Payroll HQ
Payroll HQ is an Australian managed payroll service provider offering cloud-based, full-service payroll outsourcing — including calculation, STP/ATO reporting, SuperStream remittance, and compliance advisory — to businesses of all sizes across Australia. It is part of the Paygroup group.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersSydney, Australia
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Payroll HQ does
Payroll HQ is an Australian-owned managed payroll service provider headquartered in Sydney, operating as part of the Paygroup Limited group of companies. Founded in 2016, the company delivers full-service outsourced payroll to businesses across Australia, handling calculation, payment remittance, superannuation processing under SuperStream requirements, Single Touch Payroll (STP) reporting to the ATO, and ongoing compliance advisory against more than 40 Acts of Parliament regulating Australian payroll. Its target customers span small, mid-market, and enterprise organizations seeking to offload the operational and legislative burden of in-house payroll.
The underlying platform is a cloud-based, real-time payroll system accessible 24/7 from any device, supporting weekly, fortnightly, and monthly pay frequencies and configurable for Modern Awards and Industrial Instruments across all states and territories. Supporting modules include an Employee Self-Service Portal (timesheets, leave, payslips), an iPad-based Biometric Clock-In System with photo capture and fingerprint scanning, customizable real-time reporting and analytics, and a free public Payroll Compliance Scorecard used as a lead-generation tool. The company is a registered Tax Agent with the Tax Practitioners Board, and integration is maintained with the ATO via API for STP and with superannuation clearing houses for seamless contribution processing.
Commercially, Payroll HQ runs a sales-led, direct B2B motion with dedicated Business Development Managers and per-client Account Managers, supported by content marketing (blog, Learning Lab, whitepapers, webinars, e-books co-authored with the Australian Payroll Association CEO). Pricing is quote-based, structured as subscription-style managed services contracts tailored to employee count and award complexity, with billing on multi-year terms. The firm processes roughly 92,000 payslips annually and reports 94% customer satisfaction, with named clients spanning entertainment (Eureka Productions), legal (Brisbane Family Law), construction (KPA Concrete), healthcare/airlift (LifeFlight, Cancer Council), hospitality (Container Coffee), retail (Asics), automotive accessories (Rhino-Rack), agriculture (Nutrano Produce Group), port infrastructure (NSW Ports), and aviation (Bossair).
Payroll HQ firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Payroll HQ
- Legal name
- Payroll HQ
- Website
- https://payrollhq.com.au
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Payroll HQ is an Australian managed payroll service provider offering cloud-based, full-service payroll outsourcing — including calculation, STP/ATO reporting, SuperStream remittance, and compliance advisory — to businesses of all sizes across Australia. It is part of the Paygroup group.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Payroll HQ industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Payroll Services
- NAICS
- Payroll Services (541214), Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services (54121), Professional Employer Organizations (561330)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Employment Agencies (7361)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Full-Service Payroll Processing (BPACAIAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Payroll Software & Payroll-as-a-Service (SaaS) (BPACAIAB), Managed Payroll Services (Full-Service Payroll Outsourcing) (BPAAAHAA), Human Capital Management (HCM) & Payroll Platforms (HDAEAEAJ)
Keywords
Where Payroll HQ is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sydney
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices1 record
Markets served
Payroll HQ business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Managed Payroll Services: Full-service payroll outsourcing where Payroll HQ calculates payroll, remits funds to employees and creditors, processes superannuation contributions, and delivers electronic reports. They provide not just payroll processing but also advisory and compliance guidance to ensure payroll meets Australian state and federal legislative requirements.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Managed payroll service with varying levels of support based on client needs |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels6 records
Payroll HQ product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Payroll HQ is an Australian managed payroll practice that calculates payroll on behalf of clients, remits funds to employees and creditors, processes SuperStream-compliant superannuation contributions, delivers electronic reports, and provides ongoing payroll compliance advisory against Australian state and federal legislation. The service is delivered through a cloud-based, real-time payroll platform with 24/7 access, an employee self-service portal, biometric clock-in, and configurable support for Modern Awards and Industrial Instruments across industries and territories.
