I want to set a one time payment in QB Online in December for an W4 employee, but QB doesn't have a one time pay frequency option. How do I do that?

You can set up an unscheduled paycheck for a one-time payment to your employee, EsmatAfshinjah. I'd be happy to guide you through the necessary steps to get this done accurately.

The Unscheduled payroll feature allows you to create flexible paychecks to specific dates, pay periods, or set hours. It's also ideal for issuing one-time payments like bonuses, commissions, final paychecks, or fringe benefits outside the regular payroll schedule.

Here's how:

1. Sign in to your QBO account.
2. Click Payroll from the left menu, then select Employees.
3. Select Run payroll.
4. Find the employee you want to pay and choose Create another check.
5. Enter employee compensation, including salary adjustments, vacation or sick hours, and other pay types.
6. Confirm the pay period and check date.
7. Select Preview Payroll, and then select Submit Payroll.
8. Click Finish Payroll.

I'll be sharing this article for more guidance on the process above: Create an Unscheduled Payroll Check.

Additionally, you might want to run payroll reports in QBO. This will help you view useful information about your business and employees.

Feel free to respond or explore the QuickBooks Community if you have questions about running unscheduled paychecks or any other payroll processing inquiries in QBO. I'm here to lend a helping hand.

Thanks for your reply, I do not see the "Create another check"! Can you post a photo of that in your response please. 

Thanks for looping back, Esmat. Don’t worry, I've got your back in keeping the steps for paying your W4 employee smooth and straightforward. 

The "Create another check" option indeed appears when running a Scheduled Payroll for a specific period, which may not be suitable for one-time payments like what you’re looking to do. We'll need to create an unscheduled payment for your W4 employee instead. Here are the steps to follow:

1. Go to Payroll, then select Employees.
2. Select the ▼ dropdown, and choose one of the following options: Bonus only, Commission only, or Fringe benefits only.
3. Based on your selection, you might get asked additional questions. Enter any info about taxes or paycheck calculations if applicable, and then click Continue.
4. Select or review the pay period and pay date. In your case, somewhere in December.
5. Choose the employees you’d like to pay.
6. Click on the column, or select Actions ⋮, then Edit paycheck to enter your pay details. This is where you can input hours, compensation, memos, or any other paycheck info necessary. 
7. Click Preview payroll. Make sure to select or review the QuickBooks bank account where you’ll track your payroll.
8. Click Preview payroll details, then Submit payroll.
9. Finally, select Close.

And there you go, you’ve set up a one-time payment seamlessly.

For an extra boost in managing payroll, check out this helpful guide on running payroll reports. It will help you keep everything well-organized and efficient.

This thread will be active in replying to any follow-up questions you may have about managing your payroll. I'll be looping back swiftly, or our dedicated Community experts will also jump in to lend a hand. Cheers.

Thank you for getting back. Problem with using a bonus/commission is that the tax calculations are not going to be the same for bonus as they are with W2 payments (there is a much higher tax calculations with bonus only option). I spent over an hour on the phone with your "Live Experts" and they couldn't find out a way to do this on the QB online wherein the tax withholdings would be calculated correctly.   And after a whole lot of time wasted, I finally figured out the workaround! I switched to ADP, Voila! Problem solved! I now have an unscheduled payroll with the correct withholdings going out on December 16th. 

Thank you Faith for getting back. Problem with using a bonus/commission is that the tax calculations are not going to be the same for bonus as they are with W2 payments (there is a much higher tax calculations with bonus only option). I spent over an hour on the phone with your "Live Experts" and they couldn't find out a way to do this on the QB online wherein the tax withholdings would be calculated correctly.   And after a whole lot of time wasted, I finally figured out the workaround! I switched to ADP, Voila! Problem solved! I now have an unscheduled payroll with the correct withholdings going out on December 16th. 

Thank you for getting back. Problem with using a bonus/commission is that the tax calculations are not going to be the same for bonus as they are with W2 payments (there is a much higher tax calculations with bonus only option). I spent over an hour on the phone with your "Live Experts" and they couldn't find out a way to do this on the QB online wherein the tax withholdings would be calculated correctly.   And after a whole lot of time wasted, I finally figured out the workaround! I switched to ADP, Voila! Problem solved! I now have an unscheduled payroll with the correct withholdings going out on December 16th.