Continuously have to toggle paychecks online to send in order to get payroll updates to work.

It seems that you're using QuickBooks Desktop Payroll based on the error you get, @mmacone. I'm here to provide some fixes.

Make sure to first update and back up your QuickBooks Desktop data. This keeps QuickBooks up-to-date and gets the latest enhancements and features. Additionally, it'd help you restore company data easily in case you encounter other issues.

Once done, perform the following additional troubleshooting steps so you can continue with your payroll tasks.

1. Send your payroll details or usage data.
2. Identify stuck paychecks.
3. Verify and Rebuild data.
4. Toggle the stuck paychecks.

See this for the detailed steps: Resolve payroll error PS038.

I've added these extra modules to learn more about how to keep track and personalize payroll transactions in QBDT Payroll.

• Create a payroll summary report in QuickBooks
• Customize reports in QuickBooks Desktop

You already know where to find me in case you have other QuickBooks or payroll concerns. I'd be delighted to assist further. Take the best care!

Thank you for the response Mich_S. Problem is that I have had to do that five times now to get the payroll updates to complete for the last five times I could not run payroll without updating. The number of stuck paychecks has reached 152. Toggling 152 checks every time takes over an hour to complete. Why does this issue not get resolved after the payroll updates complete? Why do I have to continue to toggle checks? Do they not get removed from the "online to send" queue once the online sync completes?

This isn't the type of situation we want you to be in, mmacone.

I checked our records, and there are no reported cases of customers experiencing payroll error PS038. We appreciate you carrying out my colleague's troubleshooting solutions. We can use the Repair Tool to fix most software issues to better isolate the problem. Here's how it's done:

1. Create a back up your company file beforehand to avoid any accidental data loss.
2. Reboot the computer and tap the Windows Start menu.
3. Find Control Panel on the search field or select it from the list.
4. Press Programs and Features then Uninstall a Program.
5. Note: If you don't see Programs and Features, select Programs instead. Then select Program and Features.
6. Pick QuickBooks from the list of Programs, then press Uninstall/Change.
7. Click on Continue, or Next. then Repair.
8. Press Next again then wait for the tool to start its diagnosis.
9. Hit Finish when done.

To learn more about repairing QuickBooks and its complete steps, go to this link: Repair your QuickBooks Desktop for Windows.

If the problem persists, I'd suggest reaching out to our QuickBooks Care Support. They have the tools to conduct a thorough investigation for a complete resolution. The following are the steps to contact support:

1. Click Help at the top menu and select QuickBooks Desktop Help.
2. In the Have a Question? window, enter a topic.
3. Click Contact us.
4. Hit the Start Messaging button.

Please take note our operating hours for chat support depend on the version of QuickBooks that you're using. Please see this article for more details: Support hours and types.

We'll need to update QuickBooks Desktop automatically in the future to avoid stuck paychecks. When you enable auto-updates, QuickBooks downloads and installs the most recent updates as soon as they become available. You can find the steps and details in this article: Update QuickBooks Desktop to the latest release.

In case you need tips and related articles in the future, visit our QuickBooks Community help website for reference: QBDT Self-help. 

Feel free to go back to this thread if you have more questions. The Community team is here to help you move forward. Take care always.

i need help with this issue and can't reach anyone on the customer support line.  PLEASE CALL to help. [phone number removed]

This is a LIE.  This has been as issue since 2021.  I read a Lot of community forums and there have been complaints listed on here since 2021!!! With this issue and to date No One from QB has been able to help me get this issue resolved either!  We will be looking to switch to another payroll software as this is riduculous the type service  we receive when we pay a ton of money each month, for NO service!

@MirakhanLLC, I understand you've been through an ordeal with the payroll updates in QuickBooks Desktop (QBDT). Don't worry. I'm here to work with you to resolve the error code PS038.

You'll usually receive the error code: PS038 when attempting to run payroll, download tax table updates, and paychecks get stuck as Online to Send status for more than 30 days after it was created or modified. It is to guarantee our customers transmit usage data on a regular basis and allow Intuit to accurately bill them for usage fees. I'll show you how to work around the issue.

First, don't forget to update your QBDT to the most recent release and create a backup copy of your company file. This way, you'll receive the latest product improvements and restore your data if something goes wrong.

Next, send your payroll data or usage data. Here's how:

1. Go to the Employees menu, select My Payroll Service, and click Send Usage Data. If you don't have this option, refer to the next step.
2. Go to Employees and click Send Payroll Data.
3. In the Send/Receive Payroll Data window, select Send All. Enter your payroll service pin when prompted.

Once successful, get the payroll updates again and follow the additional steps in this article: Resolve payroll error PS038. Otherwise, I recommend contacting our customer support for help. They have tools for screen-sharing to further identify the cause of the error. 

Additionally, QuickBooks Workforce is a great solution for your team to constantly have access to their W-2s and pay stubs. Each time you run payroll, they'll be notified via email that their pay stubs and W-2s are available for viewing and printing.

Let me know if you have additional concerns about QBDT payroll. I'm always available to answer your questions. Stay safe.

They are lying to you. There are A TON of people who have this problem. You can find them writing about it online. Also, why else would there be such detailed instructions on how to resolve this one problem. I have had the same issue A TON OF TIMES ever since I got the new desktop version. Personally, I think they have made a trash product to force everyone to the online version. I finally had someone delve into this more for me and I am told my company file is corrupted (even though I run verify data and it says I have no problems). Worse yet, that is not the software's fault even though the data file is created *within* the software. You don't know what they want me to do to resolve that problem. Funny how I never had problems with my company file or data or this program until I was forced onto this new subscription service. From what I read online by complaining users, the issues are all very similar. What a joke that they tell you there are no instances of this problem. I for one have called at least 5 times (every 30 days) for the last 5 months. 

Here Here! I tried to reply saying the same as you but my post isn't allowed. I think this is done on purpose to force people to move to the online version. I used this product for years but no more. They are forcing me to switch alright - but switch to a different product that actually works as advertised.