Patriots Software processes over $5 billion in payroll each year and thousands of small businesses throughout America trust their services. Their impressive Trustpilot rating of 4.9 out of 5 shows why business owners choose this solution to handle their payroll.

The software works well for startups and companies with 100+ employees. The Basic plan costs just $10 per month plus $4 per employee and offers unlimited payroll runs. You can explore all features through a 30-day risk-free trial before you commit.

Our step-by-step guide will help you set up your Patriots Software account and process payroll confidently. We’ll start with the fundamentals and cover everything you should know to get your payroll and accounting running smoothly.

Creating Your Patriots Software Account

Patriots Software offers two main subscription plans to help you get started with your account setup. You can choose the plan that best fits your business needs.

Choosing the Right Subscription Plan

The simple Payroll plan costs $17.00 per month plus $4.00 per employee or contractor. This plan works well if you prefer to handle tax filings yourself. The Full Service Payroll plan costs $37.00 per month plus $4.00 per employee and has complete tax filing services.

These are your accounting options:

Plan	Monthly Cost	Key Features
Accounting Basic	$20.00	Unlimited invoices, bank imports
Accounting Premium	$30.00	Additional features like estimates, recurring invoices

Patriots Software Login Creation Process

Creating your login credentials is straightforward after you select your plan. Your password should meet these security requirements:

• Minimum of 10 characters
• At least one lowercase letter
• At least one uppercase letter
• At least one number
• One special character (like “&” or “#”)

Original Account Settings Configuration

Our setup wizard will guide you through the configuration process after you set up your login credentials. You’ll need to:

1. Enter your business details and tax information
2. Configure your transaction settings
3. Select accounts for recording transactions

The accounting features let you choose between standard or customized settings. Standard options come with pre-selected popular choices that have a standard Chart of Accounts and default payment recording settings.

Note that your username isn’t case-sensitive, but your password must match exactly as created. You can modify all settings later through the software’s configuration menu as your business needs change.

Setting Up Basic Company Information

Let’s configure your company’s information in Patriots Software after creating your account. This guide will help you set up everything to keep your business running smoothly.

Adding Business Details and Tax Information

You’ll find the core business details under Settings > Account Settings > Company Info. Here’s what you need to set up:

1. Business Name and Tax Filing Name
2. Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN)
3. Industry classification
4. Contact information
5. Mailing address

It’s worth mentioning that your Tax Filing Name should match exactly what appears on your FEIN paperwork.

Configuring Pay Periods and Schedule

The system provides multiple schedule options to match your business needs. Here are the available frequencies:

Pay Schedule	Best Suited For
Weekly	Hourly employees
Bi-weekly	Most common choice
Semi-monthly	Salaried staff
Monthly	Contract workers

The system will automatically configure other timecards based on your original selection.

Customizing Company Preferences

The system offers two main paths to set up your accounting priorities:

Standard Settings:

• Pre-selected Chart of Accounts
• Customer/vendor payments recorded to Checking
• Payroll entries as one total sum
• Net pay withdrawn from Checking account

Custom Settings:

• Customized chart of accounts
• Hand-selected options for specific needs
• Flexible payment recording options
• Customizable payroll integration

You can manage these integrations through Settings > Payroll > Payroll Integration Options > Accounting tab. The system helps you track various types of accounts and keeps your chart of accounts well-organized from day one.

Your business needs may change over time. The software’s settings menu allows you to adjust these configurations whenever needed.

Configuring Payroll Settings

Let’s set up our company details and configure payroll settings in Patriots Software to process payments and comply with tax requirements accurately.

Setting Up Employee Classifications

The first step is to classify your workers correctly. Patriots Software uses the Department of Labor’s six-factor test to help you determine whether to classify a worker as an employee or contractor. You can assign Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) codes through the employee profile under Pay Info > Position Info.

Configuring Tax Settings and Deductions

Patriots Software gives you flexible options to manage different types of deductions. Here are the main deduction categories you can use:

Deduction Type	Tax Treatment
Pretax Section 125	Medical, dental premiums
401(k)/403(b)	Retirement contributions
HSA/FSA	Health savings accounts
Post-Tax	General deductions

You can set up deductions by going to Settings > Payroll Settings > Deductions & Contributions. Each deduction can be customized with:

• Fixed dollar amounts or percentages
• Automatic deduction limits
• Before or after-tax calculations

Adding Direct Deposit Information

You have two direct deposit funding options:

1. Standard Option: Needs processing four days before pay date
2. Fast Option: Two-day processing for qualified customers

Setting up direct deposit requires these steps:

1. Submit the online direct deposit application
2. Verify your identity through our third-party service
3. Enter your bank routing number
4. Complete a test transaction for verification

The prefunding option lets you process payments just one day before the pay date. This flexibility helps you choose the best timing for your business needs.

