Intuit Online Payroll: A SaaS Payroll Offering

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If you’ve been thinking about adding client payroll services to your firm, or if your clients could benefit from anytime/anywhere payroll processing, I recommend taking a close look at Intuit Online Payroll (formerly PayCycle).

This impressive online payroll solution includes everything you need to manage client payroll from anywhere at any time. From paychecks to vacation/sick accruals, to workers’ comp premium calculations, e-filing and e-paying quarterly payroll taxes to W-2s, this service offers practically everything a small business needs for payroll. The cost of the service is quite low (between $20 and $39/month depending on the number of employees, states, etc.), and of course it integrates with QuickBooks and QuickBooks Online Edition, so you don’t have to enter data twice.

Intuit Online Payroll was developed by Rene Lacerte and Martin Gates, who built the QuickBooks Payroll modules before leaving Intuit to start PayCycle in 1999. Then in 2009, Intuit purchased PayCycle for $170 million. This clearly indicates that Intuit is placing a big bet on the future of payroll in the cloud.

Intuit Online Payroll

You can sign up and use Intuit Online Payroll from any computer (PC or Mac) with Internet access. There are no manuals or training needed. Step-by-step instructions walk you through the entire setup process so you always know what to do and when to do it. Intuit Online Payroll even provides all the setup forms you need, including W-4s, I-9s, employer registration forms and state new hire reports. You can add clients and run payroll the same day.

Intuit Online Payroll for Accounting Professionals is designed with the accountants’ needs in mind. When you log into your account, a Client Overview screen lets you access all of your clients from one screen. You can decide, on a per-client basis, whether you want to maintain complete control over your clients’ payroll or delegate some payroll tasks such as printing paychecks. Your login-enabled clients will see your firm name across the top of the website.

When it’s time to do payroll, Intuit Online Payroll sends email reminders and puts a To Do item on your client’s customized To Do list. To run payroll, you just click the email link, login and enter hours. Paychecks are instantly calculated and can be viewed immediately. All federal, state, and local tax calculations are automatically updated and are guaranteed 100 percent accurate.

Paycheck edits can be made in real-time, if necessary. Once checks are approved, employees can be paid by free direct deposit. Employees can be given access to view and print their pay stubs online or you can print and distribute pay stubs.

All federal tax deposits and filings, including W-2s, can be submitted electronically. State deposit coupons and filing forms are available in all 50 states and D.C., and can be sent electronically in most states. Intuit Online Payroll also reminds you of tax deadlines for each client so you don’t have to keep notes on your calendar or on paper.

Intuit Online Payroll’s wholesale rate of $19.99 per client per month includes quarterly and annual payments and filings. If your client has more than five employees, you pay $0.50 extra per employee per month.

Another important aspect of Intuit Online Payroll’s service is its free customer support. The Intuit Online Payroll team has taken great measures to ensure that when you call or email for help, you get to someone right away.

QuickBooks Integration

Unlike other payroll solutions, Intuit Online Payroll integrates seamlessly with QuickBooks, QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks for the Mac, Quicken, Peachtree and other accounting software for no extra charge. With QuickBooks Online Edition, the Intuit Online Payroll servers communicate directly with those at Intuit, so the data exchange is instantaneous. There is no need to export and then import files.