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Dedicated offshore payroll specialists running Gusto for small businesses directly, and for CPA firms managing payroll for their client base through Gusto Pro (Partner program). Weekly/bi-weekly payroll runs, multi-state tax, benefits administration, contractor 1099s, R&D credit documentation.
Gusto scope
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Gusto has become the default payroll platform for SMBs (businesses under 100 employees) and for a growing share of CPA firm client bases. The reason is simple: the UX is dramatically better than ADP and Paychex for the SMB use case, the pricing is transparent, and the feature set covers 90% of what SMBs actually need without the complexity of enterprise payroll platforms. For CPA firms managing payroll on behalf of their client base, Gusto Pro (Partner) has built a credible firm-facing product.
Three features that matter:
For CPA firms offering payroll to clients through Gusto Pro, the partner pricing tiers provide meaningful discounts at scale. Firms typically mark up the Gusto subscription fee + add a services fee for the monthly management work. A CPA firm managing 50 clients through Gusto Pro with an offshore payroll specialist at $2,400/month can deliver payroll at roughly $100–$150/month per client in total loaded cost – while billing $200–$400/month per client. Healthy margin on a sticky monthly service.
One of Gusto's strongest features is multi-state tax handling. For businesses with remote employees across states, Gusto automatically handles state tax registration, withholding, and filings in all applicable states. Offshore payroll specialists coordinate the state registration process (which is client-facing paperwork) with the payroll processing once registrations are active.
For the broader payroll service scope see offshore payroll. For CPA firm payroll-as-CAS economics see offshore CAS and CPA firms.
FAQ
Offshore staff prepare and submit payroll for approval. Final approval and release typically stays with US-based firm principal or business owner, which preserves segregation of duties and satisfies most internal control requirements.
Yes. Multi-state tax registration coordination, state withholding, state unemployment, state-specific requirements (CA, NY, and WA have more complexity than most). Gusto handles the mechanics well; we handle the operational workflow.
Yes. Gusto Pro (Partner) is a significant portion of our payroll book. One offshore specialist typically manages 30–70 client accounts. We help firms evaluate Gusto Pro tier selection and client segmentation.
Yes. Qualified research expense (QRE) allocation from payroll, time and materials tracking, supporting the Form 6765 preparation. Final R&D credit study typically done by specialized R&D tax firm; we provide the underlying payroll data.
Yes. Benefits deduction administration, HSA/FSA integration, Gusto Workers' Comp policy management, COBRA administration (where applicable). Most SMBs use Gusto's in-house benefits brokerage, which we coordinate with.
Yes. Migration is a common project – typically 2–4 weeks from decision to first Gusto payroll run. Includes historical data import, benefits re-enrollment, and employee communications.
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