Considering the Gusto Payroll Service? The Basics You Need to Know

The biggest challenge for small businesses is focusing on their core products and service offerings when there are so many issues that need attention.

For example, payroll is a complex and time-consuming task that must get done. Your employees have to get paid properly and have access to a lot of important information. To be sure, you can’t ignore payroll, but you also can’t afford to spend all your time on it when you need to be focusing on growing your business

That’s where Gusto payroll comes in. Gusto is the perfect option for any business that needs to streamline the payroll process.

Keep reading to discover everything you need to know in this Gusto review. Here’s how it works.

What is Gusto Payroll?

Gusto is a simple payroll solution is reaping many positive reviews from reputable sources. The service is PCMag’s Editors Choice for payroll processing software. The company has also been named to Forbes Fintech 50.

This cloud-based payroll software takes care of payroll and tax filings. Many business owners opt for their automatic payroll service called Gusto AutoPilot. As its name suggests, AutoPilot takes care of everything so you can get back to running your business.

How Much Does Gusto Cost?

Gusto has three tiered levels of service: Core, Complete and Concierge.

Costs break down as follows:

  • Core: $39/month plus $6/money per employee
  • Complete: $39/month plus $12/month per employee
  • Concierge: $149/month plus $12/month per employee

All three packages will process payroll and automatically file taxes. You can choose direct deposit or printed checks and paystubs. They also handle garnishments, paid time off (PTO) policies and give detailed reporting for employers and employees alike.

When you upgrade to the Complete or Concierge tiers, you’ll get customizable admin permissions, a fantastic onboarding suite, employee offers, time tracking, holiday pay, employee directory, and surveys.

The Concierge package is the cream of the crop and gives you a full HR resource center. This includes your employee handbook and complete compliance support. You also gain access to a customer support team of human resources professionals.

Gusto Features

The dashboard is the hub where you and your employees can quickly and easily find what you need.

The employee portal is where team members can find their payment history, print tax forms and pay stubs, track PTO and more. Employees can opt-in for direct deposit or choose to be paid with printed checks and pay stubs.

For management, the employer portal helps with benefits administration, onboarding and full HR support (concierge plan only).

Additional Gusto Features

One of the most convenient features is that you have access to 17 integrations and API for developers. You can integrate your payroll with QuickBooksXero, and T-Sheets. Or you can integrate with other platforms for accounting, expense tracking, and time tracking.

Gusto AutoPayroll is a very popular option that many employers take advantage of. As you might have guessed, this service eliminates the need to run payroll every period. Instead, payroll is automatically processed before the payday deadline. You will have a 24 hour period to make last-minute changes before payroll is finalized and submitted.

For an additional $8/month per participant and a $500 setup fee, you can offer a 401(k) retirement plan with Guideline and Gusto also partners with AP Intego for workers compensation insurance. You have access to health benefits, health savings accounts, a 529 college saving plan and more for additional fees.

Gusto keeps your information safe with 256-bit SSL Encryption, multi-factor authentification, and firewalls. They also claim to use their own proprietary physical security measures to protect their data. 

Final Thoughts

Gusto is fulfilling a need for small businesses by taking care of payroll processing and offering other services usually reserved for large corporations.

Use Gusto payroll to handle the complex needs of payroll, benefits, tax filings, PTO and more. It will free up time for you and your team to focus on growing your core products and services.

For more reviews of useful business resources like this, check back often as we post new content regularly.