Which feature is standard in all the QuickBooks Online Payroll subscription levels

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Benefits administration

Yes

Base Price

$8 per user, per month

Pricing

$40 per month + $6 per user

Tax forms

Fee-free W-2 and 1099 processing

Direct deposit

Four day maximum turnaround time

Benefits administration

No

Base monthly price

$39-plus per month, depending on company size and needs

Benefits administration

Yes

Base monthly price

$40 per month plus $6


QuickBooks Payroll at a Glance

If you are already using QuickBooks Online for accounting, QuickBooks Payroll is an excellent app for managing accounting as well as payroll from a common platform. However, QuickBooks Payroll is capable of taking care of your payroll needs as a stand-alone app as well. In fact, it made it to our list of best payroll software (August 2022).

QuickBooks Payroll automatically calculates payroll so you don’t need to worry about how to calculate payroll every month. All you need to do is enter the details of all your employees and fix the day their payroll must run. It also manages independent contractor payroll for you.

QuickBooks Payroll is available in all 50 states, however, it charges extra for paying employees in other states. If you stick with its Core plan, the pricing is cost-effective but Premium and Elite plans can get expensive as the team grows.

Here is how the monthly fees for QuickBooks Payroll break down:

  • Core: $22.50 per month for the first three months, then $45 per month) plus $5 per employee per month
  • Premium: $37.50 per month for the first three months, then $75 per month) plus $5 per employee per month
  • Elite: $62.50 per month for the first three months, then $125 per month) plus $10 per employee per month

You can take advantage of QuickBooks offers, where you can either get a 30-day free trial or a 50% discount on base fees for three months of service.

QuickBooks Payroll Core

It is perfect for small teams that have very basic payroll requirements. The plan includes:

  • Automated federal and state tax calculation, filing and payments
  • Automatic pay runs when set up
  • 1099 e-filing and payment
  • Next-day direct deposit
  • Expert product support
  • Health benefits and 401(k) administration
  • Robust payroll reports that can be saved as well as downloaded

QuickBooks Payroll Premium

If you have a larger team, and you want to give more benefits to employees while also making payroll easier on your administrative teams, you can choose the QuickBooks Payroll Premium plan. Besides everything that QuickBooks Payroll Core has, the Premium plan also includes:

  • Same-day direct deposit
  • Time tracking on the go
  • Expert review of your app setup
  • HR support center
  • Workers’ compensation administration

QuickBooks Payroll Elite

If you need more support with your payroll needs and wish to provide your employees with an awesome experience, you can choose the Elite plan. Besides everything that Premium offers, the Elite plan includes:

  • App set up under expert’s guidance
  • Track time and projects on the go
  • 24/7 expert support available
  • Tax penalty protection up to $25,000
  • Personal HR advisor

If you are a QuickBooks Payroll Elite user, you are eligible for tax penalty protection. If you receive a tax notice and send it to QuickBooks within 15 days of the tax notice, QuickBooks covers up to $25,000 of the payroll tax penalty.


Other Benefits

Workforce Portal

Intuit workforce portal is an employee self-service platform that enables employees to view their paychecks and W-2s. They can also apply for leave, view leave balances and enter time sheets on the portal.

Independent Contractor Payroll

QuickBooks Payroll supports independent contractor payroll and keeps track of when, what and how much for each contractor payment. It automatically imports necessary data and prepares 1099s that you just need to download and email to the contractors.

Payroll Reports

QuickBooks Payroll has some 20 reports, such as payroll billing summary, payroll deductions and contributions, payroll tax liability, total pay, workers’ compensation, etc. You can customize to add or delete the columns that you want in the reports before running them. If you mark a report as a favorite, you can access it in a single click the next time. You can either export the reports to Microsoft Excel or print them directly too.

Automated Tax and Forms

QuickBooks Payroll calculates, files and pays all federal and state payroll taxes automatically. Year-end filings are also done automatically. All the relevant tax forms for regular employees as well as contractors are generated automatically.


