Simply call the provider within 60 days of having purchased its solution to get a full refund. You can add team member—employee or independent contractor—details manually or import from external sources, such as spreadsheets or previous payroll applications. If you are adding them manually, you can start just with the name and email address. The other details required for running payroll, such as date of joining, hourly rates, paid time off, etc., can be added later. For other plans, you need to integrate payroll with Facebook’s Time Meter or any other time tracking app. QuickBooks Payroll is available in all 50 states, but the Core and Premium services include free tax filing for one state only.

• Run monthly, quarterly and annual payroll tax reports in QuickBooks to submit returns and payments to tax agencies.
• Accurate hour logs are essential for proper wage and overtime calculations.
• Once you’ve set up your payroll items and time off, you can use the Assign to employees button to apply the items to multiple employees at once.
• QuickBooks Desktop Payroll earned a 3.7/5 star in the features category, which is low compared to other payroll software solutions on the market.

Since its changes in 2024, however, smaller businesses may not be able to justify the annual cost of an Enterprise subscription. Enhanced Payroll is QuickBooks Desktop’s do-it-yourself payroll option. You can process your payroll and file your taxes directly through QuickBooks. QuickBooks Online Payroll offers more features and is cheaper than QuickBooks Desktop Payroll. However, QuickBooks Desktop Payroll may be a good option for larger businesses that want to use QuickBooks’ local installed Enterprise software.

Through the QuickBooks Workforce portal, new employees will be able to set their bank accounts, addresses, phone numbers, W-4s, SSNs, and birthdates. The QuickBooks Desktop system has always had a strong reporting system, and the Desktop Payroll service is no different. Users can create custom payroll reports or choose from the built-in payroll report templates. Get granular with payroll items, rates, total expenses, per employee, and custom report filtering options. QuickBooks Desktop payroll is well-equipped with basic employee management features, including an employee portal and time off management. Otherwise, this department’s software isn’t exactly feature-rich, especially compared to its Online counterpart.

Pick the plan that’s right for you

Let us know how well the content on this page solved your problem today. All feedback, positive or negative, helps us to improve the way we help small businesses. No, as of July 2022, Assisted Payroll is no longer available as an add-on service to new users.

To use QuickBooks Desktop Payroll, you must have QuickBooks Pro, Premier, or Enterprise. Internet access is also required to download updated payroll tax rates. Now you will be required to enter the pay rates along with the working schedules of the particular employees.

QuickBooks Desktop Payroll earned a 3.2/5 star rating in the pricing category based on its pricing transparency, lack of a free trial, higher pricing, and limited plan customization options. You’ll need to purchase a QuickBooks Online Payroll Core, Premium, or Elite subscription without accounting (payroll only). They generally comprise the latest changes to regulations and tax forms or security fixes and enhancements to the software. We know that running payroll for the very first time can be quite intriguing, however, after some time you may find it easy, simple, and seamless to use.

QuickBooks does not automatically withdraw or submit payroll taxes without user input. Among these two plans, we recommend QuickBooks quickbooks payroll desktop Desktop Assisted Payroll. It has all the tools employers need to create paychecks, pay both employees and contractors, and automatically calculate earnings, deductions, and tax withholdings. It also comes with tax payment and filing services, including access to 24/7 support—making it a good option for business owners who prefer a desktop-based payroll solution.

The best payroll software for small businesses

Some positive reviews we found center around its solid pay processing tools. Note that the Assisted Payroll plan is pricier than QuickBooks Payroll Enhanced. You are only granted access to it if you get the highest QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise package, which is the Diamond tier.

Leveraging the QuickBooks Payroll App

• Inputting correct employee details enables accurate payroll calculations and proper tax payments on their behalf.
• Take a closer look at your company’s finances with over 15 customizable payroll reports.
• Improve administrator productivity by easily identifying incomplete employee profiles.
• QuickBooks Desktop users have two options for adding payroll functionality to its accounting platform.

To learn more about its features and pricing, read our QuickBooks Payroll review. Even when the setup process is quite long, it is quite comprehensive and evident for all users to comprehend how QuickBooks Payroll can be set up with ease. However, the cost of your monthly expense or license fee for QuickBooks Desktop does not comprise the payroll.

Learn about QuickBooks Desktop Payroll with how-to videos

If you didn’t receive your service key, check your junk or spam folder, or use our automated Service Key Retrieval tool. Word and Excel integration requires Office 2010 SP2 and above, or Office 365. Synchronization with Outlook is also possible with Contact Sync for Outlook 2010 (32-bit) downloadable for free here. Salesforce CRM connector works with Salesforce Professional, QuickBooks Enterprise Diamond and Unlimited versions only; Salesforce is sold separately.

k) plans

Negative feedback suggested that there is space for development in terms of the customer support team’s quality. Maintain payroll records like pay stubs, W2s, tax payments, employment records, etc. Make sure employees submit electronic or paper timesheets each pay period for manager review and approval before payroll is processed. With QuickBooks streamlining payroll processes, you can focus on your business while saving time and money on paying employees accurately and on time. Employee payments via direct deposits are free, and you can use QuickBooks Desktop Payroll to print paychecks, but the paper check stocks cost extra.

On the Mac version of QuickBooks Desktop, users have reported issues configuring payroll. Overall, client feedback on QuickBooks Desktop payroll solutions is mixed. The ease of use of QuickBooks Desktop payroll software has gotten a lot of positive feedback.

To activate QuickBooks Payroll, first log into your QuickBooks Online account. You will then need to select the appropriate QuickBooks Payroll plan based on the number of employees you need to pay. Both versions of QuickBooks Desktop Payroll also allow you to generate payroll reports and handle different wage types (like bonuses and overtime). It can even track paid time off (PTO), workers’ compensation, and benefits insurance details. All QuickBooks Enterprise plan users pay an additional fee for contractors paid via direct deposit. QuickBooks Enterprise Diamond users will pay just $1/employee per month under the Assisted Payroll plan.