Monthly bookkeeping
Payroll and bookkeeping integrate cleanly — combined, the payroll journal posts and reconciles every month with no gap, at a materially lower combined cost than separate providers.
The engagementAccounting
Payroll management services for small businesses
Payroll, run right. Every cycle. Every state.
Recurring payroll management for U.S. small and mid-sized businesses: each pay cycle processed and reviewed, multi-state compliance, liabilities reconciled, and year-end W-2s and 1099s. Tax filings go through your payroll platform or CPA/EA. Fixed monthly fee, integrated with your bookkeeping.
$150–$800+/moWhat sets the price
What you can check before you sign
- Fixed fee, written first
- Your own QuickBooks® file
- No hourly billing
If your file needs our paid diagnostic first, its fee is credited in full against the cleanup. Either way, you get a fixed fee in writing before any work starts.
§ 01 · The engagement
What payroll management actually is.
§ The engagement
Payroll management is the recurring service that runs your payroll correctly every cycle: pay runs, federal and state withholding, direct deposit and pay stubs, multi-state compliance, payroll liabilities reconciled to your books, and year-end W-2s and 1099s. Filings go through your payroll platform or your CPA or EA. Typically $150–$800+/mo, a fixed fee scoped in writing.
They took something that felt overwhelming to me as a first-year business owner and made it simple.
What stood out the most was TechBrot Inc’s attention to detail.
Intuit QuickBooks Certification Level 2 and QuickBooks Workforce Certification,
§ 02 · Is it time?
If any of these apply, the answer is yes.
01
You have employees in multiple states.
Multi-state payroll triggers registration in each state, multi-state withholding rules, unemployment in each state, and reciprocal-state coordination. The compliance load grows non-linearly with each new state.02
You hired your first remote employee in another state.
A single remote employee in a new state creates payroll nexus there. Registration, withholding setup, and state unemployment all need to happen before the first paycheck.03
You’ve received state agency notices you don’t understand.
State payroll-tax notices, unemployment audits, and reciprocal-state questions arrive without warning. Professional management responds correctly and resolves them without penalties.04
You’re spending hours every pay cycle on payroll yourself.
Self-managed payroll consumes 5–15 hours per cycle once you have multiple employees, benefits deductions, and multi-state work. That time costs more than professional management does.05
Your payroll doesn’t reconcile to your bookkeeping.
If payroll and bookkeeping run separately, monthly reconciliation gaps compound. Integrated payroll-and-bookkeeping management eliminates this category of error entirely.06
You’re switching payroll providers and need a clean transition.
Provider switches mid-year require careful coordination — YTD totals, prior filings, state accounts, direct-deposit migration. A botched switch produces months of cleanup work.When payroll management isn’t the right engagement
- You need HR, benefits administration or PEO services. Those come from an HR or PEO provider; TechBrot runs payroll in your payroll platform and keeps it reconciled to your books.
- You want payroll taxes filed in TechBrot’s name, or IRS representation. Filings go through your payroll platform or your CPA or EA, and TechBrot does not represent clients before the IRS.
- Payroll has never reconciled to the books. A QuickBooks cleanup corrects the file first, so ongoing payroll posts cleanly.
§ 03 · The pay cycle
What every pay cycle actually looks like.
Every cycle runs the same four-phase cadence — so nothing is rushed the night before pay date.
- 3–5 days before
Hours & data captured
Hours imported from time-tracking, salaried employees verified, bonuses and reimbursements captured, PTO requests reconciled, new hires and terminations confirmed.
- 2–3 days before
Calculations & review
Gross-to-net calculations run, federal and state withholdings computed, deductions applied, multi-state allocations verified. Your preparer reviews for anomalies before submission.
- 1–2 days before
Submission & funding
Payroll submitted, direct deposits funded, tax withholdings transmitted to federal and state agencies on schedule through your payroll platform. Pay stubs published to employee portals.
