Learn how to create a paycheck with a specific net pay amount in QuickBooks Online Payroll and QuickBooks Desktop Payroll.
You may want to pay your employee an exact net (or take home) pay amount. This is referred to as a gross up paycheck, and is most common with bonuses. When you gross up a paycheck, your business pays the employee’s taxes.
Select your payroll product below to create a gross up paycheck.
QuickBooks Online Payroll
You can only create a gross up as a separate bonus check. Deductions or other earnings won’t be included.
- Go to Payroll, then Employees (Take me there).
- Select the Run Payroll ▼ dropdown, then select Bonus Only.
- Select As net pay. Select Continue.
- Enter the pay date.
- Select your employee(s), then enter their net bonus amounts.
- If you want to use the supplemental tax rates, or add a pay period, select ✎ Payroll options.
- Select Preview payroll, then Submit payroll.
QuickBooks Desktop Payroll
Note: this is only available in QuickBooks Desktop Payroll Enhanced and Assisted.
You can create a gross up check using only earnings pay items. Hourly and addition items won’t work. Deductions won’t be included on the check.
- Select Employees, then Pay Employees.
- Select Scheduled or Unscheduled Payroll.
- Select your employee, then select Open Paycheck Detail.
- Add an earnings item like salary or bonus with 0.00 amount.
- Remove all non-earnings payroll items from the check.
- Select Enter net/Calculate gross.
- Enter the net pay amount.
- Select Save & Close.
- Run payroll as normal.
