Patriot Accounting

1. Account Creation and Setup: Users can start by creating an account, which is likely a simple process given the software’s emphasis on being "ridiculously easy to use." The setup includes a demo option and a 30-day free trial, allowing users to explore the software without financial commitment.

2. Integration: For businesses transitioning from manual processes or other software, Patriot software offers seamless integration capabilities. This suggests that the software is designed to easily integrate with existing systems, which is a critical step in the implementation process.

3. Training and Support: Patriot provides robust customer support with all support staff based in the USA. This support likely includes assistance during the implementation phase, helping new users understand how to use the software effectively. The availability of knowledgeable support can significantly reduce the implementation time by quickly resolving any issues that arise.

4. Utilization: Once set up, users can immediately start using the software for their accounting and payroll needs. The software’s design for simplicity and quality suggests that users can quickly become proficient in its functions.

5. Ongoing Support and Updates: With a month-to-month subscription model, users receive continuous updates and support, ensuring the software remains effective and up-to-date with the latest compliance and features.

Accounting Methods:

• Users can choose between cash-basis and accrual accounting methods, allowing them to select the approach that best fits their financial reporting needs.

Bank Integration:

• The software allows users to automatically import bank transactions by connecting their bank or credit card accounts, or they can opt to manually record journal entries or upload files.

Departmental Tracking:

• Users can add department names and apply them to customer invoices, vendor payments, and imported transactions to get a breakdown of expenses and income by departments.

Customizable Reports:

• The platform offers customizable reporting tools, enabling businesses to create tailored reports such as sales by product line or specific expense categories.

Payroll Customization:

• Users can customize payroll settings, including pay rates, deductions, benefits, and pay structures. The software supports multiple pay rates for each hourly employee and allows the addition of custom hours, money types, and employee deductions.

Multi-User Access:

• The software supports multi-user access with customizable permissions, allowing businesses to control who can view and edit specific financial data.

Recurring Invoices and Payments:

• Businesses can set up recurring invoices and payments, which can be tailored to their billing cycles and payment terms.

Integration with Other Software:

• Patriot Accounting integrates with other accounting software like QuickBooks, enabling seamless data transfer and synchronization.

Patriot Accounting pricing structure is straightforward, with no setup fees, maintenance charges, or routine support fees. The costs are primarily subscription-based, with the Accounting Basic plan priced at $20 per month and the Accounting Premium plan at $30 per month. For payroll services, the Basic Payroll plan costs $17 per month plus $4 per employee or contractor, while the Full Service Payroll plan is $37 per month plus $4 per employee or contractor.

However, there are additional costs for specific services:

• Premium Support Fees: These are charged for in-depth support beyond routine assistance, such as making corrections or adjustments to accounts. For example, depositing and filing taxes for past or future quarters costs $37 per month, and amended tax returns range from $100 to $150 per quarter.

• Optional Add-Ons: The Time & Attendance add-on is $6 per month plus $2 per employee, and the HR software add-on is similarly priced.

• Direct Deposit Fees: While regular ACH direct deposits are typically free, fees may apply for specific issues, such as insufficient funds ($50) or correction requests due to incorrect account information ($7.50).

• Video Tutorials:

  Patriot Software provides a comprehensive video training center where users can learn about various features, such as setting up printed checks, importing transactions, and more.

• Webinars:

  The company hosts webinars that offer overviews of the accounting software, live demonstrations, and Q&A sessions to address user queries.

• Help Center:

  The help center includes articles, FAQs, and detailed guides on using the software. Users can search for specific topics or browse through various sections to find the information they need.

• Blog and Definitions:

  The blog offers accounting articles and current news, while the definitions section helps users understand common accounting terms.

Patriot Accounting employs a comprehensive set of security measures to protect user data, ensuring compliance with industry standards and safeguarding against potential breaches.

SOC 2 Compliance

Patriot Accounting has achieved SOC 2 compliance, which signifies that their operations, including data management and internal controls, have been rigorously audited and meet the highest industry standards. This compliance ensures that data is protected by multiple layers of security protocols, encryption measures, and stringent access controls.

