Run a Scheduled Payroll in QuickBooks Online- Instructions

Run a Scheduled Payroll in QuickBooks Online: Video

            This video lesson, titled “Creating Scheduled Paychecks,” shows you how to run a scheduled payroll in QuickBooks Online. This video lesson is from our complete QuickBooks Online tutorial titled “Mastering QuickBooks Online Made Easy.”

Overview of How to Run a Scheduled Payroll in QuickBooks Online

            To run a scheduled payroll in QuickBooks Online if you subscribe to a QuickBooks Online Payroll service, hover over the “Payroll” link in the Navigation Bar and then click the “Employees” link in the side menu that appears to open the “Employees” page. Then click the “Run payroll” button in the upper-right corner of the page to open the “Run Payroll” window. Alternatively, click the “+ New” button in the Navigation Bar and then click the “Payroll” link under the “Employees” heading in the menu that appears to open the “Run Payroll” window.

Select the Pay Schedule and Confirm the Pay Period

            If you created multiple pay schedules, then select the pay schedule to run in the first screen of the “Run Payroll” window and then click the “Continue” button in its lower-right corner. In the “Run Payroll: (Schedule)” screen, select the “Bank account” from which the payroll is paid, if you have multiple bank accounts created. Then confirm the “Pay period” and “Pay date” that appear to the right of the bank account are correct and change them if they are not. Below the payroll information, the employees to pay in the pay schedule appear in a table.

Select the Employees to Pay

            To change the view of the employee table, click the “Customize table” link in the upper-right corner of the table. In the menu that appears, check or uncheck the checkboxes under the “Edit columns” heading to show or hide the columns in the table, respectively. The available columns change, depending on the fields and pay types required for your payroll setup. Checking the “Compact” checkbox under the “Edit rows” heading shows the list in a compact mode. After making your desired changes, click outside of the menu to close it.

A picture showing how to run a scheduled payroll in QuickBooks Online for selected employees.

            The employees to pay in this pay schedule should appear with a checkmark in the checkbox to the left of their row in the employee table to show they are selected. If needed, to remove an employee from being paid in this run, uncheck this checkbox. Then enter the hours or pay amounts for the employees in the employee table into the associated columns for their respective pay types, as needed. The columns that appear depend on the pay types created. Also, any time tracking hours entered for the employees should appear for the employees in the list.

Review Paycheck Details

            To view the paycheck details for any selected employee, which is a digital representation of their pay stub, click the “pencil” icon at the right end of their row in the employee table. In the paycheck details window that opens, the employee and check information appear at the top of the window.

            In the “Pay” section below that, you see the “Type” of pay, the “Hour” and “Rate” of pay, the “Current” total, and the “YTD” (year-to-date) total for the employee. You can edit this information here, as well. The “Employee taxes” section contains the “Type” of tax withheld, the “Current” tax withheld, and the “YTD” taxes withheld. The “Employer taxes” section lists the “Type” of tax for which the employer is responsible, the “Current” tax amount, and the “YTD” tax amounts.

            You can click the “Pay,” “Employee taxes,” and “Employer taxes” section labels to expand and collapse the sections, if needed. There is also a “Memo” field at the bottom of the paycheck details, where you can enter a memo about the employee’s check, if necessary. To return to the previous window after reviewing the paycheck details, click the “OK” button in the lower-right corner.

Preview the Payroll

            After entering the payroll data for the employees, click the “Preview payroll” button in the lower-right corner of this window to open the “Review and Submit” screen. Make sure to thoroughly check your work! If desired, to preview the payroll details report for the payroll, click the “Preview payroll details” link in the toolbar at the bottom of the window to open the payroll details report in a new window, which you can close after reviewing it for accuracy.

            If needed, to save your changes up to this point for later and leave the payroll, click the drop-down arrow on the button in the lower-right corner of the window and select the “Save for later” command from the pop-up menu to save your changes and exit the “Run Payroll” window. Alternatively, to close the “Run Payroll” window without saving any changes, click the “X” button in the upper-right corner of the window to exit without saving any changes.

Submit the Payroll

            After ensuring all the information is correct in the “Review and Submit” screen of the “Run Payroll” window, click the “Submit payroll” button. The paycheck information then appears onscreen. To print pay stubs, click the “Print pay stubs” button to show a PDF preview of the pay stubs in a separate browser tab or window where you can print them and then close the tab or window, when finished. If needed, to record check numbers if printing paper checks, type them into the “Check Number” field for the associated paycheck.

View Payroll Reports

            To view your payroll reports as individual worksheets within an exported Excel workbook, click the “View payroll reports” link in the toolbar at the bottom of the “Run Payroll” window to open a “Your payroll reports are ready” window that lists the available payroll reports.

            Check the checkboxes to the left of the names of the reports to export and then click the “Export to Excel” button to download them to your computer as worksheets in an Excel workbook. You can then click the “OK” button in the lower-right corner of the “Your payroll reports are ready” window to return to the “Run Payroll” window. To finish the payroll, click the “Finish payroll” button in the lower-right corner of the “Run Payroll” window.

