Employee raise not reflected

Hi there, @WebeRE.

I'm here to make sure we've got everything configured. This way, you have an accurate payroll records.

A part of your QuickBooks Desktop data may have been damaged. This causes the program not to recognize the updated annual earnings properly. I recommend running the Verify and Rebuild Data tool. Verifying will detect any damaged data, while rebuilding will attempt to fix it. It also allows your QuickBooks software to refresh the data inside the company file. 

Follow the steps below on how to verify data:

1. On the top menu, click File.
2. Choose Utilities.
3. Select Verify Data.
   
4. Click OK when you see the message, QuickBooks detected no problem with your data.
5. If Verify finds an issue with your data, you'll be prompted to Rebuild Now or View Errors.
6. Click Close or View Errors and take note of the specific error message.

Next, here's how to rebuild data:

1. On the top menu, click File.
2. Choose Utilities.
3. Select Rebuild Data.
   
4. You will receive a warning message to backup your company file, press OK. A rebuild requires a company file backup beforehand because in rare cases the process may need to delete transactions or list entries to fix the file.  A backup of your company file will ensure you have a secured copy of your company file before any changes are made to it.
5. Select where you want to save your backup, then select OK at the bottom of the QuickBooks Desktop Backup window.
   •  
   • If a message asks if you want to replace another backup file, select NO. Enter a new name in the File name field and click Save.
   • If the backup fails, select Cancel at the Rebuild prompt and contact Payroll Support for additional assistance.
6. The Rebuild Data utility starts as soon as the backup is finished.
7. Click OK when you get the message "Rebuild has completed".
8. Run Rebuild Data again to make sure there's no error.

Then, if you've already saved the paycheck, you'll want to delete and recreate it. Make sure it has the updated information. If it still has the same old rate, update the program to its latest release version to get the newest features and fixes.

Here's how:

1. Go to the Help menu and select Update QuickBooks Desktop.
2. Select the Update Now tab. Mark the Reset Update checkbox to clear all previous update downloads.
   
3. Select Get Updates to start the download.
4. When the download finishes, restart QuickBooks.
5. When prompted, accept the option to install the new release.

I also suggest turning on the automatic update feature to make sure that your QuickBooks Desktop is always updated. Please check this article and follow the Schedule future automatic updates steps: Update QBDT.

Please give it a go. If you hit any issues while running payroll, feel free to comment here. The Community will always have your back!

I tried this but ...no luck. Is the problem caused by the fact that I changed his earnings in November but the payroll date is October 15th and QB can't can't make the change retroactively? As I said before, we don't use QB payroll so I usually am doing the accounting after the pay date.

Hi there, @WebeRE. I'm here to ensure you'll be able to raise your employee earnings in QuickBooks Desktop (QBDT).

Thanks for getting back here and for sharing the outcome of the steps you've performed. I can see that you did everything you could. To help you resolve this, you'll also need to manually update the rate on the employee paycheck. Since you're not using the Payroll service, you'll have to set up the payroll in QBDT manually. 

For reference, feel free to check this article: Set up manual payroll without a subscription in QuickBooks Desktop. 

Also, running employee reports to keep track of their important detail is a breeze in QBDT. To get started, please visit this page for detailed info: Customize payroll and employee reports.

Keep me posted if you have any other concerns about updating the paycheck of your employee. I'm just a post away to lend a hand. Have a good one. 

Thanks to both of you for replying, but again...no luck. I checked the settings for manual payroll and they are correct, although I didn't see a "Get payday piece of mind" window that you mentioned. We've been using manual payroll for several years and this is the first time I've encountered this situation. It's as though the earnings information for that employee is locked. I am wondering if I could add another category of earnings somehow for the raise so that the total would be correct -- at least until this issue is resolved.

Thanks for getting back for some updates, @WebeRE. 

I appreciate you for following the steps provided by my colleague which is to manually update the rate on the employee paycheck.

Since all of the possible steps didn't work. I agree with you in creating another category of earnings for the raise. 

To start, let's set up the item first. Here's how:

1. Select Lists, then Payroll Item List.
2. Choose the Payroll Item ▼ dropdown, then New.
3. Click Custom Setup, then Next.
4. Tap Wage, then Next.
5. Select the appropriate wage type.
6. Select Next.
7. Enter a name for the pay item, then Next.

For reference, feel free to check this article: Add or change pay types

Once you're all set, you'll want to utilize this reference whenever you're ready to run your payroll: Create and run your payroll.

If you have any further questions about managing your payroll in QBDT, you can always count on me to assist you. Keep safe, and have a good one!

Thank you, AbegailS.  Your solution worked for the pay period that I was having trouble with, so that is solved. I also began another payroll just to see what would happen with the employee in question, and voila! the correct amount is in there, without the added earnings item. My guess as to what happened is this (it's a guess because I don't remember all the details): I began to process a payroll, than realized after I started that one employee had received a raise. QB wouldn't let me change the amount because I had already started the process and it kept reverting back to the earlier amount when I tried to change the earnings amount. (Note:it would be nice to be able to change the amount even after starting to process the payroll). SO, everything seems to be working correctly. Thanks for your help.

Hi there, @WebeRE,

I'm glad to hear that my colleague AbegailS was able to help you! Should you need anything else, please don't hesitate to post here. 

Please know that you're always welcome here in the Community. Have a great day!