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Pay your non-tax liabilities in QuickBooks

by Intuit55 Updated 8 months ago

Learn how to pay third-party agencies for your benefits or deductions in QuickBooks Online Payroll and QuickBooks Desktop Payroll.

In QuickBooks, you can set up scheduled payments and create checks to pay benefits and other deductions to your plan administrators, such as 401(k), insurance premiums, or garnishments. This helps you stay on top of your bills and payments.

Follow the steps below for your product.

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

QuickBooks Online

QuickBooks Online Payroll doesn't create the check to pay non-tax liabilities such as Health Insurance premiums, 401(k) contributions, and Child Support. You'll need to create these payments from the Check screen.

  1. Select + New.
  2. Select Check.
  3. From the Payee dropdown, choose the vendor.
  4. From the Bank Account dropdown, choose the account you use for liability payments.
  5. Also enter the Payment date and Check no..
  6. From the CATEGORY dropdown, select the account you use to track your liability payments then enter the amount. If you have sub-accounts for each agency you are paying, make sure to select those specific accounts and enter the appropriate amount for the agency. If you're not sure which account to select, check your payroll accounting preferences setup:
    1. Go to Settings ⚙, then Payroll settings.
    2. Select Edit in the Accounting section.
  7. Fill in the rest of the check as you normally would then select Save.
  • If you want to just create the check now and print later, select Print later below the Check no. field.
  • If you are ready to print the check, select Print check. This opens the Print preview page. Print it as you normally do.

To make sure your liabilities are paid on time, we suggest setting up recurring transactions to remind you when these payments are due. Here's how:

  1. Follow the steps in creating a liability check.
  2. Select Make recurring.
  3. In the Recurring Check section:
    1. Enter a Template name that will help you remember what the liability payment is for.
    2. Set template type to Reminder.
    3. Enter the # of days in which you want to be reminded about the payment.
    4. Based on the payment schedule, select the appropriate interval for the transaction to be entered.
    5. Choose the Start date and End date (if any) for the recurring check .
    6. Select Save Template.

QuickBooks Desktop Payroll

Need to pay taxes or file federal forms?  Use these links for more info.

We recommend setting up a payroll schedule for your non-tax liabilities to help you keep track of when they’re due.

Step 1: Set up your scheduled payment 

  1. Go to the Employees menu, then select Payroll Center.
  2. Select the Pay Liabilities tab.
  3. Under Other Activities, select Change or Manage Payment Methods.
  4. Select Benefit & Other Payments, then select Schedule Payments.
  5. Under the Benefits and Other payments column, select the benefit or liability you want to set up a schedule for. Then select Edit.
  6.  Select the Payee (Vendor).  
  7. Enter the Account Number. Then select the Payment Frequency.
  8. Select Finish to close the window.

Check out this video on how to set up your tax payment schedule.

Step 2: Add your scheduled payments to your calendar

  1. Go to the Payroll Center, then select Pay Liabilities.
  2. Place a checkmark next to the liability payment(s) for which a calendar reminder is needed.
  3. Select Set payment reminder dropdown menu.
  4. Select either “Add Reminder to Calendar” or “Export Reminder in Calendar File”
    • Add Reminder to Calendar will open the default calendar program on the user’s computer.
    • Export Reminder in Calendar File will create a calendar reminder file that can either be opened on the user’s computer, or that can be sent to other users to be added to their calendar program.

Note:  Basic and Enhanced Payroll users will be able to set payment reminders for payroll tax payments as well as other payroll liabilities like garnishments or benefits payments.  

Assisted Payroll users will only have the option to set payment reminders for other payroll liabilities since Intuit already pays the Federal and State taxes for Assisted Payroll customers.

  1. Go to Employees, select Payroll Taxes & Liabilities, then select Pay Scheduled Liability.
  2. In the Pay Taxes & Other Liabilities window, select the tax or other liability you want to pay from the list. Then select View/Pay.
  3. Review the dates and the amounts due. 
  4. Select Check/E-pay to proceed in paying your taxes.

Check out this video on how to pay your payroll taxes and liabilities.

  1. Go to Employees, select Payroll Center, then select Pay Liabilities.
  2. Under Other Activities, select Create Custom Payments.
  3. In the Select Date Range for Liabilities window, select a date range, then OK.
  4. Select To be printed if you want to print the liability check. Leave this clear if you issued a handwritten check.
  5. Select the bank account and the date you want to appear on the liability check.
  6. Choose either Review your liability check to enter expenses/penalties or Create a liability check without reviewing.
  7. Select the payroll item you want to pay, then select Create
    Note: For multiple payroll items, if the items are paid into one agency they are combined into one liability check. Different agencies will produce multiple liability checks. Make sure the check amount and item list under Payroll Liabilities are accurate.
  8. If you select Review your liability check to enter expenses/penalties, a liability check appears. If you didn’t, you can view the liability check in the check register.
  9. Make sure the date and amounts are correct. Select Print to print the check. 
  10. For a handwritten check, clear the Print Later checkbox. Then enter the check number or other reference in the NO. field. 
  11. For liabilities paid by Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT), clear the Print Later checkbox and type EFT in the NO. field of the liability check.
  12. Go to the Expenses tab if you want to enter expenses/penalties on the liability check.
  13. From the Account field drop-down, select the expense account you use to track payroll expenses and penalties, then enter the amount in the Amount column.
  14. Select Recalculate.
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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