Instructions on How to Run a Scheduled Payroll in QuickBooks Online

1. To run a scheduled payroll in QuickBooks Online if you subscribe to a QuickBooks Online Payroll service, hover over the “Payroll” link in the Navigation Bar and then click the “Employees” link in the side menu that appears to open the “Employees” page.
2. Then click the “Run payroll” button in the upper-right corner of the page to open the “Run Payroll” window.
3. Alternatively, click the “+ New” button in the Navigation Bar and then click the “Payroll” link under the “Employees” heading in the menu that appears to open the “Run Payroll” window.

How to Select the Pay Schedule and Confirm the Pay Period

4. If you created multiple pay schedules, then select the pay schedule to run in the first screen of the “Run Payroll” window and then click the “Continue” button in its lower-right corner.
5. In the “Run Payroll: (Schedule)” screen, select the “Bank account” from which the payroll is paid, if you have multiple bank accounts created.
6. Then confirm the “Pay period” and “Pay date” that appear to the right of the bank account are correct and change them if they are not.

How to Select the Employees to Pay

7. Below the payroll information, the employees to pay in the pay schedule appear in a table.
8. To change the view of the employee table, click the “Customize table” link in the upper-right corner of the table.
9. In the menu that appears, check or uncheck the checkboxes under the “Edit columns” heading to show or hide the columns in the table, respectively. The available columns change, depending on the fields and pay types required for your payroll setup.
10. Checking the “Compact” checkbox under the “Edit rows” heading shows the list in a compact mode.
11. After making your desired changes, click outside of the menu to close it.
12. The employees to pay in this pay schedule should appear with a checkmark in the checkbox to the left of their row in the employee table to show they are selected.
13. If needed, to remove an employee from being paid in this run, uncheck this checkbox.
14. Then enter the hours or pay amounts for the employees in the employee table into the associated columns for their respective pay types, as needed. The columns that appear depend on the pay types created. Also, any time tracking hours entered for the employees should appear for the employees in the list.

How to Review Paycheck Details

15. To view the paycheck details for any selected employee, click the “pencil” icon at the right end of their row in the employee table.
16. In the paycheck details window that opens, the employee and check information appear at the top of the window.
17. In the “Pay” section below that, you see the “Type” of pay, the “Hour” and “Rate” of pay, the “Current” total, and the “YTD” (year-to-date) total for the employee. You can edit the available pay fields here, as well.
18. The “Employee taxes” section contains the “Type” of tax withheld, the “Current” tax withheld, and the “YTD” taxes withheld.
19. The “Employer taxes” section lists the “Type” of tax for which the employer is responsible, the “Current” tax amount, and the “YTD” tax amounts.
20. You can click the “Pay,” “Employee taxes,” and “Employer taxes” section labels to expand and collapse the sections, if needed.
21. To enter a memo about the employee’s check, if necessary, type it into the “Memo” field at the bottom of the paycheck details.
22. To return to the previous window after reviewing the paycheck details, click the “OK” button in the lower-right corner.

How to Preview the Payroll

23. After entering the payroll data for the employees, click the “Preview payroll” button in the lower-right corner of this window to open the “Review and Submit” screen and make sure to thoroughly check your work.
24. If desired, to preview the payroll details report for the payroll, click the “Preview payroll details” link in the toolbar at the bottom of the window to open the payroll details report in a new window, which you can close after reviewing it for accuracy.
25. If needed, to save your changes up to this point for later and leave the payroll, click the drop-down arrow on the button in the lower-right corner of the window and select the “Save for later” command from the pop-up menu to save your changes and exit the “Run Payroll” window.
26. Alternatively, to close the “Run Payroll” window without saving any changes, click the “X” button in the upper-right corner of the window to exit without saving any changes.

How to Submit the Payroll

27. After ensuring all the information is correct in the “Review and Submit” screen of the “Run Payroll” window, click the “Submit payroll” button.
28. The paycheck information then appears onscreen.
29. To print pay stubs, click the “Print pay stubs” button to show a PDF preview of the pay stubs in a separate browser tab or window where you can print them and then close the tab or window, when finished.
30. If needed, to record check numbers if printing paper checks, type them into the “Check Number” field for the associated paycheck.

How to View Payroll Reports

31. To view your payroll reports as individual worksheets within an exported Excel workbook, click the “View payroll reports” link in the toolbar at the bottom of the “Run Payroll” window to open a “Your payroll reports are ready” window that lists the available payroll reports.
32. Check the checkboxes to the left of the names of the reports to export and then click the “Export to Excel” button to download them to your computer as worksheets in an Excel workbook.
33. You can then click the “OK” button in the lower-right corner of the “Your payroll reports are ready” window to return to the “Run Payroll” window.
34. To finish the payroll, click the “Finish payroll” button in the lower-right corner of the “Run Payroll” window.