QuickBooks 2013 For Dummies

Getting Ready to Do Payroll with QuickBooks

If you want to use one of the QuickBooks Payroll service options because you want to save money, you aren’t scared of a little paperwork, or maybe you want the extra flexibility that comes with doing it yourself, you need to sign up for the appropriate flavor of service.

Costs of the QuickBooks Payroll services vary based on the number of employees you have and on how much work you want the nice folks at QuickBooks to do. Figure on spending at least $100 to $200 per year for the most basic package. And note that if you want the full-meal-deal, you’re looking at a current cost of between $700 and $1,000 or more per year. (In addition, if history is any guide, you’ll need to more regularly upgrade your QuickBooks software.) To set up for a payroll service option, get ready to hop on the Internet. Then follow these steps:

1. Choose Employees⇒Payroll⇒Order Payroll Service.

QuickBooks connects to the Internet and displays the first page of a multiple-page web form that enables you to sign and set up the QuickBooks Payroll service.

2. Follow the onscreen instructions.

I don’t repeat the onscreen instructions for setting up the payroll service. Providing that kind of information would be . . . well, extremely redundant. Just carefully follow the instructions, and you’ll have no trouble.

Setting up the QuickBooks Payroll service requires that ...