Patriot Software

What is Patriot Software?

Positioning: A cloud-based business management platform focused on small to medium-sized businesses, offering integrated payroll, accounting, HR, and time & attendance solutions.

Functional Panorama: Covers Payroll (Basic and Full Service, including tax filings and direct deposit), Accounting (Basic and Premium for general ledger, invoicing, and expense tracking), HR (employee onboarding, document management, and PTO tracking), and Time & Attendance (time clock integration and timesheet management), where the Full Service Payroll module supports automated tax calculations and filings.

Patriot Software’s Use Cases

• Small Business Owners: Can use Full Service Payroll to automate payroll processing, direct deposits, and tax filings, ensuring compliance and saving administrative time.
• Accountants/Bookkeepers: Can leverage Patriot Accounting to manage client books, track expenses, and generate essential financial reports, streamlining their bookkeeping services.
• Human Resources Administrators: Can utilize Patriot HR software for efficient new employee onboarding, centralized employee data management, and accurate paid time off tracking.
• Team Managers: Can integrate Time & Attendance with payroll to accurately track employee hours, manage schedules, and simplify payroll preparation.
• Independent Contractors/Freelancers: Can use Patriot Accounting to track income and expenses efficiently for tax purposes, simplifying their financial record-keeping.

Patriot Software’s Key Features

Core Features: Supports comprehensive full-service payroll, including direct deposit, check printing, and automated federal, state, and local tax filings. Offers robust accounting features like expense tracking, invoicing, bank reconciliation, and financial reporting. Provides HR functionality for employee self-service portals, PTO tracking, and document management. Integrates time and attendance tracking directly with payroll for seamless hourly wage calculation.

Recent Updates: Enhanced multi-state tax filing capabilities for employers with distributed workforces, implemented in Q1 2024. Improved user interface for mobile access to pay stubs and time clock functions, rolled out in March 2024. Added compliance updates for new state-specific paid leave laws in various jurisdictions, ensuring automated calculation and reporting, effective April 2024.

User-Feedback Features: Users frequently recommend leveraging the integrated time clock feature for real-time attendance tracking to optimize payroll accuracy and reduce manual errors. Small business owners consistently highlight the responsiveness and expertise of the U.S.-based customer support team as a critical advantage for troubleshooting and guidance. Feedback indicates the direct deposit processing speed is a highly valued aspect, allowing employees timely access to funds.

How to Use Patriot Software?

Official Workflow:

1. Select Your Plan: Choose your required services (Payroll, Accounting, HR, Time & Attendance, or a combination) and complete the online signup process.
2. Company Setup: Enter your business’s essential information, including tax identification numbers and bank details for direct deposit and tax payments.
3. Employee Data Entry: Add employee profiles, including personal information, tax withholdings, pay rates, and direct deposit details.
4. Process Payroll (if applicable): Input employee hours or salaries for the pay period, review the payroll summary, and approve for automated processing and tax filings.
5. Manage Financials (if applicable): Categorize transactions, create invoices, reconcile bank accounts, and generate financial statements from your dashboard.
6. Access Reports & Forms: Retrieve detailed payroll reports, tax forms (W-2s, 1099s), and financial statements for record-keeping and compliance.

Pro Tips:

• Pro Tip: Utilize the “Tax Due Dates” calendar within the payroll module to proactively manage federal and state tax payment deadlines, helping to avoid penalties.
• Pro Tip: Encourage employees to use the self-service portal to update personal information and view pay stubs, reducing administrative burdens and improving accuracy.
• Pro Tip: For businesses tracking hourly employees, integrate the Time & Attendance module directly with Payroll to automatically import hours, significantly reducing manual data entry and potential errors.

Patriot Software’s Pricing & Access

Official Policy:

• Payroll: Offers “Basic Payroll” (self-service tax filing) and “Full Service Payroll” (Patriot handles tax filings), both with a base monthly fee plus a per-employee monthly fee.
• Accounting: Available in “Basic Accounting” (essential bookkeeping) and “Premium Accounting” (advanced features like recurring invoices and 1099 e-filing) with flat monthly fees.
• HR Software: Available as a flat monthly add-on fee per company.
• Time & Attendance: Priced as a low monthly fee per employee.
• New users often receive the first month free for certain plans, as advertised on their official website.

Web Dynamics:

• Reports from various financial news sites consistently position Patriot Software as a highly cost-effective alternative to competitors like QuickBooks Payroll, often cited as being more affordable for businesses with fewer employees.
• Periodically, Patriot offers seasonal discounts or extended free trials for new sign-ups, particularly around tax seasons or year-end, which are often highlighted on software review sites.

Tier Differences:

• The “Full Service Payroll” tier differentiates itself by including automated tax deposits and filings with relevant agencies, whereas “Basic Payroll” requires manual tax handling by the user.
• “Premium Accounting” unlocks advanced features such as recurring invoices, expense receipt uploads, and 1099 e-filing capabilities, which are not included in the “Basic Accounting” plan.
• HR software and Time & Attendance are modular add-ons that integrate with the core payroll and accounting solutions, providing scalable functionality based on business needs.

Patriot Software’s Comprehensive Advantages

Competitor Contrasts: Patriot Software’s payroll service is frequently cited for its affordability, often providing a more budget-friendly option compared to similar offerings from QuickBooks Online Payroll or Gusto, especially for businesses with fewer than 10 employees. Unlike some competitors, Patriot offers U.S.-based customer support available across all plans, which is highly valued by users for its accessibility and knowledgeable assistance. Its streamlined, intuitive interface is often praised for being less complex than more feature-heavy accounting software, making it ideal for small business owners without extensive accounting backgrounds.

Market Recognition: Numerous independent review platforms consistently rate Patriot Software highly for ease of use and customer service in the small business payroll and accounting categories. According to a recent SMB software survey, Patriot Software holds a strong market position for its value proposition, with user satisfaction for its payroll accuracy and tax compliance features reported at over 95%. It is recognized for its commitment to compliance, with frequent updates ensuring adherence to the latest federal, state, and local tax laws.