Automatically send pension contributions in QuickBooks Online Core Payroll

If you've chosen Nest as your pension provider and are using QuickBooks Online Core payroll, you'll want to take advantage of the convenience of automatic submissions. This will allow you to streamline your business's payroll processes.

This article will cover:

• Submission requirements
• How to turn on/off automatic submissions
• Troubleshooting error messages
• Frequestly asked questions

Note: If you're looking for help with automatic pension contributions in QuickBooks Online Standard, see this article here.

Submission requirements

Before you start, make sure you:

• Set up workplace pensions in QuickBooks Online
• Have all of your employees enrolled and registered with Nest
• Check your details match what's recorded with Nest
  • Employee NI numbers, first and last names, and payroll IDs.
  • Payroll schedules should match. If you pay employees monthly, Nest should have your payroll schedule set as monthly, not weekly.
  • Contributions amounts in Nest should match the amounts you have set up in QuickBooks.

Turn on automatic submissions

Note: If you have newly enrolled employees, you'll need to submit their information to Nest separately, outside of QuickBooks Online. QuickBooks will not automatically send new employee details to Nest.

1. Select the ⚙️ gear icon, and then select Payroll Settings.
2. Next to Pension submission with Nest, select the ✏️ pencil icon to Edit.
3. Select Turn on pension automation.
4. Enter your Nest username and password. 
5. If you want QuickBooks to send your data straight to Nest each time you run payroll, select Submit automatically to Nest every payroll.
6. Select Save.

You'll still have to log into your Nest account to approve the direct debit payment like you usually do.

That's it! Once you run payroll, you'll see the option to view your Nest pension submissions.

Turn off automatic submissions

1. Select the ⚙️ gear icon, and then select Payroll Settings.
2. Next to Pension submission with Nest, select the ✏️ pencil icon to Edit.
3. Uncheck Turn on pension automation.
4. Select Save.

(Back to top)

Troubleshoot error messages

You might come across error messages that need your attention regarding your submissions to Nest.

Select the relevant message to learn more and understand what they mean.

"The employer reference that you provided doesn't match a valid employer on the system."

If the employer reference you provided doesn't match a valid employer on the system, doublecheck the pension employer reference in Payroll matches your Nest Employer Reference. Then, try to re-processing your submission.

"One or more contributions you've entered for this member are less than the minimum you've agreed to pay for them."

If one or more contributions you've entered for a member are less than the minimum agreed upon, doublecheck that the pensionable earnings and contributions match the group this member belongs to.

"One or more contributions you've entered for this member are more than the maximum you've agreed to pay for them."

On the other hand, if one or more contributions you've entered for a member exceed the maximum amount agreed upon, doublecheck that the pensionable earnings and contributions match the group this member belongs to.

"You've already submitted contributions for the members in this schedule."

This means that you've already submitted contributions for a member in this schedule. You don't need to submit them again.

"Unable to match pension submission to a valid schedule in the pension provider."

This means that the pension submission cannot be matched to a valid schedule in the pension provider. There might be an issue with the matching process.

For more help with submission errors, check out the Nest help page.

(Back to top)

Frequently asked questions

Can I navigate away from the page while my Nest submission is still in progress?

Yes, you can. It's normal for the submission to take a few minutes, so feel free to move on to your next task while it completes.

What happens if I delete or roll back a pay run and then recreate it?

Similar to the FPS (Full Payment Submission), you'll need to resend a Nest submission for any pay runs that have been deleted or rolled back.

Can I view all my pension reports?

Yes, even if you submit contributions to Nest automatically, you can see all your pension reports in QuickBooks.