Paymastr Payroll

Managing the payment of multiple employees can be a challenging task, but a vital one, that is essential to get right. The task can be made harder when there are both state and federal taxes to consider and it all must be accounted for and calculated properly. Paymastr Payroll allows users to calculate the payroll of multiple employees as well as all relevant taxes.

The user interface of Paymastr Payroll is outdated and poorly set up, it features a series of buttons surrounding a central list box. Clicking any button displays its menu in the center of the window, which can then be clicked on. It is a very counter intuitive system that leads to confusion and many users might get frustrated with it.

There seems to be little need for the strange design as the menus can be accessed in the toolbar like any other application. A more conventional layout would have suited the application better. Instead, it feels like an attempt to be different from other programs that ends up just detracting from the application’s features. The professional nature of the application is not matched by its design and users might feel unable to trust the program with such vital information.

Despite the confusing interface, the features and actual abilities for the application are very well thought out and designed. There are individual windows for both federal and state taxes, both can be adjusted, any tax deductible income can be added to the employees payroll calculation as well. The program can generate monthly, quarterly or yearly reports and it also features the option to include backdated payment history in reports and even more.

The application would benefit from some basic encryption features, payment information is usually confidential as is the employees information, yet there is no security features of any kind. A password feature would also be a simple addition that would add a layer of security to a vulnerable application. The regional limits to the USA might be a factor for some, but the application openly states this and the reason for it, accurate tax calculations.

To conclude, the application is good at what it does, it can calculate payroll quickly and easily and, although it is limited to the USA, that is actually a strength, keeping it very accurate to that country. Unfortunately, the entire application is let down by a whimsical design choice that looks unnecessarily stylized and gimmicky, dragging the application back.