How to cancel Patriot Payroll

Before you cancel: three things to wrap up

Cancelling is the last step, not the first. Knock out these three and the rest is paperwork.

1. Your final payroll

• Run every payroll you want Patriot Payroll to handle before you submit the cancellation, including any bonus run or a final check for someone who’s leaving.
• Mind the check date. The day people get paid decides which quarter, and which year, a payroll counts in.² A pay period ending Dec 31 that pays on Jan 8 belongs to the new year.
• Line it up with your next provider’s first payday so nobody misses a check and nobody gets paid twice. The Switch Planner works backward from that date.

2. Tax filings and year-end forms

• One provider files each quarter. If two providers both file a quarterly return for the same quarter, the second one gets rejected, so agree on who files what.³
• Form 941 is quarterly, due by the last day of the month after each quarter ends.⁴ Ask Patriot Payroll in writing which quarters it will file for you.
• W-2s: 2026 W-2s are due February 1, 2027.⁵ If you leave mid-year for Gusto, Gusto files the full year’s W-2s using your year-to-date numbers, and your old provider shouldn’t file them too.³
• See your federal deposits yourself. The IRS suggests employers who use a payroll company enroll in EFTPS, where you can check that deposits were made.⁶

3. Export your records

Download these while you still have full access and keep them in one folder. The IRS asks employers to keep employment tax records for at least four years after the fourth-quarter return for the year is filed.⁷

• Payroll registers and pay stubs for this year and last.
• Year-to-date totals per person, including people who left this year. Your next provider needs these.³
• Filed returns and confirmations: 941s, 940, state withholding and unemployment returns, plus tax payment history.⁷
• W-2s, W-3s and 1099s from earlier years.
• W-4s and state withholding forms for every employee.⁷
• I-9s, if your provider stores them. Keep each one for three years after the hire date or one year after the person leaves, whichever is later.⁸

How to cancel Patriot Payroll

1. Enter every payroll you want Patriot to run. Patriot suggests reviewing the Payroll Details report for future pay dates first. Direct deposit money is collected four business days before payday.¹
2. Go to Settings, then Manage Subscription, then Add or Cancel Software.¹
3. Full Service: choose your end date, and answer whether the upcoming 941 is your last. Switching at the new year? Pick end of year so Patriot files 2026.¹
4. Save Changes. Software access ends when you submit, so do this after your last payroll is in.¹

Notice, fees and timing

• Billing: Patriot bills in arrears, so one last invoice follows the cancellation.¹
• Mid-month: Patriot only charges for the days the software was active.¹
• Future end date on Full Service: if Patriot will keep filing and depositing taxes after you leave, it charges the base price for those extra months up front, or the rest of the year’s balance up front for a year-end date. The cancel screen shows the amount before you confirm.¹
• Notice: you can cancel at any time from Settings.¹ If you’re on a custom arrangement, check your contract.
• Timing: the end-of-quarter and end-of-year choices on Full Service make the handoff tidy.¹

Terms vary by plan and by contract. Check your contract, and get the end date and the list of filings Patriot Payroll will still make in writing.

After you cancel

• Downloads stay available. You can still download reports and tax forms after cancelling.¹
• Your team keeps its portal, so past pay stubs and W-2s stay in reach for them.¹
• Grab the Payroll Register, YTD totals and tax liability reports for your records and your next provider.⁹

Switching, not just stopping?

If you’re moving to another payroll provider, cancel Patriot Payroll last. Here’s the whole move in order:

• Switch from Patriot Payroll to Gusto, step by step: what to export, timing and Gusto setup.
• Switch Planner, starting from Patriot Payroll: a dated plan from your team, states and paydays.
• Patriot Payroll vs Gusto: pricing and features side by side, including where Patriot Payroll wins.
• Switching payroll mid-year: what carries over and why a quarter start is easiest.

Every business is a little different, so check with your CPA for your situation. Good CPAs love a clean switch, and they’re on your team.

Your next step

Two moves, in this order. First, let the free Switch Planner turn your team, states and paydays into a dated plan. Then open Gusto when you’re ready. You won’t be doing it alone, and we’ll help you get every step right.

FAQ: cancelling Patriot Payroll