Chart of Accounts Balance is very incorrect

I guess I should say, I moved them from the ACCOUNT of Uncatagorized and placed each one in the PAYROLL EXPENSES account where they should be and now they are no longer reconciled.

Thank you for visiting the Community, Allisha.

Ensuring the proper tracking of payroll entries is vital to maintaining the accuracy of your financial records and payroll information. I'm here to guide you on how to handle your concerns effectively.

Based on the given scenario, we'll have to undo your previous reconciled entries to start fresh. After that, map your payroll items to the appropriate category to keep your data in order. Then, reconcile your transactions. 

If you use QuickBooks Online (QBO), Accountant, utilize the Undo Reconciliation feature to easily unreconcile previous data without having to edit each transaction in the register. Otherwise, you'll have to unreconcile the transactions one at a time.

Here's how:

1. In your company, navigate to the Transactions menu on the left panel and choose Chart of accounts.
2. Find the account you're working on and click the View register link.
3. Look for the transaction you're working on. 
4. If the entry is reconciled, you’ll see an R in the checkmark ✔ column, and click on it to expand the view.
5. Keep tapping the R status until it shows blank or cleared (C).
6. Press the Save button and click Yes in the confirmation window.
   
   

Now that we've cleared your transactions, categorize your payroll items according to the account you wish to use. Check out this article for detailed instructions: Change your accounting preferences in QuickBooks Online Payroll. After modifying the accounts, set the start and end dates when you wish the changes to take effect in the Update transactions screen. 

After performing these steps, let's reconcile the account. When performing this task, make sure to keep your bank statement handy and compare the entries with the ones in QBO. 

Regarding your other concern, run the same account report to get the necessary data. Furthermore, you'll find comprehensive information on reconciling your bank and credit card statements, along with troubleshooting tips for any starting and opening balance concerns in the following links:

• Fix issues the first time you reconcile an account
• Fix issues for accounts you've reconciled in the past
• Troubleshooting Issues while Reconciling in QuickBooks Online
  
  

The Community is always open if you have further questions about clearing old transactions or reconciling your account. I'll be here to continue helping. Have a good one, Allisha.

Thank you for your assistance. I unreconciled every transaction for 2023 one at a time! Then uncategorized my transactions to make sure everything was in the right category before reconciling again from scratch. I noticed i had two paryoll categories... one for PAYROLL EXPENSES/wages  and one for PAYROLL LIABILIIES/wages payable. I noticed when my transactions are downloaded from my bank account, they go to the wages payable... so when i recategorized, i put all my payroll transaction in the category... IT DOUBLED my payroll... i;m about to pull our my hair... and to top it off, it all not shows BACK up under uncatorgorized again!!! I attached a screenshot of my chart of account to show you what I'm saying. All my payroll entries are doubled and when i go to delete one, it says it was downloaded from my bank, do i want to remove it... the other says DD payable and dosnt give me an option to edit or delete. How do i get rid of all the double payroll checks? 

also here a shot of my reconciliation, where it shows double as well.

Thank you, Allisha, for sharing the screenshot and keeping us updated. 

I am here to assist you further and help you resolve the issue of double payroll entries. 

It appears that matching the downloaded bank transactions to the existing entries in QuickBooks Online could have prevented the double entries.

To address the issue, ensure that the correct expense account is selected in your Accounting preferences for payroll transactions so that they are categorized accurately and avoid any duplication.

Here's how:

1. Go to the Gear icon and select Payroll settings.
2. Scroll down to the Accounting section, then click the pencil icon.
3. Make the necessary changes to the correct account.
4. In the Update transactions section at the bottom part click the pencil icon, then select the Start and Ending date.
5. Click on Save.

By following these steps, the accounting preferences for past transactions will be updated according to current preference settings.

Moreover, confirm that the bank account you use for payroll transactions in QBO is the same as the one you connect for online banking transactions. Using the same bank account allows you to match the transactions effectively.

I am also sharing this article that explains how to generate payroll reports that provide a detailed breakdown of your employees' earnings, deductions, and tax details for a specified period.

If you require further assistance managing your double payroll entries or related matters, reply to this thread. I am here to support you at any time.