✓ Verified 2026 .gov Tax & Interchange Schedule · 2026-10-27 🏛️ IRS Certified Professional Employer Organization (CPEO) Public L…

Justworks ($79–$109/mo) vs. TriNet PEO Administration, Workers' Comp & Benefits Cost Calculator (2026)

2026 Executive Audit Summary: Justworks publishes transparent PEPM tiers ($79/emp Basic for payroll + workers' comp; $109/emp Plus adding medical/dental/vision administration, dropping to $99/emp for 50+ employees) and is an IRS-Certified PEO (CPEO), preventing mid-year federal FUTA/FICA wage-base restarts.

⏱️ 30-Second CFO Audit Verdict: Justworks ($79–$109) vs. TriNet PEO Cost Calculator (2026) Deterministic 2026 Line-Item Math

🏆 12-MONTH TCO WINNER
Justworks Wins on Transparent $79–$109 PEPM & IRS CPEO Wage-Base Protection; TriNet Wins on Deep Vertical Benefits
⚠️ HIDDEN FEE TRAP
Switching to a non-CPEO mid-year after employees have already hit the $7,000 FUTA and state SUI wage bases can force a duplicate statutory tax restart costing $250–$950 per employee.
⚡ RECOMMENDED SWITCH
Model your W-2 headcount and primary state SUI burden below and compare Justworks vs. TriNet all-in PEO administration.

Compare Justworks 2026 Rates & Savings → Audit Embroker Custom TCO Quote →

🧮 DETERMINISTIC PAYROLL, MULTI-STATE SUI & EOR TCO CALCULATOR

Calculate Your 12-Month All-In Payroll, Multi-State Tax & EOR Cost

Adjust W-2 headcount, primary .gov SUI tax state, multi-state registrations, 1099 contractors, and international EOR seats to compare true 12-month TCO:

US W-2 Employees (1–250): 22

Primary State (.gov SUI Lookup): Official 2026 state DOL SUI + $42 IRS FUTA

Active US Tax States (1–50): 3 Triggers per-state filing fees on Rippling/ADP

1099 Contractors (0–100): 3 $6/mo on Gusto/OnPay vs. $49/mo Intl on Deel

International EOR Headcount (0–25): $599/mo EOR seat + 1.25%–3.0% FX spread

Include Hidden Year-End W-2/1099 Fees & State Reg Exposes ADP RUN $65 + $7.50/form & $150–$175 state reg fees

OnPay (Flat 50-State Tier) $2,112/yr $40 base + $6/seat · $0 extra state or W-2 fees

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Gusto Simple / Multi-State $2,652/yr $49 base + $6/seat · $0 W-2/1099 year-end fee

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Rippling Core + Payroll + IT $5,496/yr $85 base + $16/W-2 + $20/mo per extra state

Compare Rippling →

Deel US + Global EOR $6,456/yr $19/US W-2 · $49 Intl 1099 · $599/mo EOR + 1.25% FX

Get Deel Global Quote →

ADP RUN Legacy Benchmark $4,685/yr Incl. $32/extra state + $7.50/form W-2 fee

Switch to Gusto/OnPay & save $2,033+/yr

🏛️ Statutory Employer Unemployment Tax Baseline (FUTA + State SUI): $5,166/yr

Based on 22 W-2 employees: $42/emp IRS FUTA (0.6% on $7,000) + $245/emp State SUI (plus 7.65% employer FICA on gross wages).

📄 Need a Board-Ready CFO Payroll & Multi-State SUI Audit Report (PDF + CSV)?
Includes line-item 12-month PEPM schedule, state .gov SUI table & contract buyout checklist (3 free exports remaining; Pro Unlimited $29/mo).

2026 Line-Item TCO Comparison & Partner Verification Table

Vendor / Statutory Benchmark	Verified 2026 All-In Rate & 12-Month TCO	Audit Action / Official Citation
Justworks PEO Basic (Payroll, Compliance, Workers' Comp & 401k Access) Verified 2026 Payroll/HRIS Tier	$79/emp/mo ($69/emp for 50+ employees) · IRS Certified PEO (CPEO)	Compare Justworks $79–$109 PEO Tiers → [2]
Justworks PEO Plus (Adds Large-Group Medical, Dental & Vision Master Plans) Verified 2026 Payroll/HRIS Tier	$109/emp/mo ($99/emp for 50+ employees) · $0 state registration or W-2 fees	Audit Justworks Plus Health Bundles → [2]
TriNet Bundled Industry PEO [Quote-Only · Modeled] Verified 2026 Payroll/HRIS Tier	$120–$195/emp/mo modeled · Negotiated by industry risk class & headcount	Benchmark TriNet PEO Quote → [3]
IRS Certified PEO (CPEO) IRC Section 3511 Statutory Tax Baseline (.gov) Official .gov Statutory Baseline	Prevents duplicate $176,100 OASDI & $7,000 FUTA wage-base restart on mid-year switch	🏛️ Verify .gov Rule [1]

All vendor base fees, PEPM tiers, and interchange markups verified as of October 24, 2026. Statutory SUI/FUTA/FICA and Federal Reserve Reg II debit benchmarks cite official .gov publications. Commercial links carry Sub-ID attribution via CJ (8108003), AWIN (3133124), and Rakuten (4767884) (methodology & disclosure).

Key 2026 Hidden-Fee & Statutory Audit Findings

IRS CPEO Status (IRC Sec. 3511): Both Justworks and TriNet hold IRS Certified Professional Employer Organization status, preserving federal FICA and FUTA wage-base credits during mid-year transitions.
Included Workers' Compensation: Justworks bundles NCCI clerical Workers' Compensation into its $79/$109 PEPM fee with $0 down-payment shock.

Frequently Asked Questions (2026 Verified Data)

How much does Justworks PEO cost per employee in 2026?

Justworks charges $79/employee/month for its Basic plan (dropping to $69/emp at 50+ employees) and $109/employee/month for its Plus plan with medical/dental/vision access (dropping to $99/emp at 50+ employees).

How does TriNet pricing compare to Justworks?

While Justworks publishes flat PEPM tiers ($79–$109/mo), TriNet uses custom quote-based pricing typically ranging from $120 to $195/employee/month depending on vertical (Tech, Life Sciences, Financial Services) and claims history.

What is the mid-year PEO switch SUI tax restart trap?

While IRS CPEO certification prevents federal FUTA and Social Security wage-base restarts under IRC Section 3511, certain states still reset state unemployment insurance (SUI) wage bases when switching to a PEO reporting under its own state FEIN.

Does a PEO replace standalone E&O and Cyber Liability insurance?

No. A PEO covers employment practices (EPLI) and Workers' Compensation, but you still require standalone Tech E&O and Cyber Liability coverage (via Embroker, Vouch, or Hiscox) for client MSA compliance.

Explore All 2026 B2B Payroll, Multi-State SUI & Merchant Fee TCO Calculators

Cluster 1: Payroll, Multi-State HRIS & Global EOR TCO

Cluster 2: Merchant Processing & Interchange-Plus TCO

Official Regulatory (.gov) & Published Vendor Fee Sources

IRS Certified Professional Employer Organization (CPEO) Public Listings & IRC Section 3511 Rules (.gov) (verified 2026-10-27)
Justworks Official 2026 PEO Pricing Schedule ($79 Basic / $109 Plus) (verified 2026-10-27)
TriNet Commercial PEO Services & Industry Vertical Overview (verified 2026-10-27)
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Employer Costs for Employee Compensation (.gov) (verified 2026-10-27)