- Pay date & after
Posting & reconciliation
Direct deposits land. Payroll journal entries post to QuickBooks. Liabilities reconciled. State notices, employee questions, and amendments handled within agreed service windows.
| Liability in QuickBooks | Agreed to |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax withheld | The payroll register and the deposits made through your payroll platform |
| Social Security and Medicare | The payroll register, employee and employer shares, and the deposits |
| Federal unemployment (FUTA) | The payroll platform’s liability report |
| State income tax withheld | The state withholding report for each state you run payroll in |
| State unemployment | The state unemployment report |
| Benefit and other deductions | The deduction report and what was paid to each provider |
Illustration of the structure, not a client file: the accounts follow your payroll platform and your states. It is the “liabilities reconciled” step of the pay-date phase above.
§ 04 · The deliverables
What you get, every cycle.
Included in every engagement
- Scheduled pay cycle processing
- Federal tax withholding & deposits
- State tax withholding & deposits
- Quarterly 941 filings tracked (filed via your payroll platform)
- State unemployment filings tracked (filed via your payroll platform)
- New hire reporting (state-mandated)
- Direct deposit & pay stub generation
- Employee portal & self-service access
- PTO & benefits deduction tracking
- Year-end W-2 & 1099 preparation
- QuickBooks bookkeeping integration
- Your client advisor is your point of contact, and a Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor reviews every close before it reaches you
Layered on as scope requires
- Multi-state nexus analysis & registration
- Remote worker compliance setup
- Workers’ comp coordination
- 401(k) & benefits provider integration
- HSA, FSA, and commuter benefits
- Contractor & 1099 payment processing
- Bonus & commission structures
- Equity compensation handling
- Multi-entity payroll coordination
- State agency notice response
- Payroll system migration
- Custom reporting & analytics
§ 05 · Multi-state payroll
Every new state changes the math.
Multi-state payroll-tax handling is the work that scales non-linearly with every state you employ in: registering the business in each state where an employee actually works, opening state income-tax withholding and state unemployment (SUTA) accounts, applying reciprocal-state agreements between neighboring states, and filing in every jurisdiction on its own schedule. A single remote hire in a new state creates payroll nexus there — registration, withholding setup, and unemployment all have to happen before the first paycheck, not after.
01
Registration in each state
Every state where an employee actually works requires registering the business and opening state income-tax withholding and state unemployment (SUTA) accounts.
02
Reciprocal-state agreements
Neighboring states with reciprocal agreements change which jurisdiction withholds — applied correctly so employees aren’t taxed twice or under-withheld.
03
Filing on every schedule
Each jurisdiction files on its own schedule. A single remote hire creates payroll nexus — registration, withholding setup, and unemployment all happen before the first paycheck, not after.
04
Non-linear compliance load
The work scales non-linearly with every state you employ in — which is why multi-state payroll is one of the most common reasons businesses move to professional management.
§ 06 · Onboarding
From first call to first clean pay cycle.
- 01
Payroll review
A 30-minute call reviews your current setup, employee count, state coverage, software, and compliance posture. Written fixed-fee scope within 3 business days.
Typical: 3 business days - 02
Setup & Migration
New: company setup, state registrations, software configuration, employee onboarding. Transitioning: YTD migration, prior-filings reconciliation, direct-deposit setup, employee notification.
Typical: 2–4 weeks - 03
First Cycle & Verification
First payroll run under TechBrot management, with review before it reaches you. Any setup discrepancies resolved before the second cycle.
Typical: first pay date +5 days - 04
Recurring Operations
Every cycle runs the four-phase cadence. Quarterly 941 and state unemployment filings tracked (filed through your payroll platform), liabilities reconciled, and year-end W-2/1099 preparation handled on schedule.
Typical: ongoing
§ 07 · The platforms
Your payroll software, professionally operated.
QB
QuickBooks Payroll
Default platform for TechBrot engagements. All three tiers — Workforce Payroll, Workforce Premium, Workforce Elite (formerly Core, Premium, Elite). Native integration with QuickBooks bookkeeping eliminates reconciliation gaps.
G
Gusto
We set up and support Gusto payroll alongside QuickBooks — set-up, the connection to QuickBooks Online, ongoing support, and running payroll alongside the books. Considered when HR and benefits tools or a distributed team weigh more than keeping payroll inside QuickBooks; we confirm with Gusto that the plan covers your states, contractors and HR needs during set-up. We recommend Gusto over QuickBooks Payroll when the use case fits better.
R
Rippling
A separate HR and payroll platform. Considered when a business already runs on Rippling or is weighing it; we confirm with Rippling that the plan covers your states, employees and contractors during implementation.
