QuickBooks Payroll Reviews

“Tracking that just works”

Pros

Keeping track of my vacation time, overtime, bonuses and paychecks with this software has been really easy. Everything I need is in one place and it's simple to use for staying on top of my payroll details.

Cons

The interface does feel a bit outdated visually. It would be better if they refreshed the design and made it look a little more user-friendly.

“Weaker payroll update”

Pros

One thing Intuit still does really well is customer support. Whenever I reach out, I get a fast callback from someone who knows the product and is genuinely helpful. The downside is that since moving to this new software, I have needed to contact support more in the last month than I did in the entire previous year. Every representative has been excellent but I used to handle these tasks on my own in just a couple of minutes. It's frustrating to now spend extra time calling support for things that were once simple to do myself.

Cons

Since the switch to this new software, a lot has changed and not in a good way. Intuit Full Service Payroll was a much better product and absolutely justified its cost. This replacement is more expensive, yet it falls short in many areas. It doesn't feel very user friendly and several features that used to be easy to find are now buried. Some important functions have disappeared altogether and many of the supposedly improved reports are actually missing what I need. It's hard to understand why a company would retire a product that worked so well and replace it with something that feels noticeably worse.

“helpful integrations, clunky interface”

Pros

Being able to sync it with other software is definitely a plus and adds a lot of convenience.

Cons

The interface doesn't look very polished and at times it can feel less user-friendly than it should.

“Rigid deadlines ruin payroll”

Pros

It covers the core payroll basics, like storing employee information and handling the standard functions you'd expect so there were no issues on that side. The biggest advantage is that it's built right into our online QuickBooks account.

Cons

The dealbreaker for this service and why it fails for small businesses, is how complex and inflexible the deadlines are. If the last month of a quarter ends and you need to enter something or make even a small correction for the previous week, month or quarter the very next day, you're simply blocked. No flexibility, no exception, no workaround. The frustrating part is that this feels completely random. The federal filing deadline is 30 days after the end of the quarter. If they need a cutoff for changes, it should at least match that. But for no real reason, they make the cutoff the very next day. If you miss that made-up schedule, you're out of luck. Customer service is no help either. Any changes have to be submitted in writing and then you wait two weeks. Meanwhile, you're paying premium prices and being treated like it doesn't matter. Year-end works the same way. Many small businesses use January to finish organizing their books but with this system, once December 31 passes, you cannot enter payroll data anymore even though the actual federal deadline isn't until January 31. Having payroll visible inside online QuickBooks is a minor convenience but it absolutely does not make up for all these problems.

“organized payroll and hr tools”

Pros

Handling payroll with QuickBooks has been very easy overall. The features I use most are simple to move through especially adding new employees, processing payroll and submitting payroll liability payments. Those are the tasks I deal with most often and QuickBooks has made them much more manageable. I also regularly use it for payroll deductions like 401(k), tracking sick and vacation time and managing direct deposit. One feature that has been especially helpful in QuickBooks Online, though I am not sure if it exists in Desktop, is the employee email invitation to their payroll portal, where they can view pay stubs, W-2s and other details. That has really helped organize a lot of the HR side of bringing on new employees.

Cons

I wouldn't really call this a downside but I cannot compare it directly to competitors like FreshBooks, Sage or Xero since I haven't used them. What I can say is that I moved from QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online and the overall experience has been much better even though it does cost more.

“Tax payments fail every month”

Pros

It connects fairly well with QuickBooks, although the reporting side is awful.

Cons

I use Intuit/QuickBooks Payroll to handle my state unemployment and withholding taxes, yet almost every month I end up calling them and getting bounced around with excuses about why my taxes were never paid. By the time it gets addressed, the payments are already late and they tell me they cannot process them anymore. That leaves me digging through multiple state websites, usually having to call state offices just to figure out what they are showing as the reason for non-payment and then I am stuck paying the penalties too. This service used to do the job but something changed over the last six months and now it fails month after month.

“reliable automated payroll relief”

Pros

Running payroll has been much more easier with this service. We only have a small team but before switching to QuickBooks, our quarterly payroll taxes were sometimes calculated incorrectly. With QuickBooks Assisted Payroll, that stress is gone because the tax payments are submitted automatically for us. W-2s are no longer a hassle either since they get prepared quickly and generated without any trouble.

Cons

On the occasions when something does go wrong, the customer support really falls short. They have discontinued several payroll support options and when you reach out, you often get transferred from one person to another. A lot of the representatives also seem to lack basic payroll knowledge. Because of that, I would not suggest this service if you need hands-on, step-by-step guidance for processing your company payroll.

“Unacceptable payroll support failures”

Pros

Everything works fine when there are no problems but the moment something goes wrong and eventually it does like getting clear answers or having the issue fixed becomes incredibly difficult. Chat support usually doesn't solve much and callback requests are unreliable and rarely happen within the timeframe they promise. I have had a long run with QuickBooks Pro and even paid more for the better full-service option but it now feels like that relationship is coming to an end. The final straw was my employees not being paid on the date they were supposed to be even after I had received communication saying they would be. When something that serious happens and you still cannot reach anyone to explain what went wrong, it completely changes how you view the service.

