How about a 2015 or 2016 payroll check that one of our Employees lost and now wants it reissue in this current period? 

Best way to handle this

How about a payroll check from a closed period. An employee never deposited a check from 2015 & 2016 and now wants a reissue of the check. 

How do I treat the payroll check from closed period in quickbooks

We can reissue a new paycheck, Mgmt1.

We'll have to write a check payable to your employee. Before doing so, let's modify the lost paycheck in the register with the next available check number (make note of original paycheck number), and click Save and Close.

Afterward, let's create a check payable to the employee who lost the paycheck. I'll show you how:

1. From the Banking menu, select Write Checks.
2. Enter the net amount of lost paycheck.
3. Enter the same check number (the new check number) entered on the modified lost payroll check.
4. Click Save & Close.
5. Print the check and issue to the employee.
6. Change the check number on the Write Check screen to the original paycheck number on the lost paycheck.
7. Void the Write Check (do NOT void the original paycheck) in the bank register.

I've also added this article for more information about unclaimed wages: Understanding Escheat regulations for unclaimed wages.

Feel free to get back to me if you still need help. Take care!

Michelle: How about a payroll check from a closed period.  Employee lost a check from 2016 and now wants it reissue to deposit it. 

Thanks

Contact your accountant?? That's not an answer and it's the most absurd "answer" to questions on the QB Community site. I see it over and over so it must be built into the algorithm. I'm guessing that a good majority of the QB users ARE accountants. We know the accounting process and what the entries should look like. Most questions posted here are not about how to properly account for something. The questions are how to MAKE QUICKBOOKS do what's expected and work like a proper accounting system. If you (the "moderator") don't know the answer, then don't write a response and especially tell the accountant to seek help from an accountant.

I need to void both the bill and the bill payment and neither are being re-issued. How do I record this?

Thanks for joining the thread, rgonzalez2.

I can share the steps on how to record it in QuickBooks Desktop(QBDT).

Please consider the following information before voiding or deleting:

• Voiding changes the amount of the transaction to zero but it keeps a record of the transaction.
• Deleting bills removes the transaction entirely. It causes the bill(s)paid to return unpaid status.
• Deleting a bill causes a bill payment without the corresponding bill.

To void the bills and bill payment from the current fiscal period you can follow these steps:

1. Click the Vendors menu at the top, then select the Vendor Center.

2. Choose the Transactions tab to view all entries.

3. From there, click Bills or Bill payments.

4. This will display all the bills or bill payment checks.

5. Double click on the transaction you're working on to see more details.

6. On the Bills or Bill Payment page, hit the Delete dropdown, choose Void.

7. Press Save & Close.

8. Click the Yes button in the Recording Transaction pop-up window.

Here's how for multiple bills and bill payment check:

1. Select the Lists menu, the Chart of Accounts.

2. Double click the appropriate Accounts Payable account to open its register.

3. In the Accounts Payable register, choose the specific bill or bill payment check.

4. Select the Edit menu, then Void/Delete Bill/Bill Pmt-Check.

5. Hit Record, then Yes to save the changes.

Please feel free to read these articles for more details:

• Create, modify, and print checks
• .Record Deposits/make Deposits.

Leave a comment if you have further questions about managing your bill. I'm always here to help you.

Hi Michelle,

Any reason not to just create the new check and post it to the same checking account? This creates the deposit as you suggested and reissues the check in one simple entry. Then nothing touches the prior year P&L and the Balance sheet doesn't change. It does show the deposit as a check but that's no more strange than marking a check as cleared when it didn't! :) 

Any fault in this logic?

Thanks!

When you void a check in QB it puts it back into cash in the period it was originally written.  It is absolutely incorrect accounting to post a voided check in the current period back to the period in which the check was actually written! A voided check should be voided on the day you void the check. Otherwise you are changing the balance sheet from a prior period. No CPA will tell you to post a void back when the check was actually written. Until you actually void the check, it is properly shown as a cash payment. Once voided the entry is to debit cash (on the day of the void ) and put it back into AP. QB Please correct this! You guys are killing me!

