Quickbooks 2021 Desktop not exporting employee data to Excel

Thank you for the detailed information, @John_TN.

Let me share some insights on your concern about exporting employee data to Excel.

You don't have an option to generate or export payroll forms if you do not subscribe to any payroll services in QuickBooks Desktop. Though you can create employees, but you can't run paychecks for them. Thus, it's the reason why the payroll reports and forms are empty.

On the other hand, you can go to the Employee Center menu and verify if you have employee records. Here's how:

1. Open your QuickBooks Desktop company file.
2. Go to the Employees menu.
3. Select Employee Center. From there, you'll see the employee's profile.

You might want to learn more about exporting data in QuickBooks Desktop. This helps you export your data with MS Excel, CSV files, and IIFs.

Keep in touch if you need any more assistance with this, or there's something else I can do for you. I've got your back, @John_TN.

@Mark_Rthanks!

However, what you describe is not what is occurring on my machine.

On QB2012 - I have been able to generate Excel reports for years and still can.  In particular, I run a report that exports payroll data (941, 940, W2, W3, etc.) from Quickbooks 2012 to Excel 2013. 

I made a copy of the QB2012 data file (now that I finished out the year) and put it in a separate datafile directory for Quickbooks Desktop 2021 files.  I then loaded QB2021 and opened that file.  QB2021 converted or updated the file to the newer company file format.

After reading your comment, I tried generate a payroll check within QB2021 just I have been doing in QB2012.  I was able to generate the check just like in QB2012.  (I generate the check but they are manually written since there is only 1 a month and its only 1 employee).   I was also able to load and generate the entries to process payroll liabilities. 

I can generate reports WITHIN  QB2021 regarding various employee issues.  However, what I am trying to do is to use the menu option to export employee reports into Excel.  There are several that I generate usually once a year for my CPA.  When I try to run the report to create payroll forms in Excel, Excel loads, a QB template of some form loads and it allows me to select which report I want to generate.  I can pick any one of the reports and it generates within Excel but all of the fields (name of employee, dollar amounts, address, etc.) are all empty or zero.

So, it appears it should be working just as it did in QB2012 but for some reason I have not located, its not sending the available data fields to Excel.  

Another odd event I noticed.  If I go to "Employee Center" in QB2021 there is a submenu that has add new employee, etc.,  and one option is EXCEL.  Under the EXCEL option is "Summarize Payroll Data in Excel".  I can run that report - HOWEVER - it generates an Excel report for 3 employees that have never worked for me and all the entries are in 2007.   Then there is another report under the EXCEL Tab that says "summarize transactions".  If I run it, it generates a report of the 2021 payroll check "net" amounts that is ACCURATE.

So, again it seems that QB2021 is trying to generate the payroll tax forms but it is not sending data that QB2012 did.

Hello @John_TN,

I appreciate the detailed information you've shared about the issue. Allow me to chime in and help you export the payroll data from QuickBooks Desktop to Excel.

I can see that you're trying to use the manual payroll method for the employee. Since you're able to generate payroll reports but have issues with the exported data, you can perform some basic troubleshooting.

Before your start, please update QuickBooks to the latest release. Aside from improving the performance of the software, this process also fixes common and complicated errors automatically.

Here's how:

1. Click the Help tab in the upper-right corner, then select Update QuickBooks Desktop.
2. Go to the Update Now tab.
3. Select the updates you want to include.
4. Put a checkmark on the box beside Reset Update.
5. Hit Get Updates. 
6. Close and re-open QuickBooks.

Once done, let's proceed by running the Verify Data and Verify Rebuild tools. These features in QuickBooks will help self-identify data issues within a company file and self-resolve them using Rebuild Data.​

To run Verify Data:

1. Click the File tab at the top menu bar.
2. Hover your cursor to Utilities.
3. Select Verify Data.

Next, please run the Rebuild Data option through these steps:

1. Click the File tab at the top menu bar.
2. Hover your cursor to Utilities.
3. Select Verify Rebuild​​​​​​.​​​​​​

After following the steps, please restart your QuickBooks and export the payroll data again. The export feature should work and show your data in Excel.

