountant a lot of time. It also processes year-end forms for your employees such as W-2s and 1099s.
QuickBooks Online Payroll offers three plans, starting at $22.50/month for the first three months, with all three plans offering full-service payroll.
Patriot Payroll
If you use or plan to use Patriot Accounting, why not couple it with Patriot Payroll? Patriot Payroll offers two plans, Basic and Full Service. You’ll want to choose the latter in order to reap the benefits garnered by using both applications.
Patriot Payroll offers free product setup, as well as free product support. In addition, the application handles all filing and depositing of federal, state, and local payroll taxes, and processes year-end employee tax forms such as W-2s and 1099s.
Patriot Payroll offers an easily navigated interface for managing both accounting and payroll. Source: Patriot Payroll software.
Patriot Payroll’s Full Service plan currently runs $30/month + a $4 charge per employee.
Best for smaller businesses with a limited number of employees to pay, Patriot Payroll used with Patriot Accounting will definitely save accountants a significant amount of time.
Gusto
Gusto offers three plans for small businesses, with all plans offering full-service payroll. Gusto takes care of everything from new hire reporting to supporting unlimited payroll runs along with multi-state payroll capability.
Gusto lets you easily add integration with your current accounting software. Source: Gusto software.
Gusto currently integrates with popular accounting applications such as Xero, FreshBooks, and QuickBooks Online, so you’ll be able to import your payroll transactions into your accounting software. This will eliminate the need to enter payroll transactions separately.
In addition, Gusto handles all tax filing including creating reports, filling out forms, and submitting tax payments. Gusto also handles year-end filing of Form 940 and 941 as well as employee year-end forms such as W-2’s and 1099s.
Gusto’s Basic plan runs $19.99/month for a team of two, and the Core plan is $39/month. Both plans have a $6 per-employee charge.
SurePayroll
Of all of the stand-alone payroll software and services, SurePayroll offers the best integration with third-party accounting applications.
Sure Payroll’s mobile app lets you do payroll on your iOS or Android smartphone. Source: SurePayroll software.
SurePayroll integrates with software applications such as AccountEdge, QuickBooks Desktop, QuickBooks Online, Sage 50, and Xero, eliminating the need to manually post payroll entries.
The Payroll Preview report provides you or your accountant with payroll liability including Gross Pay, Employee Deductions, Employee Taxes, Net Pay, and Employer Taxes, with this information easily exported to your accounting software application, eliminating the need to enter payroll details manually.
SurePayroll handles all payroll taxes, from initial report preparation and form filing to payment remittance. SurePayroll also prepares year-end forms such as W-2s and 1099s.
SurePayroll pricing starts at $29.99/month, plus a $4 per employee charge.
BEST REPORTINGPaychex Flex
Paychex Flex offers more than 160 reports for you to get a clear look at wages, taxes, turnover, and more. Paychex is our best reporting option because it checks almost all the boxes for what you’d want in payroll software when it comes to reports and data. It also automatically files your payroll taxes, ensures compliance, and includes integrations with important programs you also use, such as accounting and benefits apps.Pros
- 24/7 support
- Easy to use
- HR add-on options
- Robust reporting feature
Cons
- Hidden fees for setup & EOY tax docs
- Mixed reviews from users regarding support
There’s a lot to like about Paychex. The payroll software makes it easy to set up and run payroll, it automates the submission of federal, state, and local payroll taxes, and it offers plenty of upgrade options, which you may need as your business grows. Still, the basic reporting you get from Paychex could be worth the monthly fee alone, giving it the edge in this category. Plus, you’ll be able to add any other data field you’d like, thanks to custom fields, which is rare for small business online payroll services.
While the Paychex Flex Essentials plan is $39 per month and $5 per employee, it’s difficult to say how much Paychex will cost you for the more comprehensive plans—Paychex Flex Select and Paychex Flex Pro—unless you go through the process of getting a custom quote.
One of the most important aspects of a good online payroll solution is whether it integrates with software you already use. Paychex does integrate with QuickBooks and Xero accounting software, plus many health insurance and benefits apps, time tracking and attendance software, and HR software
BEST FREE OPTIONPayroll4Free
Payroll4Free is the best free payroll service you can find that’s truly free—as long as you’re willing to do a bit of manual work. You won’t be able to file payroll taxes or pay your employees via direct deposit, unless you’re willing to fork out a low payment. If you have a business with fewer than 25 employees, this would be a step up from a pen-and-paper method of doing payroll.Pros
- Free to use
- Inexpensive to file taxes and pay via direct deposit
- Pay W-2 or 1099 workers
Cons
- Limited features
- Setup is totally manual
Payroll4Free is the only free software that allows for all the administrative components needed to run a payroll. Essentially, Payroll4Free lets you input hours for payroll for your business, leaving a lot of the administrative tasks up to you. It’ll calculate things for you, though. Setup is manual, but it includes a setup tool to help you enter the right information in the right places. This leaves room for error, but that could be said for many payroll software tools.
There are no fees to use Payroll4Free unless you have more than 25 employees or you want Payroll4Free to file your payroll taxes for you. Payroll tax filing costs $15 per month as a flat fee. If you want to pay your employees via direct deposit, that will be another $15 per month. Otherwise, funds will be deposited into your account so you can manually pay your workers by check, though you may want to consider paying for check printing software. Even if you choose to pay for these services, you’ll still pay less than most other services.
Conclusion
Payroll is a specialty within the accounting industry. There are many accounting firms that can provide payroll services to their clients, but not all of them provide these services. Their reason for this is that payroll is not simple work. It requires understanding of various state and local tax codes, laws, rules, rules changes, etc. There are many forms you have to file for each client during the year. So if someone does not specialize in small business payroll services they will most likely recommend your company hire a payroll provider or outsource to a third party who can take care of all of this for you.