Fine Print

Automated tax payments and filings are available only for state and federal taxes. For local taxes, you need to manually print the forms and upload them to the necessary local sites.

When you cancel your subscription, it becomes effective at the end of the running payment cycle; you do not receive prorated refunds.


How QuickBooks Payroll Stacks Up

QuickBooks Payroll Core has competitive pricing and costs less if you have five or more employees. However, for Premium and Elite plans, costs can increase with growing team sizes. Especially when you consider OnPay has a single subscription plan and Gusto’s higher-tier plans are less expensive. So you need to compare the pricing of each plan with its features before choosing the right payroll app for you.

Neither OnPay nor Gusto promises same-day or next-day direct deposit. Gusto users can get same-day direct deposit if they sign up for Gusto Wallet. QuickBooks Payroll Core has next-day direct deposit while the Premium and Elite plans have same-day deposit.

If you also use accounting software, it makes sense to integrate it with your payroll system. But QuickBooks Payroll provides integration only with QuickBooks Online. Both Gusto and OnPay provide integration with many other accounting software.

QuickBooks does not automatically process local taxes; you need to do that manually at your end. Both Gusto and OnPay calculate, file and pay local tax obligations automatically.


Is QuickBooks Payroll Right for You or Your Business?

If you are already using Intuit products, especially QuickBooks Online for accounting, QuickBooks Payroll is the perfect payroll application for you because the two integrate seamlessly with each other. But if you are not already in the QuickBooks ecosystem, you can consider the best payroll apps available in the market before making a final choice. If you have budget constraints, you can also look at the free payroll apps available.

Featured Partners

Benefits administration

Yes

Base Price

$8 per user, per month

Pricing

$40 per month + $6 per user

Tax forms

Fee-free W-2 and 1099 processing

Direct deposit

Four day maximum turnaround time

Benefits administration

No

Base monthly price

$39-plus per month, depending on company size and needs

Benefits administration

Yes

Base monthly price

$40 per month plus $6


Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Is it hard to do payroll in QuickBooks?

QuickBooks has an easy-to-use dashboard from where you can manage the payroll of your employees as well as independent contractors. Once you enter personal and payment details, payroll is calculated automatically on the pre-decided date. You can also choose to approve each month’s payroll before disbursement or set it to run automatically.

Is QuickBooks discontinuing payroll?

Intuit has discontinued QuickBooks Desktop Payroll services from May 31, 2022. But its cloud-based payroll service, QuickBooks Payroll, is still available. You can read more about the discontinuation here.

What is better than QuickBooks Payroll?

There are many excellent payroll processing apps such as OnPay, Gusto, ADP, Paychex, etc. available in the market. You can read all about the best payroll apps here.

What are the benefits of payroll software?

Payroll software can save you time and money by automating tax filing, direct deposit and employee self-service. It can also help you manage your payroll, HR, benefits and talent from a single platform.

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What are the features of QuickBooks Online Payroll premium?

Features..
Track Income & Expenses..
Invoice & Accept Payments..
Maximize Tax Deductions..
Track Miles..
Run Reports..
Send Estimates..
Track Sales & Sales Tax..

Which are the 3 payroll options available inside QuickBooks Online companies?

QuickBooks Online Payroll has three plan options: Core, Premium, and Elite. The main difference between the three plans is the extent of your features, including how much is offered beyond automatic payroll and how much support is provided directly from QuickBooks.

Which 3 features are benefits of QBO payroll premium?

All of our plans include these features: Fast unlimited payroll runs ⓘ Calculate paychecks and taxes ⓘ We'll monitor and update federal and state taxes so you don't have to. Automated tax and forms ⓘ

What is QuickBooks standard payroll?

It is designed to manage your small business payroll including easy setup, paycheque creation, simple payroll forms and easy to use reporting. The full integration with QuickBooks Online accounting makes it easy for you to manage all of your accounting and payroll in one accounting program.