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Replace a lost or expired paycheck

by Intuit•24• Updated 5 months ago

Find out how to handle when your employee loses their paper paycheck, or if it’s stale-dated and the bank won’t cash it.

If your employee lost their paycheck, or the paycheck is more than 180 days (6 months) old, and the bank won’t cash it, you can reissue a new one through QuickBooks Online Payroll or QuickBooks Desktop Payroll. 

Depending on the situation, you may be able to reprint the original paycheck to give to your employee.  Or follow a 3-step process to replace the check.

My employee lost their paycheck

  1. Contact your bank and request a stop payment on the lost check.  
  2. You can reprint the original paycheck if you don’t want to account for the missing check number in your bookkeeping. If you do this, don’t void the paycheck.

If you want to account for the missing check number, see the instructions below.

The paycheck is expired, or I need to account for the missing check number

Note: Not sure which payroll service you have? Here's how to find your payroll service.

Step 1: Edit the original paycheck number

You’ll need the original check number, amount, and date to complete the rest of the steps. You’ll then edit the check number. 

For a better experience, open this article in QuickBooks Online. Launch side-by-side view Open this link in a new window

  1. Go to Payroll, then select Employees (Take me there).
  2. Select Paycheck list. 
  3. Update the check number with a new check number.
  4. Select Save and Close.
  1. Select Employees, then Employee Center.
  2. Select your employee. 
  3. Select QuickReports.
  4. Change the date range to include the date of the paycheck.
  5. Double-click the paycheck that the employee lost.
  6. Select the Print Later checkbox. To Print replaces the check number.
  7. Select Print.
  8. Enter your new check number, then select OK. You’ll give this check to your employee. 

Step 2: Contact your bank and request a stop payment (if the original paycheck is lost)

Step 3: Create a replacement check to account for the missing check number

For a better experience, open this article in QuickBooks Online. Launch side-by-side view Open this link in a new window

  1. Select + New, then Check.
  2. From the Payee ▼ dropdown, choose the name of the employee.
  3. Specify the Bank Account you use for payroll.
  4. Complete the rest of the check fields.
    1. Amount: enter the net amount of the lost paycheck.
    2. Category: choose Payroll Expenses.
    3. Check: enter the number of the lost paycheck.
    4. Description: enter a note.
    5. Payment: enter the same date used on lost paycheck.
  5. Select Print check. You’ll give this check to your employee. 
  6. Select Save and close.
  1. Select Banking, then Write Checks.
  2. From Bank Account, select your payroll account, then select OK.
  3. From Pay to the Order of, select your employee
    • Note: If you get a warning, select OK. 
  4. From date, enter the same date used on lost paycheck.
  5. In the $ field, enter the net amount of the lost paycheck.
  6. Select the Print Later checkbox. This will remove the checkmark.
  7. From No., enter the same check number as the lost paycheck.
  8. From the Expenses tab, select the Account column, and then select Payroll Expenses.
  9. Select Save & Close.

Step 4: Void the replacement check to balance your register

For a better experience, open this article in QuickBooks Online. Launch side-by-side view Open this link in a new window

  1. Open the check you created in Step 3.
  2. Change the check number to match the original (the lost or stale dated) check.
    Note: Enter a memo before voiding the check. This way you have a reminder of what it’s for.
  3. Select More at the bottom, then choose Void.
  4. On the confirmation prompt select Yes, then OK.
  1. Select Banking, then select Use Register.
  2. Select your payroll bank account, then select OK.
  3. In the register, select the replacement check you just created.
  4. From Edit, select Void Check .
  5. Select Record.
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