Data from Quickbooks desktop needs to be moved over to QB online, suggestions?

I have some information to share so you'll know how your data moves from QuickBooks Desktop to Online Payroll. I'll guide you on how Lorim.

Having the option to migrate data reduces manual efforts and eliminates tedious data entry which can save valuable time. When using QuickBooks Online (QBO), you'll only have 60 days from the time you create your account to move your data. Otherwise, you're unable to transfer them.

You'll want to add and set up your employees manually instead. To do so, follow the steps outlined below:
 

1. Go to Payroll, then Employees.
2. Select Add an employee.
3. Add your employee’s name and email address. If you want them to enter their personal, tax, and banking info, ensure Employee self-setup is on. QuickBooks will automatically email them an invite to QuickBooks Workforce. Your employee can enter their address, Social Security number, W-4, and banking info.
4. Choose Add employee.
5. Pick any section to add the remaining employee info.
   • Note: If employee self-setup is on, you won’t be able to edit some fields in the Personal info, Tax withholding, or Payment method cards.  If you want to edit those tabs, from the Personal Info turn off Employee self-setup at any time.
6. When finished adding info to a tab, Hit Save.
    

After that, manually enter prior tax payments for your employees since you've already paid your employees this year. You'll have to add their pay in the setup. You can follow the steps provided below: 

1. Sign in to QuickBooks Online as the primary admin.
2. Go to Payroll, and then select Overview.
3. If you haven’t already, add all of your employees paid this year in the Tell us about your team task. Include all employees that no longer work for you. Make sure to set up each pay item, deduction, contribution, and tax showing on their pay stubs or reports.
4. Then, to Add your payroll history, select Start.

Then, enter how much you paid your employees this year. Here's how:
 

1. Select Enter next to your first employee.
2. Answer the questions about when you paid your employee.
3. Use the employee pay stubs or payroll reports to enter the amounts in each column. If you’re missing an item, exit the history task and add it to your employee through the Tell us about your team task. 
4. When you’re finished, select Continue.
5. Repeat steps 1–4 for each employee paid this year.
6. When finished with all employees, select Continue twice.

To give you more steps and information about the process, check out this article for your reference: Add Pay History To QuickBooks Online Payroll.

Furthermore, you may consider reading this resource so you'll have an idea and will know the differences in how your books appear when switching from Desktop to Online: Learn How Features And Data Move From QuickBooks Data To QuickBooks Online.

You can always get back to us if you have any concerns or questions when moving data from QuickBooks Desktop to QBO. The Community is always here to help you all the time. Have a nice day!