Can i convert journal payroll entries into payroll entries now that I have a payroll service?

Hello there, @bittersweetpetre.

You're on the right track in tracking your payroll-related entries using a journal entry. However, converting it is currently not available. You'd just want to make sure that the payroll items and liabilities used in the journal entry exactly match the payroll items in your payroll accounting preferences.

Here's how to view your Payroll Accounting Preferences:

1. Go to the Gear icon.
2. Choose Payroll Settings.
3. Select the Preferences tab.
4. Click the Accounting Preferences link.

On the Accounting Preferences page, you can review and match the Payroll items and Tax liabilities. QuickBooks will be able to detect and add the journal entries in your payroll tax calculation. You can also run the Payroll Summary by Employee report. It shows a comprehensive report of wages, deductions, and tax info, totaled by employee or period.

I've added these articles to help you get started with payroll in QuickBooks:

• Manually enter payroll paychecks in QuickBooks Online

• Commonly used articles to get started with Payroll

Stay in touch with us here if you have other questions about managing your payroll information. The Community and I are always here to help.

Thank you for the response.  I would like to put all the input from the Journal Entries before I got QB payroll into paychecks to make things easier at end of year.   When I attempt to enter this it only lets me go back 6 months and not to the beginning of the year.   Is there a way to adjust this?

Going into employee payroll summary does not give me accurate numbers from journal entries.   I would like to just go through and change Journal entries for payroll to payroll checks .  When I attempt to do this though it only lets me go back 6 months and not to the beginning of the year.   Is there an adjustment of this?

Hi there, @bittersweetpetre. Thanks for keeping us updated.

Payroll checks created via Journal entry won't show on your payroll reports. If there are still no paychecks created for the employee(s), you can enter historical payroll information. 

Here's how:

1. In the left menu, click Workers.
2. Go to the Employees tab.
3. Select the employee to open the information, then Enter prior pay details. 
4. Enter the necessary information.

For more information about this process, you can check out this article: Set up a prior payroll for QuickBooks Online Payroll.

Then, you can delete the journal entries created afterwards. Since payroll has its own mapping in the system, you'll need to enter payroll for the amounts to show up on the payroll reports and tax forms. 

As for your concern in backdating payroll, you can only create unscheduled payroll within 6months. That is the reason it won't allow you to go back. 

However, if you've already run payroll in the system, I recommend contacting our Payroll Support Team. They'll access your account and create an adjustment to record the old payroll transactions before using QuickBooks. 

Keep in touch if you need more help concerning payroll or if there's anything else I can do for you. I always have your back and is always happy to help. Take care.

I have this same question, only my client is on Desktop not Online.  

It is the end of July, so I have to convert 7 months of manual checks into paychecks, and am trying to find a way to do it without having to delete and recreate the reconciliations.

Hi, @Goudbooks.

Please allow me to join the thread and help share a little more information about entering prior payroll in QuickBooks Desktop (QBDT).

In QuickBooks Desktop Payroll you can enter paychecks that you have issued the year before using the payroll service. You can use this article to enter historical data: Enter historical payroll data.

When choosing an option for the Accounts Affected, choose Do not affect accounts if your QuickBooks accounts have correct balances. This will cause the Year-To-Date adjustment to not show up in the bank register.

You can also use this article for future reference if you need to enter payments that you've already made for taxes and other payroll liabilities : Enter historical tax payments in QuickBooks Desktop Payroll.

In addition, to learn more about reconciliation in QBDT, you can check this article: Reconcile in QuickBooks Desktop.

Don't hesitate to comment below if you have other payroll or reconciliation concerns. Have a great day!