Does anyone know how to add back dated payroll? We transitioned from AppleWorks 5 to Quickbooks in July and I can’t figure out how to add the first 6mos of payroll.

Noe · ‎December 10, 2018

SophiaAnnL · ‎December 11, 2018

I know how to do that and I'm here to show you the steps, Noe.

There are two ways to enter backdated payroll in QuickBooks Desktop. These are:

Entering the individual paychecks to see the actual paychecks in QuickBooks.
Entering the YTD amounts (lump sum) inside or outside the Payroll Setup page.

If you want to enter the backdated payroll in a lump sum amount, you can refer to this article for the complete steps: Enter historical payroll data in QuickBooks Desktop Payroll.

But if you'd like to create actual paychecks, you can use the Unscheduled Payroll. You can do this per employee and per pay period.

Here's how:

Click Employees at the top, and then select Payroll Center.
From the Create Paychecks section, select Unscheduled Payroll or Pay Employees depending on what you see.
Enter the Pay Period End date, Check Date, and Bank Account where the money will be drawn from.
Choose the Printing Option that applies to you.
Check the name of employee(s) that were paid on the period you entered.
Double-check the employees' amounts in the appropriate columns.
Click the Open Paycheck Detail button to edit a specific employee's payroll details.
Click Save & Next to go to the next employee, or Save & Close to go back to the main screen.
Click Continue and then Review and Create Paychecks to finish.

I'll be right here if you need a hand on this. You can also ask questions by leaving a reply to this thread. Thanks.

View solution in original post

SophiaAnnL · ‎December 11, 2018

I know how to do that and I'm here to show you the steps, Noe.

There are two ways to enter backdated payroll in QuickBooks Desktop. These are:

Entering the individual paychecks to see the actual paychecks in QuickBooks.
Entering the YTD amounts (lump sum) inside or outside the Payroll Setup page.

If you want to enter the backdated payroll in a lump sum amount, you can refer to this article for the complete steps: Enter historical payroll data in QuickBooks Desktop Payroll.

But if you'd like to create actual paychecks, you can use the Unscheduled Payroll. You can do this per employee and per pay period.

Here's how:

Click Employees at the top, and then select Payroll Center.
From the Create Paychecks section, select Unscheduled Payroll or Pay Employees depending on what you see.
Enter the Pay Period End date, Check Date, and Bank Account where the money will be drawn from.
Choose the Printing Option that applies to you.
Check the name of employee(s) that were paid on the period you entered.
Double-check the employees' amounts in the appropriate columns.
Click the Open Paycheck Detail button to edit a specific employee's payroll details.
Click Save & Next to go to the next employee, or Save & Close to go back to the main screen.
Click Continue and then Review and Create Paychecks to finish.

I'll be right here if you need a hand on this. You can also ask questions by leaving a reply to this thread. Thanks.

jacquiethebook · ‎April 02, 2019

this is great, and i have entereed past payroll for the full fiscal year through the payroll setup, but now i am going to reconcile the account and the paychecks are not listed in the reconciliation window to clear. what do i do now?

jacquiethebook · ‎April 02, 2019

This is good, i have entered historical payroll thru payroll setup but when i am going to reconcile, there are no paychecks in the reconciliation window to clear. can you help? thanks!!!

jacquiethebook · ‎April 02, 2019

oh! i found it! in reports, employees and payroll, payroll transaction detail, then in each paycheck edit the accounts affected!

YAY! GO ME!

Angelyn_T · ‎April 02, 2019

Hello, @jacquiethebook.

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

Yes, you're correct, you must select Affect liability, expense and bank accounts by clicking on Accounts Affected before closing/saving the historical/prior payroll created.

Once done, the paychecks now reflect on the reconciliation window.

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

I'll be right here to help you if you have any other payroll or reconciliation questions, just add a post/comment below. Have a good one!

rjhrrs19 · ‎March 28, 2020

I am using qb online (accountant) and clicked on Employees as I prefer to enter individual paychecks but do not see a Payroll Center. I did click on Run Payroll and I can run paychecks back to the pay period 09/15/2019 to 09/28/2019 but I need to go back further (beginning of January 2018). I've tried searching for the payroll center as well as manual payroll and can't seem to find anything. I would appreciate any help or suggestions.

FritzF · ‎March 28, 2020

Thanks for joining this conversation, @rjhrrs19.

The Payroll Center that my colleagues are referring to above is only available in QuickBooks Desktop (QBDT). Since you're using QuickBooks Online (QBO), you can enter prior payroll to record backdated paychecks.

Before doing so, please note that you don't need to enter prior payroll if:

The business is new and you're paying employees for the first time.
You're an existing business, but running your first payroll of the calendar year.
Recently changed your business entity (Employer Identification Number, FEIN), and are running the first payroll for the new entity.

The steps to do this are pretty easy and may differ depending on the payroll subscription you're using. For further guidance, consider checking out this article for the detailed instructions: Set up a prior payroll.

Reach out to me in the comment below if you have any other issues or concerns. I want to make sure everything is taken care of for you. Have a great weekend!

csheridan1987 · ‎April 17, 2020

I am using Quickbooks desktop for Mac 2020 and am trying to do some reconciliation for 2019 payroll checks that were cut incorrectly. Since QBD for Mac takes me to the Intuit Quickbooks Payroll for Mac, is the same option available? Or did I just waste $300 on the Mac version trying to figure out how to do this?

ReymondO · ‎April 17, 2020

Let help you reconcile your account and make sure that your payroll transactions are correct, @csheridan1987.

If you're trying to change the old paychecks for 2019 and you're using Intuit Online Payroll enhanced, then you can follow these steps:

In the Approve Paychecks page, select View/Edit. Then, click Edit.
Make the desired modifications and select Save.
Click Approve Paychecks when you're ready.

If you're using Intuit Online Payroll, just follow the steps provided in this article: How to change an employee paycheck in Online Payroll.

However, if you're trying to record your previous data for 2019, then you can follow this article: How to update your employee's payroll history in Online Payroll.

Don't hesitate to tag my name in the comment section below if you have other concerns or questions. I'm always ready to help.

BVon36 · ‎April 27, 2020

So I have paychecks from 2019 that need to be entered but I keep getting the code that I cannot add a paycheck for a closed year. I have run payroll already and I am using Quickbooks Online... Do you know how to get around this? I've asked for help through the chat and a phone call and I am just getting nowhere! Please help!! Thank you!!

~B

Candice C · ‎April 27, 2020

Hey there, @BVon36.

After looking further into this message that you're receiving, I've discovered that entering a paycheck for 2019 when the current year is 2020 isn't an option. I can see how this would be convenient for your business. Here's an additional piece of information that might help you in the future:

Year-end checklist for QuickBooks Online Payroll

Let me know if there's anything else you need. I'm always here to lend a helping hand. Have a great evening.

ExpertKellum · ‎January 03, 2022

Can this process still be done? This was in 2018 and it's now 2022 has that process changed on how to back date a payroll check.

dwhite3 · ‎October 11, 2022

I have created checks from jan 2022 that were previously paid out of a different company. How do I reconcile those checks that are being debited from my bank account?

Topics

Training

Community

Resources

Does anyone know how to add back dated payroll? We transitioned from AppleWorks 5 to Quickbooks in July and I can’t figure out how to add the first 6mos of payroll.