I've actually been afraid to do any updates as to what else might go wrong! So if I went directly to the BSO site and have already filed, is there any other way to get the info to our employees on their app? I've had to scan copies and email them, I doubt I should go in and file through QB because there would then be a duplicate with the SSA since I have already filed. Also will this "fix" remain from here on or will another update remove it at some point in the future? Why wasn't this addressed until nearly the final file date when this thread started in April 2023 and has had numerous correction requests time and time again!!! AND we were never told the update removed this OR that this update would now corrected this fiasco! The QB customer/users need appropriate communication from you as we pay for this service and seem to have been completely disregarded.

01/19/2024

I did the QB desktop update, restarted the program then went into the 2 employees that had the invalid SSN and changed it to all zeros. When opening the W2 forms, those two were automatically changed to "applied for". I was now able to submit them all of my 400+ W2's to the SSA. 

Issue resolved. 

Thank you. 

Thank you for this post! It worked! 

Thanks for becoming part of the Community and getting involved with this thread, MissCheese.

I'm happy to hear performing our update enabled you to enter all zeros for employee Social Security Numbers (SSNs).

You'll also be able to find many detailed resources about using QuickBooks in our help article archives.

Please feel welcome to send a reply here if there's any questions. Have a lovely Wednesday!

I was forced to move to QBO and it's not letting me enter Zeros or nines here either! I hate QBO already and now even more so. What a crock. I need to pay my employees Friday and can't figure out how to do it.

They changed this in QB Desktop.  Our firm is not using QBO for this and many other reasons.  QB has decided they now payroll rules better than the IRS.

@kerryrynn  Of course; how can they harvest our data properly if we're allowed to run our books on our own terms?

Obviously, they only asked for birthdays before so they could send out cake in a timely manner.

Thanks for joining this thread, lionscampbadger.

Upon researching this issue with not being able to enter zeros or nines for Social Security numbers in QuickBooks Online, I found a similar thread. In the conversation many QuickBooks Online users reported the same problem and then noticed the employee profile they were working on was a duplicate of a previously entered employee who had been made inactive. Once the employee was reactivated the problem with the Social Security number was resolved.

You may want to check and see if there are any already existing employees that have been made inactive. Here's how:

1. Hover over the Payroll tab and select Employees.
2. From the Employee list page, click the Gear icon.

3. Select Show Inactive.

If this ends up not being the case for you and you still need assistance, I recommend reaching out to a member of the QuickBooks Online Support Team. An agent will be able to take a more in depth look and escalate this issue if need be. The following link provides info to contact QuickBooks Online Support.

Of course you're welcome to reach back out here if you have any other questions or concerns as well. I'll be here to help in any way that I can.

Hi BigRedConsulting,

Many thanks for your tool, I was able to file W-2s on time on QB Desktop!

However I am currently trying to e-file a 2nd quarter CA DE9C form where QB are not allowing me to e-file it due to one employee having an "invalid SSN" (he has a [removed] SSN). I reimported a new IIF file with your tool but the error still persists. I contacted QB support and they said due to the recent update, using a SSN with zeroes isn't a option and to update it to a random SSN (not putting here for security reasons but updating to that SSN did bypass that error). Is there an update you are thinking of providing with your tool? 

@BigRedConsulting please see above - thanks

Yea, this is another (apparently stupid and ignorant) change QuickBooks made.

However, this one is with the actual tax form, not the ability to save the employee with nine-zeros for the "applied for" SSN. And do no one but Intuit can fix it. They might someday, after forming a committee to determine if it's important enough. It's only California, you know where 1 in 8 or so Americans live, and so probably about 1 in 8 of their payroll customers are. So, how important could that really be? Yes, that's right, it's unclear.

I am curious, did they give you a specific random SSN to use to bypass this error for filing the DE9C or? I have an employee as well with the same issue and using all 0's worked last quarter to file the DE9C but now it requires a social number. What is the way around this so I can get this filed on time? Thanks! 

Filing quarterly taxes will take some time, @bdlewis. Let's figure out another way around to ensure you can file them on time and ensure compliance with tax laws.

When e-filing the DE-9C form, QuickBooks Desktop will not proceed unless we enter the employee's Social Security Number (SSN). 

Fortunately, using all zeros as employee SSN still works if you're on the latest update for your supported version of QuickBooks Desktop. Thus, make sure to download the latest release to have the newest product improvements.

Refer to this article for the complete process: Update QuickBooks Desktop to the latest release.

Also, getting the newest tax table ensures all critical fixes and updates specific to payroll tax forms are applied.

If you also want to e-file federal payroll tax returns for your clients, keep this article for future reference: E-file tax returns for clients. 

You can get back to this thread if you have any other questions or concerns about filing taxes in QuickBooks. The Community team is always around to answer them for you. 

@Nicole_NReading somebody's entire post can work if your vocabulary is up to par. Thus, I recommend rereading what @bdlewis wrote, because it ain't about e-filing W-2s or creating employees.

I have the latest updates and releases. The issue is Quickbooks WILL let me put in all 0's to file federal returns now however it WILL NOT let me use all 0's to e-file the California DE9C quarterly form. It says there is an error and I need to input a SSN or ITIN in the DE9C. However Quickbooks WILL NOT let me change the employer's number back to the ITIN to allow it to show up on the DE9C hence the problem. Last quarter this was not an issue and Intuit let me file the DE9C with the SSN blank for this employee but now Intuit will not let me do that. If Intuit will let me override this section of the form and let me manually type in a number on the form itself problem would be solved. 

Intuit you have until 7/31 to get this fixed otherwise many of your CA customers will have problems yet again. 

Yes the QB chat agent had to talk to the backend team and they gave me a specific SSN to use for e-filing, however they recommended the best way was to file the CA DE9C through mail (though I e-filed in the end). I really hope they fix this issue for future required e-filing tax forms... 

Does anyone know if or how to file the DE9C electronically directly without having to go through Quickbooks and use their form to e-file? 

You can log into e-Services for Business to use the Direct Entry or Import File option using a .csv. If you Google "electronic filing guide for the quarterly wage and withholding program ca", you can use the EDD CA GOV website's PDF instructions to find out how.