2019 Review of SurePayroll for Accountants

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From the 2019 review of professional payroll systems.

SurePayroll – A Paychex company, is designed for small to mid-sized businesses with fewer than 100 employees. The company also offers SurePayroll for Accountants, a good fit for accounting firms that are interested in offering payroll services to clients. The accountant’s version can also be used to connect with clients that are already using SurePayroll. 

SurePayroll is an online application, that includes a mobile app for both iOS and Android tablets and smartphones. The product has an easy-to-use interface, and the accountant version contains a dashboard where users can manage payroll for all of their clients. In the past few years, SurePayroll has added a variety of features that are all designed to expedite the payroll process, including same day on-demand payroll, and the latest; Auto Payroll. Auto Payroll is a great feature for businesses or accounting firms that process payroll that typically does not change from pay period to pay period. Users can simply enter the default hours for each employee, and Auto Payroll will handle the rest. Users do have the option to make changes to any payroll data prior to Auto Payroll running. SurePayroll supports multiple pay rates and multiple pay schedules, and direct deposit capability is included at no extra charge. Manual checks can be entered at any time, but after-the-fact payroll processing is not currently available in SurePayroll. 

SurePayroll offers tax tables for all 50 states, and all tax liability reporting and remittance, including quarterly and year-end filing and remittance is handled by the application.  

SurePayroll offers a good selection of payroll related reports, including a Payroll Summary, Check Register, Deductions, and Cash Requirements. An Employee Detail report and a New Hire report are also available. Annual tax related information such as W-2 and 1099 reports can be run at year end, as can quarterly tax reports for Form 940 and 941. Reports have limited customization capability, but can be exported to Microsoft Excel if further customization is desired. Reports can also be exported as a text file, or saved as a PDF.

SurePayroll integrates with a variety of time and attendance systems including Web Time Clock, Trinity, SpringAhead, Homebase, and Inception. There are also a variety of add-on options available including Workers’ Compensation Insurance, and 401(k) services. SurePayroll also integrates with a variety of popular third-party accounting software applications such as AccountEdge, Xero, QuickBooks Online, Sage 50, and Intacct.

SurePayroll includes a secure portal, where employees can access paystubs, W-2s, and contractors can access 1099s. For accountants that use SurePayroll, their clients and their client’s employees can access the portal for the same purposes. In addition, the portals can be branded with the design and logo unique to the firm. Both clients and employees will receive an email notification when a payroll has been processed and paystubs become available to view.

SurePayroll offers HR resources through SureAdvisor, which provides access to a variety of business forms that are customized with company data. General HR forms available include Exemption Worksheet, Employee versus Independent Contractor, Form SS-8 for Worker Status, Application for Employment, Sample Interview Questions, and a Sample Termination Letter. Also available is an Employee Timesheet, New Employee Information Form, and Form I-9 and Form W-9.

SurePayroll offers customer support six days a week, via their toll-free line, or by email. All new SurePayroll users are assigned their own account representative that helps with the initial product setup and can answer any questions. Quick online help can be accessed from within the application, and there are a variety of small business and payroll resources available from the SurePayroll website, which also includes a FAQ page.  There are also a variety of resources available for accountants using SurePayroll, including case studies, white papers, and CPE live courses and webinars.

SurePayroll is well suited for small businesses with less than 100 employees. It’s also a great solution for accounting firms offering or wanting to offer payroll services to small business clients. Pricing varies, depending on the number of employees that are to be paid, with special pricing available for resellers or those offering payroll services to clients. A free trial is also available.

2019 Overall Rating – 4.75 Stars