Scheduling several payrolls in advance

clg3 · ‎March 17, 2020

Hello, I have Q.B. Pro 2018 Desktop with Enhanced Payroll and would like to schedule three payrolls in advance (to cover for extended time out of the office). I already know the quantity of hours for ea. employee, so that is not an issue, but my questions are:

Can I simply go to "Start Scheduled Payroll", and proceed to enter the hours as usual for the pay date shown? And once I finish entering that payroll's data, I assume the "Start Scheduled Payroll" date will advance to the next pay period, and likewise for the 3rd payroll. Or, are there any issues that I could encounter by doing these 3 payrolls in succession? It would amount to a month's pay dates all done in advance.
Not sure if the federal and state taxes can be submitted in advance - since the pay dates would all be in the future. Or, maybe it would be best to wait on this part until I return.

Thank you!

john-pero · ‎March 17, 2020

You are certainly on the right track. As long as you print and deliver paper checks there is no problem at all with running one scheduled payroll and the next and the next as each schedule date will move up. Just watch the actual check print date so that they are not all at once (unless your bank account can handle it)

If you use direct deposit it might get sticky as there is a submission you must make and I am unsure if you can do that so far in advance.

As far as taxes, there is no penalty for paying early but there sure is for paying late. Each payroll will add to tax liability with due dates based on future payroll date. QB tells you how much each is and you can pay them individually in eftps.gov or all in one payment IF they are for the same quarter. Do not mix tax payment for payroll of 4/3 with payroll from 3/20 and 3/27

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john-pero · ‎March 17, 2020

You are certainly on the right track. As long as you print and deliver paper checks there is no problem at all with running one scheduled payroll and the next and the next as each schedule date will move up. Just watch the actual check print date so that they are not all at once (unless your bank account can handle it)

If you use direct deposit it might get sticky as there is a submission you must make and I am unsure if you can do that so far in advance.

As far as taxes, there is no penalty for paying early but there sure is for paying late. Each payroll will add to tax liability with due dates based on future payroll date. QB tells you how much each is and you can pay them individually in eftps.gov or all in one payment IF they are for the same quarter. Do not mix tax payment for payroll of 4/3 with payroll from 3/20 and 3/27

john-pero · ‎March 17, 2020

The only possible downside of running payroll so far in advance is if there were to be a major payroll update that significantly changed what and how we deduct but I do not see that coming and minor fluctuations in FWT are not a big deal over a short time period

clg3 · ‎March 17, 2020

Thanks for the fast response. Our payroll is Direct Deposit, so I would be submitting each payroll individually. Not sure if submitting the three in succession, with Direct Deposit, could cause any problems.

clg3 · ‎March 17, 2020

That's a very good point - about any possible payroll updates that could come up and also about keeping the tax payments to the same quarter (these 3 would all be in April).

So, it looks like my biggest concern may be missing potential payroll updates. I'm not sure how I would correct for that on future payrolls.

Cmanns · ‎June 04, 2020

Curious if the DD part of this question was answered? How far in advance?

LieraMarie_A · ‎June 04, 2020

Let me give you additional insights about scheduling payroll in advance using Direct Deposit, @Cmanns.

Employers can send direct deposit up to 45 days in advance. Just make sure to use the correct paycheck date so it'll be posted in the employee's bank account in the correct pay date.

You can check out this article about paying employees on time: When do I need to submit payroll to pay employees on time?

Please let me know if you have other questions. I'll be around to help. Have a great day.

CLaSala · ‎December 23, 2021

I will be out of the office on Christmas Eve 12/24/2021 but would like to run my Assisted payroll the day before Thursday 12/23/21 - I will have hours for much of my staff on the Friday 12/24/21.

I have direct deposit - how do I proceed?

Do I select scheduled payroll and just make sure the paycheck date is for 12/28/2021 and send to Intuit?

MJoy_D · ‎December 23, 2021

I can help you with processing your employee's direct deposit, @CLaSala.

Yes, you can process your scheduled payroll. Just make sure to set the correct paycheck date so it'll be posted in the employee's bank account on the set paycheck date.

You have a one-day lead time with QuickBooks Desktop Payroll Assisted. This implies you must submit your payroll one business day prior to payday by 5:00 p.m. PST.

You have until 4:59 p.m. PST the next day to invalidate or add paychecks once you've submitted payroll. Payroll processing begins after 5:00 p.m. and cannot be stopped.

Check this article for more information about lead times and your payroll submission days: When do I need to submit payroll to pay employees on time?.

Here's a step-by-step guide on setting up a direct deposit and paying your staff electronically into their bank accounts: Set up your company payroll for direct deposit.

I'm always here if you need more help with your payroll. I'm always glad to help in any way I can. Have a great rest of the day!

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Scheduling several payrolls in advance