You can also check this article for more details about how to use the QuickBooks Tool Hub to repair QuickBooks: Fix common problems and errors with the QuickBooks Desktop Tool Hub.

Fill me in if you have any other questions about tracking payroll manually or exporting data. I'll be happy to help you some more.

@John_TN 

Another option, utilize a 3rd party exporter tool on your QBD 2012 to extract the Payroll Detail Report.

@Fiat Lux - ASIA 

Thanks.  I am not having any problems with QB2012 - I am running it still b/c I am not willing to fully migrate to QB2021 due to it not working at least with the Excel export issues.   On QB2012 I can easily and accurately use the steps I have used for 10 years to export the tax forms to excel format directly from QB2012. 

This is a problem with QB2021.  

Indeed, the more I search the more I realize that this is a CHRONIC problem in QB2021 -

https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/reports-and-accounting/payroll-reports-in-excel-do...

https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/import-export-data-files/fix-export-e...

There are numerous others - and, surprise, - I have yet to see any solution.  I tend to believe that the problem lies with the XLT files but I can't open them to troubleshoot b/c they are password protected by QB

I can see that you've been working on solutions to export and import employee data using Excel, @John_TN.

We understand how you want to see the correct data recorded in your QuickBooks Desktop 2021 to generate accurate reports and information.

Since you've already applied the suggestions shared by my colleagues, and still the system won't show exact employee data, I'd recommend contacting our Payroll Support team. They have the advanced tools to investigate what's causing this issue and check your account further. You may be right that this is because of the XLT files. They can assist you to fix this via chat or live call.

Here's how:

1. In QuickBooks Desktop, press F1.
2. Click Contact Us.
3. Enter your concern description and hit Continue.
4. Choose to start a chat or get a callback.
   

I'm also adding this article about a few of our Excel reports available in QuickBooks: Excel-based payroll reports.

Please remember to tag me in your comment for updates on how it goes after reaching them. Anytime I'll be around to help. Take good care.

@AlcaeusF 

Thank you for the suggestions. 

I loaded QB 2021 and did an update with the reset selected to download everything fresh.  I exited, came back in and ran update a 2nd time to make sure - then exited again.

I then did the verify and the rebuild.  Neither of those reported any errors in the database.

I then attempted the Employees -> Payroll Tax Forms & W2s -> Tax Forms Worksheets in Excel.  Still invalid report generated (I have one employee)

Here is another ERROR in QB2021 / Excel that may be related.

If I open Employee Center and tell it to show all employees, there is only one. There has never been more than one and its the same one.  

At the top of the Employee Center window, there are options for New Employee, Manage Employee, Print, and Excel.  If I select the Excel option, there are 3 reports - Export Employee list (which runs accurately), Export Transaction (which runs accurately) and then Summarize Payroll Data in Excel - this last one runs but it is showing a report that does NOT include my employee but it does include 3 that I have never heard of!!!  Since the social security numbers are invalid, this must be data coming from QB...



Finally, if I go to Reports -> Employees and Payroll -> Payroll Summary QB2021 generates a report screen inside of QB that contains an accurate Payroll report although not in any of the formats used for 941, 940, W2 or W3.

John Harris

@Fiat Lux - ASIAI should not need a third party tool to do something that is built to do

@Jovychris_A @Fiat Lux - ASIA @AlcaeusF @Mark_R 

I tagged each of you in hopes that you would see this update and get the right person in QB to fix the problem


To refresh, I have been running QB2012 on a Windows 10 PC with Office 2013 (64 bit).   After end of FY2021, I started to migrate my company file from QB2012 to QB2021 Desktop (nonsubscription) which I believe is a 32bit product.

The import, per instruction from QB tech, was to open a copy of the QB2012 company file directly into QB2021 (note that the "call back" techs advise otherwise but I have confirmed this direct conversion several times).  The company data file updated and various reviews of accounts, category reports, 1099 reports and employee reports (those internal to QB2021) indicate no data conversion issues.  Also, I was able to run a verify and rebuild processes inside QB2021 without errors indicated. 

