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Intuit Payroll earns a dismal 1.3/5 average rating from user feedback. Discover detailed pros, cons, real user experiences, feature breakdowns, and tips for small businesses seeking reliable payroll solutions. We analyze costs, support, and integration to help you decide.
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Intuit Payroll is a cloud-based service designed for small businesses handling employee payments, tax calculations, direct deposits, and forms like W-2s and 1099s. As part of the Intuit ecosystem, it promises seamless ties to QuickBooks accounting tools. However, user satisfaction is low, with an aggregated average rating of just 1.3 out of 5 stars across more than 30 verified reviews we've examined.
This review dives deep into real user feedback, feature performance, pricing, and practical advice. Whether you're a solopreneur or managing a growing team, we'll help you weigh if Intuit Payroll fits or if alternatives make more sense. Expect data-driven insights, including scores out of 10 for key areas like accuracy (3/10) and support (2/10).
Feedback paints a challenging picture. While a handful of users note initial ease of setup, most highlight ongoing frustrations. Here's a breakdown of common themes from recent reviews:
Billing Nightmares (25% of complaints): Users report unexpected charges for unused features and battles for refunds. One business owner shared, "They billed me monthly for add-ons I never activated, and support dragged their feet on fixes."
Tax and Payment Errors (35%): Frequent issues with inaccurate calculations leading to IRS headaches. A recent reviewer rated it 1 star: "Tax filings were wrong three times in a row – had to hire an accountant to clean up."
Poor Customer Support (30%): Long wait times and unhelpful responses dominate. "Hours on hold, then generic emails," echoed multiple 1-star posts.
Integration Glitches (10%): QuickBooks sync fails often, causing double-entry work.
Positive notes are rare but include quick direct deposits (praised in 10% of reviews) and simple onboarding for very small teams (1-2 employees). Overall sentiment score: 1.3/5.
We scored Intuit Payroll on core features based on user data and specs (out of 10). Compare to ideal benchmarks for small business payroll tools.
| Feature | Intuit Payroll Score | Ideal Benchmark | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payroll Accuracy | 3/10 | 9/10 | Frequent tax calc errors reported in 35% of reviews. |
| Customer Support | 2/10 | 8/10 | Long waits; responses often inadequate. |
| Ease of Setup | 7/10 | 9/10 | Intuitive at first, but glitches emerge later. |
| QuickBooks Integration | 5/10 | 9/10 | Sync issues plague 10% of users. |
| Pricing Value | 4/10 | 8/10 | Starts at $45/mo + $5/employee; hidden costs add up. |
| Mobile App Usability | 6/10 | 8/10 | Basic functions ok, but lacks advanced reporting. |
| Tax Filing Automation | 4/10 | 9/10 | E-filing available, but errors require manual fixes. |
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Intuit Payroll offers tiered plans:
Add-ons like time tracking bump costs 20-30%. No free trial for all features, and annual contracts lock in commitments. Users complain of auto-renewals without notice, averaging $600-1,200 yearly for small teams. Value score: 4/10 due to unreliability outweighing affordability.
QuickBooks Payroll, Intuit's upgraded sibling, shares DNA but targets fuller integration:
| Aspect | Intuit Payroll | QuickBooks Payroll |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $45/mo + $5/emp | $45/mo + $6/emp |
| Tax Accuracy | Prone to errors | Better automation |
| Support Quality | Basic chat/phone | 24/7 expert help |
| Best For | Tiny teams | Growing businesses |
| User Rating | 1.3/5 | 3.8/5 (higher) |
QuickBooks edges out with stronger tools, but both face integration critiques.
Ideal Users: Micro-businesses (1-5 employees) okay with occasional tweaks and already using QuickBooks.
Avoid If: You need flawless accuracy, responsive support, or scale beyond 10 staff. Growing firms report 40% more errors as teams expand.
Actionable Tip: Test with a single payroll run before committing. Monitor tax withholdings closely – use IRS calculators for double-checks.
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Score for mitigation ease: 5/10 – Intuit responds to 20% of complaints with fixes or credits.
At 1.3/5, Intuit Payroll falls short for most. Initial simplicity appeals, but reliability gaps erode trust. Consider it only for ultra-basic needs; otherwise, scout competitors emphasizing accuracy and support. Pair any payroll tool with solid hardware for peak performance.
Yes, onboarding scores 7/10 with guided setups, but expect learning curves for fixes.
Users report 3/10 reliability; double-check with state tools to avoid penalties.
Partially – 5/10 success rate per reviews, with frequent sync errors.
Around $85-100/month on Core plan, plus potential extras.
Selectively – about 20% of complaints resolved with credits after escalation.
Yes, for approvals and views, rated 6/10 for functionality.
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