The software handles all federal, state, and local tax calculations automatically to ensure accurate withholdings and deductions. The system also supports multiple pay rates, work locations, and custom overtime calculations that match your business requirements.

Setting Up Accounting Features

Let’s configure the simple accounting features in Patriots Software to make financial management easier. You’ll need to set up three significant components that are the foundations of our accounting system.

Chart of Accounts Setup

Patriots Software gives you two options to set up your Chart of Accounts (COA):

Standard Settings:

• Pre-selected standard Chart of Accounts
• Customer/vendor payments recorded to Checking
• Payroll entries as one total sum

Custom Settings:

• Customized account structure
• Hand-selected options
• Flexible configuration choices

We’ve included commonly-used accounts to help you build your chart of accounts. You can also import your existing Chart of Accounts from another system through a CSV file.

Connecting Bank Accounts

The bank connection feature automatically imports transactions from over 16,000 U.S. banks and credit unions. Here’s what you get:

Feature	Benefit
Automatic Imports	Daily transaction updates
Secure Connection	256-bit SSL encryption
Smart Categorization	Automatic transaction mapping
Custom Rules	Customized transaction handling

You can connect up to four financial institutions with Accounting Basic, or ten institutions with Accounting Premium.

Configuring Invoice Templates

Three professional template options are available to customize your customer-facing documents:

1. Template Selection
   • Minimal design
   • Bold layout
   • Traditional format
2. Branding Elements
   • Upload your business logo (.JPEG, .JPG, .PNG, or .GIF)
   • Choose custom accent colors
   • Add default invoice notes (up to 500 characters)

Your selected template applies to all invoices, credit memos, and estimates. You can add electronic attachments and set default notes that appear on all customer documents.

You’ll find the customization options at Settings > Accounting Settings > Email and Document Templates > Invoice Templates. This approach will give a consistent brand image across your business communications.

Testing Your Setup

Let’s make sure our Patriots Software setup works by running some basic tests. This step will help prevent problems when you process actual payroll or manage real transactions.

Running a Test Payroll

Here’s how to verify our payroll setup:

1. Go to “Run a New Payroll” from the Payroll menu
2. Enter test dates for the pay period and pay date
3. Input sample hours for hourly employees
4. Add test bonus or commission amounts
5. Review the paycheck preview screen
6. Generate test pay stubs

Note: The system calculates regular pay rates for salaried employees automatically unless you uncheck the Pay Salary box.

Verifying Tax Calculations

Tax calculations play a vital role in compliance. Our system uses the PERCENTAGE method to calculate payroll automatically. You should verify these items:

• Federal Income Tax (FIT) calculations
• Social Security tax (6.2% of gross taxable wages)
• Medicare tax (1.45% of gross taxable wages)
• State and local taxes where applicable

We use Plaid Inc., a third-party financial service that verifies account ownership instantly. In spite of that, if instant verification isn’t available, we’ll deposit and withdraw a small test amount within three banking days.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

You might face some setup challenges. Here are common issues and their solutions:

Issue	Solution
Data Service Connection	Check Windows Event Log for errors
Bank Verification Delay	Allow up to three banking days for test deposits
SQL Server Connection	Verify firewall settings and port accessibility
Authentication Problems	Check Multi-Factor Authentication settings [251]

Important: Double-check your bank account number if you don’t receive the test deposit on the specified date.

Process a test payroll four days before the actual pay date to set up direct deposits. This timing will help identify any problems with bank connections or tax calculations.

Keep an eye on the “status” link in your dashboard’s bottom right corner. Hover over it to view detailed error information if it appears orange or broken. Careful testing and verification will prepare our Patriots Software setup for actual business operations.

Patriots Software provides a complete solution to manage your business’s payroll and accounting needs. The setup process is detailed but becomes simple when you follow our step-by-step guide.

The software’s flexibility lets you customize everything – from simple company details to advanced accounting features. You can choose between standard and custom settings that will give a perfect match for your business needs.

The software also includes testing tools to verify that all components work correctly before you process real payroll or financial transactions. Your business operations stay protected with built-in tools that verify tax calculations and bank connections.

We suggest you take time to set up each section properly and test different scenarios before going live. Our support team is ready to help if you have questions during setup. Setting things up correctly now will save you countless hours and help avoid potential risks as your business grows.