Your Employer Identification Number (EIN)
Your EIN is your business's tax ID required by the IRS to process payroll and file federal taxes.
Run Your Payroll Online in Minutes
Simple, accurate, and compliant payroll for small businesses. Unlimited runs, automatic federal & state tax calculations, $0 per employee. From onboarding to year-end W-2s handled.
4.9/5
Average Rating
$0
Per employee fee
24/7
Employee Self-Service
10 min
Average payroll run
Step 1 - Before you run payroll
What you need to run payroll for the first time
Whether you're doing payroll for a small business for the first time or running payroll for one employee, getting these five things in order takes 20 minutes.
Business details
Gather your legal business name, business address, business type, and primary contact information.
State tax registration
Register for applicable state payroll tax accounts, including state income tax withholding and state unemployment (SUTA), before processing payroll.
W-4 from each employee, W-9 from each contractor
Employees complete Form W-4 so you know how much federal income tax to withhold. Contractors complete a Form W-9 for 1099 reporting. Collect and e-sign both forms securely online.
Pay schedule
Choose weekly, biweekly, semi-monthly, or monthly. Your pay schedule determines your federal tax deposit due dates (monthly or semi-weekly depositor status).
Prior YTD Information
If you've already processed payroll this year using another provider or manually, enter your Prior YTD payroll information to ensure accurate payroll tax calculations, filings, and year-end reporting.
Bank Account & ACH Setup
Connect your business bank account to generate ACH files for employee payments and make federal and state tax payments supported through EFTPS.
Step 2 - Run payroll
How to run payroll online - 3 steps to payday
Running payroll manually means calculating taxes by hand, tracking rate changes, and risking costly errors. Run payroll online with payroll software that automates calculations and helps reduce compliance risks.
Enter employee hours & earnings
Enter regular hours, overtime, commissions, or other earnings for each employee before processing payroll.
Review automatic tax calculations
Federal income tax, FICA (Social Security & Medicare), FUTA, and all applicable state taxes are calculated instantly and automatically, no spreadsheets required.
Approve & pay
Click approve and payroll is processed. Employees receive their paystubs in the self-service portal immediately.
Stop running payroll manually.
Start running it right.
Manual payroll takes 3-5 hours per pay period on average. A single miscalculated deposit can trigger IRS penalties. Our payroll software automates all calculations and keeps your tax rates up to date.
3-5 hrs
Saved per payroll run
$0
Per-employee charge
Unlimited
Payroll runs included
Step 3 - After payday
Federal & State Payroll Tax Filing & Payments
Running payroll is only half the job. After every payday, taxes must be deposited and reported on time. Miss a deadline and the IRS charges penalties starting at 2%.
Automatic federal tax calculations
Federal income tax withholding, FICA (Social Security + Medicare), and FUTA are calculated on every payroll run using the latest IRS tables, updated automatically as rates change.
Automatic state tax calculations
State income tax withholding and state unemployment (SUTA) rates are tracked and applied automatically no manual updates when rates change mid-year.
Federal & state tax filings Plus
Form 941 (quarterly), state returns, 940, 943, 944, W-2s, and 1099-NECs are filed at year-end. Employees access their forms through the portal.
Federal & state tax payments Plus
Federal payroll tax payments are scheduled through EFTPS. For State tax payments are calculated and submitted to the appropriate state agencies where supported.
Everything you need
Payroll software built for small businesses
Whether you're hiring your first employee or managing a growing team, access everything you need to automate payroll, stay compliant, and save time.
Simple & quick onboarding
Get set up fast. Invite employees to self-onboard or add them yourself. Collect W-4 and W-9 forms electronically before the first payroll run.
- Employee self-service onboarding
- E-sign W-4 and W-9 forms
- Centralized employee directory
Manage payroll without limits
Run payroll as many times as you need regular, bonus, or off-cycle. Pay both W-2 employees and 1099 contractors in the same system.
- Unlimited payroll runs at $0 extra
- Bonus & off-cycle payrolls
- Employees + contractors in one place
Accurate tax calculations
Every payroll run applies the latest federal and state tax rates automatically, including mid-year rate changes you'd otherwise have to track yourself.
- Federal & state taxes
- Auto-updated tax rates
- Leading payroll tax engine
Secure employee portal
Give every employee and contractor their own secure portal to manage their profile, access paystubs, e-sign forms, and download year-end tax documents.