This is an excellent solution to QB's shortcoming of being able to void and re-issue checks from a closed prior period. Other software companies have figured out how to do this without causing an accounting issue.

Not QB!

Anyway, MQA, I congratulate you on sharing the best solution to this QB issue. Just enter a bill to the vendor and post it to the checking account where it was drawn! No need to create an exchange account or deposit! Heck you can even save it as a memorized transaction if you need to do it again. 

Well done.

The bill and check from the prior year need to be voided and I'm not re-issuing. 

This is a clever work around but it’s ridiculous that people should have to try to figure out work around for things that are handled very well in accounting. In every other accounting software program ( and in real life), when you void a check the amount goes back into cash and the invoice goes back into AP. Then you create a new check to pay the outstanding bill. Who is writing the QB software…Non-CPAs? QB, if you want to be taken seriously in the Accounting world start making some of these very simple corrections to your software.

Can you use this for stale paychecks? I just took over as bookkeeper and there are uncashed paper paychecks from 2019. The employees now have direct deposit and wish to be paid that way instead of issuing a replacement paper check. 

Can this be used for an employee paycheck? I just took over as bookkeeper and there are uncashed paychecks as far back as 2019. Some employees are now on direct deposit and don't want paper checks replaced.

Thanks for following the thread and sharing your concerns, @KellyLifeLine.

You can void the uncashed paycheck of the employees to create a direct deposit. Before voiding, you'll have to take note of the paycheck details like deductions, dates, contributions, and other important details.

Here's how:

1. Click the Employees drop-down menu ▼, and then select Edit/Void Paychecks.
2. On the Edit/Void Paychecks window, change both the Show paychecks through/from to the date of the check.
3. Pick the check you want, and then choose Void.
4. In the pop-up window, enter "yes" and then click Void again. 
5. Follow the on-screen instructions. Then, click the Done button to close the Void Paychecks window.

Then you can follow the steps shared by my colleague Adrian_A above on how to write a check for the DD employee.

Once done, you'll have to manually record a journal entry for other payroll details. For more details see this article: Create a journal entry in QuickBooks Desktop for Windows or Mac.

Upon sharing the steps above, I'd still suggest consulting an accountant to ensure the accuracy of the books.

I've included some articles below about handling payroll and how taxes work in QuickBooks:

• Set up direct deposit for employees
• Create and run your payroll
• How QuickBooks calculates payroll taxes

Post again in the Community if you need more help with managing your payroll or other QuickBooks-related concerns. We'd be glad to help you some more. Take care and stay safe.

I'm wary of voiding an old paycheck from another period. I also don't understand how to use the instructions for replacing an out-of-date paycheck with a new check to switch payment types. It's not very clear to me.

Hello there, KellyLifeLine.

I'm here to further elaborate on the steps shared by my colleagues.

You'll have to void the out-of-date paychecks so the system will update it and change the amount to zero. If you're unsure about voiding the transaction, you may reach out to your accountant so you'll be guided accordingly to avoid messing up your recording.

Once voided, you can now pay your employee via check payable to the same employee. Here's how:

1. From the Banking menu, select Write Checks.
2. Enter the net amount of the out-of-date paychecks.
3. Click Save & Close.

Afterward, print the check and issue it o the employee.

Feel free to pin these links on handling payroll and taxes:

• Set up direct deposit for employees
• Create and run your payroll
• How QuickBooks calculates payroll taxes

That should do it. You can always count on me whenever you have questions about taxes. I've got your back!

This has nothing to do with stale paychecks. It's about voiding checks in the current period without affecting prior years. 

Is anyone actually reading what I need to do. I have stale checks that will not be reissued, both the bill and the check need to be voided in the current period. It can not affect prior accounting periods.

I've read all your replies on this thread, @rgonzalez21. I have solution about your voiding concern.  

I'll share some information about voiding bills and checks in the current period without affecting prior years. This way, your books will stay accurate at all times. 

