Explaining How to Record Payroll in Quickbooks, QuickBooks Desktop, and Online

As you make payroll payments to your employees, you would be required to store their records. In QuickBooks, there are several options to record payroll as well as the taxes associated with it. Opting for the Help menu of QuickBooks or Taxes menu of QuickBooks Online is the best option to enter payroll. In some instances, journal entries can also be created to record these payments. 

In an attempt to explain how to record payroll in QuickBooks, we have shared the details of these methods. Moreover, you can find the methods for entering payroll liabilities, taxes, ADP payroll, etc., in QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop.

This section comprises a brief outline of the blog:

How to Record Payroll in QuickBooks?

The users are advised to run the Help menu for recording payroll in QuickBooks. This menu is available on the accounting software’s bar. The menu has the QuickBooks Help option. After selecting it, you need to tap on Calculate Payroll Manually. The additional selections can be made in the Company Preferences menu to record payroll in QB.

• View “QuickBooks Bar”.
• Tap on “Help” given on it.
• Now, click on “QuickBooks Help”.
• Select the option of “Calculate Payroll Manually”.
• Use “Company Preferences” in Step 5.
• From the options, choose “Calculating Payroll Taxes Manually”.
• In the emerging window, you will be prompted to utilize “QuickBooks Payroll Subscription” by “Intuit”. Purchase it if required.
• Wait to see the “Set Your Company File to Use the Manual Payroll Calculations Setting” option.
• Then select “Manual Payroll Calculations”.
• Specify whether your QuickBooks company file has to be used for manually doing the calculations.
• Then tap on “Set My Company File to Use Manual Calculations”.
• Press “Ok”.
• After this, you can click on “Edit”.
• Consider choosing “Preferences”.
• You may view the payroll items under “List”.
• Include the rates of taxes for payroll liabilities in the closing step.

Method to Enter/Record ADP Payroll in QuickBooks

For adding an ADP Payroll to the QuickBooks software, the report for it needs to be downloaded. Once you have it, you can add the required dates in ADP InfoLink Report Utility. Moving forward, you can start running the accounting software. Via its Help menu, you can access QuickBooks Help. Then start looking for Manual Payroll and use it to enter the record.

• Go to “ADP InfoLink” and sign in via your credentials.
• Access your payroll report for the required period.
• In “ADP InfoLink Report Utility”, manually provide the dates.
• Choose the fields that need to be mapped.
• Now, you can open “QB” on your system.
• Select “Help” in the software.
• Push the dropdown’s icon to opt for “QuickBooks Help”.
• Now, tap on “Search”.
• After this, “Manual Payroll” needs to be clicked on.
• Hit the “Enter” tab.
• In the results, you can click on “Calculate Payroll Taxes Manually”.
• Open the link provided for “Manual Payroll Calculations”.
• The link for “Set My Company File to Use Manual Calculation” has to be opened.
• Select “File”.
• Click on the “Import” option.
• Utilize the “Browse” feature.
• Now, access the payroll report downloaded via “ADP”.
• Press “Open”.

Remember: By selecting “Open”, the process to import the report will start in the accounting software.

• When prompted, push “Yes”.
• Ensure that the name of the report is correct. Also, match it in “QuickBooks”.
• One more time, press “Yes” to end the method.

You can now wait for the accounting software to import the ADP report for payroll. With this, the method describing how to record ADP payroll in QuickBooks will reach an end.

How to Record Payroll Journal Entries in QuickBooks?

We suggest that our readers record payroll journal entries using the + New menu in QuickBooks. The menu brings Journal Entry to display. Select it and then look for Date. Here, you can specify your paycheque’s date. Then write the details that are necessary for recording the payroll journal entries. 

To understand how to record payroll journal entries in QuickBooks, let us look at the other instructions as well.

• Initially, you can use “+ New”.
• Then opt for “Journal Entry”.
• Go to the “Date” option.
• Here, choose the date for a paycheque.
• Mention “Entry” as an optional instruction.
• Enter the details and values for the following:
  • “Debit Account”
  • “Credit Account”
• Tap on “Make Recurring”.
• In the next step, select “Template Name” and fill it.
• Now, click on “Template Type”. Change it to “Unscheduled”.
• Press the “Save Template” button.
• Use “Save” to store this information.

