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$100 Visa gift card from Gusto when you sign up through our link and run a paid payroll by Jan 31, 2027. From Gusto, not us. How it works · Terms
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Switch from QuickBooks

Switching from QuickBooks Payroll to Gusto

By Payroll Dad · Last verified Oct 2026We earn a referral reward if you sign up through our link. How we make money · How we evaluate

$100 Visa gift card from Gusto when you switch or sign up through our link (by Jan 31, 2027)

The fine print, in plain words: sign up for Gusto payroll through our link by Jan 31, 2027 and run at least one paid payroll. Gusto sends the card within 30 days of your first paid payroll invoice, and your account has to be open when it goes out. The gift card comes from Gusto, not from us, and we don’t add a bonus of our own. Read Gusto’s terms.

Get the $100 gift card on Gusto’s website →

You don't have to leave QuickBooks to leave QuickBooks Payroll. Keep your books where they are. Move payroll.

Dad’s short answer

Keep QuickBooks for the books and move payroll to Gusto if you want a payroll-first tool. If one QuickBooks bill matters most, stay.

  • Keep QuickBooks for the books. Move only payroll; Gusto integrates with QuickBooks.1
  • QuickBooks bundles payroll with accounting (Workforce Payroll + Simple Start from $88/mo + $6.50 per employee). Gusto prices payroll on its own.5
  • The move is mostly uploads. QuickBooks Online and Desktop reports import into Gusto during onboarding.4
ProviderBest forStarting price
GustoMost small teams that want payroll taxes filed for them, in one state (Simple) or several (Plus)Simple $49/mo + $6/person; Plus $80/mo + $12/person1
Patriot SoftwareThe lowest full-service price for teams of 2 or moreFull Service $37/mo + $5/worker; Basic $17 + $4 if you file taxes yourself7
QuickBooks Payroll youPeople already doing their books in QuickBooksFrom $88/mo + $6.50/employee, bundled with Simple Start accounting5
Square PayrollShops and restaurants already on Square POS$35/mo + $6/person; contractor-only $6/person8
OnPayTeams in several states that want one flat rate$49/mo + $6/person, multi-state included9

Starting list prices from each company’s pricing page, verified Oct 31, 2026. Add-ons and promos not included. Confirm on their site.

Start on Gusto’s website →

Goes through our referral page first. We earn a reward if you sign up; your price doesn’t change.

Who this is for

You run payroll on QuickBooks today. Gusto fits you if:

  • You want payroll priced on its own, not bundled with an accounting plan.
  • You want to keep QuickBooks for the books: Gusto syncs with it.1
  • Unlimited payrolls and month-to-month billing.1
  • QuickBooks Online and Desktop are on Gusto's transfer-automation list.4

Why Gusto, compared with QuickBooks

Dad story

Picture a plumbing company that loves QuickBooks.

The bookkeeper knows every shortcut.

Nobody wants to touch the books.

Good news: Gusto integrates with QuickBooks.1

Payroll moves. The books stay put.

The bookkeeper keeps her shortcuts.

Peace in the office is a line item too.

(Made-up business. Real prices, checked Oct 31, 2026.)

List prices from each company's own site, read on Oct 31, 2026. Promos and quotes vary.

QuickBooks PayrollGusto
Published pricingSold as QuickBooks Workforce bundles with accounting. Example: Workforce Payroll + Simple Start lists at $88/mo + $6.50/employee (promo shown: 50% off 3 months). Workforce Premium + Plus: $203/mo + $10/employee.5 Payroll-only: see current pricing.Simple $49/mo + $6/mo per person. Plus $80/mo + $12/mo per person. Premium $180/mo + $22/mo per person.1 Month-to-month, cancel anytime.1
What's includedFull-service payroll (calculates, files and pays payroll taxes), auto payroll, 1099 e-file, next-day direct deposit; same-day on higher bundles.5Unlimited payroll runs, including off-cycle. Automatic federal, state and local payroll tax filings, including W-2s, 1099s, Form 940 and Form 941.2
Contractor paymentsE-files 1099s for your contractors.5US contractors cost your plan's per-person rate, and only in months you pay them.1 The contractor-only plan closed to new customers on Oct 1, 2026.3
State tax filingsCalculates, files and pays federal and state payroll taxes.6Simple covers one state. Plus and Premium cover multiple states.2 Registering in a new state is an add-on; price varies by state.1
Switching into GustoQuickBooks Online and Desktop reports upload into Gusto during onboarding.Gusto's payroll transfer automation accepts reports from QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Desktop, ADP Run and Paychex during onboarding.4

What it costs for your team

Change the numbers, or type in your last QuickBooks bill. Dad does the multiplication.

Your numbers

✓ Prices checked Oct 31, 2026

List prices from each company’s own pricing page. Promos, add-ons and taxes not included. Quote-only providers show “quote only.” How we calculate

Start on Gusto’s website →

Goes through our referral page first. We earn a reward if you sign up; your price doesn’t change.

