Deleting a posted payroll

Anonymous · ‎April 27, 2018

I created a payroll in QuickBooks desktop, but did not use the correct amounts. I tried to delete it, but posted it instead. It has been posted in the future, awaiting cutting of the checks, but I would like to delete the whole payroll and correct the mistakes.

Is this possible?

Thank you for your help in this matter.

KhimG · ‎April 30, 2018

Greetings, RClay.

Thank you for taking the time in reaching out to us. Let me help you delete the payroll transactions.

Once you delete the paychecks, this will no longer show on your paycheck list and payroll reports. Also, since QuickBooks doesn’t have an option to batch delete paychecks, you need to delete those one at a time.

Here’s how you can delete a paycheck in QuickBooks Online:
1.    Click the Payroll tab from the left menu.
2.    Select Employees list.
3.    Under Run Payroll, select Paycheck List.
4.    Change the date range if necessary, and then select the paycheck you want to delete.
5.    Click Delete.
6.    Mark the tick box to confirm the deletion, and then click Delete Paycheck.

Here’s how to delete payroll checks in QuickBooks Desktop:
1.    Locate and open the paycheck.
2.    Select the Edit menu and choose Delete Paycheck (or Ctrl + D on your keyboard)
3.    The message “Are you sure you want to delete this paycheck?” will appear. Select OK to permanently delete the transaction.

Once done, you can now create the payroll with the correct amount.

Please let me know if you need further assistance and I’ll be sure to get back to you. Wishing you continued success!

View solution in original post

KhimG · ‎April 30, 2018

Greetings, RClay.

Thank you for taking the time in reaching out to us. Let me help you delete the payroll transactions.

Once you delete the paychecks, this will no longer show on your paycheck list and payroll reports. Also, since QuickBooks doesn’t have an option to batch delete paychecks, you need to delete those one at a time.

Here’s how you can delete a paycheck in QuickBooks Online:
1.    Click the Payroll tab from the left menu.
2.    Select Employees list.
3.    Under Run Payroll, select Paycheck List.
4.    Change the date range if necessary, and then select the paycheck you want to delete.
5.    Click Delete.
6.    Mark the tick box to confirm the deletion, and then click Delete Paycheck.

Here’s how to delete payroll checks in QuickBooks Desktop:
1.    Locate and open the paycheck.
2.    Select the Edit menu and choose Delete Paycheck (or Ctrl + D on your keyboard)
3.    The message “Are you sure you want to delete this paycheck?” will appear. Select OK to permanently delete the transaction.

Once done, you can now create the payroll with the correct amount.

Please let me know if you need further assistance and I’ll be sure to get back to you. Wishing you continued success!

tonawandagirl · ‎May 01, 2018

I have a similar question. I entered an incorrect commission amount in the last payroll (it was $500 too high). How do I make an adjustment in this payroll to subtract that $500 from the net pay?

hailey · ‎March 16, 2020

I have an employee that lost a paycheck and I voided it through the bank, but do not know how to delete it from QB. Help?

KlentB · ‎March 16, 2020

I'll help you with this, hailey.

QuickBooks has two options in deleting/canceling a check. The first one is the Void option, which is used if you indicate that the check has been cashed. The other one is the Delete option. This is used if the direct deposit has not been processed yet or the paycheck is not a direct deposit. You can follow the steps that I've listed below.

If you're using QuickBooks Online:

Select Payroll from the sidebar menu.
Choose Employees.
Select Paycheck list.
Tick the checkbox next to the employee's paycheck.
Click Delete.
Select the I understand that this action cannot be undone checkbox.
Click Delete Paycheck to complete the process.

If you're using QuickBooks Desktop:

Select Employees from the top menu bar.
Choose Payroll Center.
Click the Pay Employees tab.
Locate then click the payroll in the Recent Payrolls section.
Choose the paycheck you need and click the Delete button.
Select OK to confirm the changes.

I encourage visiting this article that will help you reissue your employees a paycheck so that they'll be able to cash: Issue a lost paycheck.

I'll be right here to continue helping in case you have additional inquiries or require further assistance in managing your checks.

JMax2444 · ‎September 30, 2020

How does this process affect the payroll liabilities if the liabilities have already been paid to IRS and to the state? and more importantly, how do you correct it?

GraceC · ‎September 30, 2020

Hello, @JMax2444.

Allow me to provide some information about the deleted or voided paycheck in QuickBooks.

QuickBooks will automatically adjust the payroll liabilities for any deleted/voided paychecks. Since its already paid to the IRS and the states, you'll need to recreate the paycheck and enter the same information of the paychecks that you've deleted.

If you're using QuickBooks Online:

Go to Payroll and select Employees.
Select Run Payroll.
Choose the employees you'd like to pay then enter the hours and memos based on the deleted ones.
Select Preview payroll.
Click Preview payroll details or Submit payroll.
Hit Finish Payroll to complete the process.

