How to claim the ERC in the 941 after processing payroll

We want to ensure to get ERC on the 941 form, Exclusive.

I suggest reaching out to our payroll support since your payroll is already processed. A live agent will take a better look at your taxes and will help you add the cares account. Here's how:

1. Click Help inside QuickBooks. 
2. Select QuickBooks Desktop Help.
3. Click Contact Us.
4. Enter "Claim the ERC in the 941 after processing payroll" in the description field, then click Continue.
5. Select either Message an Agent or Talk to a Specialist. 

Let me also include this article to help you know more about ERC: How to set up and track the Employee Retention Credit under the CARES Act.

Feel free to visit the Community if you have other payroll concerns. We'll respond as soon as we can. Take care!

1.If there is a solution why don't you just post it? 

2.Cant get to the screen that I can choose to talk to specialist or message one.

So far I have multiple payroll clients that were only able to calculate after the quarter ended if they are eligible for the ERC, and I dont know how to claim it in the QB software (worksheet 1 doesn't even populate)

I doubt that I'm the only one, but it is ridiculous

Hi, @exclusive.

Allow me to share with you some insights about claiming Employee Retention Credit (ERC).

You need to set up and track ERC before running payroll. Since you've already processed your payroll, you need to connect with our Support Team as suggested by Kristine Mae above. A live representative can check and take actions or workarounds for claiming the ERC even after running paychecks.

I want to ensure you can connect with our support team in no time. If you aren't able to get to the screen to choose a way to connect with support. You can follow these steps otherwise:

1. Open this link: https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/help/en-us/contact-us?product=QuickBooks%20Desktop%20for....
2. Pick QuickBooks Desktop from the drop-down, then hit Continue.
3. Select which edition you have, then enter a short description of your concern.
4. Click on Continue.
5. Choose either Chat with us or Have us call you under How would you like to connect with us? window.

On the other hand, here's how you can learn more about setting up and tracking ERC under the CARES Act.

Please let me know how else I can help you with processing payroll or ERC in QuickBooks. I'm more than happy to provide additional assistance. Keep safe!

I am also in the same position as the original poster.  I can't believe given the changes to the ERC over the past year AND the fact employer's won't know the % gross receipts and if they would even qualify for ERC during the month, that there is no way to make a manual 1 time adjustment to prior payrolls previously processed.  My first 3 clients have only a couple employees so I went back and adjusted each paycheck - tedious but doable.  There is one client who has 7, each working overtime etc., numerous pay codes on each check, and paid weekly.  It's going to take hours to re-compute and verify since the paychecks have been issued, all to get the 941 to populate so I can efile the report.  In a perfect world, yes, the ERC would have been applied each pay, but this obviously isn't a perfect world (rarely is) therefore, QB payroll should be programmed accordingly .

You can change only 1 check (or part of it) to have a "Cares" payroll item (as QB calls it) than you can manually change the amounts in the worksheet (from your outside calculations to get the full credit you deserve 

Yeah - this is such a backwards approach - they don't seem to realize that eligibility is determined at end of quarter and has nothing to do with paycodes. 

The way others handle this, at the end of the quarter you indicate if eligible and if so which paycodes count for credit based on guidance. Then system can fill in the worksheet properly. That seems like the natural way to do this versus this totally ridiculous approach. 

Sage handles it perfectly.  Most companies calculate the ERC either after the fact because current quarter earnings are not yet known and prior period earnings are being reviewed.  Sage allows an adjustment for a calculated credit based upon the total individual qualified employees earnings.  For QBs I have to self calculate the form and use www.pdffiller.com to complete the 941.  And to have to go back and change every paycheck...really.  Sucks!  That is ridiculous.  Someone in QBs needs to see how Sage is doing it which is how it needs to be and give us the right to enter company level information on the 941. Companies maintain the backup.   Either that we have to file amended 941s.   But that is a PIA because of penalties and delays in amended return processing.  And for certain quarters you don't know if you qualify until the quarter is over. 

I am having the same issue (adding the ERC for 2020 now allowed for PPP recipents but was not allowed at first until congressional action). I tried the methods described but when I was eventually called back by some one who was obviously working from home with a baby crying so loud I could not hear them and when I could here them I was not always able to understand them, I was told Intuit did not support ERC and to figure it out on my own. Thanks Intuit. I have supported you since 1991 but no more. If you can not support your product what good is it.

Just wondering if anyone has figured out how to do the ERC after payroll was done without redoing every employee manually.

thanks, Pegs428

I'm having this same issue and hoped they made it easier.

Thank you for joining the thread, Pegs428.

I understand that doing this for every employee can be challenging. However, that's the option in place at the moment. Just let us know if you have questions along the way. We'll be here to help.

On the other hand, I'm sharing this article for your additional reference: Year-end checklist for QuickBooks Desktop Payroll.

i need a little help with this