Why Gusto is the Best Payroll Software for Bookkeepers (and Their Clients)
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This blog is about my obsession with Gusto payroll software.
As a bookkeeper or accountant, it can be kind of overwhelming to offer payroll services to your clients.
There are so many payroll software options out there, no two are created equal (and some are just downright complicated!)
Offering payroll as a service to your bookkeeping clients is a GREAT way to add to the value you’re already providing. Gusto makes adding this service super simple, both for the client and you as the bookkeeper or accountant.
Plus, when it comes time to start hiring your own team, you'll want to enlist a payroll software that makes running payroll simple, not stressful.
In this blog, we're going to dive into my favorite and arguably the best payroll software to use as an additional service to my clients and my internal team.
What is Gusto payroll software?
Gusto is a payroll software for bookkeepers and accountants who want to offer a user-friendly payroll solution to their clients. Gusto makes it easy and convenient for you to run payroll for your clients and even for your team!
They are a cloud-based payroll software, so you may be wondering, “Is Gusto secure?”. I’m super impressed with their level of security, but you can also read more on that here.
If you or your clients wish to go paperless, Gusto is an awesome solution because they offer direct deposit! Of course, you still have the option to print checks if that’s what makes more sense for you or your client’s business!
Offering benefits to your team is a seamless process, and Gusto conveniently connects you with vetted third-party providers that can support you in setting up benefits.
Gusto will connect you and your clients with experts to help them offer things to their team like:
Health benefits
Retirement plans
Life insurance
HR support
Gym memberships
401(k) retirement savings
Workers’ comp
Employee finance tools
529 college savings
But you can do TONS of things yourself directly inside Gusto like:
Time off requests and approvals
Employee time sheets
Add bonuses to paychecks
Store team member contact information
New employee onboarding checklists
... just to name a few!
Why Gusto is the Best Payroll Software for Bookkeepers
I mentioned above that I am obsessed with Gusto, so let me break it down for you even further!
Gusto is incredible and my payroll software of choice because:
The reporting capabilities are robust, but not overwhelming to use
It integrates with QuickBooks Online (Xero, and others)
You can apply to offer benefits, retirement plans, even gym memberships and so much more
Adding bonuses to regular paychecks is a breeze
Actually running payroll is a simple and straightforward process
Onboarding new employees is super easy for you and the team member
They calculate and file taxes with the proper government agencies automatically (but you always want to double check the filing against the books)
But don’t just take my word for it, NerdWallet ranked Gusto as the #1 best payroll software overall!
Using Gusto to Run Payroll for Clients
In my bookkeeping and tax firm, I used Gusto to run payroll for my clients. I got great feedback from clients about how easy it was to use the software - and I thoroughly enjoyed it too!
If you want to offer payroll for clients who do not currently use Gusto, you can totally migrate them over to the software and streamline your processes!
Gusto even offers a free onboarding service that most users can take advantage of (depending on their unique situation).
Their customer service is next-level. Any time I have a problem or come across a roadblock inside my account, I just reach out to them and get answers.
You can even request a demo if you are on the fence about switching!
Why offer payroll services to your clients?
Payroll services can add incredible value to your clients. If you think about the headache and burden payroll puts on a business owner, it’s like a HUGE weight lifted off their shoulders!
With that, comes a lot of responsibility. But if you have a powerful tool like Gusto in your corner, there’s no reason to fear!
If you are currently offering payroll on a different platform, it’s very likely that you’re spending tons of time calculating tax withholdings, processing payroll, and triple checking for accuracy.
Gusto takes away so much of that work, one accountant even shares how using Gusto payroll for her clients saved her 10 hours on a single client.
Let’s not forget about how offering payroll services with a software like Gusto can make you more money! Yes, it’s an amazing way to support your clients and let them focus on what they do best.
But taking care of your client’s payroll can have a significant impact on their business. Imagine if they had to worry about running payroll themselves! Eliminating that concern is a super valuable addition that many business owners are willing to pay for.
Increase your firm’s revenue by offering additional services, like payroll, to your clients!
In Breakthrough for Bookkeepers & Accountants, we’ll show you exactly how to optimize your offers and streamline your operational systems so you can add new services in your firm!
Using Gusto to Run Payroll for Team Members
The beauty of Gusto is you don’t have to use it JUST for your clients, you can also use it to run payroll for your own firm.
Just a year and a half after starting Workflow Queen, I already had a team of three full time employees to support my growing business.
Sometimes I can't believe that I get to offer salaries, benefits, time off, and bonuses to my employees!
I'm sure that figuring out how to do all of those things on my own would be an absolute nightmare. I wouldn't know where to start or how to set up everything so it was in compliance and accurate.
I LOVE using Gusto to pay my team and contractors here at Workflow Queen. They make it incredibly easy to run reports, file taxes, add bonuses, and sooo much more.
Each team member gets their own portal within Gusto, so they can easily check their rate of pay or grab paystubs any time they need.
When it comes time to generate W-2s for the team, Gusto will pop them into each team member's portal so they can file their personal income taxes.
I don't even need to worry about submitting 940/941s to the IRS - Gusto has that covered for me (but always double check that your payments match the books!).
We can even pay our team member in Canada through our Gusto subscription! Gusto’s simple process for paying international contractors in a TON of countries saves us so much time and headache!
Note: In order to pay an international contractor, at least one person in the company’s Gusto account has to be a W-2 employee.
Can you tell how much I LOVE Gusto for offering payroll services to clients AND paying my own team? I seriously can't recommend Gusto enough.
Speaking of building your own kick-ass team, did you know that I have a group coaching program specifically designed to help you add more value to your packages, create efficient client systems, and better serve your clients?
Breakthrough for Bookkeepers & Accountants is the only program that will answer the question “How can I take my firm to the next level?”. Learn more about our elite group coaching program here!
Using Gusto as a bookkeeper has made my life much simpler when it comes to payroll. More importantly, it’s improved the quality of my client’s lives, so go check it out for yourself to see if offering payroll through Gusto is right for you!
Use the button below to sign up for Gusto and get a $500 Visa gift card if you register and run payroll for three new clients within 12 months!
