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Run payroll reports

by Intuit•2• Updated 3 months ago

Learn how to run, print, and customize payroll reports in QuickBooks Online Payroll and QuickBooks Desktop Payroll.

Do you want to get a closer look at your business' finances? There are several payroll reports you can use to view useful info about your business and employees. We'll tell you about these reports and how to access them.

In this article, you'll learn how to:



See a list of payroll reports

Here are the reports available in QuickBooks Online Payroll.

Note: Not sure which payroll service you have? Here's how to find your payroll service.
Report nameDescription
Employee DetailsA snapshot of each employee, including pay rate, deductions, and tax withholding.
Employee DirectoryUse this report to verify employees' personal, work, pay, and tax info.
Multiple WorksitesProvides information you can use to complete your Multiple Worksites Report (if required by your state). 
Paycheque HistoryAn overview of past paycheques, including payment method and paycheque status.
Payroll Billing SummaryShows all the charges billed to your QuickBooks Payroll account.
Payroll Deductions/ContributionsShows all employees’ total deductions and company contributions.
Payroll DetailsGives you detailed info on your employee's payroll.
Payroll Item ListProvides details about pay items, paid-time-off items, deductions, and contributions
Payroll Summary by EmployeeA comprehensive report of wages, deductions, and tax info totalled by employee or period.
Payroll SummarySummary of the paycheques you’ve created, including total wages, taxes, and deductions.
Payroll Tax LiabilityShows you how much payroll tax you need to pay and how much you’ve already paid.
Payroll Tax PaymentsShows the payroll tax payments you’ve made.
Payroll Tax and Wage SummaryGives you the total subject wages, excess wages, and taxable wages by tax type.
Recent/Edited Time ActivitiesAny recently entered or edited time activities will show in this report.
Retirement PlansEmployee and company contributions to your retirement plans.
Time Activities by Employee DetailThe products and services (time activities) each employee provided, including hourly rate and duration.
Total PayGives you the employee’s total pay by pay type
Total Payroll CostShows you all costs associated with paying your employees, including total pay, net pay, deductions, and taxes.
Vacation and Sick LeaveShows you the employees' time off accrual and usage info, which includes the hours used and the current balance of their time off policies.
Workers' CompensationDisplays wages paid for each Workers Comp class.

You can also view the description of each report in your online payroll. Just select the Help (?) icon next to the report name.



Access payroll reports

You can find reports about employee info, wages, taxes, deductions, and many more payroll reports in your QuickBooks Payroll. You can also create a payroll summary report in QuickBooks.

QuickBooks Online Payroll

  1. Go to Reports, then Standard.
  2. Scroll down to the Payroll section or Find report by name from the search field.
  3. Find and select the report you want to view.
  4. Filter your report by date range, then select Apply.

QuickBooks Desktop Payroll

  1. Go to Reports, then Employees & Payroll.
  2. Select the report you want to view.
  3. If applicable, you may Customize Report.


Access sick, vacation, or time off reports

QuickBooks Desktop Payroll

Here’s how you can access and customize your employee’s sick and vacation balances or time off reports.

  1. Go to Reports, then Employees & Payroll.
  2. Select Employee Contact List.
  3. Select Customize Report.
  4. Go to Display tab, then select the following info for Columns:
    • Sick limit
    • Sick accrued
    • Sick used
  5. Select OK.

Choose a Date Range if you want to run a report for a specific period.



Mark as Favourite

QuickBooks Online Payroll

You can mark reports as your favourites. With this, you can easily access these reports in the Favourites section.

  1. Go to Reports, then Standard.
  2. Scroll down to the Payroll section.
  3. Next to the report name, select Favourites ⭐.

QuickBooks Desktop Payroll

  1. Go to Reports, then Report Centre.
  2. Select Employees & Payroll.
  3. Hover over the report and select Fave (heart icon). You’ll see the report in the Favourites tab.


Customize reports

QuickBooks Online Payroll

  1. Access the payroll report you want to customize.
  2. Select Customize.
  3. Select the items you want to include in your report.
  4. When finished, select Run report.

QuickBooks Desktop Payroll

Learn how to customize payroll and employee reports in QuickBooks Desktop Payroll.



Print reports

  1. Access the payroll report you want to print.
  2. Select Share ▼.
  3. Choose how you want to print your report:
    • Export to Excel: If you want to print your report in an excel file, select this option. An excel file gets downloaded, open and print the report.
    • Excel to PDF: Select this option and select Print. You can Save as PDF or Email the file.
  1. Go to Reports, then Employees & Payroll.
  2. Select the report you want to print.
  3. Customize the report as needed. 
  4. In the Print ▼dropdown, select Report, then Print.

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