QuickBooks Payroll review

QuickBooks Payroll is the obvious pick for owners whose accounting already lives in QuickBooks Online, because pay runs land in the books without an extra sync. Intuit sells three payroll-only plans, Workforce Payroll, Workforce Premium and Workforce Elite, and also bundles them with QuickBooks Online plans. Every tier includes full-service payroll with federal and state tax filing and payment, auto payroll, an employee portal and unlimited 1099-MISC and 1099-NEC e-filing, with copies sent to contractors automatically. The entry plan pays employees the next business day if you run payroll by 5 PM, and Premium moves that to same-day deposits along with time tracking, scheduling, onboarding and time off management. Elite adds tax penalty protection up to $25,000 a year and a personal HR advisor. The entry list price we saw was $50 a month plus $7 per employee before a 50 percent promotion, but the pricing page blocks requests from our location, so we mark it as pending.

Who it is for

Small businesses that keep their books in QuickBooks Online and want payroll in the same account.

Price

See vendor pricing (USD check pending).

US price check pending. See the vendor pricing page.

Key features

• Calculates, files and pays federal and state payroll taxes
• Unlimited 1099-MISC and 1099-NEC e-filing with copies sent to contractors
• Next-day direct deposit on Workforce Payroll; same-day on Premium and Elite
• Time tracking, scheduling and time off management on Premium and Elite
• Tax penalty protection up to $25,000 a year on Elite

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Payroll posts to QuickBooks Online without a separate integration
• Strength: Auto payroll, employee portal and 1099 e-filing on every plan
• Strength: No annual contract
• Weakness: List prices are higher than Gusto and OnPay once promotional discounts end
• Weakness: Time tracking requires Premium or Elite
• Weakness: Prices could not be confirmed from our location, so check the current rate

Key facts

• Plans: Workforce Payroll, Workforce Premium, Workforce Elite
• List price, entry plan: $50 a month plus $7 per employee before promotions
• Contract: No annual contract, cancel anytime
• Penalty protection: Up to $25,000 a year on Elite

Where it ranks

QuickBooks Payroll is No. 5 in our Best Payroll Software for Small Business verdict.