Last Updated on November 10, 2025
Businesses can subscribe to QuickBooks Full Service Payroll, which is helpful in automating payroll processes, tax calculations, and payments. It has various features that you can utilize to enhance your accounting and bookkeeping tasks. Some of these include automated tax filings and payments, direct deposit, and an employee work force portal to view pay stubs and W-2s.
The QuickBooks full payroll service is offered with various plans that you can choose depending on your business needs. Each plan has options for setup support, tax penalty protection, and expert HR services at higher levels.
Wondering which payroll plan is the best for you? Our team can help you decide that. Reach out at 1.855.738.2784 and get expert guidance from QuickBooks professionals on the Accounting Helpline to choose the plan that’s best for your business.
What are the Primary Features of the QuickBooks Full Service Payroll?
You can go through the following list to understand the core features you can avail of.
- QB payroll will automatically calculate and file the federal and state payroll taxes.
- The service includes automated tax payments that are secure.
- Employees can be paid digitally, with an option of direct deposit in higher plans.
- An employee portal that allows them to view their pay stubs, W-2s, and paid time off(PTO) balances.
- With QuickBooks payroll, you will be up to date with tax laws, ensuring compliance and avoiding penalties.
- Specific plans include a time tracking tool that calculates the employee’s payroll based on their working hours.
- You can get tools for hiring, onboarding, and other HR requirements with higher-level plans.
- The compensation insurance and employee administration can be integrated through the service, allowing better management.
Although these features depend on the plan you choose, most of these are available across all levels of service.
What are the Different Plans in QuickBooks Full Service Payroll?
There are three levels of payroll services with many features, as well as add-ons. Firstly, there is Payroll Core + Simple Start, then the Payroll Core + Essentials, and lastly the Payroll Premium + Plus. You can go through the table we have structured below to see which plan is best for your business on QuickBooks Desktop.
| Payroll Core + Simple Start | Payroll Core + Essentials | Payroll Premium + Plus |
| You can pay your team and avail basic accounting tools. | You can pay your team, track the working hours, and pay bills. | You can pay your team, access HR and benefits, and moderate projects or products. |
| Handling the Payday | ||
| Full-service payroll | Full-service payroll | Full-service payroll |
| Next-day direct deposit | Next-day direct deposit | 1099 E-File & Pay |
| Expert product support | Expert product support | Expert product support |
| Auto Payroll | Auto Payroll | Auto Payroll |
| 1099 E-File & Pay | 1099 E-File & Pay | Same-day direct deposit |
| — | — | Track time on the go |
| — | — | Expert review |
| Employee Benefits | ||
| Workers’ comp administration | Workers’ comp administration | Workers’ comp administration |
| 401(k) plans | 401(k) plans | 401(k) plans |
| Employee portal | Employee portal | Employee portal |
| Health benefits for your team | Health benefits for your team | Health benefits for your team |
| Document upload and sharing | Document upload and sharing | Document upload and sharing |
| — | — | HR support center |
| — | — | Document e-signature |
| — | — | Automated I-9 |
| Managing the Team | ||
| Document upload and sharing | Document upload and sharing | Document upload and sharing |
| Document e-signature | ||
| Automated I-9 | ||
| HR support center | ||
| Catering to Books | ||
| Live Expert Assisted | Live Expert Assisted | Live Expert Assisted |
| Capture & organize receipts | Capture & organize receipts | Capture & organize receipts |
| Invoice & accept payments | Invoice & accept payments | Invoice & accept payments |
| Manage 1099 contractors | Manage 1099 contractors | Manage 1099 contractors |
| Maximize tax deductions | Maximize tax deductions | Maximize tax deductions |
| Run general reports | Run general reports | Run general reports |
| Send estimates | Send estimates | Send estimates |
| Track income & expenses | Track income & expenses | Track income & expenses |
| Track miles | Track miles | Track miles |
| Track sales & sales tax | Track sales & sales tax | Track sales & sales tax |
| Connect 1 sales channel | Connect 3 sales channels | Connect all sales channels |
| — | Manage bills | Manage bills |
| — | Enter time | Enter time |
| — | Includes 3 users | Includes 5 users |
| — | — | Track project profitability |
| — | — | Track inventory |
You can check the features and tools offered by each subscription above. As you can see, QuickBooks full service payroll offers not only accounting tools but also HR and management tools.
Easy Procedure to Set Up or Reactivate Full Service Payroll QuickBooks
Once you have decided on the right plan for your business, the next step is to align it with your management. You can get started with this procedure and activate your QuickBooks full service payroll subscription by referring to this guide. Additionally, you can also find the steps to reactivate or renew the payroll plan for both the Online and Desktop versions.
