Base fee, per-employee fee, and the charges that live outside both
The advertised structure is simple - $20-$150 a month plus $4-$15 per employee - and the invoice rarely is. Every line an Ithaca business actually gets billed for is priced below.
Two free marketplace paths: one form brings back multiple vetted payroll providers who know they are competing for the account.
Payroll services quoted to Ithaca businesses in 2026 run $20-$150 a month in base fees plus $4-$15 per employee per month, which puts a ten-person Ithaca payroll at roughly $70-$250 a month before year-end filing and add-on charges.
The county around Ithaca holds 604 business establishments, of which 558 employ fewer than 20 people - the size band where payroll is bought as a service rather than staffed, per Census County Business Patterns 2023.
Ithaca plus 12 surrounding communities within 40 km hold about 86,689 people, which is enough employer density that several payroll providers will quote the same account - the competition a single quote request is meant to create.
Price a payroll service the way you would price a lease: total cost over twelve months at your real headcount, not the number on the pricing page. For a ten-employee Ithaca business that total commonly lands between $70 and $250 dollars a month before add-ons - and the spread between providers at the same headcount is routinely wider than the spread between service tiers at one provider.
Published payroll pricing in 2026 has settled into a stable shape: a monthly base fee of $20-$150 plus $4-$15 per employee per month, with full-service tax filing usually included at the top of that range and sold as an add-on at the bottom. What separates a good Ithaca quote from a bad one is the list of items priced outside that structure.
Put a payroll quote out to competing quotes before you compare prices
Two free marketplace paths: one form brings back multiple vetted payroll providers who know they are competing for the account. Competing quotes are the only reliable way to see what your headcount actually prices at.
External links go to the marketplaces' own sites and forms. This site may earn a referral fee at no cost to you - it never changes the data above, and no individual payroll provider pays to appear in our research.
Every line, priced (2026)
| What you are buying | 2026 published range | The number that actually matters |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly base fee | $20-$150/month | Meaningless alone - always price it with your headcount attached |
| Per employee, per month | $4-$15/employee/month | At 10 employees this is most of the bill: $70-$250/month all in |
| Fully outsourced processing | $30-$100/person/month | Quoted per person rather than base plus fee - bundles compliance work |
| Year-end W-2 and 1099 filing | $4-$8/form | Included at some tiers, billed at others - ask before January |
| Additional state filings (remote staff) | $6-$20/state/month | One remote hire in a new state can change the plan you need |
| Off-cycle or bonus runs | $5-$50 each | Bonus season is when this line shows up on the invoice |
| Setup / implementation | $0-$200 | Commonly waived at small-business tiers - ask, it is negotiable |
| A late federal deposit | 2%-15% of the deposit | The reason the monthly fee is the second-most important number (IRS IRC 6656) |
How to make two Ithaca quotes comparable
- Employee count, split into salaried, hourly and contractors - contractors are usually priced separately or per 1099
- Every state where an employee physically works, including remote staff - each one commonly adds 6-20 dollars a month
- Pay frequency, and how many off-cycle or bonus runs you expect in a year at 5-50 dollars each
- Whether full-service tax filing and deposits are included at the quoted tier or sold as an add-on
- Year-end W-2 and 1099 filing: included, or 4-8 dollars per form
- Implementation or setup fee, and whether prior-year payroll history is migrated at no charge
- Benefits, garnishments, time tracking and workers' comp integration - each is commonly its own line
- The renewal price, in writing, alongside the first-year price
The stale-advice warning: the e-filing threshold moved
Plenty of still-published payroll guides tell small employers they can paper-file W-2s and 1099s until they hit 250 returns. That threshold is gone. The rule now counts all information returns together, and at 10 or more for the year, electronic filing is required. For an Ithaca business with a handful of employees plus a few contractors, that arithmetic arrives much sooner than the old rule implied - and it is a question worth asking any provider: is electronic filing included at my tier, or billed per form at 4-8 dollars?
What this means in Ithaca
Cheap payroll and expensive payroll fail in the same direction: a filing that did not happen. What you are buying, at any price, is verifiable proof that deposits and returns went out on time in Nebraska - if a provider cannot produce that proof on request, the discount is not a discount.
This page is independent research, not legal, tax or accounting advice. Federal deposit rules and state wage, unemployment and final-paycheck laws change - verify current requirements with the IRS and your state labor and revenue agencies, or with a licensed CPA or attorney, before acting.
Put a payroll quote out to competing quotes before you compare prices
Two free marketplace paths: one form brings back multiple vetted payroll providers who know they are competing for the account. Competing quotes are the only reliable way to see what your headcount actually prices at.
External links go to the marketplaces' own sites and forms. This site may earn a referral fee at no cost to you - it never changes the data above, and no individual payroll provider pays to appear in our research.
Common questions
If my payroll provider files late, who pays the IRS penalty?
The employer is responsible to the IRS regardless. The IRS states that outsourcing payroll duties does not relieve an employer of the responsibility to deposit and report employment taxes - the notice follows your EIN. Many providers offer a contractual guarantee to cover penalties they cause, but that is a private contract, not a change in tax liability. Get the guarantee, its limits and its claim process in writing.
What hidden fees do payroll companies charge?
The recurring surprises are year-end W-2 and 1099 filing at roughly 4-8 dollars per form, additional state tax filings at 6-20 dollars per state per month for remote employees, off-cycle or bonus runs at 5-50 dollars each, setup or implementation fees, charges for mailed paper checks, and per-employee fees that continue for terminated staff. Ask for the full fee schedule in writing, not the pricing page.
Can I do payroll myself instead?
Yes, and for a single-state business with a handful of salaried employees, software plus discipline is genuinely cheaper. The variables that change the answer are multi-state employees, hourly overtime, tipped wages, garnishments and turnover - each multiplies the number of deadlines. For scale, an in-house payroll specialist averages about $64,865 dollars a year in 2026 wage data, so the real comparison for most small employers is software plus your own hours versus a service.
When does a final paycheck have to be paid?
That is set by state law, and it differs for employees who are fired versus employees who quit. Several states require immediate payment on termination; others allow the next regular payday; a few add a penalty that accrues per day until the check is delivered. Unused vacation payout is likewise state-specific. The rule for Nebraska is on this site's final-paycheck page with its source.
How fast do I have to report a new hire?
The federal baseline is 20 days from the date of hire, reported to your state's new-hire directory, and a number of states set shorter deadlines. Rehires generally count, and some states also require reporting independent contractors. Confirm which filing your payroll provider makes for you - new-hire reporting is commonly included, but not universally.
Put a payroll quote out to competing quotes before you compare prices
Two free marketplace paths: one form brings back multiple vetted payroll providers who know they are competing for the account. Competing quotes are the only reliable way to see what your headcount actually prices at.
External links go to the marketplaces' own sites and forms. This site may earn a referral fee at no cost to you - it never changes the data above, and no individual payroll provider pays to appear in our research.