Timesheet changes to service item changes payroll item

Let's check your integration preferences to make sure you choose the appropriate information you'd like your employees tracking time, @BJS. This way, you're able to determine the reason the payroll item changes when you update your service item.

You may have missed some details upon setting up your integration preferences between QuickBooks Time and QuickBooks Desktop (QBDT) Payroll. That's why when you change the service item, the system automatically updates the payroll item as well. To correct this, you'll have to access the preferences window to check the settings. Here's how:

1. In QuickBooks Time, select the QuickBooks drop-down in the top right.
2. Select Preferences and make any desired changes. 
3. Under Employee Timesheets Should Show, choose what information you'd like your employees tracking time against: Customers/Jobs, Service Items, Billable yes/no, or Class.
4. Under Other Options, choose if you'd like to import your Vendors as Employees in QuickBooks Time.

To know more about this, I'd recommend checking out this article: About QuickBooks integration preferences in QuickBooks Time.

Also, I'm adding this article to answer the most frequently asked questions about QuickBooks Time and QBDT integration: QuickBooks Time and QuickBooks Desktop Integration FAQs. It includes topics about integrating using the Web Connector and Windows.

Let me know how it goes in the comments below. If you have other payroll concerns or inquiries about managing employees' time in QBDT Payroll, I'm just around to help. Take care always.

It sounds like you are possibly talking about an actual app called "Quickbooks Time"? I am not using that. I am talking about the Quickbooks Timesheet itself. However, I do use an app called BusyBusy that integrates with Quickbooks and imports hours into the timesheet. I don't see a menu in preferences that you are describing so I'm not sure what is needed. Also when doing payroll this week, I noticed that when I manually change the service item, it changes to the payroll item that was used the last time I manually entered the service item. For instance if I change the service item, it changes the payroll item to hourly or overtime, depending on what was used for the previous manual entry.

Hey there, @BJS.

Thanks for following up with us and clarifying what app you're using. 

I recommend contacting our payroll support team. Payroll support has the tools available to review your account in a secure environment and investigate things on our back end to find out what's causing your service items to not work properly. I've included some steps to contact support below. 

1. Open QuickBooks.
2. Go to Help, then choose QuickBooks Desktop Help.
3. Hit Contact Us.
4. Give a brief description of your issue, then click Let's talk.
5. Pick a way to connect with support (Chat, Callback, Etc.). 

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. As always, know that you can reach out to the Community any time you need assistance. Take care and have a wonderful day!

I have the same question and am not using the app to enter time into QBDT Timesheets. For most of my Service items it enters the Payroll Item of Hourly. For one Service Item, it changes the Payroll Item to Preferred Overtime. Why? That particular Payroll Item has even been made Inactive. I can't see a field in Edit Service Item or Edit Payroll Item that would control this.

In the past, I've had it "remember" the last Payroll Item I used (like Vacation) but then once I change it back to Hourly, it "remembers" that. I've been manually changing this particular Payroll Item for over a month, so I'm not sure what's going on.... An answer here rather than pointing us to contact support would be great and help many people at once.

Hello there, @Linda S. I understand the error that you encountered in the payroll item in QuickBooks Desktop.

I'd like ask a screenshot to see the exact error you may have. This way, I can provide the accurate solution to the issue.

Just in case you want to set up and manage payroll schedules, here's an article you can read for more details: Set up and manage payroll schedules

The Community is always willing to assist you in any queries you may have in QuickBooks.

Hi Christine,

It is not an error. It is just annoying. I will try and post a screenshot.

Basically, when I select most Service Items, QBDT "remembers" the Payroll Item I used with it the last time and enters it automatically. With this particular Service Item, it doesn't use the last Payroll Item that I want and instead enters something else that I then have to go back and change. Extra steps...

I guess no one knows the answer... I'll post back here if I ever figure it out...

This is an accurate description from Linda

"It is not an error. It is just annoying., basically, when I select most Service Items, QBDT "remembers" the Payroll Item I used with it the last time and enters it automatically."

It is a programming error. I would need to speak to one of the programmers to show them what happens. I'm very annoyed with it because it changes my regular hours to overtime hours and visa versa. I really wish it would not "remember" the last payroll item. What I entered originally is what I want it to be. If I enter or change the Service item, QB changes the payroll item to the last entered payroll item. Sometimes it's the same so no problem,  but more often than not, the payroll item changes from "hourly" to "OT" because the previous entry was "OT". 