To know more about what can and can't be edited on a paycheck in QBO, you may check out this article: Edit or delete paychecks in Online Payroll.

If you're using QuickBooks Desktop:

Click on Employees at the top menu bar.
Select on Payroll Center.
In the Pay Employees section, select on Start Unscheduled Payroll.
Select the employee or employees you're paying.

To get more information about creating paychecks in QuickBooks Desktop, please refer to this article: Create paychecks.

Check this article that will help you track where your business stands in terms of employee expenses: Create A Payroll Summary Report.

Please know you can continue to reach me here with any additional questions. Thanks for coming to the Community, wishing you continued success.

pin for quick books · ‎October 14, 2021

Cannot delete check created in error which was exported, says talk to quickbooks

RCV · ‎October 14, 2021

Let's perform some troubleshooting steps to delete your check in your account, pin for quick books.

If you exported the file to QuickBooks Online (QBO), try signing in to your Online account using a private or incognito window. This mode doesn't use the existing cache data and helps us confirm browser-related issues. Here's how:

For Google Chrome browser: Ctrl + Shift + N
For Mozilla Firefox browser: Ctrl + Shift + P
For Safari browser: Command + Option + P

Then, try deleting/canceling a check again. The Void option is used if you indicate that the check has been cashed. The other one is the Delete option which is used if the direct deposit has not been processed yet or the paycheck is not a direct deposit. You can follow the steps that I've listed below:

Go to Payroll from the sidebar menu.
Choose Employees.
Select Paycheck list.
Choose the check(s) you'd like to delete.
Delete or void the paycheck:
- Delete: This option appears if the direct deposit has not been processed yet or the paycheck is not a direct deposit.
- Void: This option appears if you indicate that the check has been cashed.
Tap the I understand that this action cannot be undone checkbox.
Press Delete Paycheck or Void Paycheck to confirm the action.

To learn more about this one, see the Delete or void employee paychecks article. If you need to create a new paycheck, follow the steps in How do I create a paycheck for an employee? article. If the same thing happens, I’d recommend getting in touch with our support team. They have the tools to check your account and perform more steps to help fix the delete check issue you're getting. Here's how:

Go to the Help menu, then click Contact Us.
Type your concern in the box and tap Let's talk.
Choose either Get a call or Start a chat.
Complete the required data and submit the request.

Ensure to call them within business hours to guarantee we address your concern promptly. Feel free to visit our Payroll page for more insights about managing your Payroll in the program.

I want to make sure everything is taken care of for you, please let me know how it goes or if you have any other issues or concerns. Just leave a comment below and I'll get back to you. Take care always.

Brent6735 · ‎April 20, 2022

What about if I send a direct deposit to the wrong employee and it has been directly deposited to the account (it was a parent's account) but I need to create a correct paycheck to match the YTD. What are the steps to do so?

Help, please.

Tori B · ‎April 20, 2022

Hello, @Brent6735.

Thanks for following along with the thread and sharing your concerns.

Since you stated that the check has been direct deposited, you'll need to contact our Payroll Support Team. This way an agent can review your account in a secure environment and review the check. You can use the link I've included below to connect with an agent.

Quickbooks Online Payroll Support

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. Take care!

Kbjb · ‎October 05, 2022

I understand deleting the paycheck, my employee has child support taken out although I want to delete the paycheck I still want the child support paid for the pay week, is there a way to do this?

SashaMC · ‎October 05, 2022

Hey Kbjb,

Thank you for joining the QuickBooks Community! For this situation, I would recommend connecting with your accountant to see what would be the best move for your business. If you don't have an accountant, we provide a ProAdvisor service where you can connect with experts within your area. Simply click this link and enter your zip code. Our experts will be happy to work with you, and some even offer a free consultation.

If you have any other questions, I will be more than happy to address them! Take care for now.

jackfruit12 · ‎October 10, 2022

Hi, made the same mistake, I deleted the duplicate check. Would this affect the taxes paid?

mandrcaruso · ‎November 30, 2022

Hi, I did the suggested fix. I deleted all of the checks. But when I try to reenter new checks for the same pay period it says the employee has already been paid, do I want to do an additional check? The income is also still counting towards the YTD even though the checks have been deleted. What can I do?

MirriamM · ‎November 30, 2022

Hello there, @mandrcaruso.

I can see that you posted twice in this forum. Please click the link to get redirected to the original post answered by my colleague: https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/employees-and-payroll/re-i-deleted-a-check-but-the....

To keep the conversation streamlined, I ask that you leave any follow-ups there.

If you have any other questions, you can always visit us. Have a great day!

Topics

Training

Community

Resources

Deleting a posted payroll