Product overview
Payroll HQ operates as a managed payroll service provider using cloud-based, real-time payroll software accessible from any device. The core offering is the Managed Payroll Service, which combines full payroll processing with compliance advisory. Supporting modules include an Employee Self-Service Portal for timesheets and leave management, Biometric Clock-In Systems (iPad photo and fingerprint), and Real-Time Reporting & Analytics. The Payroll Compliance Scorecard tool helps prospects assess their current payroll function. The platform supports Single Touch Payroll reporting directly to the ATO.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Managed Payroll Service Full-service outsourced payroll management for Australian businesses: Payroll HQ calculates payroll, remits funds to employees and creditors, processes superannuation contributions in accordance with SuperStream, and delivers electronic reports. The service bundles ongoing advisory and compliance guidance to ensure payroll meets Australian state and federal legislation (40+ Acts of Parliament) and covers Modern Awards and Industrial Instruments across industries and territories.
Quantifiable outcome
- 92,000 payslips processed per annum across client base
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Payroll HQ
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Payroll HQ technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature5 records
Payroll HQ partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- PaygroupcorePayroll HQ is part of the Paygroup Limited group of companies. Paygroup is the parent organization providing the underlying infrastructure and platform for Payroll HQ's managed payroll services across Australia.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Payroll HQ competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Ascender HCM: Australian payroll and HR software/services provider serving enterprise and government. Comparable as a domestic specialist in payroll processing, STP, and award interpretation, often competing for the same compliance-sensitive customers.
- Elmo Software: Australian HR, payroll, and employee experience SaaS provider serving mid-market and enterprise. Comparable as a domestic cloud payroll/HCM peer competing for similar award-heavy, multi-state customers.
- KeyPay: Australian cloud-based payroll SaaS platform (now part of MYOB) serving SMB accountants and employers. Comparable as a cloud payroll competitor with STP, SuperStream, and award-rule automation, addressing a similar customer set.
- Microkeeper: Australian payroll, rostering, and workforce management software for SMB and mid-market. Comparable as a domestic cloud payroll competitor with STP, SuperStream, and award-rule coverage targeting a similar customer profile.
- Pinpoint Workforce Management: Australian workforce management and payroll SaaS provider with award interpretation built in. Comparable as a domestic payroll software competitor, particularly for shift- and award-heavy industries similar to Payroll HQ's roster.
- Frontier Software: Long-standing Australian HR, payroll, and rostering software and services vendor. Comparable as an established local payroll/HCM specialist serving complex, multi-award enterprise clients across Australia.
- Paygroup Limited: ASX-listed parent of Payroll HQ and a direct Australian payroll services provider; comparable because it offers the underlying platform and managed payroll services Payroll HQ delivers, making it both a parent and the closest functional peer.
Broad incumbents
- ADP (Automatic Data Processing): Global payroll and HCM incumbent with a substantial Australian presence (ADP Australia). Comparable as a managed payroll and payroll SaaS provider serving SMB through enterprise, competing head-to-head on large RFPs.
- Workday: Global cloud HCM and payroll suite with growing Australian enterprise presence. Comparable as a broader-suite competitor bundling payroll into HR/finance, often displacing specialists in mid-to-large enterprise deals.
Emerging players
- Employment Hero: Australian-headquartered HR, payroll, and employee benefits SaaS platform. Comparable as a cloud-native payroll and HR software challenger targeting Australian SMBs, with overlapping STP/SuperStream functionality.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Payroll HQ compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Payroll HQ financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Payroll HQ leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Payroll HQ funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Payroll HQ M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Payroll HQ
What does Payroll HQ do?
Payroll HQ is an Australian managed payroll practice that calculates payroll on behalf of clients, remits funds to employees and creditors, processes SuperStream-compliant superannuation contributions, delivers electronic reports, and provides ongoing payroll compliance advisory against Australian state and federal legislation. The service is delivered through a cloud-based, real-time payroll platform with 24/7 access, an employee self-service portal, biometric clock-in, and configurable support for Modern Awards and Industrial Instruments across industries and territories.
Is Payroll HQ a public or private company?
Payroll HQ is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Payroll HQ founded?
Payroll HQ was founded in 2016. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Payroll HQ based?
Payroll HQ is headquartered in Sydney, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does Payroll HQ make money?
One revenue line is on record: managed Payroll Services.
Who are Payroll HQ's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Ascender HCM, Elmo Software, KeyPay, Microkeeper, Pinpoint Workforce Management, Frontier Software and Paygroup Limited. Broad incumbents are ADP (Automatic Data Processing) and Workday. Employment Hero is listed as an emerging player.
Does Payroll HQ have an API?
No public API is recorded for Payroll HQ.
What industry is Payroll HQ in?
Payroll HQ's product category is Payroll Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACAIAA, Full-Service Payroll Processing, with a secondary code of BPACAIAB, Payroll Software & Payroll-as-a-Service (SaaS). Its NAICS code is 541214 and its SIC code is 7372.