Nanny Payroll ServiceMore peace of mind for your family.
Create your first pay stub in about five minutes with your household and employee details ready. Nest calculates taxes and withholding, handles applicable payroll tax payments and filings, and helps you stay on top of your responsibilities.
Federal and state payroll tax-account setup
Payroll tax payments, required filings and new-hire reports
Real people available by text and email
$42/month for one employee
14-day free trial for new subscribers. Essentials renews monthly after the trial until you cancel. No setup or per-payroll fees. Plan and fee details.
Essentials covers one household employee for $42/month, with no setup or per-payroll fees. Year-end payroll tax documents are included when your subscription is active at processing. Catch-up work and optional tax work after cancellation are priced separately. See plan and fee details.
Federal taxes
Federal tax account setup
Quarterly IRS tax payments (FICA/FIT)
W-2/W-3 filing and signature-ready Schedule H
State taxes
State employer account setup
State tax account maintenance
Required quarterly/annual state filings
Payments & pay stubs
Pay by Cash App, Venmo, or check
Professional pay stubs automatically
Recurring pay reminders
Compliance & support
Compliant in all 50 states
Tax payments made when due
Concierge text and email support
Who it's for
Whether you employ a nanny, babysitter, au pair, or nanny share — or a senior caregiver, home health aide, house cleaner, personal assistant, dog walker, or any other household worker — Nest Payroll handles the taxes, filings, and compliance for you.
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Nannies & babysitters
Full-time, part-time, live-in, or nanny share
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Senior caregivers
Companions, home health aides, in-home care
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Housekeepers & more
House cleaners, personal assistants, dog walkers
Not sure if your employee qualifies? If you control when, where, and how they work, they're your household employee — even if they only work part-time or for multiple families. The IRS is clear on this point.
How it works
Enter your household and employee details to create your first pay stub, with taxes and withholding calculated. Tax-account setup continues separately.
1. Sign up and add your employee
Create your account in the browser or app, add your household and employee details, and set the pay rate. With that information ready, you can usually create your first pay stub in about five minutes, with taxes and withholding calculated. You can create that first pay stub while your EIN and state tax accounts are still being set up.
2. Run payroll each pay period
Enter hours for the week and pay using integrated payments (Cash App, Venmo) or separately by check or bank transfer. Professional pay stubs are generated automatically and emailed to your employee. Set up recurring pay so you never forget.
3. We handle payroll tax work
Nest calculates payroll taxes, handles applicable payroll tax payments and filings, and prepares and files W-2s and W-3. We also provide a signature-ready Schedule H for your personal tax return. You or your tax preparer include that Schedule H when filing your return.
See plan details
Essentials $42/mo (1 employee) · Essentials Plus $49/mo (up to 2) · Professional $69/mo (up to 6)
Paying on the books isn't just about compliance — it gives your employee access to benefits they can't get any other way. Many families find this is the most rewarding part of doing it right.
Unemployment insurance — real safety net if they're ever laid off
Social Security & Medicare — building toward retirement and disability coverage
Verifiable income — for renting an apartment, getting a mortgage, applying for credit
State disability & paid leave — in CA, NY, NJ, HI, RI, and other states
Healthcare subsidies — legal income qualifies them for ACA marketplace plans
Professional pay stubs — emailed automatically each pay period
Already been paying cash? Our separately priced catch-up service can help with overdue payroll tax work. Timing depends on your payroll history and the work required. Learn about our catch-up service →
What families are saying
"As a CPA, I have manually handled payroll, and Nest does all the compliance work including tax filings and tax payments in a fraction of the time — with no mistakes. Both times I've reached out to support, I received a response within 1-4 hours. Highly recommend!"
— 5 Star App Store Review
"Great app and support staff. They make managing and paying employees very simple. Excellent documentation and support to help you make tax payments throughout the year and it's so easy to file your taxes at the end of the year."
— WASpsyched, Apple App Store
"It was so tempting to hire a nanny for cash, but based on the fear of doing the payroll requirements it felt so hard. Nest felt easy and we felt assured."
— MotherHen2015, Apple App Store
Essentials covers one household employee: payroll calculations, applicable federal and state payroll tax payments and filings, pay stubs, and text and email support. W-2/W-3 filing and a signature-ready Schedule H are included when your subscription is active at year-end processing. You or your tax preparer include Schedule H with your personal return. No setup or per-payroll fees. Catch-up work and optional tax work after cancellation have separate charges; see full pricing.
Is there a cancellation fee?
No. You can cancel and handle any remaining tax work yourself without a cancellation charge. If you choose Nest to complete that work when you cancel, the standard one-time service fee is $149.
Do I really need a nanny payroll service?
Household payroll involves calculating withholding, keeping records, meeting tax deadlines and providing year-end documents. Nest handles the applicable payroll tax calculations, payments and filings, and provides a signature-ready Schedule H for your personal tax return.
How soon can I create my first pay stub?
With your household and employee details ready, you can usually create your first pay stub in about five minutes, with taxes and withholding calculated. You do not need to wait for your EIN or state tax accounts to be ready to create that first pay stub. Tax-account setup continues separately.
Can I pay my nanny through Cash App or Venmo?
Yes. Nest Payroll lets you pay your employee however you prefer — Cash App, Venmo, check, or bank transfer. We calculate the correct withholding and handle all the tax side regardless of how you transfer the pay.
Does Nest offer direct deposit?
Direct deposit is in a limited beta for selected existing customers and is not available at signup. You can get started using Cash App, Venmo, check or your own bank transfer. Nest handles the payroll calculations, pay stubs, and applicable payroll tax payments and filings.
Is my nanny a W-2 or 1099 employee?
Almost always W-2. The IRS classifies household workers as employees (not contractors) because the family controls when, where, and how the work is done. Misclassifying as 1099 can result in penalties.
What if I've been paying my nanny cash?
Our catch-up service can help with overdue payroll tax work. It is priced separately at $42 per month per employee, with a three-month minimum, plus $149 for year-end tax work for each catch-up year. Timing depends on the work required. See pricing or learn about catch-up payroll.
What types of household employees does Nest support?
Nannies (full-time, part-time, live-in), babysitters, au pairs, nanny shares, senior caregivers, home health aides, housekeepers, house cleaners, personal assistants, dog walkers — any household worker you employ directly.
How is Nest Payroll different from other nanny payroll services?
Nest combines payroll calculations, applicable payroll tax payments and filings, and text and email support in a service for household employers. Essentials is $42/month for one employee. You can pay wages through the supported payment methods listed above and begin signup online. Catch-up payroll is a separately priced service.
Ready to pay your nanny the right way?
For new subscribers: 14 days free, then $42/month for Essentials (one employee). Renews monthly until you cancel. Additional services may have separate fees.
The $42/month Essentials subscription includes household payroll services for one employee, including payroll processing, tax payments, quarterly/annual filings, and year-end tax documents. Pricing and applicable fees may change over time. Please refer to our Pricing page and Terms of Service for full details.