- Instant paystub access
- W-2 & 1099 downloads anytime
- Profile & tax info self-management
Payroll insights & reports
Everything in one place for payroll summaries, reports, and compliance documents. Never dig through spreadsheets before a tax deadline again.
- Payroll reports
- Compliance filing reports
- Notifications & reminders
Retirement & health benefits
Set up automatic retirement contribution deductions (401k, SIMPLE IRA) directly within payroll. Health benefit deductions are configured once and applied every run.
- 401(k) & SIMPLE IRA support
- Health insurance deductions
- Automatic benefit contributions
Industries we support
Payroll software designed for every industry
No matter your industry, run payroll with confidence using solutions tailored to your workforce, payroll requirements, and tax compliance.
Regular Payroll
Run payroll for small businesses with automated calculations, employee payments, and payroll tax compliance.
Learn More ->Agricultural Payroll
Manage agricultural payroll for seasonal workers with accurate pay and simplified payroll tax compliance.
Learn More ->Nanny Payroll
Pay household employees with simple nanny payroll, automatic tax calculations, and easy compliance.
Learn More ->Nonprofit Payroll
Run nonprofit payroll with automated employee payments, payroll taxes, and simplified compliance.
Learn More ->Transparent pricing
Payroll pricing with no hidden fees - $0 per employee
No per-employee fees. Pay one simple monthly price for payroll.
One flat monthly fee, unlimited employees, unlimited runs.
Basic
$19 /month
+ $0 employee fee
Best for small businesses that want to simplify payroll processing and eliminate manual tax calculations.
- Unlimited payroll runs and paystubs
- Secure employee/contractor portal
- Retirement & health benefits management
- W-4 & W-9 collection
Most Popular
Plus
$29 /month
+ $0 employee fee
Best for businesses that want a fully managed payroll experience, taxes calculated, deposited, and filed by our software.
- Everything in Basic
- Branded client portal
- Federal & state tax payments
- Federal & state tax filings
- Access to filing & compliance reports
What businesses say
Small businesses run payroll with confidence
From solo founders to growing teams, here's what owners say about running payroll with our software.
"I was running payroll manually in Excel for two years. Switching to RunYourPayroll saved me about four hours every two weeks. The automatic tax calculations alone are worth it."
"I have one employee and paying $0 per employee per month is a no-brainer. I tried other services that charged $45+ just for one person. This is $19 flat and it just works."
"The Plus plan handles our state filings automatically. We operate in three states and keeping up with deposit schedules was a nightmare. RunYourPayroll software eliminated that entirely."
Common questions
Frequently asked questions about running payroll
Everything you need to know before you run payroll for your small business for the first time.
To run payroll for a small business:
- Get your EIN and state payroll tax accounts.
- Add employees and collect W-4 or W-9 forms.
- Choose a pay schedule.
- Enter employee hours or salaries, review payroll tax calculations, and approve payroll.
Payroll software simplifies these steps by automating calculations, tax filings, and payments.
Before running payroll for the first time, you'll need an Employer Identification Number (EIN), state payroll tax account numbers, employee W-4 forms, contractor W-9 forms (if applicable), your business bank account for direct deposit, and a payroll schedule. Having these ready makes payroll setup quick and compliant.
Manual payroll requires calculating wages, tax withholdings, deductions, and filing deadlines by hand. Run payroll with software that automates calculations, keeps tax rates current, generates paystubs, and helps file required payroll tax forms, reducing errors and saving time.
After each payroll run, employers must pay federal income tax withholding, Social Security and Medicare taxes (FICA), and federal unemployment tax (FUTA). Most employers must also pay applicable state income tax withholding and state unemployment tax (SUTA) based on state requirements.
Yes. Payroll software can manage both W-2 employees and 1099 contractors in one system. Employees receive payroll with required tax withholdings, while contractors are paid without tax withholding and receive Form 1099-NEC at year-end when required.
Yes. Even if you have only one employee, you must calculate payroll taxes, withhold required taxes, pay employees accurately, and file payroll tax forms. Payroll software simplifies the process regardless of your business size.
Payroll can be run weekly, biweekly, semi-monthly, or monthly. The best schedule depends on your business needs, state labor laws, and employee agreements. Once your payroll schedule is established, it should remain consistent.
Yes. Many small businesses run payroll online without hiring an accountant. Payroll software helps calculate employee wages, payroll taxes, direct deposits, and required tax forms, making it easier to manage payroll while staying compliant.
Ready to run payroll online with confidence?
The smart choice for the payroll process