Journal numbering

Hello Rjwb, 

Welcome to the Community page, 

Can we ask which payroll it is you are using, is it standard or advanced? 

Standard payroll

Hello Rjwbailey, 

It sounds like you might have probably created some journals manually and the numbering sequence got derailed. To get it back in order is by editing a payroll journal to the right number and saving it should allow the system to next time use the next number in the sequence. 

If you have any queries still on this please reach back out to us again. 

That doesn't work - as I said in my first post. I renumbered the 6 x pay journals without ref numbers to numbers 35-40. When I start a new journal, it tries to use number 35 again, not recognising that I have already used numbers 35-40. So I have to manually change that to 41. Then it correctly numbers journals 42, 43, etc.

But I just test ran August's payroll and again the pay journals are posted without ref numbers. So the whole cycle starts again. I need payroll to post the journals with the correct numbers rather than without number?

Hi rjwbailey, 

Thanks for getting back to us on this thread. 

Can you check you have the setting for 'Warn if duplicate journal entry number is used' enabled by going to the Cog Wheel > Accounts and Settings > Advanced > Other preferences?

Yes, it is selected and it does warn me when I'm about to post a journal with a duplicate ref number.

Hello Rjwbailey, 

Thanks for checking that can you do some troubleshooting and see if that corrects it or if you still have the same issue and let us know. 

Could you clear your cache and cookies, close down the web browser reopen it and log into Quickbooks and try it again? 

Can you also try in an incognito/private window as well and try in there. 

I was using the QB app, not a web browser as such. I have tried the same in MS Edge with cookies & cache cleared and in a Firefox private windows and get the same results.

I think auto-numbering is working correctly when I manually post a journal - it's difficult to tell now as I've created and then deleted so many journals in my testing!

The issue remains that when I run a payroll, the journals created by payroll do not get numbered. And that is what starts to send the auto-numbering awry. Because, when I add ref numbers to those journals and save them, the auto-numbering does not pick that up.

From the transaction history, it also looks like the journal that filed the last VAT return did not get numbered. So there could be a wider problem that system-generated journals do not get auto-numbered?

Thanks for the information, @rjwbailey.

I have more steps we can try. You can create a dummy journal entry so this becomes the starting point of your payroll journal sequence.

1. Go to +New, then Journal entry.
2. Enter a dummy detail and make sure to use the correct Journal no.
3. Click Save and close.

With these steps, your next journal will follow with the number you're using.

We also have a guide on QuickBooks Online Standard Payroll Hub that I'm sure you'll find helpful. It has links to articles related to payroll issues. 

Let us know how it goes or if you have other questions or concerns. We in the Community will always here to lend a hand. Take care and I wish you have great day ahead.

That doesn't work. The dummy journal can be posted with the correct no. But the pay journals are still posted by QB Payroll without any numbers.

I appreciate you for trying the steps above, rjwbailey.

The options shared by my colleagues above are the suggested steps to resolve this issue. Since it doesn't work on your end, I'd recommend reaching out to our Chat Support team. This way, an agent can do a screen-share with you and investigate why the pay journals are posted without the correct numbering.

Here are the steps on how to contact them:

1. Open your account on a web browser.
2. In the Dashboard page, click the Gear icon.
3. Click Contact Us.
4. You can enter Pay journals are posted without the correct numbering as your keyword.
5. Click Let's talk.
6. Select Start a chat.

I've also added these articles that have the lists of some questions about standard payroll:

• QuickBooks Online Standard Payroll Hub
• Compare mobile app features

I'm just a post-away if there's anything that I can help you with. Take care!

I just had an online chat and they confirmed this is a known bug in Standard Payroll. So we have to do journal numbering manually for the foreseeable future :-(