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Get started with QuickBooks Online Advanced Payroll

by Intuit6 Updated 2 weeks ago

Learn how to simplify your payroll process. Managing payroll can be time-consuming and complex, but QuickBooks Online Advanced Payroll streamlines it by integrating with your existing QuickBooks Online account.

This guide will walk you through the setup process, enabling you to efficiently manage timesheets, pensions, and payroll in one place with automated features for accuracy.

This article is for customers who are using QuickBooks Online Advanced Payroll.

Before you begin

Before setting up Advanced Payroll, gather the following details from your records, previous payroll providers, or HMRC:

  • Your company details (Company Registration Number (CRN), business name, postcode, payroll contact email)
  • HMRC details (Government Gateway credentials, PAYE reference, Accounts Office Reference number)
  • Employee details (Name, date of birth, email, National Insurance number, bank details, start date, pay schedule, salary)
  • Pay history (If applicable, from the current PAYE tax year)
  • Pension provider details

Set up Advanced Payroll in QuickBooks

First, you'll need to sign in to QuickBooks and select the payroll plan that's right for your business. To do this:

  1. Sign in to QuickBooks.
  2. Select Payroll.
  3. Select Get started.
  4. Choose the Advanced Payroll plan.
  5. Select Begin setup.
  1. Enter your Company Registration Number (CRN).
    If you don’t have a CRN, manually enter your business name, postcode, and payroll contact email.
  2. Under Payroll Information, enter:
    Standard working hours per week
    Pay frequency
    Industry type
  1. Go to Payroll.
  2. Select the Payroll Settings tab.
  3. Select HMRC Settings and enter:
    Employer PAYE reference number
    Accounts Office Reference number
  4. If eligible for Small Employers' Relief (SER), select Yes and choose the tax year.
  5. Select Yes if you'd like to make RTI (Real Time Information) submissions to HMRC.
  6. Select a date to submit your monthly EPS (Employer Payment Summary) automatically. If you select Don't submit automatically, you can get an Employer Payment Summary Report by going to your Payroll settings and then Reports.
    Note: If you're expecting a refund from HMRC, you'll need to provide them with your bank account details so they know where to deposit the money. Learn more about EPS submissions in QuickBooks.

Tip: Use test mode to send non-filing notifications to HMRC before making real submissions.

Additional payroll setup

Learn how to add and edit user permissions in QuickBooks Online Advanced Payroll. We'll also show you how to export all user permission settings so you can keep a backup handy.

Personalise payslips by adding your company logo, choosing displayed information, and including a personal message in payslip notification emails.

You'll want to make sure your payroll expenses and liabilities are organised correctly. To do this, you need to set up your chart of accounts. This can be done by customising the default settings to fit your business.

  1. Go to Payroll.
  2. Select Payroll settings.
  3. Under Business settings, select Chart of accounts.
  4. Select Default Accounts.
  5. Select the settings you'd like to change. You can choose to split each account by location–make sure you set up location tracking.

Follow these steps again for pay categories, deduction categories, and expense categories. Learn more about the chart of accounts in QuickBooks Online.

You'll need to decide how often you'll be paying your staff, and whether you'll have different schedules for different employees. Here's how you can add, edit or delete pay schedules.

Adding employees manually may be the most time-consuming method, but it allows for the greatest degree of control over employee information. Follow these steps to add your first employee.

Importing a list of employees from an Excel spreadsheet is a quick and easy way to add multiple employees at once.

Alternatively, you can invite your employees to use the setup portal. All you need to do is invite them into QuickBooks and they will receive an email with a link to follow. The employee can then fill in their details and you will be notified via email when they have completed this process. You can finish setting the employee up by adding their employment and pension details.

The WorkZone app is a great way for employees to submit leave requests and expenses, log timesheets, and access workplace documents like payslips. It's quick and easy to use, and it's a great way to stay organised.

If you want your employees to be able to access the WorkZone app and take advantage of its many features, you'll need to set up and grant them access to the employee portal first.

If you're moving to Advanced Payroll from another software during the PAYE tax year, you'll need to set up opening balances for leave entitlements and year-to-date payments for your employees. This is so that the correct information can be reported to HMRC. QuickBooks will add these figures to the pay run and work out the PAYE and National Insurance contribution on the whole amount.

Pensions are an important part of retirement planning, and getting them set up correctly is crucial. With PensionSync, you can easily integrate your pension scheme with Advanced Payroll and automate your pension reporting.

Before you can set up pensions manually, you'll need to have set up your pension scheme with your pension provider and know which taxation method is being used–you can get this from your pension provider. If you're not sure which provider to choose, The Pensions Regulator can help.

Running payroll

When you create a pay run, QuickBooks provides a breakdown of each employee's pay, including tax, National Insurance, and pension contributions.

After you process payroll, you will need to send an FPS (Full Payment Summary) to HMRC on or before pay day. Before you make a submission, make sure your RTI details are correct in your HMRC Settings.

Unlike FPS filings, an EPS (Employer Payment Summary) filing is created for specific reasons and might not be required every month or at all. Find out when you need to submit an EPS.

  • P32 report: Tracks all monthly payments owed and already paid to HMRC in a financial tax year. This can include PAYE, National Insurance contributions, deductions and more.
  • Gross to Net report: Shows you how much money your employees are taking home, after taxes and other deductions are taken out.
  • Report Packs: Generate bundled reports for regular email distribution.

Learn how to run payroll reports in QuickBooks Online Advanced.

  • Payroll processing is handled in QuickBooks, but employee payments must be arranged separately.
  • If your bank account is linked to QuickBooks, payment details are automatically uploaded.
  • If not, manually enter payment details.
  • HMRC liabilities: Advanced Payroll calculates tax and NI contributions, but payment must be made manually. It's also important to keep a record of payments you've made yourself. You can also run a report for HMRC liabilities, so you always know where you stand.
  • Pension payments: Advanced Payroll will calculate your pension contributions for you, but you're responsible for making the payment. When you finalise your pay run, you'll be given the option of downloading a file with details of the payments that need to be made.

What's next?

Your payroll is now set up and ready to run smoothly in QuickBooks Online Advanced Payroll. For more in-depth guidance, check out our additional support articles:


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