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Add a new company to your payroll subscription

by Intuit•10• Updated 1 week ago

Learn what to do in QuickBooks Online Payroll and QuickBooks Desktop Payroll when you have a new company file.

If you have a new company you need payroll for, you may be able to add it to your existing payroll subscription. Or, you may need to purchase an additional subscription.

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

When you set up your QuickBooks Online Payroll, you’re asked to enter your Federal EIN. 

Note: QuickBooks Online Payroll allows you to have one federal EIN per payroll subscription. If you have more than one company, you'll need to have a separate subscription for each.

  1. Go to Payroll, then Overview.
  2. In the SETUP TASKS section, select Start or Edit ✎ next to Fill in your tax info. 
  3. Fill in the necessary fields until you’re asked to enter EIN.

Streamline your payroll tax info and make managing your team easier with QuickBooks Payroll.


You can also enter your EIN here:

  1. Go to Settings ⚙, then Payroll settings.
  2. From Federal tax, select Edit ✎.
  3. Enter your EIN.
  4. Select Save, then Done.

QuickBooks Desktop Payroll Assisted allows you to have one federal EIN per payroll subscription. If you have more than one company, you'll need to have a separate subscription for each.

You can use a single payroll subscription to process payroll for multiple companies with different EINs. Each QuickBooks Desktop Payroll service can have up to three EINs. If you're subscribed with Enhanced for Accountant Payroll, you can add up to 50 EINs.

Note: Each EIN can only have one company file. Attempts to create multiple company files under the same EIN may cause errors.

Add a company to your existing payroll subscription 

Follow these steps if the company file you're adding to your payroll subscription hasn't previously used QuickBooks Desktop Payroll. If it has, contact us to get a service key.

  1. Select Employees, then Payroll.
  2. Select Use My Existing Payroll Service.
  3. In the Account Maintenance window, select Add File.
  4. Now select the Add to Subscription Number radio button. (Note: If you don’t see the Add to Subscription Number radio button, a payroll service has already been validated in the company file.)
  5. Select Other: I have an existing subscription, if you don’t see your subscription in the list.
  6. Enter your subscription number and a Zip Code. 
  7. Select Next twice.
  8. Select Print, or Return to QuickBooks. 

If you purchased a payroll subscription directly from Intuit, follow these steps to enter the Service Key provided by the agent.

  1. Go to Employees, then Payroll, select Enter Payroll Service Key.
  2. Select Add. 
  3. Enter the Service Key without hyphens.
  4. If the company file already has the payroll service key in it, select Edit instead of Add. Then enter the Service Key.
  5. Select Next, and Finish.
  6. Wait for the new Tax Table to be downloaded completely. 

“Use My Existing Payroll Service” isn’t available 

This option isn’t available if you just installed QuickBooks Desktop or you have an existing company file that hasn’t validated the payroll subscription. If you already have an existing file, follow these steps: 

  1. Open the existing file that has a payroll subscription.
  2. Download and install the tax table.
  3. When the update is done, close the company file.
  4. Open the company file of the EIN you want to add to your subscription.
  5. Go to Employees menu, then Payroll.
  6. Select Use My Existing Payroll Service.
  7. Select Add File.

Remove EIN from your payroll subscription

If you have a company file that you no longer need access with, you can remove the EIN from your payroll subscription.

  1. Go to Employees, then My Payroll Service.
  2. Select Account/Billing Information. 
  3. Sign in with the email associated with your payroll account.
  4. Select Payroll Details, then Manage EIN.
  5. Under Manage EIN, you’ll see the list of EINs. 
  6. Select the EIN of the company file you don't need access, then select Remove. 
QuickBooks Desktop Payroll AssistedQuickBooks Desktop Payroll BasicQuickBooks Desktop Payroll EnhancedQuickBooks Desktop Payroll StandardQuickBooks Online Payroll CoreQuickBooks Online Payroll EliteQuickBooks Online Payroll Premium

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