How long does it take to set up?

About 5 minutes. Create your account, add your employee's details, and authorize Nest Payroll to handle your tax work. We set up your federal and state tax accounts for you.

Nanny Payroll Service | Full-Service Household Payroll from $42/mo

What we handle for $42/month

Essentials covers one household employee for $42/month, including employee accounts and timesheets, 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
Text and email support, Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Pacific

Let your employee enter their hours. You stay in control.

Prefer entering hours yourself? Keep doing that. Or invite your employee to submit their hours for your review. Employee accounts and timesheets are optional and included in every plan, on iPhone and the web.

1. Invite your employee, if you like

After setting up your household account, email an invitation. Your employee creates their own login, reviews their pay rate, and accepts. They can enter their information themselves.

2. They submit their hours

Your employee enters regular, overtime, sick, and vacation hours, week by week. They can add notes, copy last week, or mark a week they didn’t work, then submit when ready.

3. You review and pay

Each submitted timesheet creates a pay stub for your review. Approve it, make adjustments, or return it with a note. Changes are recorded, and your employee can correct and resubmit a returned timesheet. Approved timesheets are locked.

Illustrative walkthrough · Sample household and employee

Less chasing. Clearer records.

Hours and corrections stay together. Review submitted hours and send back a note when something needs attention.
Pay and applicable taxes are calculated. Review the pay stub before approving and paying your employee.
Your employee can see their own records. Paid pay stubs, year-to-date totals, and sick and vacation balances are available in their account.

You can pay wages using Cash App, Venmo, check, or your own bank transfer. Direct deposit remains a limited beta for selected existing customers and is not available at signup.

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.

See plan details

Essentials $42/mo (1 employee) · Essentials Plus $49/mo (up to 2) · Professional $69/mo (up to 6)

View Pricing →

Why paying legally matters for your employee

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

Read more on the Reviews page or the App Store.

Frequently asked questions

Can my employee enter their own information and hours?

Yes, if you want them to. You can keep entering hours yourself, or invite your employee by email. They create their own account, review their pay rate, and accept. They can enter their information and submit weekly timesheets from iPhone or the web. You review each submitted timesheet as a pay stub, then approve it, adjust it, or return it with a reason. Employees can withdraw an unapproved submission or correct a returned one; approved timesheets are locked. Employee accounts and timesheets are included in every plan.

What does $42/month include?

Essentials covers one household employee: payroll calculations, applicable federal and state payroll tax payments and filings, pay stubs, employee accounts and timesheets, 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. After cancellation, additional fees apply only if you ask Nest to complete remaining tax work. If you choose this service when you cancel, the standard one-time 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.

Take care of your people. We’ll take care of payroll.

For new subscribers: 14 days free, then $42/month for Essentials (one employee). Renews monthly until you cancel. Additional services may have separate fees.

Start your 14-day free trial →

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.

Full-service nanny payroll. We handle the taxes and filings.