Data Encryption

Patriot Accounting uses data encryption to protect sensitive information. This is similar to the encryption methods used by banks, ensuring that data is secure both in transit and at rest.

Access Controls

The software allows for the addition of unlimited users with customizable permissions. This means that businesses can control which users have access to sensitive information and which can only view reports, thereby limiting exposure to unauthorized access.

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

Patriot Accounting supports multi-factor authentication, requiring users to authenticate their account access with two pieces of evidence, such as a password and an authentication code. This adds an extra layer of security to prevent unauthorized access.

Secure Records

All payroll records are stored securely within the software account, ensuring that sensitive information is protected from unauthorized access and breaches.

Automatic Updates

The software provides automatic updates, ensuring that users always have the latest security features and patches. This helps protect against new vulnerabilities and threats.

Stringent Access Controls

Patriot Software implements stringent access controls to ensure that only authorized personnel can access sensitive data. This includes measures to prevent both external and internal breaches.

Audit Trails

The software maintains clear audit trails, making it easy to spot discrepancies and unauthorized access attempts. This feature is crucial for monitoring and maintaining data integrity.

Compliance with Data Security Standards

Patriot Software adheres to various data security standards and regulations, ensuring that their practices align with legal and industry requirements. This includes compliance with standards such as those set by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and other relevant bodies.

Frequency of Updates

• Regular Updates: Patriot Accounting is routinely tested and audited for accuracy, and updates are provided automatically. This ensures that users always have access to the latest features and security enhancements without needing to manually update the software.

Management of Updates

• Automatic Updates: The software provides automatic updates, meaning users do not need to take any action to receive the latest improvements. This process helps maintain the software's reliability and security by ensuring that all users are on the most current version.

• Security and Compliance: Updates often include security patches and compliance updates to meet state and federal regulations. This is crucial for maintaining the integrity and security of payroll and accounting data.

Support for Updates

• Customer Support: Patriot Accounting offers free, USA-based support via phone, email, or chat to assist users with any issues that may arise from updates. This support is available Monday through Friday, from 9 AM to 7 PM EST.

• Help Resources: The software includes help icons and video tutorials that guide new features and updates, ensuring users can quickly adapt to any changes.

Data Ownership

• User Ownership: Patriot Accounting legal disclaimer and terms of use indicate that users retain ownership of their data. The software acts as a custodian, managing and processing the data on behalf of the users.

• Intellectual Property: While Patriot Accounting owns the intellectual property rights to the software itself, users maintain ownership of the data they input into the system. This distinction ensures that users can control their data and make decisions about its use and transfer.

Data Portability

• Export Capabilities: Patriot Accounting provides robust data export capabilities, allowing users to export their payroll and accounting data. For example, users can export payroll data to QuickBooks Desktop via the Intuit Interchange Format (IIF), facilitating easy data transfer between systems.

• Excel and XML Import/Export: The software supports importing and exporting data using Excel and XML formats. This feature is particularly useful for large-scale data migrations and ensures that users can move their data in and out of the system efficiently.

• Round-Trip Data Handling: Users can export clients to an XML file format and then re-import them, although historical log data (e.g., signal and activation history) is not included in these exports. This round-trip capability ensures that users can manage their data effectively within the system.

Data Conversion and Migration

• Data Conversion Services: Patriot Accounting offers data conversion services to help users migrate from other systems. This includes configuring the software to meet specific requirements and ensuring a smooth transition by running Patriot in tandem with existing software during the migration process.

• Support for Linked Areas and Field Groupings: The software allows for the import of linked areas and field groupings, providing flexibility in how data is structured and managed during the import process.

Security and Compliance

• SOC 2 Compliance: Patriot Accounting SOC 2 compliance ensures that data management practices meet high industry standards for security and privacy. This compliance provides users with confidence that their data is handled securely and can be transferred without compromising its integrity.

Scaling Up

1. Flexible Subscription Plans:

• Basic Payroll: This plan costs $17 per month plus $4 per employee or contractor. It allows users to run their own payroll and handle payroll taxes themselves.
• Full-Service Payroll: This plan costs $37 per month plus $4 per employee or contractor. It includes additional features such as free expert support, free payroll setup, and free 2-day direct deposit for qualified customers.

