Compare
CareTax vs Poppins Payroll
A factual comparison of CareTax and Poppins Payroll for household employers.
In one sentence
Poppins Payroll runs payroll and files taxes for you at $49/mo. CareTax does the math and records for ~$50/year while you file yourself.
CareTax and Poppins Payroll both focus exclusively on household employers, but they occupy different parts of the market. Poppins Payroll is a full-service solution at $49/month: it processes payroll, pays taxes, handles quarterly filings, and issues year-end W-2s on your behalf. CareTax is a lower-cost calculation and record-keeping tool — it shows you exactly what you owe for FICA, FUTA, SUTA, and state withholding, generates reference documents, and lets you export records, but you make the tax deposits and file the forms yourself. The right choice depends on whether you value hands-off compliance or transparent, lower-cost calculations.
Feature & Pricing Comparison
Pricing and features as of April 2026— verify on the provider's site.
| Feature | CareTax | Poppins Payroll |
|---|---|---|
| Coverage (states) | All 50 states | All 50 states |
| Pricing | Free tier; paid plans from $5.99/mo or $49.99/yr | $49/month (one household employee) |
| Pay run calculations | ✓ | ✓ |
| Tax withholding calculations | ✓ federal and state | ✓ federal and state |
| Year-end docs (W-2/W-3/Schedule H) | Reference docs (paid plan) | Filed on your behalf (active accounts) |
| Filing on your behalf | — you file | ✓ quarterly and annual |
| Direct deposit / payments | — | ✓ |
| State registration help | Guides provided; you register | ✓ included |
| Free tier | ✓ up to 2 saved pay runs | — |
When to Choose Each
Choose CareTax if…
- Your annual payroll cost is modest and the ~12× cost savings outweigh the convenience of full-service filing.
- You want to inspect every line of your tax calculation — FICA, FUTA, SUTA, state withholding — before paying.
- You already work with an accountant who handles your filings and just needs clean, exportable payroll records.
- You want to try the product before paying — CareTax's free tier allows up to two saved pay runs.
Choose Poppins Payrollif…
- You want quarterly filings, tax deposits, and direct deposit handled for you without lifting a finger.
- You are a first-time household employer and want a household-payroll specialist to guide setup including state registration.
- You want direct deposit processed through the same system that handles payroll, with no separate bank transfers to manage.
- You value having one vendor responsible for compliance end-to-end, including amended filings if corrections are needed.
- Your household payroll situation has special cases (live-in, multi-state) where you'd rather hand off the judgment calls.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is CareTax cheaper than Poppins Payroll?
- For most households, yes. Poppins Payroll charges $49/month ($588/year). CareTax's annual plan is $49.99/year — about one-twelfth the cost — because CareTax does not file taxes or process payments on your behalf. If you want full-service filing included, Poppins Payroll's price reflects that additional scope.
- Does CareTax file taxes for me?
- No. CareTax calculates your withholdings and employer taxes for each pay run and generates reference documents (W-2, W-3, Schedule H) at year-end. You are responsible for submitting those forms and making deposits to the IRS and your state.
- Can I switch from Poppins Payroll to CareTax mid-year?
- Yes. Export your year-to-date payroll summary from Poppins Payroll and enter those figures into CareTax to continue accurately for the remainder of the year. CareTax supports YTD entry for exactly this scenario.
New here? See state guides, the glossary, or our methodology.