2014 Review of SurePayroll

Basic System Functions: 5 Stars

SurePayroll for Accountants is a special branded payroll solution offered exclusively to accounting professionals. Though the payroll service processing is pretty much the same as the traditional SurePayroll solution, several features are provided to accounting professionals. With this branded service, accountants can manage all payroll clients currently on the SurePayroll platform from one login. Through this login, accounting professionals have as much control over the payroll processing as required by the client, from simple oversight and review to full processing of all payroll.

The platform allows for an unlimited number of payroll clients, however the system is limited to around 100 employees within each payroll client file. Processing payroll in the system is easy and generally only requires manual entry or direct import of time information for employees. All calculations, forms processing and tax payments are processed by SurePayroll. Payroll may further be automated and executed for salary or officer employees with one command. SurePayroll has a specialized set-up feature for churches, households (e.g. housekeepers), Officer Only (S-Corporations) and restaurants.

A few basic human resource functions are included with the system. Basic employee demographic and benefit tracking options are built-in and are tied to the reporting module. Payroll clients also have access to a number of helpful guides on how to conduct interviews and other hiring practices. Templates are also provided for employee handbooks and general business forms and checklists.

A free mobile app is available for iOS and Android devices to assist with processing payroll. Currently the app allows payroll clients and accounting professionals to enter hours, perform general payroll processing and receive alerts on upcoming payroll runs.

Reporting & Monitoring: 4.5 Stars

SurePayroll is a fully outsourced payroll solution and as such processes all tax payments and compliance filings on behalf of the payroll client. All federal and most state and local tax jurisdictions are currently supported. All tax payments are also automatically processed electronically where accepted. All federal 940 and 941 forms are archived for easy access.

A reminders feature is available upon opening each client’s payroll file. Through this feature, SurePayroll will prompt the user on upcoming payroll runs and deposit due dates. Other reminder features, such as holidays and employee birthdays, may also be added.

Report functions within SurePayroll for Accountants are fixed and do not allow for much customization. A handful of reports may be saved as a group and processed along with each payroll run. Each payroll report may be exported to Excel, PDF or text formats for further manipulation or archive needs.

Integration/Import/Export: 4.5 Stars

SurePayroll is designed as a standalone payroll solution, but does offer a few integration points. Direct integration is provided for popular small business accounting software such as QuickBooks and Sage 50 – US (formerly Peachtree). Other accounting general ledger solutions directly supported by the system include AccountEdge and Intacct. Additional solutions may be supported, but will require additional fees for building the export data mapping and bridge.

Employee time data may be imported from nearly all modern timekeeping software solutions. Though no specific products are supported, the time data may imported easily through text and Excel files. A data mapping utility is provided to help ensure an accurate data import.

A number of third-party benefit solutions may also achieve direct import and export from the SurePayroll system. This list is ever evolving, but includes a host of retirement, health care and employment service offerings. Each integration point is provided with the system, but separate charges will apply for each respective benefit provider.

Help/Support: 5 Stars

Help and assistance is provided on each screen throughout the system. Through this dedicated link is access to US-based telephone and email support provided by qualified SurePayroll platform specialists. Online categorized help and a searchable knowledgebase are provided to users who wish to search for answers on their own. The company notes that the Live Chat feature is popular with users, since it gives them in-program chat support with a support representative while they are performing a task.

Additionally, a SurePayroll account representative is assigned to each SurePayroll for Accountants subscriber. This provides the accounting professional with a static contact point to help ensure consistency for payroll support issues. User rights may be enforced to limit which employees within the accounting practice are allowed to contact the SurePayroll representative.

Updates to the service are handled solely by SurePayroll and no user intervention or tax table downloads are required. As federal and state payroll information is updated SurePayroll works to ensure the updates are pushed through their system to help ensure the most accurate payroll processing possible. All support and product enhancements and updates are provided within the monthly per payroll client charge.

Client Self-Service Features: 5 Stars

The SurePayroll platform provides web portals for the accounting professional, client and employee. Through the SurePayroll for Accountants platform, each respective portal may be custom branded to fit the marketing strategies of the accounting professional. The client portal allows each payroll client to enter or approve time and other employee information prior to sending to the accounting professional.

Upon completion of each payroll run, notification emails are forwarded to each employee. Once employees access the login site, they are able to view current and past paystubs, annual W-2 or 1099 information and review time accrual information. Also provided to employees is a free downloadable mobile app for iOS and Android devices. This app provides the same functionality as the website portal login.

Best Firm Fit

Accounting professionals looking to build or expand their payroll service offerings through a web-based interface

Strengths

Quick and easy generation of payroll, especially for salary employees
Includes a number of accountant centric tools for free
Mobile apps are significantly more refined than competitors
Integration points for other web-based benefit providers

Potential Limitations

Employee limitation of around 100 employees within each payroll company
No custom reporting options

Summary & Pricing

SurePayroll for Accountants is a web-based payroll platform designed for accounting professionals to manage payroll. The platform includes a number of tools for accounting professionals to brand themselves as payroll specialists and provides opportunities to resell payroll services through a wholesale pricing model. Currently the wholesale pricing model consists of four separate tiers determined solely by the number of payroll clients processed. All pricing options include unlimited payroll processing each month for each respective payroll client and also includes all direct deposit options. Example pricing for an accounting professional processing 10 payroll clients with 10 employees each would be priced at $50/month for each payroll client. Nominal fees apply per additional employee and for all annual W-2 and 1099 processing.