How to Enter or Record Payroll Tax Payments in QuickBooks?

Payments of tax payroll can be saved in QuickBooks through the Taxes menu. The user can benefit from the Payroll Tax option. The option will lead you to Enter Prior Tax History. You need to input relevant information here. Then you can press Ok to save the information. Soon, the payroll tax payment will be recorded.

• On entering “QuickBooks”, please tap on “Taxes”.
• Click on the option saying “Payroll Tax”.
• Choose “Enter Prior Tax History”.
• Push the “Add Payment” tab.
• Type in the information associated with the payment.
• Click on “Ok”.

This 6-step procedure briefly explains how to record payroll tax payments in QuickBooks. While you follow it, you may receive certain instructions on the display. You may be required to execute them as well.

How to Record Payroll in QuickBooks Online Using a Journal Entry?

Those of you who are familiar with the Journal Entry option in QBO can easily record or enter payroll. Usually, this option is found after locating + New. When you have found Journal Entry, you can mention the Journal Date. Then click on Journal No. Field and fill it. With this, payroll will get recorded in QuickBooks Online along with a journal entry.

You can see the steps below to find out how to record payroll in QuickBooks Online:

• Check that you have the payroll report with you.
• Now, navigate to and push “+ New”.
• Click on “Journal Entry”.

Tip: Learn more about entering a journal entry in QuickBooks Online with this link.

• Establish the date for the paycheck in “Journal Date”.
• Fill in “Journal No. Field”.

Remember: By mentioning “Journal No. Field”, the number of the paycheck can be tracked.

How Do You Enter Payroll Taxes in QuickBooks Online?

A short process can be followed to enter or record payroll taxes in QuickBooks Online. In the software, you can choose Taxes. Then the tab for Payroll Tax has to be selected. View the Enter Prior Tax History option. Here, you can provide the payment relating to the taxes as well as fill in the other information.

Below, you can learn the remaining steps explaining how to record payroll taxes in QuickBooks Online:

• Begin by running “QBO”.
• Given on the left, click on “Taxes”.
• Next, push the tab for “Payroll Tax”.
• Click on “Enter Prior Tax History”.
• The “Add Payment” option needs to be utilized in this step.
• The information relating to payment needs to be included.
• Tap on “Ok”.

Process to Record/Enter Payroll Liabilities in QuickBooks Desktop

The simplest way to record payroll liabilities in QBDT is by visiting Help. This menu has been featured with the About QuickBooks option. You can open it to head to Setup TYD Amounts. The details of your payment can be recorded in the Enter Prior Payments option. Finally, you can include information such as the payment date to proceed.

These steps further elaborate on how to record payroll liabilities in QuickBooks Desktop:

• In step 1, you need to choose “Help”.
• Click on “About QuickBooks”.
• Use one of the following combinations of keys to launch “Setup YTD Amounts”:
  • “Ctrl” key + “Alt” key + “Y” key
  • “Ctrl” key + “Shift” key + “Y” key
• Select “Next”.
• Keep pressing “Next” to visit the section of “Enter Prior Payments”.
• On reaching this section, click on “Create Payment”.
• Include the details of the former payroll tax.
• Write the information of the payments relating to non-tax payroll liability.
• Ensure that the following fields have been filled:
  • “Payment Date”
  • “For Period Ending”
• Click on “Taxes and Liabilities”.
• Pick the item of payroll tax for which the payment has been made.
• Add the payment amount for this item.
• Tap on the “Accounts Affected” option.
• Specify how the payment should affect “COA” or “Chart of Accounts”.
• Opt for “Next Payment”.

Remember: The option of “Next Payment” will be chosen only when an additional payment has to be added to QuickBooks Desktop.

• Press “Finish”.

In Brief

Entering payroll payments in the QB software can be done in several ways. Considering the methods presented above, you can enter the payments at your own ease. While you perform these methods, we will suggest that you enter the correct details to maintain the record of payroll without any errors.

To help the readers further, we have added a post on how to record accounts payable in QuickBooks. Knowing how to record a transfer between accounts in QuickBooks is also suggested.