Use case
Multi-state payroll when you hire a remote employee
Hiring someone who works in a second state often means new withholding, unemployment, and sometimes paid-leave accounts. The table below lists which published plans include multi-state payroll and which registration fees vendors disclose. It is not legal advice, and it does not tell you whether you have nexus in a state.
Source status labels: Official vendor page, Official government page, Quote-only / unpublished. A cell marked TBD was not found on an official page on the check date. Dates use the America/Los Angeles calendar (Pacific Time). Last checked 10 November 2026.
Vendor names in this article link to official pages for verification. Affiliate tracking links are placeholders only. See the disclosure.
Published plan rules for more than one state
| Vendor | Multi-state on the base payroll plan? | Extra subscription fee per added state | Registration help, published fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gusto | No on Simple (one state). Yes on Plus ($80 + $12/person) and Premium ($180 + $22/person). | No extra per-state payroll fee stated for Plus or Premium. | Middesk one-time: $199 per agency, commonly $199-$398 per state, maybe more with PFML or local agencies. Business Compliance: $85/state/month, 12-month term, included in Premium. State filing fees at cost. New-hire reporting: CorpNet "small, one-time fee" (amount TBD). |
| OnPay | Yes on Payroll Essentials ($49 + $6/worker). | None stated. Page says no additional cost for as many states as you need. | Costs page lists "Automatic state tax registrations." Dollar amount of any state agency fees: TBD. |
| Patriot Full Service | First state included in the $37 + $5/worker Full Service price. | $12 per month for each additional state, per the official pricing page and help article. | How Patriot opens new state tax accounts, and any one-time agency fees: TBD. |
| Patriot Basic | You file taxes yourself, so "included states" is not the same product feature. | No Full Service additional-state fee, because Basic does not include Patriot tax filing. | TBD |
| Square full-service payroll | Pricing table lists "Multistate payroll" as included. | None stated on the pricing table. | How Square registers new state accounts, and any fees: TBD. |
| Homebase Payroll | Payroll is described as available in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. | No per-state fee stated on the payroll or pricing pages checked. | Registration process and fees: TBD. |
| QuickBooks Workforce | Full-service tax calculation, filing, and payment is described on Intuit payroll pages. Whether every Workforce plan includes multi-state payroll as a named feature: TBD. | A public per-state subscription fee was not listed on the products page. Footnotes mention state tax filing fees for Workforce; amounts are TBD. | Registration process and fees: TBD. |
| Rippling | Small-business page: payroll in all 50 states. | Same page: "we do not charge you more if you need to run payroll in multiple states." Exact package total is still a custom quote. | Registration fees: TBD. |
| ADP RUN | Multi-jurisdiction payroll is listed as included on Essential, Enhanced, Complete, and HR Pro (pay employees in more than one state or local jurisdiction in the same pay period; ADP handles tax filing). | No public list price, so any extra subscription fee is TBD. | Registration fees: TBD. |
| Paychex Flex | Plan-by-plan multi-state inclusion is TBD on the compare page text extract. No public list price. | TBD | Registration fees: TBD. |
Sources, checked 10 November 2026: Gusto pricing; Gusto plan help; Gusto multi-state; Gusto state tax registration help; OnPay costs and pricing; Patriot pricing; Patriot help on price; Square Payroll pricing; Homebase payroll; QuickBooks products; Rippling small business; ADP RUN packages; Paychex compare payroll solutions.
Worked monthly list prices, 5 people paid, two states
This example assumes five people are paid in the month and you need filing in two states. It uses regular list prices. It does not add Gusto Middesk or Business Compliance fees, Patriot's $12 second-state fee is included where noted, and it does not add time-tracking add-ons.
| Plan | Math | Monthly list total |
|---|---|---|
| Gusto Plus | 80 + (12 x 5) | $140, plus any registration path you choose |
| OnPay Payroll Essentials | 49 + (6 x 5) | $79, plus any unlisted agency fees |
| Patriot Full Service, two states | 37 + (5 x 5) + 12 | $74 |
| Square full-service | 35 + (6 x 5) | $65, plus any unlisted registration fees |
| Gusto Simple | Not applicable for two states, per Gusto's plan help | Upgrade required for multi-state |
Same sources as the table above, checked 10 November 2026. Patriot's help article also walks through the additional-state formula.
Gusto's registration help lists entity types Middesk cannot register, and it notes that Delaware and Maine do not allow a third party to register for paid family and medical leave. Some local tax agencies are also excluded. Read that article for the current list before you assume a vendor can complete every account.
Still TBD
- Exact Rippling, ADP RUN, and Paychex package list prices, and their registration fees.
- QuickBooks Workforce state tax filing fee amounts, and whether multi-state is a named included feature on every Workforce plan.
- Exact CorpNet new-hire reporting fees on Gusto.
- State agency fees billed through OnPay, Square, or Homebase, if any.
Questions
Can Gusto Simple run payroll in two states?
Gusto's plan help and multi-state product page say Simple covers one state, and that multi-state payroll comes with Plus and Premium. The multi-state page says Gusto does not charge an extra fee for multi-state payroll on those plans, but you must be on Plus or Premium.
What does Gusto charge to register tax accounts in a new state?
Gusto's registration help describes two paths. A one-time Middesk registration is $199 for each state tax agency they register, often $199 to $398 for most states, plus $199 more if a PFML or local agency is added. You see the exact total before you submit, and you are charged after the order is completed. Gusto Business Compliance is $85 per state per month on a 12-month term, included with Premium, and state filing fees are charged at cost. Some entity types are not eligible. Confirm on the help article.
Does OnPay charge extra per additional state?
OnPay's costs page lists multi-state payroll as included with Payroll Essentials, with the line "No additional cost, pay in as many states as you need," and automatic state tax registrations as a feature. Agency fees charged by a state, if any, are not itemized there, so those amounts are TBD.