Cons

The software itself may be good but without dependable customer support behind it, it loses a lot of its value. Problems are bound to come up and when they do, you need real help available.

“Tool for everyday use”

Pros

QuickBooks Payroll has been proven a great product for me and it's simple to use especially for someone with experience in accounting or business operations.

Cons

It would be even better if there were more online instructions or guidance available.

“fast biweekly payroll workflow”

Pros

Running payroll every two weeks with QuickBooks is really quick and convenient. Setting up employee profiles is also pretty easy and once they're in the system, we can use them right away to print checks or send salaries through direct deposit.

Cons

We hardly ever touch the more advanced QuickBooks Payroll features, like timesheet and attendance tracking. They could probably be helpful but the onboarding felt too complicated and it just hasn't seemed worth the time it would take to move away from the system we already use.

“best software”

Pros

Using QuickBooks Payroll is way too easy and getting into the accounting profiles is simple and convenient.

Cons

The only thing worth mentioning is the frequent updates, with several rolling out each month, though it's not really a downside.

“Trusted payroll that delivers”

Pros

I must say it has a strong reputation in payroll and bookkeeping software which adds a lot of confidence when using it. After everything is properly set up, the whole payroll process runs very efficiently.

Cons

The biggest downsides are the cost and the learning curve since it takes time to really get comfortable with it. Even with that, I'd still say the value is there in the end.

“good small teams”

Pros

QuickBooks Payroll has been genuinely impressive to use. The online payroll system feels really useful and well put together and honestly it stands out as one of the better options available.

Cons

QuickBooks Payroll is something I'd especially recommend to small businesses and new employees across different industries because it's simple to access and get into.

“powerful reporting tools”

Pros

The customizable reports are a big plus and the pricing controls feature is really useful. It also offers real-time financial insights along with advanced tools for managing employees and payments which makes day-to-day work much more efficient.

Cons

One downside is that some important reports are missing outside of accounting and finance. It also doesn't offer enough industry- or business-specific features especially for things like e-commerce and tracking.

“simple setup, frustrating support”

Pros

QuickBooks Payroll is user friendly and the employee self-onboarding feature is genuinely convenient. It also makes tracking and recording tax payments fairly simple which helps with routine payroll tasks.

Cons

A big problem is that taxable benefits do not appear on employee paystubs and the paystubs themselves cannot be edited in any way. They are also missing legally required details and the company does not seem concerned about fixing that. On top of that support is practically unavailable as I have spent hours on the phone and in chat without getting any real resolution. When I asked for a supervisor, I was told there were none. I have even been hung up on when representatives did not know how to answer my question. Most of the time, I get passed from one person to another and no one takes ownership of the issue.

“Quick setup and handy integration”

Pros

I must say it is very easy to use and the setup process was simple. It also integrates nicely with QuickBooks Online which makes it convenient to use within the same system.

Cons

The biggest frustration has been customer support. When payroll issues involving contractors come up, you often get transferred from one person to another because nobody seems to fully take ownership of the problem. It ends up being a huge time drain. Even routine issues have taken several calls to sort out or hours on the phone because if an agent disconnects, they cannot keep working on the case and have to move on to the next caller. That means you spend more time waiting while the next person tries to catch up or read through documentation even when the real problem is tied to recent programming changes. Integration with other apps is another weak spot. You cannot properly connect a timecard app for contractors because only hours transfer into QuickBooks and there is no way to map contractor pay rates by the hour, only employee rates. That is a major limitation if your business relies heavily on contractor payments. On top of that the recent improvements plus the price increase have ended up doubling the cost of the tool for my company.

“terrible support and tax errors”

Pros

The reporting tools in QuickBooks were very good and useful.

Cons

Dealing with customer support was awful. Every question turned into at least an hour-long phone call and even the most basic things, like when W-2s would be sent, could not be answered clearly. There was also no simple way to escalate an issue to a supervisor. On top of that they made filing, reporting and underpayment mistakes on my New York state taxes for three straight quarters. They eventually corrected it for the fourth quarter but by then the damage was already done.

“Paycheck tracking done right”

Pros

Keeping tabs on my paycheck was very easy with this. I could review my hours anytime and use it to confirm that my employer paid me the correct amount which made the whole process really helpful.

Cons

Honestly nothing comes to mind. It does exactly what it's meant to do, has been very useful overall and so far I haven't run into anything worth complaining about.

“secure autofill every time”

Pros

One of the best parts about this software is that it securely stores my card details right away and keeps them protected. Whenever I place an order, I don't have to go looking for my card or type in all the information again because it automatically fills everything in for me.

Cons

Honestly there isn't a single thing I would want to change about this software. I am completely happy with everything it offers.

“Payroll in a flash”

Pros

Paying my assistant and myself couldn't be more convenient. When it's time to run payroll, I just log in, take care of the checks and it's done in no time.

Cons

Our QuickBooks Payroll plan is supposed to handle the state and federal quarterly tax reporting but getting that part to work properly has been pretty frustrating. We're still trying to figure out how to make it all come together.