The problems surfaced when I started to generate reports that QB sends to Excel using various templates - specifically QB_Taxform_Link.xlt;   QB_Taxforms.xlt;  QB_Payroll_Link.xlt     The symptom is that Excel loads, it may generate the prompts for which report (e.g., 940, 941, W2, etc) to generate but then the report displays with no data other than the templated "form" itself. 

Some suggested it might be a company data file issue due to the conversion.  To test that, I downloaded the QB "Sample company files" and ran the reports with the same error results.  This indicates its not a datafile issue.

I have tried running the reports with templates of the same name from the QB2012 files - that did not solve the problem.

Finally, I uninstalled Office 365 (64bit) and installed Office 365 (32bit).  That appears to have resolved the problem - at least on the laptop for the export to generate the 940, 941, and W2s.  It also appears to allow the payroll summary to print.   I tested this both on my migrated QB2012 data as well as the QB sample company file. 

This indicates that there is a significant coding problem between QB2021 and the templates.  From the number of comments I have read in researching this issue, it appears also clear that this problem or variants of it has existed for perhaps 3 years and that QB's has not competently addressed what appears to be a design or coding defect on its part.

I hear your sentiments, John. And I appreciate you for sharing the details on how you resolved the issue. 

Rest assured I'll let our developer team know about this so they can come up with the best fix. In the meantime, you'll want to ensure to update your QuickBooks Desktop (QBDT) 2021 to the latest release. This way, we can guarantee the program is running with the newest features and patches. I'll show you how

1. Go to the Help menu and select Update QuickBooks Desktop.
2. Select the Update Now tab.
3. Click Get Updates to start the download.
4. When the download finishes, restart QuickBooks and accept the option to install the new release.

Additionally, I've added these resources that you can read for reference in managing your payroll and reports: 

• Learn about QuickBooks Desktop Payroll with how-to videos
• Understand reports

I appreciate your patience as we're working toward a resolution. Please don't hesitate to leave a reply if there's anything else you need assistance with running your reports or QBDT. I'm always here ready to back you up anytime. Keep safe and have a great weekend ahead!

@JasroV 

Thank you for the comments and the links.  However, I do not think at this point that this is user issue.  It is a design flaw in the program.  Now, I don't know if its a problem in QB2021 or in the QB written XLT files are all  combined but its clearly a QB issue particularly since uninstalling 64bit Office and installing a backward, obsolete 32bit version appears to make a material difference.

Also, from reading the Community it appears that this problem and variations of it date back perhaps 3+ years.  I have seen numerous replies to users seeking solutions that the QB "team" or "developers" or whatever are aware of and working on the problem.  If there really area any QB team or developers working on a database connection issue seemingly linked to standard Microsoft Office products AND they have not solved this and pushed out a resolution in 3 years then they should be FIRED and competent programmers either found or outsourced.   I hate to think it but this just strikes me as a situation where QB has no intent to fix its design flaws but instead wants to push/force people to the online subscriptions.  

I would be elated if you could disprove those concerns by providing links to patched XLT files or product updates.  Oh, the machine is fully updated - I do that before I start trying to do what limited testing end users are capable of attempting.

John Harris

@JasroV 

I do not consider the issue "resolved".  

I developed that while testing on a stand alone laptop (my live data is on a workstation tower).

I have no intent of going backwards from Office 20xx 64bit to Office 20xx 32bit.  The problem is not Office - it is a defect in Quickbooks' design or implementation of its interface with Excel.

I’m with you John_TN. I’ve had this same problem for over a year. Wasn’t a problem until I installed Quickbooks 2021. Help session has been no help. A lot of folks are dealing with this problem. 

Yep it’s a problem for a lot of us. I have tried for over a year to get this fixed. Quickbooks help has not helped. Somebody please fix this problem with an update to the tax form excel template.