Where QuickBooks is genuinely better

  • One login. If your whole business runs in QuickBooks, payroll inside it is convenient.
  • Tax penalty protection. QuickBooks advertises it'll pay up to $25,000 if you get a penalty (terms apply).6
  • Expert setup. Workforce Elite sets up payroll for you; Premium reviews your setup.6
  • Same-day direct deposit is included on the higher bundles.5

Your QuickBooks-to-Gusto checklist

Do these in order. Grab a coffee. It's mostly downloading PDFs. Want to tick them off? Use the interactive switching checklist; it remembers your progress.

  1. Company tax IDs. Your EIN, legal name exactly as the IRS has it, and whether you file Form 941 (quarterly) or 944. Pull your federal deposit schedule while you're in there.
  2. State account numbers. State withholding account number, state unemployment (SUI) account number and current rate, and any local tax IDs. QuickBooks has these on file. Copy them before you cancel.
  3. Year-to-date payroll. A YTD payroll register for every employee paid this year, including people who quit. Gross pay, taxable wages, withholding, deductions, check dates.
  4. Prior quarter 941s and tax payments. Copies of every Form 941 and state quarterly return filed this year, plus proof of tax deposits. Gusto asks for YTD reports and documentation of this year's tax payments.22
  5. Employee W-4s and direct deposit. Each person's federal W-4 (and state form), pay rate, pay schedule, deductions, garnishments, PTO balances, and bank details.
  6. Contractors. Names, W-9s, and what you've paid each one this year, so 1099s come out right.
  7. Ask for the two reports Gusto's importer wants. One for employee data, one for payroll history. If you're uploading several quarters, it needs a separate report for each. The upload only works during onboarding.4
  8. Agree who files what. Only one provider can file a quarterly return for a given quarter. If both file, the second one gets rejected.22 Get QuickBooks to confirm in writing which quarters it will file.
  9. Run one payroll in Gusto, then cancel. Download every report and tax form from QuickBooks first. Once you lose access, those PDFs get hard to find.

Why the end of the year is the easiest time to switch

Gusto handles quarterly returns starting with the quarter of your first Gusto check date.22 So the cleanest plan is a first Gusto payday in January 2027.

  • QuickBooks finishes 2026: the Q4 Form 941 and your 2026 W-2s. W-2s are due to employees and the SSA by February 1, 2027.23 Get QuickBooks to confirm in writing that it's filing them.
  • Gusto starts 2027 with a clean slate. With a first check date in Q1, Gusto's list is just the pay stubs from the current quarter.24 Start in January and that's close to nothing.
  • Any other quarter works too. You'll just be entering more history.

If you sign up through our link by Jan 31, 2027 and run a paid payroll, Gusto's referral terms say you get a $100 Visa gift card. We get a referral reward too.25

FAQ: QuickBooks to Gusto

Can I use Gusto for payroll and keep QuickBooks for accounting?

Yes. Gusto lists QuickBooks among the accounting programs it integrates with.1

Does Gusto import QuickBooks payroll history?

Yes. QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop are both supported by Gusto's payroll transfer automation, during onboarding.4

What happened to “QuickBooks Payroll”?

Intuit now sells payroll as QuickBooks Workforce, mostly in bundles with QuickBooks accounting.6

When should I switch?

Aim for a first Gusto payday in January 2027 so QuickBooks finishes 2026 (Q4 and W-2s) and Gusto starts the year.

Sources, checked Oct 31, 2026

Every number on this page comes from one of these pages. Prices change; if a vendor updates its page, theirs wins.

  1. Gusto: Pricing
  2. Gusto Help Center: Understanding Gusto plans
  3. Gusto Help Center: Add and pay US contractors
  4. Gusto Help Center: Payroll transfer automation
  5. QuickBooks: Payroll pricing
  6. QuickBooks: Payroll (QuickBooks Workforce)
  7. Patriot Software: Pricing
  8. Square: Payroll pricing
  9. OnPay: Costs and pricing
  10. ADP: RUN Powered by ADP
  11. Paychex: Compare payroll packages
  12. Rippling: Pricing
  13. Wave: Payroll
  14. Paycor: Plans & pricing for businesses under 50 employees
  15. Paylocity: Pricing
  16. Paycom: Pricing
  17. Justworks: Pricing
  18. SurePayroll by Paychex: Pricing
  19. Auris (formerly Heartland Payroll): Payroll
  20. Toast: Pricing
  21. Gusto Help Center: Contact Gusto Support
  22. Gusto Help Center: Payroll tax responsibilities when switching to Gusto
  23. IRS: General Instructions for Forms W-2 and W-3 (2026)
  24. Gusto Help Center: Enter previous payrolls during account setup
  25. Gusto: Referral Rewards Terms