If I'm running payroll can I have a Company Name different from the Legal Name?

Hello there, 

Let me bring some clarifications why you need to have your company's legal name match with your Employer Identification Number (EIN) with the IRS.

In QuickBooks Online (QBO), there is a separate field for Company Name and Legal Name. You can use a different Company name, however you'll have to make sure the Legal Name matches the Legal Name that the IRS has on file for your company. This should also associated with your federal Employer Identification Number (EIN).

It's important to have this information so that QuickBooks can accurately represent you to the IRS when we file and pay taxes on your behalf. 

Here's an article to learn more about changing company/legal name in QBO: Change company name, address, email address, EIN, and privacy settings.

Fill me in if you have additional questions or clarifications about legal names. I'll be right here to clear things up. Have a wonderful day ahead.

My legal name is correct. We kept getting messages that the name/FEIN was not matching what the IRS had on record. I carefully compared the IRS notice of EIN and 501(c) acceptance against what was in QuickBooks and all was correct. The Intuit tech said the only way we could fix it was to make the Company Name the same as the Legal Name. 

The Legal Name is correct. It matches exactly the 501 (c) (7) notice from the IRS.

Intuit kept sending emails that our Legal Name and EIN didn't check out with the IRS.

When I called tech support their only answer was that the Company Name had to be the same as the Legal Name. 

I'm no longer getting error emails from Intuit, however the Company Name will need to be manually changed on all forms.

Hi there, @celestecpa.

Thank you for getting back in this thread. I'd be happy to help share some additional steps to make sure that you have the correct company name on all forms. 

To start, let's make sure the filing name in the Payroll Settings is correct. It should be the Legal Name that the IRS has on file for your company.

Here's how:

1. At the top right, click the Gear icon.
2. Select Payroll Settings. 
3. Under Taxes, select General Tax Information. 
4. In the Filing Name section, make sure it's correct. 
5. Click OK. 

After that, archived the forms you created then recreate them to see if it shows the correct name. Before doing so, please make sure to save a copy for your records.

Here's how to archive a form:

1. On the left pane, select Taxes. 
2. On the top left, click the Payroll Tax tab.
3. Under Forms, click Quarterly Forms or Annual Forms.
4. Click on the desired form.
5. Select the liability period.
6. Click Archive.

For more details about this process, I suggest checking this article: Archive old forms.

However, if you get the same result, I recommend calling our QuickBooks Online Payroll Support again. They can initiate a screen sharing session to help you check your account and get to a resolution quickly. 

I'm just a post away if you have any other questions about setting up the company and legal name in QuickBooks. I'll be happy to help you out.