No Medicare or Social Security Tax taken out of one employee's check

Thanks for sharing your issue, @sscom88.

I recognize the importance of running your payroll accurately. Let’s update your payroll tax table to the latest release to isolate this uncommon issue. Before doing so, let’s update your QuickBooks Desktop (QBDT) software to the latest release.

This way, we’ll ensure your software is up to date with the latest features and fixes. Here’s how to do it in your QBDT software:

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.
5. Accept the option to install the new release when prompted.

Once done, update your payroll tax table:

1. Go to the Employees menu.
2. Select Get Payroll Updates.
3. Click the Download Entire Update checkbox.
4. Then select Download Latest Update.

For more information in updating your QBDT software and payroll tax table, check out these useful articles:

• Update QuickBooks Desktop to the latest release
• Get the latest payroll tax table update

Additionally, I encourage checking our QuickBooks Support page for future reference. There, you can learn some tips in managing your payroll. Just browse a topic for QBDT payroll.

Keep in touch with me if you need more assistance in running your payroll. I’ll be around to back you up. Keep safe and stay healthy.

I have already done both of those things and it did not change his paycheck.

There were no social security or medicare taxes taken out of the check for the employee and none for the company. 

Thanks for following up with us, @sscom88. 

I appreciate you taking the time to provide so many details for this issue. 

Since the steps listed by my colleagues above aren't working for you, I recommend contacting our payroll support team. They have the tools available to investigate this issue further and see what's causing the strange behavior. I've included the steps below to contact support. 

1. Open QuickBooks. 

2. From the Help menu, choose QuickBooks Desktop Help. 

3. Enter Contact Us in the search box. Then, click Contact Us at the bottom. 

4. Choose the way you wish to connect with support (Callback, Chat, Etc.).

Feel free to reach out to the Community any time. Let me know if you have further questions or concerns. Take care and enjoy your weekend. You certainly deserve it! 

We just had the exact same issue but it affected 15 employees out of 120. Totally random. No changes were made to those employees. Tech support was no help at all and only suggested that someone must have gone into those 15 checks and eliminated the those deductions which is ridiculous! There was also no SS or medicare on the employer end either for those 15 employees.

I had run a data verify the night before which was clean and again today after payroll. Also clean.

Very frustrating and very concerning! 

I had the exact same issue happen with 15 random paychecks out of 120 that we ran.

Payroll tech support was no help at all.

I'm here to ensure that your Medicare and Social Security of your employees will calculate correctly, @robinerwin.

The following are reasons that can lead to Medicare and SS not to calculate:

• QuickBooks is not updated or there is an internet interruption during the update.
• Using the incorrect tax table version.
• The gross wages of the employees last payroll are too low.
• Total annual salary exceeds the salary limit.

If the same thing happens after QuickBooks and the tax table update, I recommend reviewing your employees profile to check if the taxes are set up correctly. QuickBooks calculates the federal withholding based on several factors such as taxable wages, number of allowances/dependents, pay frequency, and filing status.

Here's how to review your employees’ payroll info:

1. Navigate to the Employees menu.
2. Choose Employee Center.
3. Double-click the employee’s name, one at a time.
4. Click Payroll Info and make sure the Pay Frequency is correct.
5. Select the Taxes button.
6. Review the Filing Status and Allowances fields in the Federal tab. Make the necessary corrections.
7. Hit OK and OK again.

Once confirmed that all info is correct, you have to run the Payroll Detail Review by following the steps provided by my peer, MaryJoyD. This is to see if there are any discrepancies for the MD and SS amounts on the paycheck, which may be the reason they're not calculating.

You can also revert the paychecks that you've created to refresh its tax calculation. To do this, right-click the paycheck, then select Revert Paycheck. When done, re-enter the paycheck details to verify taxes are calculated correctly.

To know more, please see this article: How to save or revert pending paychecks. 

Here's a great source that you can open to help you correct year-to-date (YTD) additions or deductions on a paycheck: Correct year-to-date (YTD) additions or deductions on a paycheck when the wrong tracking type was us...

Please know that you're always welcome to post again if you have any other concerns about payroll taxes. I'm always here to help. Wishing you and your business continued success. 

We have the same issue...randomly to one employee.

None of the reasons quickbooks sys caused this has been in play...

The following are reasons that can lead to Medicare and SS not to calculate:

• QuickBooks is not updated or there is an internet interruption during the update.
• Using the incorrect tax table version.
• The gross wages of the employees last payroll are too low.
• Total annual salary exceeds the salary limit.

Clearly a major glitch in their program!

why did social security tax stop being withheld for the last 3 pay periods and how do I fix it so I can create valid W2s

Thank you for joining the thread, @HolmesHarbor01.

One of the possible reasons why Social Security stops deducting on your employee's paycheck is that the total annual salary exceeds the salary limit or the gross wages of the employee are too low. You can review the Payroll Detail report to verify the paychecks by following the steps shared by my peer MaryJoyD above.

If the salary doesn't exceed the limit and the gross wages aren't low, the employee's filing status, number of allowances, or extra withholding amount maybe change. You'll want to check your employee's profile to verify.