Thanks @BJS 

I feel better knowing I am not the only one experiencing this. Yes sometimes it is helpful and sometimes it just makes more work...

Hi, @Linda S and @BJS.

I know this seems uneasy, especially when getting an unexpected system behavior while using the software. Cheer up, let's run some troubleshooting steps to isolate and fix this in no time.

I also find this peculiar since QuickBooks remembers the Payroll Item you used and automatically fills in hourly the last time and changes to Preferred overtime (that is an inactive payroll item). In this case, let's re-sort your lists to remove this system issue.

1. From the Lists menu, select Items.
2. Select the All Names checkbox.
3. Select Edit at the top left of QuickBooks.
4. Select Re-sort List.
5. Select OK.

Then you can check and change the service item, it should not change to the Preferred Overtime payroll item. If it persists, I recommend Rebuilding and Verifying your data. This way, the system will find errors and then QuickBooks will resolve and eliminate these from the company file.

After this process, ensure to close and reopen QuickBooks to test if the hurdle will still exist after doing these troubleshooting steps.

Please let me know how it goes. If you have additional questions, feel free to place a comment. I'm always here to assist you. Keep safe and more power to your business.

Hi @Jovychris_A 

I'm not sure what software you're using, but my QBDT 2020 does not have those menu options.

I used this instead to rebuild the Names list.

1. From the Banking menu, select Write Checks.
2. Select the Pay to the order of field, then press Ctrl+L on your keyboard.
3. Select the Include Inactive checkbox. If it's grayed out, there are no inactive names.
4. Select the Name ▼ dropdown, then select Re-sort List.
5. Select OK.
6. Close and reopen your company file.

Then I ran the Verify and Rebuild. Nothing changed. Still having the one Service Item change the Payroll Item each time I enter it. It is still not "remembering" what I used the previous time.

Any other ideas?

I'm chiming in to share some information, @Linda S.

As I check here on my end, the steps that my colleague @Jovychris_A provided can be accessed in QuickBooks Desktop 2020. You can refer on the screenshot below to see where the Item menu is located.

Another workaround is to edit the item on your employee's timesheet, then click Save and close. Once you try to create again, QuickBooks will remember the payroll item you used and then automatically fill in the overtime the last time and change to preferred, which is hourly.

Additionally, here are some articles that you can visit for future reference:

• Create and print timesheets
• Import and export data in QuickBooks Desktop

Don't hesitate to get back to me if you have any additional QuickBooks-related concerns. Rest assured that I'll always be here in the community, ready to help you once again. Keep safe and enjoy the rest of the day! 

Hi @Kurt_M 

Thanks for chiming in. The whole point here is that QB does NOT "remember" what I entered last time. I am trying to figure out why this is broken for one Service Item. It works fine for the other Service Items I use...

Guess it is just "one of those things..." I will probably just give up at some point, retire this Service Item and create a new one and hope it works correctly.

And yes, I know how to display the Item list. My point was that the steps provided after that are not as he/she described, so I thought I would provide some alternative steps that other people might find useful.

I finally took the time to have customer service to actually watch my screen as these things happened. From there I was transferred to a tech. Basically it's a problem they know about but since it can easily be fixed by the user, it's at the bottom of the list for fixing. I kind of agree with him but this has been going on for a couple of years for me. QBDT 2019 and still in 2022 Desktop Pro version. I have to take extra time processing payroll to make sure the hourly and overtime payroll items didn't switch without my noticing.

There are two things that can be tried and he said sometimes they work and sometimes they don't. Neither fixed my problem but here they are:

"list" from the top menu / "item list" / then at the very bottom is a drop down menu "list" / then "resort list"

the other is: "file" from the top menu / "utilities" / "rebuild data"

Neither worked for me but you might give it a try if you experiencing the same problem.

@BeverlyS  Yes, I had tried to Resort the names list and Verify and Rebuild data with no results other than wasting time. I also tried creating a replacement Service Item with the same or similar name. It does the same thing. Since this item was for the last employee I added to the file, I'm wondering if it is just broken from now on... Thanks for posting what you found out.