2016 Review of SurePayroll

Best Fit: SurePayroll is a good fit for the small business owner (less than 10 employees) as well as accountants looking to offer payroll services to small business clients.

Product Strengths:

• Product offers an easy to navigate user interface
• Offers a good selection of HR and other related payroll add-ons
• Offers solid selection of tools and support for accountants using the product
• Offers a mobile app

Potential Limitations:

• Not well suited for businesses/clients with a high number of employees

From the 2016 Review of Professional Payroll Systems.

Basic System Functions: 5 Stars

SurePayroll is available for small business owners and accounting professionals alike. SurePayroll offers accountants several options to utilize SurePayroll, by becoming a reseller, which allows accountants to offer payroll and related services to clients. Accountants can also opt to become a referral partner by referring firm clients to SurePayroll. The last option is to set up a Partner Dashboard, allowing access to payroll information of clients that already use SurePayroll.

The dashboard offers accountants access to all clients from a central location, with users able to simply choose the client(s) that need payroll processed. The dashboard also provides a host of useful information, such as the payroll scheduled approval date for the next payroll, recent payroll dates and amounts, as well as a list of reminders. Users can also process any related reports directly from the dashboard. The main payroll entry screen is well-structured, with employees grouped by pay type, making it easy to enter time data for hourly employees, and just review salaried employee information, making any adjustments as needed. 1099/contract employees are also displayed on screen for processing if necessary.

Adjustments can be made or additional pay types added by clicking on the type field and using the drop down menu to select the pay type, which includes bonus, commission, holiday, or reimbursement. Users also have the option to add an additional check, void a check, or run an extra payroll from the same interface screen. Once all data has been entered, click on Preview Payroll to review payroll information, which includes payroll totals, employer and employee taxes, pre-tax insurance premiums, and other post-tax deductions. The product supports direct deposit at no additional charge, and also offers multi-state payroll processing. All tax calculations, filings, and tax payments are handled automatically by SurePayroll.  

SurePayroll also offers a Mobile Payroll app that is available for both Android and Apple mobile devices, and offers complete payroll functionality, including automatic filing and tax payment.

Reporting & Monitoring: 4.5 Stars                                   

SurePayroll automatically generated all payroll related reports when a payroll is processed. Reports are limited, and include standard payroll reports such as Payroll Summary, Year-To-Date Payroll, Cash Requirements, Check Register, and Deductions. Employee reports include Pay Stubs, Employee Detail, and New Hire reports, as well as benefit reports such as Workers Compensation and Benefits. Both quarterly and annual tax reports are also available, with 940 and 941 reports archives for future access. The product also offers reminder capability that is designed to track and remind users of any important dates such as payroll approval dates, payroll run dates, and tax due dates. Reports offer little customization capability, but can be grouped together for automatic processing when payroll is run.

All reports can be exported to Excel for further customization if desired. Reports can also be exported as a text file or saved as a PDF.

Integration/Import/Export: 4.75 Stars

SurePayroll offers excellent integration capability with a variety of popular third-party accounting applications including Sage 50, QuickBooks, AccountEdge, Xero, LessAccounting, and Intacct. The product also offers integration with 18 time clock companies including TimeTrex, Timeco, Trinity, Inception, Nettime, and WebTimeClock. There are also add-on products that integrate directly with SurePayroll, including 401(k) Service, Health Insurance, and Workers Compensation Insurance. A pre-employment screening service is also available.

There are also a variety of accountant resources available on the SurePayroll website, including case studies, white papers, Accountant CPE and Training classes, and live courses and webinars.

Help/Support: 5 Stars

SurePayroll offers users a variety of help and support functionality throughout the product, including access to Online Help, where users are able to access both support via telephone or email. A guided tour of the product is also available to review, and users also have access to a searchable knowledgebase.

An account representative is assigned to each new system users, with all product issues directed to the representative. As an online system, all system updates and tax updates are handled automatically, ensuring that users have access to the most recent information when processing payroll.

Client Self-Service Features: 5 Stars

SurePayroll offers portals for accounting firms; allowing clients easy access to payroll related capabilities, including time entry and approval, and the ability to add and edit employee information as needed. Firms can determine the level of access that each client is provided, and all portals can be custom branded to reflect the firm it represents. Once payroll has been processed, employees with access to the portal will be sent an email, detailing where they can access pay data such as W-2’s, pay stubs, and other personal information. Users can also access the portal function through the SurePayroll Mobile app.

Advanced Features: 4.5 Stars

SurePayroll subscribers also have access to SureAdvisor, a bundled HR offering which includes a Compliance Center, How-to Guides, Business Forms, and Alerts and Reminders. SureAdvisor is part of SurePayroll, and available at no extra charge.

Summary & Pricing

SurePayroll is an excellent option for both small business owners wishing to process payroll in-house, as well as accounting firms that wish to offer payroll and HR services to small businesses. SurePayroll can be custom-branded to reflect the firm brand. The cost of the product varying, depending on the number of employees, with a base charge and per-employee charge included. Those interested in the product may want to visit the website to obtain an initial quote. The product is truly designed for the small business with few employees, although the SurePayroll for Accountants offers more flexibility in its pricing. Both versions of the product include free direct deposit and free access for SureAdvisor for HR.

2016 Overall Rating: 4.75 Stars