HomePay and Poppins Payroll are the two names most families land on when they decide to pay someone to file their nanny taxes. Both are full-service, meaning they calculate your taxes and submit the returns for you. Before you pick one, it helps to know exactly what that word buys, what it doesn't, and that the same calculations, forms and deadline reminders exist at $10 a month if you're willing to press submit yourself.
The fastest pricing answer: HomePay publishes two plans, Essentials at $59/mo ($708/yr) and Plus at $75/mo ($900/yr); Poppins lists $49/mo ($588/yr for one employee, +$10/mo per additional). Both cover federal employment taxes per IRS Publication 926 and all 50 states.
So what's actually different beyond price?
Why You're Paying $588–$900/Year for "Full-Service"
Both HomePay and Poppins are full-service, meaning they file your nanny taxes for you. Per IRS Publication 926:
"If you have a household employee, you may need to withhold and pay social security and Medicare taxes, pay federal unemployment tax, or both."
That filing burden (Form W-2 to SSA, Schedule H attached to your 1040, quarterly state unemployment returns, and any state withholding filings) is what these services charge you to handle. Filing yourself takes about 15 minutes per quarter on the IRS and state websites. The $312/year price gap between Poppins and HomePay Plus buys you the Plus extras, a Care.com membership among them, and a longer brand history, not better tax calculations.
One thing worth understanding before you pay for "full-service": it doesn't move the tax liability off you. Household employment tax is reported on your own Form 1040, on Schedule H, under your own Social Security number. A provider can file the paperwork, but the IRS still holds you responsible if something is wrong or late. And to file on your behalf at all, either service has you sign over power of attorney to your federal and state tax accounts. That's routine in the industry, but a real loss of control that rarely comes up in the sales pitch. Both companies' guarantees say as much: they reimburse a penalty only when the mistake was theirs, never the tax itself. Filing yourself means you see every number first. So the price buys convenience, not a transfer of who's on the hook.
Same paperwork, a fraction of the price
NannyKeeper calculates the same taxes, generates your W-2 and Schedule H, and reminds you before every deadline, from $10/mo. You file the forms yourself, about 15 minutes a quarter.
Side-by-Side Comparison
Poppins Payroll is $49/month for one employee ($588/year), about $312/year cheaper than HomePay Plus and $120/year cheaper than HomePay Essentials. Both file your taxes for you and cover all 50 states. (Poppins charges +$10/month per additional employee; HomePay's flat fee covers your household regardless of headcount.)
| Feature | HomePay (Essentials) | HomePay (Plus) | Poppins Payroll |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | $59 | $75 | $49 |
| Annual total | $708 | $900 | ~$588 |
| Files taxes for you | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Direct deposit | Included | Included | Included |
| All 50 states | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Phone support | Yes | Yes | Yes (98% answered in <15 sec) |
| Tax ID applications | Yes | Yes | Included |
| Care.com membership | No | Yes | No |
Poppins is significantly cheaper: $312 less per year than HomePay's Plus plan, and $120 less than the Essentials tier.
Pricing Breakdown
HomePay's Plus plan is $75/month ($900/year). Both HomePay tiers include tax registration, filing, payroll with direct deposit, and phone, chat and email support; Plus adds dedicated account management with audit support, an employee app for hours, time off and expenses, tax agency notices handled for you, and a Care.com membership. The Essentials plan at $59/month ($708/year) files the same returns without those four extras.
Poppins charges $49/month for one employee, +$10/month per additional. W-2, Schedule H, pay stubs, nanny contracts, EIN help: all included. Annual total: about $588 (one employee) or $708 (two). New customers' signup-month is free.
That's a $312/year difference compared to HomePay's Plus tier, for two services that do fundamentally the same thing. Even vs. Essentials, Poppins saves $120/year.
Where HomePay Wins
Available everywhere. HomePay covers all 50 states, with nearly two decades of experience navigating state-specific rules.
Established track record. Breedlove & Associates, the business behind HomePay, has been doing nanny payroll since 1992, carries an A+ BBB rating, and has been BBB-accredited since 2016. Care.com (founded 2006) acquired Breedlove in 2012 and rebranded the service as HomePay. Three decades of household payroll experience under the hood, even though the HomePay name itself is newer.
Care.com membership. The Plus plan includes a free Care.com membership. Makes sense, since Care.com owns HomePay.
For a deeper look at HomePay specifically, see our full HomePay review.
Where Poppins Wins
Price. $312/year cheaper than HomePay Plus, with one catch: leave before December and Poppins charges $110 if you want it to do the year-end filings for the months it handled, plus $49 if you want it to keep filing quarter-end reports after you go. Do those filings yourself and there's no charge.
Reaching someone. Poppins says 98% of its support calls are answered in under 15 seconds, and publishes that number where you can see it. HomePay does not publish a comparable figure.
Extras included. Poppins bundles customizable nanny contracts and hands-on EIN registration into the subscription. HomePay offers a sample contract template and handles EIN through their tax application packet, but Poppins makes these more front-and-center.
