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Around 2007-2008, as a "side project" I tried to build a web-based payroll software for a single state. Me and the developer I employed were able to get to 80%

Around 2007-2008, as a "side project" I tried to build a web-based payroll software for a single state. Me and the developer I employed were able to get to 80% real quick, with ACH and everything. But as you say, the final 20% (edge cases) are nearly endless and ever-changing. Even a single state ended up being way too much for two developers.

peteri 5y ago
Way back when I wrote accounting software in the UK. I had a conversation with my boss about us writing our own payroll software so we didn't have to a pay a third party to white label their software. I then went and found out how many folks one of our competitors (a bit more mass market than us) had writing payroll software. The answer was it was a six person team just to keep up with the government changes every year. We never bothered any more with that idea. Payroll is surprisingly hard.
- mgkimsal 5y ago
  I switched payroll providers a few years ago away from Quickbooks Payroll. They hosed up my stuff so bad I was dealing with the fallout for close to 2 years afterwards - overpaid, underpaid, refunds, fines, it was a mess. The new company I switched to did not allow me to do payroll on the days that I'd wanted. They only offered 2 or 3 options, none of which matched what I'd done before. "That's all we offer" was the reply. There've been a couple other 'restrictions' (lost flexibility) on some behaviors - nothing horrible, of course. I've no doubt removing some of that flexibility has reduced their overhead - there's enough changing regulations every year in multiple jurisdictions - keeping the main stuff under their control as simple as possible seems to have worked out for them. I've had... 4 years with them without incident, but 2 years of pain with QB before. FWIW, QB hosed up dealing with my state. Federal was fine, but they created so many problems with my state filings...

peteri 5y ago

Way back when I wrote accounting software in the UK. I had a conversation with my boss about us writing our own payroll software so we didn't have to a pay a third party to white label their software. I then went and found out how many folks one of our competitors (a bit more mass market than us) had writing payroll software. The answer was it was a six person team just to keep up with the government changes every year. We never bothered any more with that idea. Payroll is surprisingly hard.

mgkimsal 5y ago
I switched payroll providers a few years ago away from Quickbooks Payroll. They hosed up my stuff so bad I was dealing with the fallout for close to 2 years afterwards - overpaid, underpaid, refunds, fines, it was a mess. The new company I switched to did not allow me to do payroll on the days that I'd wanted. They only offered 2 or 3 options, none of which matched what I'd done before. "That's all we offer" was the reply. There've been a couple other 'restrictions' (lost flexibility) on some behaviors - nothing horrible, of course. I've no doubt removing some of that flexibility has reduced their overhead - there's enough changing regulations every year in multiple jurisdictions - keeping the main stuff under their control as simple as possible seems to have worked out for them. I've had... 4 years with them without incident, but 2 years of pain with QB before. FWIW, QB hosed up dealing with my state. Federal was fine, but they created so many problems with my state filings...