Once you have set it up successfully, you can start with various payroll tasks such as reviewing, editing, and approving payments. Moreover, you can automate the process and let the service work for you automatically.
Difference Between the Types of QuickBooks Payroll
In the following section, we will understand what makes each payroll plan stand out and unique. We will go through the Basic, Enhanced, and Full Service payroll plans, covering their distinct features and benefits.
The primary difference across all payroll plans is the level of management and automation that they offer. For instance, the Basic payroll lacks the tax forms and payments feature, whereas the Enhanced payroll includes generating automatic tax forms and e-payments for the federal and state taxes.
On the other hand, the QuickBooks Full Service payroll manages all the tax calculations, payments, and filings for you, without requiring any manual labor. Moreover, it offers a higher level of support while offering full automation of the service, compared to others that require a certain level of manual involvement.
Comparing the Available Features Across QuickBooks Payroll Types
The table below consists of features that you will get in Basic, Enhanced, and Full Service payroll types.
| Features | Basic Payroll | Enhanced Payroll | Full Service Payroll |
| Tax Filings | It requires manual labour for filing. | It can generate filings automatically, and e-file for W2s, federal, and state forms. | Intuit manages all tax payments and filings on your behalf. |
| Tax Payments | You have to manually carry out payments. | You get automatic e-payments for federal and state taxes. | Intuit will take care of all the tax payments. |
| Automation | Only basic functions like creating paychecks are included. | Automated tax forms generation and e-payments. | Fully automated for tax and payroll processing. |
| Support | Offers standard support. | Standard support is provided. | Offers expert support and guidance, and expert product support. |
| Ease of Use | Tax management needs human involvement. | Increased efficiency with higher automation. | Handles a significant number of tasks without manual work. |
We hope that this all-inclusive blog was helpful to you in understanding the QuickBooks Desktop full service payroll, including all aspects of it.
Bringing It All Together
QuickBooks Full Service payroll is one of the three plan types that offers the highest number of benefits and features. Unlike the Basic and Enhanced payroll, it can be fully automated and provides expert support. Moreover, it is also divided into three levels to meet the goals and purposes of individual businesses. Connect with us to learn about the plan that’s most suitable for your business. Dial 1.855.738.2784 today to consult our Accounting Helpline’s specialists.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can a staffing agency use full service payroll in QuickBooks?
Absolutely, a staffing agency can use the QuickBooks full service payroll to handle its payroll. It can take care of the tax calculations, filing, and payment of taxes. You can easily integrate the payroll service with other products from QB, such as QuickBooks Time. Doing so can be helpful in tracking the working hours of employees to calculate their payroll based on that. The Full Service payroll can also be used to handle employee benefits, and different levels of plans can be chosen depending on the needs of the business.
How much is QuickBooks full service payroll?
QuickBooks offers full service payroll costs for different levels of plans that you may choose for your business. The Payroll Core + Simple Start plan costs $88 per month, with an additional $6.50 per employee per month. You can get the Payroll Core + Essentials plan for $125 per month, and it also charges $6.50 per employee per month. Lastly, the Payroll Premium + Plus can be purchased at $203 per month, and the additional charge for each employee per month is $10.
What is QuickBooks full service payroll?
The QuickBooks Enterprise full service payroll is a subscription-based service for businesses to manage their payroll processes, tax calculations, and payments. It offers numerous benefits and features depending on the level of the plan that you choose. You can automate various tasks like tax payments, filing forms, and handling direct deposit for employees. Additionally, there are tools that can be integrated for time tracking the working hours of employees, as well as for hiring and onboarding.
Does QuickBooks full service payroll send W-2s?
Yes, the QuickBooks Desktop Full Service payroll, as well as the Premium and Enhanced plans, can send W-2s. The service facilitates automatic preparation, filing, and emailing the W-2 forms to your employees, so that they can view them. Intuit will also be responsible for all the tax compliance and form filings for you, as part of the full service payroll plan.
What does QuickBooks full service payroll include?
The QuickBooks full payroll service has the most benefits and features compared to Basic and Enhanced payroll. Moreover, there are three levels of full-service plans that cater to the needs of businesses at different levels. It can be highly useful as it helps in automating payroll processes, tax calculations, and payments. Your employee will also benefit from an employee portal to view their pay stubs, W-2s, and PTO balances.
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Edward Martin is a Technical Content Writer for our leading Accounting firm. He has over 10 years of experience in QuickBooks and Xero. He has also worked with Sage, FreshBooks, and many other software platforms. Edward’s passion for clarity, accuracy, and innovation is evident in his writing. He is well versed in how to simplify complex technical concepts and turn them into easy-to-understand content for our readers.