QuickBooks Desktop Payroll Review

Pros

• All essential payroll features
• Optional cloud-hosting
• Integrates with QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise
• Scalable

Cons

• Poor customer support
• Expensive
• No built-in benefits administration
• Outdated interface

What Is QuickBooks Desktop Payroll?

QuickBooks Desktop Payroll is Intuit’s payroll solution for businesses using QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise. It supports employee and contractor payments, direct deposit, deductions, garnishments, payroll tax tools, reporting, and employee self-service through QuickBooks Workforce.

For new customers, QuickBooks Desktop Payroll is now available through QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise.

QuickBooks Desktop Payroll is best for businesses already committed to QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise or those that specifically need locally installed accounting software with integrated payroll. Businesses that want cheaper, cloud-based payroll with more modern HR tools may be better served by QuickBooks Workforce, Gusto, or ADP.

QuickBooks Desktop Payroll Pricing

For new customers, QuickBooks Desktop Payroll is available through QuickBooks Enterprise. Gold and Platinum include access to Enhanced Payroll, while Diamond includes Assisted Payroll. Employee, contractor, direct deposit, QuickBooks Time, and other fees may still apply depending on the plan and payroll usage.

QuickBooks Desktop Payroll offers two plans: QuickBooks Enhanced Payroll and QuickBooks Assisted Payroll. However, QuickBooks Assisted Payroll is only available to QuickBooks Enterprise Diamond users.

Here’s a look at when to use each QuickBooks Desktop Payroll pricing plan:

QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise does not appear to offer a standard free trial, but users can take a product tour or contact sales for current offers.

QuickBooks Desktop Enhanced Payroll

QuickBooks Desktop Enhanced Payroll is available with QuickBooks Enterprise Gold and Platinum for new Enterprise customers, with employee fees that may apply. It is the more DIY payroll option, with tools for running payroll, paying employees, handling direct deposit, and filing payroll forms.

• Pay W-2 and 1099 employees
• Direct deposit for employees
• eFiling and printing for W-2s
• Expert payroll support
• Employee paystub access
• Handling deductions and garnishments
• Free year-end forms

QuickBooks Desktop Assisted Payroll

QuickBooks Desktop Assisted Payroll is included with QuickBooks Enterprise Diamond. It is the more full-service option, with Intuit handling federal and state payroll taxes and filings. It includes everything from the Enhanced Payroll plan, plus:

• Free next-day direct deposit
• Automatic tax filing
• Assisted payroll setup
• Payroll tax penalty protection
• Automatic payroll tax withdrawals

Extra QuickBooks Desktop Payroll Costs

Before choosing QuickBooks Desktop Payroll, be aware that there are several additional costs, including add-ons for time tracking, 1099 E-filing, multi-state payroll processing, direct deposit for 1099 contractors, data backups, and a Salesforce CRM add-on. Compared to other full-service payroll options, these add-on fees are pretty standard.

QuickBooks Enterprise Diamond users get their QuickBooks Time subscription baked into the monthly subscription price and a 50% discount on the per-employee tracking fee. Additionally, only users on the QuickBooks Enterprise Diamond plan get access to the Salesforce CRM add-on.

Is QuickBooks Desktop Payroll Easy To Use?

If you’re already accustomed to QuickBooks, QuickBooks Desktop Payroll will seem familiar and easy. QuickBooks Desktop Payroll works with locally-installed QuickBooks Desktop accounting software.

If you’re not familiar with QuickBooks Desktop, there is a pretty steep learning curve when compared to more modern cloud-based software.

QuickBooks Desktop Payroll Features

QuickBooks Desktop Payroll covers essential payroll needs, but it lacks the broader HR, benefits, onboarding, and automation tools found in many modern payroll platforms.

QuickBooks Desktop Payroll offers the basics you’d expect from payroll software, including direct deposit and check printing, 1099 contractor and W-2 employee payments, deduction management, tax calculations, and much more.

However, you won’t get many advanced HR features, benefits administration, or strong onboarding tools with QuickBooks Desktop Payroll.

Smaller businesses should consider choosing one of the best cheap payroll software options, especially those not locked into the QuickBooks Desktop suite. QuickBooks Desktop is an expensive option for the features promised, and you may find stronger value elsewhere.

QuickBooks Desktop Payroll Customer Service

QuickBooks offers multiple support options, including in-product chat, phone support, help articles, and community support. However, customer feedback about support is mixed, and some users report difficulty reaching payroll-specific help.

The most direct way to get in touch with a QuickBooks Desktop customer service representative is to call or open a chat in-app. Help is generally available during business hours for most customers, while QuickBooks Assisted Payroll users may have expanded support availability.

Here’s a breakdown of QuickBooks Desktop Payroll’s customer service options:

Some users report that reaching payroll-specific support can take time, especially for more complex issues. For less urgent questions, the QuickBooks Community forum and help articles may be useful starting points.

QuickBooks Desktop Payroll Integrations

QuickBooks Desktop Payroll works within QuickBooks Desktop, which offers over 260 integrations. This includes popular business apps and software like QuickBooks Time, Expensify, Shopify, and Chaser. However, this is far fewer than the 750+ integrations offered through QuickBooks Online.

QuickBooks Desktop Payroll Reviews

Available customer feedback is limited, but reviews from QuickBooks Desktop and Enterprise users are mixed to positive.

That said, QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise users get payroll bundled in with their services, so we checked out what SoftwareAdvice and TrustPilot reviewers had to say about the software’s payroll offerings.

Generally, users were happy to have a software solution that rolled accounting, invoicing, and payroll into a single solution. While reviews rarely singled out payroll as their favorite feature, most users were happy with its functionality, especially its tax support.

Users cited a cumbersome process when setting up payroll, a lack of customer support, and ever-increasing prices as their primary concerns regarding the software. Customer support was a mixed bag, with some reviewers praising the service and others lodging complaints about the lack of support they received.

Negative QuickBooks Desktop Payroll Reviews & Complaints

• Expensive
• Poor customer service
• State tax setup or support issues

Positive QuickBooks Desktop Payroll Reviews

• Easy to access & use
• Onboarding help
• All-in-one payroll and accounting software
• Reliable payroll services

Is QuickBooks Desktop Payroll Secure?

Because QuickBooks Desktop is locally installed, businesses are responsible for securing their local company files, devices, backups, and user access.

Any connected services, such as payroll updates, direct deposit, Workforce, or hosted access, may involve additional Intuit security controls.

Final Verdict: Is QuickBooks Desktop Payroll Worth It?

QuickBooks Desktop Payroll is worth considering for businesses already using QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise or businesses that specifically need locally installed accounting software with integrated payroll. It covers core payroll needs, including employee and contractor payments, direct deposit, deductions, garnishments, payroll tax tools, and reporting.

However, QuickBooks Desktop Payroll is not the best fit for most small businesses shopping for affordable, modern payroll software. New users generally need QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise, which makes it more expensive than many cloud-based payroll options. It also lacks the broader HR, benefits administration, onboarding, and automation tools found in many modern payroll platforms.

If you are already committed to QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise, Desktop Payroll can make sense. Otherwise, compare QuickBooks Workforce, Gusto, ADP, or other cloud-based payroll options before committing.