CPA Practice Advisor - 10

REVIEW: PAYROLL SYSTEMS
CheckMark Payroll	

www.checkmark.com

CheckMark Payroll is part of CheckMark's suite of
accounting and payroll applications currently available to U.S. and Canadian comSTRENGTHS:
panies. CheckMark applications
* Supports unlimited
companies and employees
work on both Windows and Mac
* Includes after-the-fact
operating systems and is designed
payroll capability
* Supports unlimited pay runs to be deployed on-premise. Though
POTENTIAL LIMITATIONS:
CheckMark Payroll integrates with
* Does not offer a cloudother CheckMark applications, it
based application
* Does not offer an employee is designed to be used as a standportal
alone payroll solution.
* No mobile app
CheckMark payroll supports
an unlimited number of employees and companies at
no additional cost, with after-the-fact payroll capability included in the application. The main navigation
screen is divided into three sections; Setup, Payroll,

and Reports, with a variety of options available for
each area. Users can also access system features from
the drop-down menu at the top of the screen.
CheckMark Payroll supports up to 12 different
hour categories that can be used for employees that
are paid hourly, with pre-defined categories included
in the application. In addition, users can track both
sick and vacation hours for all employees. The application supports both regular paychecks as well as
direct deposits, and users have the option to import
hours from timekeeping applications or enter hours
manually or by using a grid-style spreadsheet which
speeds up the entry process for those entering payroll
data for a large number of employees. There is also
an additional income option available for companies
that pay employees outside of their regular pay such

Gusto Payroll	

www.Gusto.com

Gusto is a cloud-based payroll application designed for
small businesses, though the application is also suitable for accounting firms offering
STRENGTHS:
payroll services to clients. Gusto
* Multiple plans available
* Good integration with
can be accessed from all devices
third-party applications
including desktop and workstation
* Includes employee
self-service
computers, laptops, smart phones,
POTENTIAL LIMITATIONS:
and tablets.
* Add-on modules raise
Along with full payroll
monthly cost
* Top plan pricing may be too services, Gusto also includes a
expensive for some small
number of add-on options such
businesses
as hiring and onboarding, benefits,
time tracking tools, and HR resources including
guides, law alerts, and access to HR professionals.

Their latest addition, Gusto Cashout, is designed to
provide employees with access to funds between pay
periods, with the advance automatically repaid from
their next check with no fees or interest.
Gusto supports an unlimited number of payrolls,
and easily handles flexible payment schedules as well
as multiple pay schedules and multiple pay rates for
each employee. Gusto also supports employee reimbursements, garnishments, and unlimited extra and
off-cycle payroll runs.
Gusto is designed for small businesses and offers
a flexible pricing structure, with four plans available:
the Basic Plan, which is a beta program that is recommended for 1-2 employees; the Core Plan, which is $39

Intuit Online Payroll for Accountants	
Intuit Online Payroll for Accounting Professionals is
designed specifically for accounting firms that are
interested in offering payroll
STRENGTHS:
* Designed for accounting firms
and related services to clients
* Pricing levels drop as number of
not currently using QuickBooks
clients increase
* Excellent integration with
applications. For QuickBooks
QuickBooks applications
clients, firms can choose to
POTENTIAL LIMITATIONS:
use QuickBooks Online Payroll.
* No integration with third party
applications
Intuit Online Payroll for
* No HR capability is included in
Accounting Professionals
the application
* No report export availability
can be used as a stand-alone
* No after-the-fact payroll
payroll application, but will
availability
offer accounting firms greater
functionality if used with other Intuit or QuickBooks
applications.

10

OCTOBER 2020 ■

Accountants.intuit.com

Intuit Online Payroll is completely cloud-based,
with users able to access the application from any type
of device, including desktop computers, workstations,
laptops, tablets, and smart phones, with a mobile app
available for iOS and Android devices.
One of the application's best features is the ability
to customize client access for each individual client,
allowing some clients complete access to the entire
payroll application, including entering payroll information and running payroll, to handling all payroll
processing at the firm, with clients only able to access
payroll registers and paystubs. Each client set up in
Intuit Online Payroll has access to the client portal,
which can be custom branded with the firm's logo
and other marketing details.

www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com

2020 OVERALL RATING

4.5

Read the full review for
this product online at:

www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com/
21156381

as commissions or tips. In addition, users can track
any additional information using one of the several
user-defined fields included in the application.
Currently CheckMark Payroll is available in two
editions: CheckMark Payroll Pro, which runs $429 per
year, while CheckMark Payroll+ is $499 and offers
more comprehensive support options. Both plans offer
access to all program fixes and updates, including
updated tax tables. Those interested in CheckMark
Payroll can try the system out for up to 60 days at
no cost.

2020 OVERALL RATING

4.75

Read the full review for
this product online at:

www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com/
21156378

per month, with a $6 per person fee; the Complete
Plan, which includes next-day direct deposit and an
employee directory, which is $39 per month, with a
$12 per person fee; and the Concierge plan, which
offers access to HR professionals and the HR resource
center, and runs $149 per month, with a $12 per
person fee. Gusto also offers a contractor option for
businesses that only pay contractors. Those interested
in Gusto can access an online interactive demo to try
out prior to subscribing.

2020 OVERALL RATING

4.75

Read the full review for
this product online at:

www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com/
21156368

Intuit Online Payroll for Accounting Professionals
can be used as a stand-alone application, but is better
suited to firms already using other Intuit/QuickBooks
applications. Pricing for Intuit Online Payroll for
Accounting Professionals starts at $45 for a single
client per month, with a per employee charge of $4
per month assessed, with the price dropping to $22.50
per client for 2-5 clients, with the per employee charge
dropping to $1.50. The price drops for additional
employees.
http://www.checkmark.com http://www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com/21156381 http://www.Gusto.com http://www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com/21156378 http://Accountants.intuit.com http://www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com/21156368 http://www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com
CPA Practice Advisor

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of CPA Practice Advisor