Cleaner experience. Poppins has a more modern interface. HomePay's platform works fine, but it feels like it was last redesigned a few years ago.
For more on Poppins, check out our Poppins Payroll review.
Where They're the Same
Both HomePay and Poppins cover all 50 states, so availability isn't a deciding factor. You can look up your state's specific nanny tax requirements on our state guides page to understand what's involved either way.
What They Have in Common
Both HomePay and Poppins:
- Calculate federal and state taxes for each payroll
- File your quarterly tax forms with the IRS and state agencies
- Prepare and file your W-2 and Schedule H at year-end
- Include direct deposit at no extra charge
If filing your own taxes is a non-starter, either service will handle it. The question is really about price, support, and how much the extras matter to you.
Who Should Pick Which
Go with HomePay if:
- You'd use the Care.com membership that comes with Plus
- You value the longest track record in the industry (Breedlove since 1992; Care.com acquired and rebranded as HomePay in 2012)
- The $312/year difference doesn't move the needle for you
Go with Poppins if:
- You want the lower price without giving up full-service filing
- You want nanny contracts and EIN help bundled in
Go with NannyKeeper if:
- You're comfortable spending about 15 minutes a quarter on the IRS and state websites
- You'd rather see every number before it's filed
- You want to keep your own tax-account logins instead of granting a provider power of attorney
- $408-$800 a year matters more to you than not touching the forms
The Self-Service Option: NannyKeeper
Both services above charge you to press submit. If you're willing to do that yourself, the math changes a lot.
NannyKeeper is a self-service payroll tool at $10-$18/month ($100-$180/year on annual billing). It calculates the same federal and state taxes, generates your W-2 and Schedule H, and emails you before every deadline (not listed on Poppins's pages). What you do yourself: file the forms, about 15 minutes per quarter on the IRS and state websites, reviewing every figure before it goes in. Direct deposit is available on every paid plan at $6-$8 per transfer.
| HomePay (Essentials) | Poppins | NannyKeeper | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual cost | $708 | ~$588 | $100–$180 |
| Direct deposit | Included | Included | $6-$8/transfer |
| Files for you | Yes | Yes | No (you file, ~15 min/quarter) |
| Email deadline reminders | Yes | Not listed | Yes |
| Free payment tracking | No | No | Yes |
| All 50 states | Yes | Yes | Yes |
The question people ask about self-service is whether anyone is there when you get stuck, so here's what NannyKeeper support looks like from a customer's side:
"Couldn't be better, anytime I get stuck there is someone to help me right away! I'm getting the hang of it and it's easy and affordable, makes the whole process doable." Verified customer, Trustpilot review, June 3, 2026
More customer quotes, each dated and reproduced word for word, are on our reviews page.
Use our nanny tax calculator to see what you'd actually owe in your state. It's free, no signup needed.
See what you'll owe
Use our free calculator to estimate your nanny tax costs for 2026.
FAQ
Is Poppins Payroll cheaper than HomePay?
Yes. Poppins costs about $588/year compared to HomePay's $900/year (Plus) or $708/year (Essentials). That's a $312/year savings vs. HomePay Plus. Both are full-service and include direct deposit.
Does Poppins Payroll work in all 50 states?
Yes. Poppins now covers all 50 states, same as HomePay and NannyKeeper. State availability is not a differentiator between these services.
Is HomePay the same company as Breedlove?
Yes. HomePay was formerly Breedlove & Associates before being acquired by Care.com and rebranded. Same service, new name.
What's the cheapest way to do nanny payroll?
Self-service tools like NannyKeeper start at $10/month ($100/year on annual billing) and handle all 50 states. You file the forms yourself using the documents and reminders the platform provides. If you want full-service filing, Poppins at $49/month costs less than either HomePay tier.
Can I switch between HomePay and Poppins mid-year?
Yes. You can switch nanny payroll providers at any time. Your new provider handles filings going forward. Ask your current provider whether it will issue your nanny a W-2 for the months it ran payroll. If it will, your nanny gets two W-2s that together cover the year; if it won't, the new provider's W-2 can cover the whole year. Two things to budget for: Poppins charges $110 if you leave before December and want it to do the year-end filings (plus $49 if you want it to file the quarter-end reports after you go), and HomePay requires you to cancel by phone or in writing (our switching guide walks through it). Switching at the start of a quarter makes the transition cleanest, and NannyKeeper has no fee to leave whenever you do.
Our Recommendation
If you want someone else to file and you're staying through year-end, pick Poppins. It's the same filing service as HomePay for $312 a year less, with nanny contracts and EIN registration bundled in. Pick HomePay only if the Plus extras (a Care.com membership among them) or the longer track record are worth that $312 to you.
If you're willing to spend 15 minutes a quarter pressing submit yourself, pick neither. NannyKeeper does the same calculations and forms for $100-$180 a year, keeps your tax-account logins in your own hands, and lets you see every figure before it's filed. You can start on the free tier, no credit card, and see what your taxes look like before you pay anyone.
Compare NannyKeeper vs HomePay →