ADP
ADP / Paychex
Separate payroll providers that also offer HR, benefits administration and PEO services. Considered when a business already runs on one of them or wants payroll bundled with those services; we confirm plan coverage with the provider during implementation.
+
Migration support
Switching platforms is routine. We handle YTD migration, state-account transitions, employee notification, and prior-filings reconciliation. Most transitions complete in 2–4 weeks.
?
Not sure which platform?
Part of the diagnostic. We recommend the platform that fits your business — not the one we’d earn more on. Independence is part of the standard.
§ 08 · Gusto
Gusto setup and support, alongside your QuickBooks books
We set up and support Gusto payroll alongside QuickBooks. Set-up follows the same onboarding as any payroll engagement: company setup, state registrations, software configuration and employee onboarding, or, when you are moving from another provider, year-to-date migration, prior-filings reconciliation, direct-deposit setup and employee notification. During set-up we confirm with Gusto that the plan covers your states, contractors and HR needs, and we connect Gusto to your QuickBooks Online file.
Each pay cycle then runs in Gusto on the same four-phase cadence, and your books stay in your own QuickBooks file. The payroll journal posts to QuickBooks every cycle, and each payroll liability is agreed to the payroll register and the deposits made through Gusto, the tie-out in the pay-cycle illustration above. Payroll-tax filings go through Gusto, as they do through any payroll platform, or through your CPA or EA.
Gusto fits when HR and benefits tools or a distributed team weigh more than keeping payroll inside QuickBooks; when keeping payroll inside the books matters most, QuickBooks Payroll is the default. The QuickBooks Payroll vs Gusto comparison sets the two side by side. Either way the fee is a fixed monthly fee scoped in writing, with set-up and any move from another provider quoted separately as one fixed fee.
§ 09 · Payroll + bookkeeping
When payroll runs with bookkeeping, the math gets simpler.
When payroll and bookkeeping run with separate providers, every month opens a reconciliation gap: the payroll journal has to be re-keyed or imported, liabilities drift, and the two systems disagree until someone fixes them. Run together, the payroll journal posts straight into your QuickBooks file each cycle and the liabilities reconcile automatically — the entire category of error disappears.
It’s also cheaper. A combined payroll-and-bookkeeping engagement with one preparer costs materially less than two separate vendors, and you have your TechBrot team accountable for both. That is the case for pairing payroll with monthly bookkeeping.
§ 10 · Pricing
Fixed monthly fee, written scope, no surprises.
Three tiers; setup and provider-migration are quoted separately as one-time work, and software subscriptions pass through at cost. See the pricing page for full detail.
Core
Fixed fee, scoped in writingFor: Simple single-state payroll, under 10 employees, no contractors, standard benefits, biweekly or semi-monthly cycle.- Scheduled pay cycle processing
- Federal & single-state payroll-tax liabilities reconciled
- Direct deposit & pay stubs
- Year-end W-2 & 1099 preparation
- QuickBooks bookkeeping integration
Most common
Standard
Fixed fee, scoped in writingFor: Multi-state payroll (2–5 states), 10–50 employees, contractors, benefits deductions, growing teams.- Everything in Core
- Multi-state compliance & liability reconciliation
- Contractor & 1099 payment processing
- Benefits provider integration
- New hire onboarding workflows
- State agency notice response
Complex
Fixed fee, scoped in writingFor: 50+ employees, 6+ states, multi-entity payroll, equity compensation, complex benefits, union or prevailing-wage situations.- Everything in Standard
- Multi-entity payroll coordination
- Equity compensation handling
- Workers’ comp coordination
- Multi-state nexus analysis
- Custom reporting & analytics
- Year-end audit support
Not in the fee
- One-time payroll setup, and moving from another provider: quoted separately as a fixed fee.
- Payroll software subscriptions: passed through at cost.
- Income-tax returns: your CPA or EA’s work.
§ 11 · Who performs the work
Your TechBrot team.
Every TechBrot payroll engagement is prepared by your senior bookkeeper and reviewed by TechBrot’s senior reviewer, who holds the QuickBooks Workforce Certification and is multi-state capable. Your client advisor is your point of contact, with every filing deadline tracked.
