Payroll Cost Calculator

What does running payroll in-house really cost? Add admin time, software and penalties, then compare it to CoAd Pay at $55/mo plus $5 per employee.

Last update

October 15, 2026

Running payroll yourself is not free. Every pay run takes hours of someone's time, software has a monthly fee, and the IRS assesses payroll penalties on roughly a third of small businesses each year. Enter your headcount, pay frequency and admin time to see the annual cost of doing it in-house next to CoAd Pay pricing for the same team. Full plan detail is on the pricing page.

Payroll cost calculator: in-house vs CoAd Pay

EmployeesPay frequencyAdmin hours per payroll runHourly cost of whoever runs itCurrent payroll software or service per monthTax penalties and corrections per year

What payroll costs you in-house per year

Your CoAd Pay price is on the right

Base: $55/mo + $5 per employee. Pro: $85/mo + $6 per employee. No setup fees, no credit card to start.

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The $845 default is the IRS average annual payroll penalty paid by small businesses; set it to zero if you have never been assessed. Admin time includes entering hours, calculating withholding, filing and depositing taxes, and answering employee questions. Estimates only.