Summarize Payroll Data in Excel

Hi, @JustMe22. Having you submitted your second post in the Community forum is greatly valued. I'd be happy to provide details regarding the phantom employees when running reports in QuickBooks Desktop.

I know how time-consuming it is to encounter runtime issues when performing QuickBooks activities. We've received reports about the sample company employees generating Payroll Data in Excel Report. This isn't the experience we want you to have. Rest assured that our software engineers are working on a fix. I recommend contacting our Live Support Team to be added to the list of affected users. 

To contact support:

1. Click on Help, then select QuickBooks Desktop Help.
2. Hit Contact Us.
3. Type in the summary of our issue in the description field then hit Continue.
4. Select Message an agent.

The following article will help you manage reports in QuickBooks Desktop in the future: Understand reports.

Reach out to us again if you need further assistance with any QuickBooks-related concerns. We're available 24/7. Take care!

Thank you so much Big Red Consulting!  I had been using your previous "fix" since I upgraded to 2020 in 2020, but I was getting phantom employees on those 2 reports after I upgraded to 2023 last week.  I didn't think to check your website for a newer version of the "fix".  It's really sad that Intuit doesn't care enough to fix it.  I've been a member of this community since maybe 2007 and you are and have always been awesome with all your help!   Again, thank you!  I appreciate it!!

I am having the exact same issue. How do I fix it?

It's nice to see you here in the Community, @MerryMaids. Let me help share some details about the Summarize Payroll Data in Excel.

Currently, we have an ongoing issue where users are unable to generate a Summarize Payroll Data in Excel Report. We suggest contacting our support so we can add you to the list of affected users and receive further updates.

Here's how:

1. Go to the Help menu, then select QuickBooks Desktop Help.
2. Click Contact Us.
3. Give a brief description of your issue, then press Continue.
4. Select to chat with us or Have us call you.

To ensure we address your concern timely, please check our support hours. See this article for more information: Contact QuickBooks Desktop Support.

You can utilize other payroll reports within your QuickBooks company file as a workaround. To run and what are several Excel reports available in QuickBooks, see these articles:

• Excel-based payroll reports
• Run payroll reports

We appreciate your patience and understanding while this is working on. Take good care.

@MerryMaids  RE: How do I fix it?

I wouldn't wait for Intuit to fix it. It's been three years or so and they haven't bothered.

You can download the fixed version here: BRC Summarize Payroll Data In Excel – Fixed! 

I did all those things after about 45 mins. I had to leave. I was told this is a issue with some users and to let quickbooks know I have the issue so they can put me on a list somewhere!

Thank you so so much Big Red Consulting, you are the best!   QB Tech sux

see the post above yours from Big Red Consulting 

Intuit will never fix this problem. They don’t care. This is the same company that nearly doubled their product’s total cost of ownership when they forced you to their subscription model in 2022, yet made no meaningful improvements nor fixed any of the irritations in their product, like the broken Summarize Payroll in Excel reports and the inability to hard-code column widths and font sizes in reports. Intuit is one of our worst vendors. Hopefully Elon Musk or Jeffrey Bezos will get into the small business software space.

Who writes this garbage boilerplate for Intuit?

How many times in responses to problems have I seen this exact line:  "Rest assured that our software engineers are working on a fix"?  Nonsense.  This problem of summarizing payroll data has existed FOR YEARS.  No one at Intuit is working on a fix because Intuit doesn't want anyone using the desktop software any more. 

Let's be honest - Quickbooks wants people to move online because (a) they love subscription fees and (b) they control your data online and can sell it, use it and deny you access if you fail to pay their fees.

Intuit has a really poor track record of privacy (see also:  CrossRiver Bank PPP loan nonsense, sharing employee data with credit bureaus without employee consent and working with surveillance software firms).

This is the last year we're using Quickbooks or Quickbooks payroll. 

Rest assured, I'm leaving. 

Thanks Big Red.  You've helped out out several years in a row.  We added the $10 tip for your solution - well worth it. 

Another absolutely useless reply from Intuit.

Intuit has known about this problem for at least four years.  Adding your name to the affected user database will do nothing.  They aren't going to fix it because they don't care - they don't want you on desktop and will do everything possible to move you to online.

Ditch Quickbooks entirely.  Intuit is a shady company that hates its customers. 

RE: "Rest assured that our software engineers are working on a fix"?

But, but, um, but, um, they must be hard at work! Think of all those engineers! All those years spent trying to figure out how to fix a spreadsheet! Poor guys, slaving away...

Is there another program that is comparable?

I'm switching our company over to Paycor for payroll... Quickbooks is too outdated anymore...