Voiding current checks will not affect the previous years, whether reconciled or not. They will only affect prior years if the bill/bill payment you'll want to create/void is dated back to the previous years. That said, you can directly void or delete them. 

Do the following: 

1. Go to the Vendors tab and select Vendor Center. 
2. Open the appropriate bills and checks you want to void one at a time. 
3. Click the Delete drop-down, then pick Void. You'll see a VOID in the Memo field. 

To void multiple bills and bill payment check, you can follow the instructions outlined by my peer Giovan_G above. 

Additionally, check out these articles below on how to resolve vendor transactions issues in QuickBooks: 

• Checks common issues and unexpected results
• Expenses and vendors

If you have any questions regarding vendor transactions, please don't hesitate to leave me a line. I'd be happy to give you a few tips, and I'll be here if you need anything.

I keep saying these are bills and bill payments/checks. If you try to void a bill or the payment for it, Quickbooks will void it in the period it was issued and not the current period. This is something that should be very simple to do in any accounting software.

If you are just voiding the check and not re-issuing, then you can create a journal entry to record the void in the current period. Post a debit to the Cash account and a credit to the same Expense account where the original bill was posted. You can then clear the old check and the journal entry against each other in the bank rec.  The problem with this approach is that the voided check will display as "cleared" instead of voided.

OR

If you prefer to have the check show as Void in the QB system then you can use QB to void both the check and the bill.  Unfortunately, the void utility voids the transaction based on the original transaction date. If the transaction is from a closed period, the void utility will change the prior period results and that will cause a problem.  To address this problem you will need to use a prior period journal entry to offset the impact of the prior period Void.  Additionally, the prior period journal entry will need to be reversed using a current year date which will shift the financial impact to the current period.

An example of an entry to reverse the impact of a closed period system void is shown below:

1. Void the check

2. Void the related bill(s)

3. Post a journal entry to offset the financial impact in the prior period (see below)

Journal date = original check date

debit:  Expense -  $100

credit: Cash -         $100

to remove the impact of system voiding check 123 in prior period

4. Reverse the journal entry above using a current period date.

To reverse an entry, simply edit the entry in question and click on the "Reverse" button.

A copy of the original entry with reversed amounts will appear. Choose a journal entry date in the current period and post. 

The original check will show as cleared and any financial impact to the prior period will be offset by the journal entry with the reversing entry moving it  to the current year. For the bank rec, you would need to clear the debit and credit from the two journal entries against each other.

If you are just voiding the check and not re-issuing, then you can create a journal entry to record the void in the current period. Post a debit to the Cash account and a credit to the same Expense account where the original bill was posted. You can then clear the old check and the journal entry against each other in the bank rec.  The problem with this approach is that the voided check will display as "cleared" instead of voided.

OR

If you prefer to have the check show as Void in the QB system then you can use QB to void both the check and the bill.  Unfortunately, the void utility voids the transaction based on the original transaction date. If the transaction is from a closed period, the void utility will change the prior period results and that will cause a problem.  To address this problem you will need to use a prior period journal entry to offset the impact of the prior period Void.  Additionally, the prior period journal entry will need to be reversed using a current year date which will shift the financial impact to the current period.

An example of an entry to reverse the impact of a closed period system void is shown below:

1. Void the check

2. Void the related bill(s)

3. Post a journal entry to offset the financial impact in the prior period (see below)

Journal date = original check date

debit:  Expense -  $100

credit: Cash -         $100

to remove the impact of system voiding check 123 in prior period

4. Reverse the journal entry above using a current period date.

To reverse an entry, simply edit the entry in question and click on the "Reverse" button.

A copy of the original entry with reversed amounts will appear. Choose a journal entry date in the current period and post. 

The original check will show as cleared and any financial impact to the prior period will be offset by the journal entry with the reversing entry moving it  to the current year. For the bank rec, you would need to clear the debit and credit from the two journal entries against each other.

Finally an answer, a horrible unnecessary work around, but maybe one day Quickbooks will figure it out.

Thank you very much toom21!!