Accounting software for Gusto: each pay run booked from the payroll journal
Download Gusto's Payroll Journal as a CSV and upload it after each payroll; it is free on every plan. Each run posts once for wages, taxes and benefits, and Gusto's bank payments clear it, so nothing counts twice.
Updated · 3 min read · By the Accountable team
Payroll cost $43,060, counted once
| Account | Debit | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| Salaries and Wages | $40,000.00 | |
| Payroll Taxes | $3,060.00 | |
| Payroll Clearing | $43,060.00 | |
| Balanced | $43,060.00 | $43,060.00 |
Gross pay $40,000 plus $3,060 of employer taxes. Gusto's withdrawals from the bank for net pay and taxes then clear Payroll Clearing, so nothing is counted twice.
The short version
- Gusto reaches Accountable as a CSV you upload after each payroll, not as a live connection, and uploading is free on every plan.
- Each pay run posts as one balanced entry: wages, employer taxes and benefits against Payroll Clearing.
- The bank payments Gusto takes for net pay, taxes and benefits clear Payroll Clearing, so payroll is never counted twice.
- Runs already booked are skipped, so uploading the whole year again, or overlapping date ranges, is safe.
- Gusto is renaming the Payroll Journal report the Payroll template, and the steps below work for either name.
What comes over from Gusto
- One entry per pay run, dated by the check date.
- Wages, employer taxes and benefits for the run, each on its own line.
- Nothing from your bank: Gusto's net pay and tax debits arrive from your bank feed and clear the entry.
A pay run posts once, and bank payments clear it
The payroll entry records what the run cost you. The money leaving your bank for that payroll is a separate set of bank transactions, and they land on the same Payroll Clearing account from the other side. When both are in, the account is zero.
Payroll cost $22,430, counted once
| Account | Debit | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| Salaries and Wages | $20,000.00 | |
| Payroll Taxes | $1,530.00 | |
| Employee Benefits | $900.00 | |
| Payroll Clearing | $22,430.00 | |
| Balanced | $22,430.00 | $22,430.00 |
Gusto's bank payments for net pay, taxes and benefits total $22,430.00 and debit Payroll Clearing, so it ends at $0.00.
Take one pay run whose CSV row shows wages of $20,000.00, employer taxes of $1,530.00 and employer benefits of $900.00. The entry debits the wage account $20,000.00, the payroll tax account $1,530.00 and the benefits account $900.00, and credits Payroll Clearing $22,430.00. Gusto's bank payments for net pay, taxes and benefits total $22,430.00 and debit Payroll Clearing, so it ends at $0.00 and the profit and loss shows $22,430.00 of payroll cost once.
How to add Gusto payroll in seven steps
Step 1: In Gusto, go to Reports and open Payroll Journal (Gusto is renaming it the Payroll template). You need to be an admin.
Step 2: Keep the default details: check date, gross earnings, employer taxes and net pay must be included.
Step 3: Set the Date Range by check date. The whole year is fine the first time.
Step 4: Click Generate Report, then Download as CSV.
Step 5: In Accountable, open Connections (Settings › Banks, cards and payroll) and press Upload on the Gusto row. Drop the CSV into Drop the CSV here, or choose it.
Step 6: Check the pay runs in the table and press Post N pay runs.
Step 7: After each payroll, upload the next report from the Gusto account's panel with Upload the next payroll report.
The step-by-step help article is Add Gusto payroll with the payroll journal CSV.
The first upload can cover the whole year
Set the report's Date Range to the whole year the first time and upload it once. Runs already booked are skipped, so a later upload can overlap the last one without counting anything twice, and the year's pay runs arrive in one go.
Upload after every payroll so the month matches the bank
Because Gusto is an upload, the books show a payroll only after you upload its report. Put the upload on your payroll day and the close has nothing to wait for. Until you upload, Gusto's bank payments are in the books but the cost of that payroll is not.
Accountable's month-end close can also draft an accrual for payroll earned but not yet paid, which your CPA can review.
- Gusto runs payrollBank payments arrive by feedSep 15, 2026
- You upload the CSVThe run's cost postsSep 15, 2026
- September closesCost and payments both inOct 1, 2026
Assumes a payroll on the 15th and one upload after it.
Questions founders ask
Does Accountable connect to Gusto directly?
No. Gusto payroll comes in as the Payroll Journal CSV you download from Gusto and upload in Connections after each payroll. Accountable never signs in to Gusto.
Is Gusto payroll free to add?
Yes. Payroll reports are unlimited on every plan, including Free.
What if I upload the same pay run twice?
Runs already booked are skipped, so overlapping date ranges and whole-year uploads never double anything.
Does the payroll entry replace the bank payments?
No. The entry records the cost of the run against Payroll Clearing, and the bank payments from Gusto clear it. Both stay in the books.
Upload Gusto payroll and close the month
Start free with one company. Upload the Payroll Journal after each payroll, and every pay run posts once and clears against your bank.
Start freeSources, checked September 30, 2026: