Qtac Payroll

What Qtac Payroll does

Qtac Payroll (legal entity QTAC Solutions Limited) is a privately held UK specialist payroll provider headquartered in Yate, Bristol, with over 30 years of operating history. The company develops and maintains HMRC-recognised payroll software in-house, sold in tiered desktop editions (Manager, Bureau, Specialist) targeting SMEs, large enterprises, and payroll service companies. Revenue is generated through three primary streams: annual software licensing/maintenance fees, transaction-fee outsourced payroll processing (from £2.00 per payslip), and a recurring QPortal cloud subscription (from £10 per month) that provides employees self-service access to payslips, P60s, and P45s.

The company's go-to-market combines direct sales with a channel-led motion through accountants and payroll bureaux, including white-labelled outsourcing that lets accountancy firms resell payroll under their own brand. Additional capabilities include a BACS-approved bureau service, pension auto-enrolment management, automated and user-defined reporting, payroll run control workflow tools, and rapid regulatory response features (e.g., COVID furlough and SSP day-one). Qtac holds B Corp certification, maintains a 4.9/5 Trustpilot rating, and partners with bodies such as the ICPA while exhibiting annually at Accountex. The firm operates without disclosed external funding, a parent company, or any M&A activity, and serves customers exclusively within the United Kingdom.

Name

Qtac Payroll

Legal name

QTAC Solutions Limited

Website

https://qtac.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Qtac Payroll is a privately held UK specialist payroll provider offering HMRC-recognised desktop software (Manager/Bureau/Specialist tiers), per-payslip outsourced payroll processing, and the QPortal cloud self-service platform. It serves SMEs, large enterprises, accountants, payroll bureaux, and charities across the United Kingdom.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Payroll Software and Outsourcing

NAICS

Payroll Services (541214), Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services (54121)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

Payroll Software & Payroll-as-a-Service (SaaS) (BPACAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Managed Payroll Services (Full-Service Payroll Outsourcing) (BPAAAHAA), Payroll Outsourcing & Pay Administration (Multi-country/Managed Payroll) (BPACAKAD), Employer Payroll Processing (SMB & Enterprise) (FSAMAKAA)

Keywords

• UK payroll software
• Payroll outsourcing services
• HMRC RTI submissions
• Workplace pension auto-enrolment
• White-label payroll bureau

Headquarters

HQ city

Bristol

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Payroll Software Sales: Qtac sells desktop payroll software with tiered product offerings (Manager, Bureau, Specialist) suitable for small businesses, large corporations and payroll service companies. Software is sold with annual licensing/maintenance fees.
2. Outsourced Payroll Services: Full-service managed payroll outsourcing where Qtac processes payroll on behalf of clients. Pricing is typically per-payslip (e.g., from £2.00 per payslip). Includes payroll calculation, auto-enrolment management, RTI submissions, payslip distribution, and HMRC/employee enquiries handling.
3. QPortal Subscription: Cloud-based payslip portal offered as an add-on subscription starting from £10 per month, providing employees self-service access to payslips, P60s, P45s and payroll data.
4. White-labelled Services for Accountants: Tailored outsourcing services offered to accountancy firms under white-label arrangement, allowing firms to resell payroll services to their clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Qtac Payroll develops and sells HMRC-recognised desktop payroll software (in Manager, Bureau and Specialist tiers) and provides full-service payroll outsourcing to UK businesses, accountancy practices and payroll bureaux. Its QPortal cloud add-on delivers real-time payslip, P60 and P45 access for employers and employees. The company also offers white-labelled outsourcing services that accountancy firms can resell under their own brand.

Product overview

Qtac Payroll is a UK-based specialist payroll provider offering a unified portfolio of payroll solutions comprising Qtac Payroll Software (desktop-based payroll management), Payroll Outsourcing Services, and the Qtac Portal (cloud-based self-service platform). The core software is available in tiers (Manager, Bureau, Specialist) serving SMEs, large enterprises, and payroll service companies, while the QPortal add-on provides real-time access to payslips, P60s, P45s, and HMRC liability dashboards for employers and employees. Additional features include Payroll Run Control for workflow management, Automated Reports, User Defined Exports, and Invoicing. The company also offers white-labelled outsourcing services specifically designed for accountancy firms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Qtac Portal: Cloud-based platform providing secure access to payroll data in real-time for accountants, employers, and employees, enabling payslip viewing, P60/P45 access, and payroll reporting.
• QPortal

