Payroll software. Multiple small companies.

[shell990shell]

Hi, I'm wondering if anyone can help me please? I am bookkeeping for 3 small companies and have been asked to do their monthly payroll (which is currently outsourced to accountants). I am considering investing in a Payroll package that will assist me in calculating the payroll for more than one company. However, these are small companies and I do not earn very much money and £600 for Sage Payroll Pro or IRIS PAYEMaster Pro seems like a lot of money to shell out. Does anybody have any suggestions or recommendations?
Many thanks,
Michelle

[MyAccountantOnline]

Hi, I'm wondering if anyone can help me please? I am bookkeeping for 3 small companies and have been asked to do their monthly payroll (which is currently outsourced to accountants). I am considering investing in a Payroll package that will assist me in calculating the payroll for more than one company. However, these are small companies and I do not earn very much money and £600 for Sage Payroll Pro or IRIS PAYEMaster Pro seems like a lot of money to shell out. Does anybody have any suggestions or recommendations?
Many thanks,
Michelle

Hi Michelle

Moneysoft do a multi-company package - I use it and rate it very highly.

http://www.moneysoft.co.uk/pm_intro.htm

[ElliottRoss]

Hi

Have you looked at 12pay? The Express Edition is free and you can have upto 3 companies: http://www.12pay.co.uk/Features.aspx

Regards
Elliott

[Tin]

Another vote for 12Pay. I haven't used it personally but a business friend I referred to it thinks it's really good, easy to use apparently given it's functionality.

Here's a link to the free download page where you can try the freebie version to see if it's for you or not. Payroll Software Download (http://www.12pay.co.uk/DownloadFreePayrollSoftware.aspx).

[Tom McClelland]

Thanks for the recommendations for 12Pay Payroll Software.

We have several-hundred practice and bureau clients. The edition of our software that handles unlimited clients costs (a magnificent) £99.80+VAT/year. I doubt that you can find a more cost effective solution than that.

[shell990shell]

Many thanks to you all for your advice. I have trialled both 12Pay and Payroll Manager and I think 12Pay is swaying me.

I have now been approached by another person to do their monthly payroll and CIS. I have a further question. Clearly I now need more than the free package (which will only hold up to 3 companies), but I am not sure which licence I require? The employers are all small with a simple payroll/CIS system. Tom - I wonder if you could advise?

Many thanks.

[Tom McClelland]

Many thanks to you all for your advice. I have trialled both 12Pay and Payroll Manager and I think 12Pay is swaying me.

I have now been approached by another person to do their monthly payroll and CIS. I have a further question. Clearly I now need more than the free package (which will only hold up to 3 companies), but I am not sure which licence I require? The employers are all small with a simple payroll/CIS system. Tom - I wonder if you could advise?

Many thanks.Good news about the growing business!

To operate a payroll bureau (http://www.12pay.co.uk/CommonQuestions/BureauFAQ.aspx) with CIS as well you need the bureau licence and the CIS licence. To make the purchase you would register on our website, and then buy the two licences (individually, ie 2 purchases on that licence number).

[Williams lester]

Good news about the growing business!

To operate a payroll bureau (http://www.12pay.co.uk/CommonQuestions/BureauFAQ.aspx) with CIS as well you need the bureau licence and the CIS licence. To make the purchase you would register on our website, and then buy the two licences (individually, ie 2 purchases on that licence number).

And very good it is too. Well worth the licence fees for both.

[MM Associates]

Another Moneysoft user here, very good piece of software.

[David Griffiths]

Another Moneysoft user here, very good piece of software.

But possibly not as responsive to customer requests as they might be. We asked them last year about a facility to email payslips direct to employees, and were told it was under consideration. Still is, as far as I can see. The other problem is that it's not possible to import from excel - that would make bureau life a lot easier as you can require the clients to provide the information in a standard format

I believe that 12Pay does both of these already, and if Moneysoft don't pull their finger out, they are going to lose customers. They also didn't make the software awards nominations this year, which may or may not mean anything

[MM Associates]

Never had a need to email direct to staff or import but interesting to hear it doesnt do either despite promises to the contrary.

Ive never used 12Pay before but will have a look into it.

[Tom McClelland]

Never had a need to email direct to staff or import but interesting to hear it doesnt do either despite promises to the contrary.

Ive never used 12Pay before but will have a look into it.

Thanks for taking a look. You can pm me directly if you have any queries.

With "import" in particular it isn't so much the "need" that is important, it is whether you can save time (both yours and your clients) by using it. Some of our bureaus have their larger clients maintain an Excel spreadsheet of employee details (eg address, NOK, email, department, etc) and they can synchronise that spreadsheet with their 12Pay payroll as often as they like.The client sends in this month's updated employee list each period.

And the other common requirement of that type with larger employers is importing this period's payments in a timesheet file (csv) which can contain hours or values against multiple payment code headings. A big time saver if the client is rigged up to prepare the values that way.

[Alpha]

But possibly not as responsive to customer requests as they might be. We asked them last year about a facility to email payslips direct to employees, and were told it was under consideration. Still is, as far as I can see. The other problem is that it's not possible to import from excel - that would make bureau life a lot easier as you can require the clients to provide the information in a standard format

I believe that 12Pay does both of these already, and if Moneysoft don't pull their finger out, they are going to lose customers. They also didn't make the software awards nominations this year, which may or may not mean anything

Moneysoft is very good functionally wise and it is very rare that you would ever require support (Just as well because a few people have said that they aren't that client focussed with regards attitude on telephone:))

As far as responses to features is concerned I would agree with David in that they have a limited resource and seem to stick to small incremental improvements and legislative changes rather than enhance the product.

We asked a few years ago if they would consider a 'quick entry' template option as you have in sage payroll which would also be useful for bureau processing however their response at the time was that they didn't consider moneysoft as payroll bureau software and their stance doesn't appear to have changed....shame because for small numbers of employees it is a very good piece of software.

[mr. mischief]

I use and really like Able Internet for weekly and monthly payrolls, and monthly CIS filing for a builder client. Their telephone support is consistently excellent in my view.

One reason I chose this option is that they have a free online "baby brother" payroo.com where the screens and functionality are the same but you are restricted to one and not multiple employers.

When clients want to do their own payroll I suggest either payoo or Sage. Because I know Sage well, whichever option they choose if they have a query on functionality or screen layout I can probably answer it before they need to call the helpline.