Used For

• +**You spend 4 hours every payday calculating taxes and withholdings** → Two clicks processes everything, files taxes automatically, cuts checks or does direct deposit
• +**Your bookkeeper quit and left you with a mess of tax forms** → Handles federal, state, and local filings plus generates W-2s and 1099s at year-end
• +**Employees keep bugging you about pay stubs and tax documents** → Self-service app lets them download everything themselves and update their own banking info
• +Garnishment payments get handled automatically - calculates the amount and pays creditors directly without you touching it
• +Syncs time tracking straight to payroll so hours flow through without manual entry

Best For

• >You're tired of calculating payroll taxes by hand and terrified of getting them wrong
• >Running multiple locations and drowning in different state tax requirements
• >Hit 20+ employees and your current system feels like playing tax roulette every month

Not For

• -Solo freelancers or teams under 10 people — you're paying enterprise prices for overkill features
• -Companies wanting a simple, cheap solution — the add-ons for time tracking, HR tools, and integrations pile up fast
• -Anyone hoping to avoid vendor lock-in — switching off Paychex after a year of tax filings is a nightmare

Pairs With

• *QuickBooks (where your actual accounting happens since Paychex just handles the payroll piece)
• *Microsoft Excel (where you'll still track employee hours if you don't pay for their time tracking add-on)
• *Slack (where employees will ask HR questions that the self-service portal should handle but doesn't)
• *BambooHR (what some companies switch to when Paychex's HR tools feel too basic for the price)
• *ADP (what you'll compare this against and probably wish you'd chosen for better integration options)
• *Gusto (the cheaper alternative you'll research after seeing your first year-end bill)

The Catch

• !The sticker price is just the start — time tracking, HR modules, and integrations can double your monthly bill
• !You'll need someone willing to become the "Paychex admin" or pay for their support to handle setup and ongoing changes
• !Those 270+ integrations they brag about? Most cost extra monthly fees on top of your base subscription

Bottom Line

Solid payroll processing that won't screw up your taxes, but the HR add-ons will nickel and dime you to death.