If the same thing happens, I highly suggest contacting our Phone Support Team. This way, they can further check on this matter and provide other troubleshooting steps to get this resolved.

You might want to check out these articles to know more about why payroll items not calculating correctly: 

• Payroll items on a paycheck are not calculating or are calculating incorrectly
• QuickBooks Desktop calculates wages and/or payroll taxes incorrectly

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. 

We had the same issue.  Ours was caused by payroll technician unchecking the FICA, MED, and FUTA boxes on the employee FED W4 screen.  Those boxes have to stay checked or quickbooks does not withhold the tax.

Same issue here! One employee only, miscalculating employer SS. No logical explanation for the error; I've been through all the help steps.

\

EDITED TO ADD: I solved my own problem, thanks QB. See my next post on this thread.

Hi there, duhpensacola.

Incorrect calculation for Medicare or Social Security is usually caused by discrepancies in previous transactions. For example, an older paycheck has an over or under calculation when it was created. This would result the program to auto correct since the year-to-date amount is not exactly 6.2% for Social Security and 1.45% for Medicare.

You can the Payroll Detail Review report as suggested in the previous replies. Then, make sure to use This Calendar Year in the the Dates field to get the total amount for the year. 

You might also need to create a liability adjustment or let QuickBooks auto correct until the year-to-date amount is right amount. Here's an article for more details: Adjust Payroll Liabilities In QuickBooks Desktop.

Please don't hesitate to reply below if you need anything else. 

It didn’t calculate any it left the fields with 0.00

Hi there, @DaSha 1.

Let me make sure everything's calculated correctly on your employee's paychecks.

If you're referring to Medicare and SS, here are some reasons why they're not calculated:

• QuickBooks version isn't updated or there is an internet interruption during the update.
• Used an incorrect tax table version.
• The gross wages of the employee's last payroll are too low.
• Total annual salary exceeds the salary limit.

To fix the issue, I recommend updating QuickBooks first, and then the tax table. Once done, you'll need to revert your employee's paycheck.

Here's how to revert the paycheck:

1. Click on the Employees menu.
2. Choose Pay Employees, then Scheduled Payroll or Unscheduled payroll.
3.  Choose Resume Scheduled Payroll.
4. Right-click on the employee name you wish to undo the changes.
5. Hit Revert Paychecks.

If you've already performed this, make sure to delete the paychecks that did not calculate the Medicare and SS.

To make sure you have accurate paycheck additions or deductions, check out this article for more details: Correct year-to-date (YTD) additions or deductions on a paycheck when the wrong tracking type was us....

I'd also recommend providing us a screenshot and additional information about the items that didn't calculate. This way, we can look into it further and give you the best resolution right away.

Keep me updated by replying to this thread. I'm always here to back you up. Take care!

I couldn't find your post on how you fixed this issue yourself.  Can you explain? I'm having the same issue with SS not deducting from just one employee. and last pay check SS calculated less than it should have on this same salaried employee.

Thanks,

 Venus

Quickbooks didn't calculate Social Security tax for the whole year of 2021 for one employee. How can i fix it?

Hello there, 

Please know that the information on payroll forms comes from the data on the employees' paychecks. The following are reasons that can lead to Social Security not to calculate:

• QuickBooks is not updated or there is an internet interruption during the update.
• Using the incorrect tax table version.
• The gross wages of the employees last payroll are too low.
• Total annual salary exceeds the salary limit.

I recommend reviewing your employees profile to check if the taxes are set up correctly. QuickBooks calculates the federal withholding based on several factors such as taxable wages, number of allowances/dependents, pay frequency, and filing status.

If there's a need for you to make a correction, you may want to perform a payroll adjustment to correct them. I'd also suggest getting in touch with our technical supports so we can look into your accounts in a secure environment. Then, investigate what's causing the mismatch. Here's how:

1. Open QuickBooks.
2. Go to the Help menu, then select QuickBooks Desktop Help.
3. Click Contact Us.
4. Enter "Social Security and Medicare wages don't match Form W-2" in the description box.
5. Click Let's talk and then choose a way to connect.

Additionally, here's an article that you can read to be guided in filing and printing your W-2 forms:

• Payroll items on paycheck are not calculating or are calculating incorrectly
• How QuickBooks calculates payroll taxes

Fill me in if you have follow-up questions or you need further assistance in dealing with your other tasks. I'll be around to help.

Creating my W2's and this happened to 4 employees out of 85 - since March 2021.

These employees have been with the company for a while so no one entered into the tax screen making changes.  Their salaries are also not over the threshold. This seems to be a problem on the back end of QB.

That is how I found the error - while preparing W-2s. How did you proceed with the issue?

How did you proceed with reporting?

I am reaching out to QB first to see what they recommend.  But the taxes will probably be paid when the employee files their taxes.

We were fortunate that we caught the error quickly and were able to correct the paychecks before and reporting or W2's were done.

Never did get an answer from QB on how this could happen. I agree it appears to be on the backend.

It seemed to be a one time issue that has not happened again.

Robin Erwin

[email address removed]