The standard, every fileCertification. QuickBooks Workforce Certification — multi-state capable
Vetting. A senior bookkeeper assigned to your file, and every close reviewed by a Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor before it reaches you
Accountability. Your senior bookkeeper · payroll liabilities reconciled
§ 12 · Who works on your books
Your TechBrot team.
Every engagement runs on three roles: a client advisor who scopes it and stays your point of contact, a senior bookkeeper who prepares your setup and monthly close in your software, and a Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor who reviews every close before it reaches you. A U.S.-based bookkeeper is available on request; we can share their public directory profile with you.
Specialists when your books need them.
Senior bookkeepers who specialize in rental portfolios and Xero, and specialist partner practices for trust accounting for law firms and CFO advisory. We bring the right one onto your engagement when your business calls for it, under the same standards and review.
§ 13 · Alongside payroll
Payroll commonly runs alongside.
QuickBooks Payroll
The default platform, professionally configured and operated — Workforce Payroll, Workforce Premium, or Workforce Elite, integrated with your QuickBooks file.
The engagementSales tax compliance
Multi-state employees often mean multi-state sales-tax nexus too — TechBrot keeps the post-Wayfair sales-tax records your tax professional files from.
The engagementQuickBooks cleanup
If payroll entries never reconciled to the books, a QuickBooks cleanup corrects the file before ongoing payroll posts cleanly.
The engagementPayroll setup guide
Setting payroll up correctly — tax accounts, pay schedules, liability mapping, filings — so the file ties out from the first run.
Read morePayroll cost calculator
What managed payroll costs at your headcount and pay frequency, before you compare providers.
The engagement§ 15 · Questions
What people ask before scoping payroll.
How much does payroll management cost?
Payroll management is priced as a fixed monthly fee within $150–$800+/month: simple single-state engagements under 10 employees sit toward the lower end, standard multi-state or growing teams in the middle, and complex multi-state, multi-entity, or compliance-heavy engagements toward the upper end. Setup engagements are quoted separately, as one fixed fee scoped in writing.
What does payroll management include?
Scheduled pay cycle processing, federal and state tax withholding, quarterly 941 and state unemployment filings made through your payroll platform (we keep the liabilities reconciled), new-hire reporting, employee onboarding and offboarding, direct deposit and pay stubs, PTO and benefits tracking, year-end W-2 and 1099 preparation, and integration with the business’s bookkeeping. Specialized work like multi-state nexus and equity-compensation handling is layered on as scope requires.
Do you work with my existing payroll software?
Yes. TechBrot's work is led by a ProAdvisor holding the QuickBooks Workforce Certification, and we support QuickBooks Payroll (Workforce Payroll, Workforce Premium, Workforce Elite) as the default, set up and support Gusto payroll alongside QuickBooks, and can also work alongside Rippling, ADP, or Paychex when one of those fits better. Payroll integrates with your existing QuickBooks bookkeeping so entries reconcile cleanly every month.
Can you handle multi-state payroll?
Yes. Multi-state payroll is one of the most common reasons businesses move to professional management. We support state registration and state unemployment account setup, set up multi-state withholding and reconcile the liabilities, and handle remote-worker compliance, nexus analysis when employees cross state lines, and reciprocal-state agreements.
Can I switch from my current payroll provider?
Yes. Provider switches are routine. We handle YTD migration, prior-filings reconciliation, state-account transitions, direct-deposit migration, and employee notification. Most transitions complete in 2–4 weeks, and we time them to avoid breaking your filing history. To scope a switch, book a free call or dial (877) 751-5575.
What’s the difference between payroll software and payroll management?
Payroll software is the tool that runs the calculations; payroll management is a professional operating the tool correctly — verifying data, reviewing for anomalies, tracking every filing deadline, handling state notices, and reconciling to your books. Software still requires someone to run it right; management is that someone.
How does TechBrot payroll integrate with bookkeeping?
When one firm runs both, the payroll journal posts directly into your QuickBooks file each cycle and liabilities reconcile automatically — eliminating the reconciliation gaps that appear when payroll and bookkeeping run with separate providers. Pairing payroll with monthly bookkeeping also costs materially less than two separate vendors.
§ 16 · Talk to a client advisor
One call tells you exactly where your books stand.
Tell us how payroll runs today. We’ll tell you what setup or monthly payroll support fits.
What happens when you call