Run payroll in QuickBooks Online Payroll

Learn how to run payroll in QuickBooks Online to pay employees by direct deposit or cheque. Use scheduled payroll for regular runs or unscheduled payroll for off-cycle payments such as bonuses or final cheques.

You can create and run payroll for your employees in QuickBooks Online Payroll. This process involves entering employee hours, reviewing pay details, and submitting the payroll for processing. This guide explains the steps to run scheduled or unscheduled payroll for employees paid by direct deposit or paper cheque.

What are scheduled and unscheduled payroll?

• Scheduled payroll: Pay regular payroll payments for your employees. You can add bonuses or other pay to these.
• Unscheduled payroll: Pay a bonus, commission, a final payroll payment, or to report fringe benefits outside your regular payroll schedule.

Create and send payroll payments

Using pay schedules can make your regular payroll easier. If you haven’t set one up yet, do that first. The steps to create and run your payroll depend on your payroll service.

1. Follow this link to complete the steps in product
2. Select Run payroll.
3. If applicable, select your desired pay schedule, then select Continue.
4. Select or review the Pay period and Pay date.
5. Select the employees you'd like to pay.
6. Select the column, or select from the Actions column, then select Edit payroll payment to enter your pay details. You can enter regular pay hours, bonuses, compensation, memos, or any other necessary payroll payment info, then select Save.
7. Select Preview payroll.
8. Select or review the QuickBooks Chart of account to track your payroll.
9. Select Preview payroll details, Save for later, or Submit payroll. Select Close.

After you submit payroll, QuickBooks processes the payments by direct deposit or for cheques and updates your payroll records.

What's next?

• Set up your QuickBooks Time account
• Set up Auto Payroll to pay your employees