Products and services

• Qtac Payroll Software Desktop-based, HMRC-recognised payroll management software available in tiers (Manager, Bureau, Specialist) for SMEs through to large corporations and payroll service companies, providing RTI submissions, workplace pensions management, automated reports and user-defined exports.
• Payroll Outsourcing Services Fully managed payroll outsourcing service where Qtac processes payroll, manages auto-enrolment, handles RTI submissions, distributes payslips and manages HMRC/employee enquiries on behalf of clients, priced per payslip.
• London Payroll Outsourcing Specialised payroll outsourcing offering for London-based businesses, priced from £2.00 per payslip plus VAT, delivered by a dedicated London field-sales team providing in-person consultation.
• Payroll Services for Accountants (White-Label) White-labelled managed payroll outsourcing service tailored for accountancy firms and payroll bureaux, with BACS-approved processing and dedicated implementation support, allowing accounting practices to deliver payroll services to their clients under their own brand.
• QPortal (Online Payslip Portal) Cloud-based, GDPR-compliant self-service portal providing accountants, businesses and employees secure real-time access to payslips, P60s, P45s and personal payroll data from any device, offered as a monthly subscription add-on from £10 per month.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced administrative burden and risk of HMRC penalties for clients
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Brain Tumour SupportminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 September 2021Qtac partnered with Brain Tumour Support as their charity of the year, introducing Payroll Giving functionality to enable employees to donate directly from their salary. Brain Tumour Support provides tailored support across the UK through skilled Support Professionals and professional counselling for those affected by brain tumours.
• ICPA (Institute of Certified Practising Accountants)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 16 July 2019Qtac Payroll are proud partners of the ICPA, an institute serving the accounting profession. The partnership allows Qtac to reach ICPA members with payroll software and outsourcing solutions tailored for accountants.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• KeyPay: KeyPay (now part of IRIS) is a UK cloud payroll and auto-enrolment platform targeting accountants, bureaux and SMBs. Comparable to Qtac's Bureau-tier and outsourcing proposition with cloud-native delivery and accountant channel focus.
• IRIS Software Group (IRIS Payroll): IRIS is one of the largest UK accountancy software providers and operates a dedicated payroll bureau/software business serving accountants and SMEs. Directly competes with Qtac across payroll bureau services, Bureau-tier software, and accountant-channel white-label offerings.
• Payescape: Payescape is a UK payroll bureau and outsourced payroll provider serving SMEs with web-based payroll solutions. Directly comparable to Qtac's managed payroll outsourcing and accountant-channel offerings in the UK SMB segment.
• BrightPay: BrightPay is a UK-focused payroll software provider (now part of Bright!) offering cloud and desktop payroll to accountants, bureaux and SMBs. Closely comparable to Qtac on product (HMRC-recognised UK payroll software), target customer (UK accountants and SMEs) and pricing model (per-employee subscriptions).
• Dataplan: Dataplan is a long-established UK payroll bureau providing outsourced payroll to SMEs and accountancy practices. Directly comparable to Qtac on per-payslip bureau outsourcing and accountant-channel delivery.

Broad incumbents

• ADP UK: ADP UK provides enterprise-grade payroll outsourcing and HCM software to mid-market and large employers. Overlaps with Qtac on London/mid-market payroll outsourcing and BACS-approved bureau processing, but at a much larger scale and price point.
• Xero: Xero offers UK payroll through Xero Payroll as part of its cloud accounting suite for SMBs and accountants. Comparable to Qtac's cloud-delivered QPortal/integrations story and accountant ecosystem, but bundled inside a global accounting platform.
• Moorepay: Moorepay provides payroll, HR and auto-enrolment software and outsourced services to UK employers. Similar UK-only payroll-and-HR footprint to Qtac but with a wider portfolio (HR, pensions) and larger enterprise bent.
• Sage Payroll: Sage is a dominant UK SME/accounting software provider with an embedded payroll module sold alongside Sage 50 and Sage Business Cloud. Overlaps with Qtac on UK payroll functionality and SMB segment but is a much broader accounting-suite incumbent.

Others

• Institute of Certified Practising Accountants (ICPA): ICPA is a UK accountancy institute and a Qtac GTM partner (relationship disclosed in company data). Included here as an ecosystem/partner entity that shapes Qtac's accountant channel — relevant for understanding Qtac's route-to-market rather than direct competition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/qtacpayroll
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@QtacCoUk
• Facebookfacebook.com/qtac.payroll
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/qtac-solutions-ltd

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Qtac Payroll