QuickBooks HelpQuickBooksHelpIntuit

Move to QuickBooks Online Bureau Payroll

by Intuit• Updated 1 year ago

Moving to Bureau Payroll? Great! We'll talk about some important things to consider before making the switch, and then we'll give you a handy step-by-step checklist on how to export your data and smoothing bring it all into Bureau Payroll.

This article will cover:

Things to consider before moving to Bureau Payroll

Before you continue, take a moment to keep the following points in mind. They'll help make the transition to Bureau Payroll as smooth as possible.

Plan your move

We suggest switching to Bureau Payroll in April before running any pay runs for the new tax year. To do this, you'll need to export and import employee details, and if there are any missing information, you can manually add it.

If you have already completed pay runs within a tax year, the best way to transfer data is by exporting and importing the latest FPS (Full Payment Submission). This will include year-to-date figures and reduce the need for manual data entry.

Check your subscription renewal date

You have the flexibility to switch your clients to Bureau Payroll at any time. However, make sure to check the renewal date of the old payroll subscription.

This way, you won't make the switch and then realise that the subscription renewed for another month when you no longer need it. To find this info:

  1. Select the Profile icon.
  2. Select Manage Your Intuit Account.
  3. Select Products and billing.
  4. Select the company.
    Once you cancel your payroll subscription you'll be able to view the data for 30 days.

Finalise any pending pay runs and submissions

After you cancel your payroll subscription, you won't be able to run or make changes to payroll. Be sure to finalise any pending pay runs and submissions to HMRC before switching to Bureau Payroll.

If you have a weekly payroll, it's important to think about the time you have available and the deadlines you need to meet for a smooth transition.

Move a few payrolls first

We recommend starting by moving 2-3 payrolls to Bureau Payroll so you can become familiar with the new system before fully transitioning all your clients.

(Back to top)


How to move to Bureau Payroll

1. Set up Bureau Payroll

The first thing you need to do is follow the steps to set up Bureau Payroll. It covers how to request access (if needed), connecting payroll for your clients and reviewing your client list. 

If you're moving from another payroll management system, here's how you can connect it to Bureau Payroll.

Tip: Check out these helpful articles to guide you through Bureau Payroll. If you're already using Advanced Payroll, you can skip this step since Bureau Payroll works in a similar way.

(Back to top)


2. Map the accounts

Next, let's map the accounts. This step is important because it help make sure that Bureau Payroll accurately records expenses and liabilities to the right accounts. By doing this, you'll have an easier time tracking and reporting payroll-related transactions.

(Back to top)


3. Export your data

Let's export your employee and FPS information from your current QuickBooks payroll solution.

Choose the heading that matches your current payroll subscription to see the steps.

Export employees

  1. Go to Payroll and select Employees.
  2. Next to Add Employee, select the ▼dropdown arrow.
  3. Select Export Employees.
  4. For the data type, select Template with employee data.
  5. Choose the file type and format you prefer.
  6. Select Download.

Export FPS

  1. Go to Payroll and select Reports.
  2. Select RTI submission messages.
  3. Select the date range.
  4. Choose FullPaymentSubmissionRequest for the message type.

Export FPS

To copy, paste and save the FPS code, open the notepad or a similar application on your computer.

  1. Go to Payroll.
  2. Select Payroll tax.
  3. Choose the most recent FPS.
  4. Go to the Review tab.
  5. Copy the entire FPS raw code.
  6. Open notepad or a similar app, then paste the code.
  7. Save the file as an .xml file.

(Back to top)


4. Import your data into Bureau Payroll

Alright, it's time to bring in your data! Let's start off by importing the your latest FPS data which includes HMRC and employee details, as well as some opening balances.

  1. Go to the client where you want to import the data.
    You can do this from either the Bureau dashboard or QuickBooks Online Accountant.
  2. Select the Employee tab.
  3. Next to Add employee, select the ▼dropdown arrow.
  4. Select Import employees.
  5. For the file type, select FPS file upload from the options.
  6. Then, Select file... and choose the saved FPS file.
  7. Select Confirm upload.

Note: When importing FPS files into Bureau Payroll, you'll still need to manually fill in some employee info. The FPS does not contain all the necessary data to fully set up an employee.

To complete the employee setup, go to the employee's profile by selecting their name. You can find missing data by following the employee setup wizard.

Import employee CSV file

Follow these steps to import an employee CSV into Bureau Payroll.

(Back to top)


Frequently asked questions

Employees using the WorkZone employee portal

If you have Advanced Payroll and your employees use the Workzone employee portal:

  • They can continue using the same account and login credentials.
  • When they login, they'll notice two businesses, possibly with the same name–one will have their old payslips, and the other will store the new payslips from Bureau Payroll.

Employees using the Workforce employee portal

If you have Standard Payroll and your employees use the Workforce employee portal, you will need to invite them to the WorkZone portal through Bureau Payroll. Don't forget, you can also invite employees to download the app.

To begin using Payroll Bureau at the start of the tax year in April, all you need to do is export your employees and import them into the Bureau Payroll client company. Then, simply enter any missing information manually.

(Back to top)

QuickBooks Online Payroll AdvancedQuickBooks Online Payroll Standard

Sign in now for personalized help

See articles customized for your product and join our large community of QuickBooks users.