Accounting practice management software provider Karbon is partnering with payroll, benefits, and HR solutions company Gusto to bring payroll workflows directly into an accounting firm’s practice management platform.
The integration, now available in beta, auto-creates payroll work items in Karbon with synced due dates from Gusto’s pay schedule, tracks approvals and client tasks in real time, and surfaces payroll deadlines alongside the rest of a firm’s work.
A significant share of Karbon’s U.S. customers already run client payroll through Gusto, the company says.
The integration tracks in Karbon the real-time progress of activities within Gusto so accounting firms have one accurate view of every client payroll cycle without duplicating work across platforms.
“Payroll is one of the most valuable service lines a modern firm can build, and Gusto is one of the most loved platforms for delivering it. It’s already the system of choice for a huge share of Karbon firms running payroll for their clients,” Karbon CEO Mary Delaney said in a statement on April 29. “This partnership brings that experience directly inside Karbon, giving firms a single, connected view of every client payroll cycle with approvals, deadlines, and client tasks living where the rest of the firm’s work already does.”
Key benefits of the Gusto integration include:
- Gusto client sync: Gusto clients sync into Karbon contacts automatically, with no manual re-entry and no duplicate records.
- Pre-built payroll workflow templates: Ready-made Karbon work templates that include integrated workflows cover recurring payroll runs, new client onboarding to Gusto, and annual compliance tasks like time tracking, time off, and expense requests.
- Auto work item creation: Work items are generated in Karbon whenever a new pay cycle begins in Gusto, with no manual trigger needed.
- Automated client requests: Karbon auto-generates client-facing tasks such as timesheet approval and payroll sign-off at the right point in each cycle.
- Payroll deadline visibility: Gusto due dates surface in a firm’s Work dashboard and My Week view alongside every other client deadline, including automatic adjustments for bank holidays.
“Payroll is one of the highest-frequency, highest-stakes services accounting firms deliver for their clients. When that workflow lives in a separate system from everything else the firm manages, it creates real coordination overhead,” Bridgette Haymaker, general manager and vice president of product management at Gusto, said in a statement. “Connecting Gusto’s pay schedule and client data directly into Karbon means fewer dropped deadlines and less manual work—and for the firms building payroll into a true advisory service line, that matters.”
The Karbon and Gusto integration is available today in beta to Karbon customers in the U.S. General availability is on track for mid-2026.
More information about the integration can be found here.
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Tags: Accounting, accounting firms, Gusto, Karbon, Payroll, Small Business, Technology
