When I last ran payroll, the transaction posted to the wrong account (I had changed the name of an account). How do I move the transaction to the correct register?

Hey there, @letmeseewhatiwanttosee.

Hope you've had a great Monday so far. System-generated transactions like Payroll Checks can't be moved to another account at this time in QuickBooks Online. You'll need to use a journal entry or transfer to move the funds to the correct account. If you prefer the Journal Entry route, I recommend touching base with your accountant to ensure it's setup appropriately. I've provided the steps for entering a transfer below. It's super quick and easy and you'll be doing it like a pro in no time.

1. Select New ⨁, then Transfer.
2. From the Transfer Funds From drop down list, choose the bank account that the funds are coming out of.
3. From the Transfer Funds To drop down list, pick the bank account the funds are being deposited into.
4. In the Transfer Amount field, enter the amount being transferred.
5. Edit the Date to the payroll check date.
6. (Optional) Enter a description of the transfer in the Memo field.
7. Click Save and close or Save and new.

That's it! To prevent this issue in the future, I recommend changing the mapped account for your payroll in Payroll Settings if you haven't already done so.

If you have any other questions for me, just hit the Reply button below and I'll be here to help. Have a great rest of your Monday!

I'd like to follow up on this.  So the payroll items for me posted to both the actual account it came out of (through actual bank account being tied to QB) as well as the account I had selected within payroll to post to.
I tried this tranfer option; however, now I have 2 line items in there and unsure either are coded right now; meaning, as payroll wages? Any additional help our guidance?

I tried this, but unsure that was/is the correct path to take.  My payroll transaction was supposed to go to QB checking (per the drop down option that should NOT be there based on the issue you mentioned), and it got posted there in that register, but also the bank register it actually got paid out of.  The transfer just created a NEW one, so now 2 in the bank it actually came out of. It did "back out" the 2 transactions from the wrong register, but now I have 2 in the actual bank account tied through settings and unsure if 1) coded as payroll wages right, 2) can I just delete the "duplicate" that pulled in with bank being tied to QB?

Thanks for following up on this thread, kimm.

Did you add transactions from the bank account that your payroll was actually paid from in your bank feeds?

In QuickBooks, you'll have to maintain one bank account for payroll. You must select the actual bank account from which you withdraw money for paychecks in your payroll settings. This makes it simple to match your transactions with those that have already been added to the system when using bank feeds.

There are just a few steps to modify your payroll accounting preferences. Here's how:

1. Click the Gear icon in the top right corner.
2. Select Payroll Settings.
3. In the Accounting section, click the Pencil icon. From here, you'll be able to manage your payroll accounting settings to track your payroll transactions.
4. In the Bank Account section, click the Pencil icon. Choose the checking account to use for payroll. The account will have to be the one that's already connected to QBO. Then, Save.
5. Review the expenses and liability accounts your payroll transactions are tied to.
6. Select the Pencil icon next to Update existing transactions. If you receive an error "There are too many transactions to update all at once." Reduce the amount of months, weeks, or days in the period going back from today's date. For example, if you were trying to go from 10/20/2022 to 1/1/2022, reduce your look back period to 10/20/2022 to 5/1/2022. If you still receive the same error, further reduce the lookback period, for example 10/20/2022 to 10/1/2022.
7. Add a Start Date. We'll change all accounts except in the Bank Account section.

Also, when using the Transfer option, only the funds, not the actual payroll entry, will be transferred. As it was posted to the incorrect bank account, you'll want to delete the transfer together with the prior paychecks. Then, rerun payroll.

Next, undo previously added transactions in your bank feeds. After that, categorize and match them to avoid duplicates.

Finally, I'm adding this article on how to set up your bank account for direct deposits: Payroll Bank Account.

Don't hesitate to comment down below if you need more help with other payroll-related tasks. I'd be glad to get back here.