Learn the info needed and process behind how to set up your new QuickBooks Online Payroll Core, Premium, or Elite payroll service.
Pay your team quickly, accurately, and on time with QuickBooks Online Payroll.
You’ll need to complete a few tasks before you can pay your people. Here’s a handy guide and videos to help you get set up.
Step 1: Get started on your payroll setup
We want to make payroll painless for you. Add business and employee info to create paychecks right away in QuickBooks, and print or handwrite checks. Then you’ll come back to the setup and work through Step 2: Complete your payroll setup tasks below.
Tip: If you're not sure which QuickBooks Online Payroll plan you have, sign in to your account. Then, refresh this page for personalized steps, or follow these steps if you're the primary admin:
Step 2: Complete your payroll setup tasks
We know it takes time to get your payroll information into QuickBooks, so setup is designed to allow you to add info at your convenience and save it as you go.
The tasks can be completed in almost any order. There are a couple of additional tasks if you've already paid your employees this year.
To get to these tasks:
- Go to Payroll, then select Overview (Take me there).
- Select Start on the task you want to work on.
Tell us about your team
In this task, you’ll enter your employees’ info, and you can invite your employees to enter some of their own info through our free QuickBooks Workforce product.
| Note: If you're coming from ADP, Gusto, or Paychex, learn how to import your employees and pay history into QuickBooks Online Payroll. |
The information you’ll need for each employee:
- Completed Form W-4 and any state equivalent forms if applicable
- Hire date
- Birth date
- Pay rate
- Any paycheck deductions such as contributions to insurance, retirement, or wage garnishments
- Bank account or pay card info for direct deposit (if applicable)
- Sick, vacation, PTO accrual rates and balance (if applicable)
Check out these videos to learn how to add your employees:
Fill in your tax info
In this task, you’ll add your federal and state payroll tax info.
Note: Missing or incorrect information entered in this section may result in tax notices, or the inability for tax payments and filings to be made from within QuickBooks. If you skip entering any of the information in this step, go to Settings ⚙, then Payroll settings to enter the info as soon as possible.
The information you’ll need:
- Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN)
- State Withholding and/or Unemployment account numbers: Contact your state agencies to register
- Federal and state deposit frequencies: how often you are required by the IRS and state to pay your taxes
- State tax rates: Unemployment, surcharges, state disability, paid family leave, etc.
Note: Most of the above information can be found on prior tax filings and other notifications sent by the IRS and your state. If you can't find this information, contact the agencies directly to obtain it before it's time to pay or file any of your taxes from QuickBooks.
Check out this video to learn how to add your payroll tax info:
How to add your payroll tax info to QuickBooks Online Payroll
Add your payroll history, if you already paid employees this year
In this task, you'll enter year-to-date paycheck info for each employee you paid this year. We'll use this info to accurately report wages and taxes on W-2s and other payroll tax forms.
| Note: If you're coming from ADP, Gusto, or Paychex, learn how to import your employees and pay history into QuickBooks Online Payroll. |
The information you'll need:
- Pay stubs or payroll reports for each employee paid this calendar year
- Payroll reports with company totals of wages and taxes for each paycheck date in the current quarter
Check out this video to see how to enter your payroll history:
How to set up QuickBooks Online Payroll when you already paid employees this year
Connect your bank
In this task, you’ll connect your payroll bank account so you can use direct deposit and we can pay and file your payroll taxes. You may be able to connect it instantly so you can use direct deposit right away.
The information you’ll need:
- Principal officer’s name, home address, Social Security number, and birth date (this is the authorized signer on the payroll bank account)
- Your business bank account online User ID and password, or the routing and account number of the account you want to use for your direct deposits and payroll taxes. (We know entering this data may be scary. Read about the multiple layers of security we use to keep your data safe)
Check out this video to learn how to connect your bank for payroll:
Tell us which taxes you've paid this year if you already paid employees this year
In this task, you’ll review and confirm the payroll taxes you’ve already paid this year and your principal officer will electronically sign payroll authorization forms.
Info you’ll need:
- Documents that show taxes and amounts you paid this year (tax liability reports, or receipts or statements)
- Principal officer present to answer specific questions for the payroll authorization forms
Check out this video to learn how to confirm taxes you already paid this year
How to add previous payroll tax payments to QuickBooks Online Payroll