Can Quickbooks Dekstop with payroll cover payroll for 2 different S corps?

Hello there, matt24tdg.

I can help share some information about this.

It depends if you'll add a new EIN for the existing payroll subscription or not. 

Each QuickBooks Desktop Payroll service has a limit on the number of companies you can add to a single subscription. With QuickBooks Desktop Payroll Basic, Standard, or Enhanced, you can add up to 3 EINs.

Here are the steps to add a company to your payroll subscription:

1. Click Employees at the top menu bar and choose Payroll.
2. Select Use My Existing Payroll Service. If you don't see this option, follow the steps here "Use my existing payroll service option is not available."
3. Under Identify Subscription, choose Use Subscription Number XXXXXXX [ Payroll Subscription Version ]. If you don't see your subscription in the list, select Other: I have an existing subscription and a Zip Code. And enter your information.
4. Tap Open, then select Next.
5. When the Add Company Information window opens, select Next to add the company EIN.
6. You may choose to Print or Return to QuickBooks Desktop. Note: The Validating Payroll Subscription window opens and the service is added automatically.
7. Verify the Service Key.
   • Select Employees, then My Payroll Service, then Manage Service Keys.
   • Select View to display the new service key with an Active Status.

You can check these articles to learn more about the limitations in adding company to your payroll subscription:

• Add an EIN to existing Payroll Subscription.
• The "Use my existing payroll service" option is not available.

Reach out to me again if you have additional questions about adding a company to your payroll subscription. I’m more than happy to answer them for you.

Thank you! My wife and I each run a separate business with different EINs, so if I'm understanding correctly we should each be able to run payroll for ourselves through the one payroll subscription, I was hoping that was the case.

Hello, matt24tdg.

Yes, you're right. For one payroll subscription, you and your wife will be able to run payroll.

I've got an article that you can read through about creating paychecks in QuickBooks Desktop: Create and run your payroll.

Additionally, the following resources are good references. These will provide you with more details about what things you can do with your current payroll subscription as well as other links for your payroll task:

QuickBooks Payroll Services and Features for QuickBooks Desktop.

FAQs on QuickBooks Payroll updates.

If there's anything else you need, please let me know. I'll be around to keep helping.