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TaxCatSC
Level 4

How can I delete Wage Expense Accounts?

Before I realized certain limitations with payroll expense accounts I created a bunch of QBO Payroll Wage Expense Accounts for a bunch of types of Reimbursements.  I now want to delete all but one or two of them.  Because payroll can't go to a liability account, only expense account, I can't track the types of reimbursements properly in quickbooks so I'm doing that separately, and having eight different  types of payroll reimbursements just creates unnecessary clutter.

 

Payroll Accounting Preferences lets me reassign accounts to the different type of wage accounts, or not use any different type of wage accounts, but I have not been able to find a way to delete or deactivate the extraneous accounts.  I don't want to forever be stuck with all these extra accounts when I only need one or two.

 

 

Solved
Best answer December 31, 2019

Best Answers
IntuitLily
Moderator

How can I delete Wage Expense Accounts?

Thanks for the quick response, @TaxCatSC.

 

Currently, there isn't an option to delete the wage expense accounts created from the pay types. If you unchecked the pay types used, the previous accounts will still show on the Accounting Preferences page.

 

I'll personally submit feedback about this to the appropriate channel. Letting us know what works best for you will show our developers what they need to consider in future product updates.

 

As always, you can visit our QuickBooks Online Blog to get the latest news and updates about QBO. 

 

Let me know if you have other questions about working in the program. It's my priority to help. Wishing you a prosperous New Year!

View solution in original post

7 Comments 7
JasroV
QuickBooks Team

How can I delete Wage Expense Accounts?

Hi there, @TaxCatSC.

 

Payroll accounts will also show in the list of accounts in your Chart of Accounts (COA). Let's go to your COA and make the accounts you no longer need as inactive. Making the accounts inactive is also deleting them in your COA. Here's how.

 

In your QuickBooks Online (QBO):

  1. Go to the Gear icon.
  2. Select Chart of Accounts.
  3. Find the accounts you don't need.
  4. Select Make inactive from the drop-down menu under the ACTION column.

You can also check this article for more details: Remove accounts you no longer use.

 

I'd also recommend consulting with your accountant for guidance since it's involved your accounts

 

You'll want to check this article in case you want to print W-2 forms in your QBO account.

 

I'll be here if you have other concerns with expense accounts in your QBO.

TaxCatSC
Level 4

How can I delete Wage Expense Accounts?

Its not Chart of Account accounts I'm talking about...those I can rename to merge with a useful one or inactivate as needed.  Perhaps Types of Pay in Payroll is a better description.

 

In Payroll Preferences: Accounting: Wage Expense Accounts: How do you categorize wage expenses?*: I use different accounts for different wages

 

There is then a list, on the left are the type of accounts I'm talking about...all that can be done is mapping those to accounts on the right (which are normal chart of account accounts)

 

some examples:

Salary*    :  Payroll Expenses: Wages:Salary

Regular Pay*  :  Payroll Expenses: Wages: Regular Pay

Reimbursemed Misc*  : Reimburments Misc

Reimbursed Meals Meet*  : Reimbursements Misc

Insurance - Reim*  : Reimbrusements Misc

 

ect...what shows up on the right are accounts that can be changed in Chart of Accounts (and I have combined most of the reimbursement accounts into Misc).

On the left is what I want to change....they are Additional Pay Types, that can be selected to use or not for individual employee's payroll settings.

 

Thanks

IamjuViel
QuickBooks Team

How can I delete Wage Expense Accounts?

Hello, @TaxCatSC.

 

The items listed on the left of the accounts are the different payroll items you're using.  You'll have to remove the additional payroll item from all of your employee's payroll information. Once removed, it will no longer be displayed in the Accounting Preferences page.

 

Here's how:

  1. Go to the Workers menu.
  2. Choose the Employees tab.
  3. Open the Employees Information page one by one.
  4. Click the Pencil Icon in the Pay section.
  5. Scroll down to the How much do you pay Melisa? section.
  6. Hit the Pencil Icon to modify the employee's pay type.
  7. Unchecked the pay types assigned to the employee.
  8. Click Done.

You can read through this article to learn more: Set up Payroll account preferences.

 

Let me know if you have other questions when managing your payroll account preferences.

TaxCatSC
Level 4

How can I delete Wage Expense Accounts?

I had previously unchecked the pay types I don't want to use.  I just double check all employees, including inactive ones, and there are 3 pay types that are not checked for any employee, but still exist.  The unused pay types are not available in Run Payroll, gear/settings Edit Columns, but still show in Accounting Preferences. These pay types may have been used previous in one paycheck, when I still intended to manage reimbursements entirely through quickbooks.  Currently unused pay types are still showing in accounting preferences, if used once in the past am I just stuck with them always being present?  The unused pay types are not available in Run Payroll, gear/settings Edit Columns

IntuitLily
Moderator

How can I delete Wage Expense Accounts?

Thanks for the quick response, @TaxCatSC.

 

Currently, there isn't an option to delete the wage expense accounts created from the pay types. If you unchecked the pay types used, the previous accounts will still show on the Accounting Preferences page.

 

I'll personally submit feedback about this to the appropriate channel. Letting us know what works best for you will show our developers what they need to consider in future product updates.

 

As always, you can visit our QuickBooks Online Blog to get the latest news and updates about QBO. 

 

Let me know if you have other questions about working in the program. It's my priority to help. Wishing you a prosperous New Year!

JessicaBkper007
Level 1

How can I delete Wage Expense Accounts?

Is there a way to change the name of the Payroll Item? If there is one called Hourly Wage but I want to Specify it as "Clerical Hourly Wage" - how can I change the name of the payroll item itself?

ReymondO
QuickBooks Team

How can I delete Wage Expense Accounts?

Hi there, @JessicaBkper007.

 

For now, the option to change the name of the Payroll item is unavailable in QuickBooks Online (QBO). This function is only available for QuickBooks Desktop.

 

Just in case you wanted to change or delete a payroll deduction item in the future, then follow the steps provided in this article: How to change or delete a payroll deduction item in Online Payroll.

 

You can also check the supported pay types and deductions in QuickBooks Online Payroll as well as how each impacts federal taxes and forms in QBO.

 

The Community always has your back, so please let me know if you have further questions. Keep safe.

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