The first question is not who is best, but who does what. Someone has to calculate pay, withhold and deposit taxes, file quarterly and annual returns, and issue W-2s — and in Massachusetts, handle state withholding, unemployment insurance and Paid Family and Medical Leave contributions. A platform can automate much of it; a local firm can run it for you; either way, the books have to agree with it.
Everything below comes from each provider's own website, checked on the date shown. We have not used any of the local firms listed.
How we chose
- Payroll named on the provider's own site. Payroll processing or payroll support is a listed service, not an aside.
- Clear about scope. We say whether the provider runs payroll, supports it, or sells the software to run it yourself.
- Prices only where published. Platforms that do not publish a price are listed without one.
The providers
1.Murphy Accounting
Best for: Owners who want payroll set up correctly and kept in line with the books and the return
187 Washington Street, North Easton, MA 02356
We provide payroll support, not payroll processing: help setting payroll up correctly, payroll tax reporting and compliance guidance, and coordination with the payroll system you use so the filings and the books agree. Who does each task is agreed in writing before any work starts. S corporation owners paying themselves for the first time are a common fit.
- Setup and compliance support; coordination with your payroll platform.
- Payroll treated as part of the tax picture, not a separate silo.
- Does not run payroll itself — pair with a platform or processor below.
2.Leahy, Cody & O'Donnell / PayQuick
Best for: Businesses that want a CPA firm's affiliated payroll company
Taunton, MA
A Taunton CPA firm that offers full-service payroll through its affiliated company, PayQuick, alongside bookkeeping and tax work.
Visit Leahy, Cody & O'Donnell / PayQuick’s website →3.Business Bookkeeping Services
Best for: Small businesses wanting payroll checks written for them
Rockland, MA
A Rockland office whose website lists payroll check writing, payroll tax returns, electronic tax deposits and W-2 and 1099 forms, with monthly bookkeeping.
Visit Business Bookkeeping Services’s website →4.Joseph M. Carney, CPA
Best for: Weekly, bi-weekly or monthly payroll from a CPA practice
Braintree, MA
A Braintree CPA practice listing weekly, bi-weekly or monthly payroll preparation and payroll tax preparation and deposits.
Visit Joseph M. Carney, CPA’s website →5.Janek Business Solutions
Best for: Contractors and service businesses wanting full-service payroll
Bellingham, MA
A Bellingham firm listing full-service payroll including tax deposits, quarterly filings and W-2s, alongside bookkeeping and job costing.
Visit Janek Business Solutions’s website →6.VAST Accounting
Best for: Businesses that want payroll and bookkeeping from one remote firm
Andover, MA
An Andover firm whose payroll service lists tax deposits, quarterly filings, W-2s and Massachusetts withholding.
Visit VAST Accounting’s website →7.RUN Powered by ADP
Best for: Businesses with 1–49 employees wanting a large provider
National platform
ADP's small-business payroll product. ADP says RUN deducts and files federal, state and local payroll taxes for you, and produces W-2s and 1099s.
- Pricing by quote.
8.Paychex Flex
Best for: Businesses wanting payroll plus HR services from one provider
National platform
Paychex's small-business platform. Paychex says it calculates, withholds and files federal, state and local taxes, and produces W-2s and 1099s.
- Pricing by quote.
9.OnPay
Best for: Owners who want a published per-worker price
National platform
A payroll platform that lists multi-state payroll, automatic state tax registrations and local withholding.
- Listed at $49 base plus $6 per worker per month.
10.QuickBooks Payroll
Best for: Businesses already keeping their books in QuickBooks Online
National platform
Intuit's payroll, sold bundled with QuickBooks Online. Intuit says it calculates, files and pays payroll taxes for you. Being in the same system as the books makes reconciliation simpler.
Visit QuickBooks Payroll’s website →
Massachusetts items to confirm with any provider
- Massachusetts income tax withholding and the annual reconciliation.
- Unemployment insurance contributions and quarterly wage reporting.
- Paid Family and Medical Leave contributions and quarterly filings. None of the national platform pages we checked mentioned PFML specifically — ask.
- Who files, who deposits, and who gets the notice if something is late.
General information, not advice for your specific situation. Tax rules, prices and product features change, and firms change what they offer — check with the provider before relying on anything here, and talk to us or another qualified professional before acting on it.