2. Add-On Services:

• HR Add-On: For $6 per month plus $2 per employee, users can add basic HR features, including online document storage and some admin permissions.
• Time & Attendance Add-On: Also priced at $6 per month plus $2 per employee, this add-on includes time clock tools and scheduling features.

3. Employee Capacity:

• Patriot Accounting can handle payroll for up to 500 employees and contractors, making it suitable for growing businesses.

Scaling Down

1. Adjustable Employee Count:

• Users can easily adjust the number of employees or contractors in their payroll system, which directly affects the monthly cost. This flexibility allows businesses to scale down their expenses if their workforce decreases.

2. No Long-Term Contracts:

• Patriot Accounting operates on a month-to-month subscription model, meaning there are no long-term contracts. This allows businesses to scale down or cancel their subscription without incurring penalties.

3. Free Trial and Setup:

• New users can take advantage of a 30-day free trial to evaluate the software before committing. Additionally, Patriot offers free setup assistance, which can be particularly beneficial for businesses that need to scale down and reconfigure their payroll system.

Limitations

1. Limited Scalability for Large Enterprises:

• While Patriot Accounting is highly suitable for small to medium-sized businesses, it may not be ideal for large enterprises with complex HR and payroll needs. The software's limited HR features and lack of extensive integrations may not meet the requirements of larger organizations.

2. Domestic Focus:

• Patriot Accounting supports U.S.-based domestic payroll only. Companies that plan to expand internationally will need to switch to an international payroll provider.

Contract Renewal

1. Automatic Renewal:

• The agreement automatically renews for additional one-year periods unless either party provides written notice of non-renewal at least 30 days prior to the end of the current term.

Contract Cancellation

1. Cancellation Process:

• Users can cancel their software at any time by navigating to Settings > Company Settings > Add or Cancel Software. The selected products are shown with a purple box and checkmark. To cancel an active product, users need to click the purple box, select the reason for canceling, answer any corresponding questions, and click “Save Changes”.

• For Full-Service Payroll customers, additional details are required to specify when to stop the tax filing service. Users need to select an end date, which determines whether Patriot will complete all filings until the end of the actual cancel date, month, quarter, or year.

2. Billing in Arrears:

• Patriot Accounting bills in arrears, meaning users receive a final monthly software invoice on the first day of the following month for the final period of service. If a product is canceled in the middle of a month, users are only charged for the days the product was active.

3. Access After Cancellation:

• After canceling the account, users can still log in to access and download their account information, including payroll reports, payroll tax returns, tax collection history, tax deposits, Forms W-2, and Forms W-3. However, users cannot enter more payrolls into the software after cancellation.

4. Future Cancellation Date:

• Users can choose a future cancellation date. For example, selecting a cancellation date of 12/31 on 10/1 means the software becomes inactive on 10/1, but Patriot will still deposit and file fourth quarter and year-end taxes for the user.

5. Refunds and Fees:

• If Patriot cannot repair the software, they may refund fees and funds paid by the user. However, the liability for services will not exceed the price paid by the user for such defective services.

• In the event of a client cancellation within 90 days from the effective date, the client must pay for any outstanding payments up to the date of cancellation, including installation and/or deployment fees if selected in the proposal.

6. Reactivation Fee:

• If the deliverables are halted by client request or due to the client's failure to timely pay service fees, a reactivation fee may be charged.

Additional Terms

1. Modification of Terms:

• Patriot Accounting reserves the right to modify any of the terms and conditions at any time. Continued participation in the program following the posting of a new agreement constitutes binding acceptance of the new terms.

2. Limitation of Liability:

• Under no circumstances will Patriot be liable for indirect, incidental, consequential, special, or exemplary damages arising from any provision of the agreement or the partner program.

SOC 2 Compliance

• SOC 2 Compliance: Patriot Accounting has achieved SOC 2 compliance, which is a significant milestone demonstrating their commitment to data security. SOC 2 compliance involves rigorous audits and meticulous reporting to ensure that the company's data management and internal controls meet the highest industry standards. This compliance covers five Trust Services Criteria: security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy.