E-Filing Options for North Carolina

Hello, WolfpackErin. 

Thank you for reaching out to the Community. Base on the QuickBooks Latest payroll news and updates that this update includes e-filing and e-pay options that were removed for North Carolina. Though, QuickBooks Payroll releases payroll updates throughout the year. All the tax table releases are based on federal and state changes on tax calculations and payroll forms.

You can also check this link for more details: Latest payroll news and updates. 

You can always get back to me if you have other concerns filing your taxes. I’m always around ready to help. Stay safe!

The e-filing options were removed for North Carolina. I want to know when the e-filing options will be added back. I need to e-file NC W-2s. Please advise.

Thanks for getting back here, WolfpackErin.

I'd like to add some steps to get the E-Filing option.

When a feature or option is missing in the program, you'll want to make sure that your QuickBooks Desktop and tax table is updated to the latest release. This is to make sure the program installs the current updates when they're available and you get the full payroll functionality.

You can follow the instructions in these articles:

• Update QuickBooks Desktop to the latest release
• Get the latest payroll tax table update

Once done, please make sure to restart your computer to complete the update. Then, follow these steps to file the W-2:

1. Open QuickBooks.
2. Go to Employees > Payroll Tax Forms & W-2s > Process Payroll Forms.
3. In the File Forms section, select your state worksheet.
4. Review the Select Filing Period year and change it if you need to.
5. Click Ok, and fill out the W-2 worksheet and select Check for errors to make sure everything is correct before e-filing.
6. When you’re ready, select E-file.
7. Enter your email address and contact phone number.
8. Hit Submit.

Here's a link for reference: File your state W-2s with QuickBooks Desktop Payroll Enhanced.

If you still don't have the option to E-File the state W-2, you have the option to export the W-2 worksheet to Excel and upload it directly to the state website. Just go to Reports > Employees & Payroll > More Payroll Reports in Excel > Tax Form Worksheets.

I'm also adding this article to check our state compliance: Payroll Tax Compliance Links.

Please let me know if you have the option and you're able to file the form. I'll be around to help you out again. Keep safe!

Wow,

These responses seem like junk AI bots, the question is not being answered.

We know the support for NC was removed!  We are asking if it will be back in time...for me, I need it to upload W2 data for 1,000s of employee for 100s of companies!

THIS IS ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE, QUICKBOOKS.  You are slowly dying a painful death in my opinion.  The price was nearly doubled this year for Quickbooks Desktop and now you remove a relatively simply function, WHICH WORKED LAST YEAR!

Oh, I get it, you want all of us to upgrade to that QB Online piece of junk!  I will move my clients to XERO accounting before long if this kind of crap keeps happening, with NO support.  And I will bill you for the NC penalties I receive for not filing properly.

And the ridiculous part is, it's not even your program that you cannot get to work...it looks like issues with an EXCEL MACRO.  For now, I'm planning on using an older spreadsheet to generate the NC file.

You want to lose market share...you are following the recipe to a T.

Rant Over.  FIX NC NOW!  Or I will take my clients somewhere else, along with at least $300k of revenue out of your pockets.

Absolutely agree - how are we going to file these - it would be impossible for us to manually input this.  Once again, Intuit cannot seem to work with Microsoft - the payroll reports in Excel option doesn't work (I don't think it is even an option any more); the statement writer only works with Excel 2016 or earlier yet Intuit demands we upgrade our clients every three years to keep payroll current.  I have had to purchase additional software to print on blank check stock, create NACHA files, create GAAP financial statements.  Totally unacceptable.  How am I expected to sell this product to clients when it DOES NOT WORK for their needs.  We need answer now on how to do the W2s to upload to the NC website - the penalty is very steep and we cant charge our clients if we need enter manually - and who has the time?  

We need a response NOW - from a person that has some knowledge!!!

Ok Intuit,

We see you are in fact working hard on this.  My colleague figured this out after hours of messing with it.

The NC w2s are now efiled directly from the process payroll forms screen (similar to how the federal ones are done).  Thank you for the clarification...

However, you still have to fill out the NC3 online manually.  Ok fine, just like last year.  The excel -> .txt file is replaced with direct efiling through the wizard.

Go to process payroll forms and select "State W-2s - NC State W-2s Worksheet (E-file Only).  Step through just like federal and you can efile from the print screen.

This also assumes you have changed your filing method efile...Go to Payroll Center and click Manage Filing Methods at the bottom of the File Forms tab.

Hope this helps everyone.

NOTE:  If Quickbooks Desktop will be decommissioned in the future, either QB Online needs to be improved or I will be going elsewhere.  Quickbooks Desktop is hands down better than QB online for many things, but QB online shows some promise in some areas (like Bank Feed transaction download).  Feel free to reach out to me, an Accountant with some engineering and programming background if you would like my opinions and/or contract work.

As for QB online, I get it is designed for the non-bookkeeping person and therefore is more wizard-like in trying to get things done...that is all good and well, but you need to allow for an administrator-type to go in and handle things through a back-door of sorts to achieve the result we know we need, with abilities to change anything necessary from a person with deeper knowledge.  For example, SE Health insurance is still a pain, and I cannot seem to create a paycheck and be able to edit the deducted taxes to how I see fit, in this instance.

Thanks for that information.  So just to be sure I am understanding this correctly.  We file the enc-3 on the NC website (like I have in the past).  Instead of uploading the txt file to the website with the W2s (as I did in the past), I now process the NC W2s directly from QB and this will satisfy the NC electronic filing requirements.  The NC website says that W2s need to be done through their application, but is it safe to think that QB will do this correctly?  

Thanks for any further input.

That is correct, as I understand it.  I would take NC saying it has to be done through their application meaning not paper filed...and any third parties have to interface with the online eNC3 directly.

I see no other way, so as of right now, this is how I plan to do it.  Any other information is appreciated.

Thanks so much - any insight on when Intuit will update the NC wage base for 2022?

We don't have a specific time-frame yet as to when updates will be released, Lisa galvin.

QuickBooks Desktop will automatically change the new wage limit once there are updates to stay compliant with your state tax laws and regulations. Once you'll receive prompts that payroll tax table updates are available, you can update it to install new federal and state release. 

Here are the links for the instructions:

• Update QuickBooks Desktop to the latest release
• Get the latest payroll tax table update

To check the state compliance, you can click on the state link in this article: Payroll Tax Compliance Links.

Please feel to reply on this thread if you have additional questions or need help with other payroll task. Take care and stay safe.

That is a really poor answer - NC has had that wage base updated since November.

I have a unique situation and have spent over 3 hours on phone support and keep getting no answers. I have a company with 2 locations, same EIN. In the past I have exported information to excel and combined the two together in order to create one file. It still works for several filings except NC w-2. NC has been removed from that option. SO, I was able to file one directly through Quickbooks, but the second gives me a duplicate error.

I don't get that error for Federal W-2's. Quickbooks help says they will add that option back in tomorrow. They also told me it would be added back in yesterday. I have no idea how to be able to upload these other w-2's to the NC website.

Thank you @Zak_CPA for breaking this down. My issue was I could not figure out how to change to e-file for NC. When you hit the help button it directled me to go to my Payroll setup interview, which is not where you change the e file status! So as always I read through the comments of the my question hoping a user has found the correct answer. 

I have Quickbooks desktop with enhanced payroll. I appreciate you @Zak_CPA for taking the time to come back and put in the instructions to change to e file and be able for the first time to actually e file the NC State w2's. I was so excited when I realized we could e file but have spent an entire day trying to get this done! 

The only problem I forsee now is it made me also re enroll for federal. Fingers crossed that does not screw up future Federal e files. 

Thanks for joining this thread, mlit0012.

I can share additional information about the e-filing options in QuickBooks Desktop.

The filing and payment methods depend on your state tax. You can check this article to see the method you need to use for your state: E-file and e-pay state forms and taxes in QuickBooks Desktop Payroll Enhanced.

You may also want to view and print your payroll tax forms after you have filed them: 

• Print, save, and email copies of filed tax forms using Adobe Reader.
• Access payroll tax forms and tax payments.

I'm all ears if you have more concerns about your payroll service. Just reply here, and I'll be there to help you out.

I did this several times and the e-file option was not allowable- kept monkeying around(my favorite tax time pastime ;) and on the umpteenth try, apparently I did something different and it went through via the process payroll option that I had been repeatedly trying. Not sure what was different this time. I had followed the directions before and no-go. About 2hrs to get the lovely  state of NC their w-2s. I understand that somewhere between tax agencies and tax accounting software things can get a bit wonkey. However it would be nice if QB customer service answers took the problems seriously and not just assume customer error. It is frustrating to clink on one link after another till you end up back at the first link or worse yet a government website.  But thanks for a reasonably priced software service that allows small businesses to navigate the complexities of the tax system.

UPDATE:  NC-3 can be e-filed directly through QuickBooks Desktop now.  Same process, get to the print screen and click e-file.

We understand 1.59 removed NC efile W2s, the question is, when will it be put back in?  We have to efile in NC and our deadline is 1/31/22

Thank you ZAC.  Your information was very useful..

Can you tell me what people do that need to add two locations together to file? The export to excel files was the way it was done before it was removed. I have tried calling Quickbooks and have been told twice it would be added back in but that has not happened yet. I can't be the only person in NC needing this option. I can combine 941 files and SUI files. Can't create NC W-2 be an option like federal files are?

Thanks for reaching us out, FMCkinney1.

Let's get this working so you're able to file two forms for NC W2 in QuickBooks Desktop (QBDT).

You'll want to run updates for your software. This will allow QuickBooks to sync the updates of the latest taxes and rates for your payroll. If you've done this but the same issue continues, I suggest contacting our QuickBooks Care Team. This needs to be investigated in a secure environment so they can find a solution.

Please take note that our support hours for QuickBooks Desktop Pro, Premier, and Plus start from M-F 6 AM to 6 PM. For QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise, we're available any time, any day.

1. In your QuickBooks Desktop program, go to Help > QuickBooks Desktop Help.
2. In the Have a Question window, click the Contact Us link at the bottom.
3. From the Contact Us page, select any topics.
4. Under Here's how to connect with a QuickBooks expert section, click the Start a Message or Get Phone Number button.

You can also get our direct phone number on this link: Contact QuickBooks Desktop support.

Feel free to check this article to see the method you need to use for your state: 

• E-file and e-pay state forms and taxes in QuickBooks Desktop Payroll Enhanced.
• Access payroll tax forms and tax payments

You might also want to visit our help page to browse articles that can guide you with your QuickBooks tasks. To get started head to our QBDT help articles at this link.

Get back to me if you need help with anything about QuickBooks. I'll be around to further assist. Enjoy the rest of the day.

I have done all of the updates and have spent 3 hours on the phone with Quickbooks help. Nobody knows anything about the excel forms being removed for NC. They tried to walk me through things I had already tried. I was told twice that the forms were to be added back in with an update. I never saw them. I see no reason to remove the excel option just because the e-file option was added. If you know how to get someone to take this seriously, it would be greatly appreciated. I did an e-file through Quickbooks for one location and got a duplicate error when I tried to do the second. Quickbooks help suggested it was an error from NCDOR. I contacted NC DOR and they said it was a Quickbooks error but I could upload the second one through their website. Which was what I was going to do anyway had I been able to export the data from QuickBooks. I ended up having to use their txt creator software which is not nearly as easy as the export previously available from QuickBooks. This has been a nightmare for me and I can't believe I am the only one. 

I agree whole heartedly Zak. I've been using QB desktop since 1997. This latest stunt by Intuit is totally unacceptable. It's getting more and more challenging to work with QB. Not online. NEVER.

We'll get through this crap but it's very frustrating and time consuming u billable. 

I use QB Desktop Pro 2020 and also have no desire to go to the online QB product.

Without QB support of NC NC-3 and NC W-2 eFile, I spent an unreasonable amount of time yesterday on the NC eNC3 website using their tool for generating W-2s and filing the generated file and the NC3.  I was thinking (hoping) there was a better way.

I had downloaded the latest payroll updates (Tax Table 22202 and Payroll Version 01140204) and decided to look at the release notes today.  Under the E-File and Pay tab for North Carolina, it indicates that “E-file for North Carolina State W-2, Wage and Tax Statements, has been updated. (22201)”.  So, something has changed in the previous update…

I went to the Employees Payroll Center and at the very bottom, there is an area called Other Activities.  I clicked the link for Manage Filing Methods and a Choose filing methods box came up.  Clicking the link on the left for Filing methods, I highlighted the North Carolina Form NC-3 row and pressed the Edit button, selected the E-file option and clicked Finished. 

Back at the Choose filing methods box, I clicked the link on the left for Enrollments.  Clicking around I found these messages indicating that special enrollment is not needed:

NC Dept of Revenue (NC-3): Enrollment Instructions

You don't need to enroll with the North Carolina Department of Revenue in order to e-file your NC-3 Form.

NC State Tax Dept (State W-2): Enrollment Instructions

You don't need to enroll with the North Carolina Department of Revenue in order to e-file your NC State W-2s.

In Payroll Forms, I selected each the NC-3 – Withholding… and the State W-2s – NC State… reports, I hit the Create Form button.  At the end of creating the form, I pressed the Submit Form.. button and the popup now displayed the E-File button.  Pressing the E-File button, there is a Enter agency login information popup.  It appears that by supplying my email and phone number that the NC-3 and the NC W-2s can be electronically submitted.  NOTE, this is done once for the W-2s and once for the NC-3 – each the W-2s and the NC-3 forms are individually created and E-Filed.

I will not test until next year since I do not want to submit duplicate information but this appears to be a working feature at this time.

Not even sure where I found it but it worked for me.

Go to Process Payroll Forms

Down at the bottom you will see Other Activities & Manage Filing Methods.  Go through the forms and select e-file for NC W-2's.  After I did that, the e-file button was not longer gray & I could process forms.