What happened to the Export Payroll Data to Excel report?

Thanks for posting today, SS2024. I'm here to share additional steps to pull up the payroll data report from your QuickBooks Desktop (QBDT) account into Excel.

You can still find the reports under the Employees & Payroll menu if you have an active payroll subscription. I'd be glad to show you how:

1. Go to the Reports menu, then Employees & Payroll. 
2. Pick More Payroll Reports in Excel.
3. Choose the type of report you want to generate.
   
4. Enable Macros if prompted.
5. Select the dates, then Get QuickBooks Data or Create Report.

Additionally, here's an article that lists the available Excel-based reports you can generate from QBDT and steps to create worksheets: Export reports as Excel workbooks in QuickBooks Desktop.

However, if you don't see these reports, can you please send a screenshot of what it looks like on your end? Also, what QBDT payroll subscription do you have?

Additionally, you can play around with the reports and use this link to learn more about how to personalize your data in QuickBooks: Customize reports in QuickBooks Desktop.

Don't hesitate to respond if you have more questions about exporting reports in QBDT. I'll be here to lend a helping hand. Have a great day!

Thank you so much for the reply. The screen shot you posted is what mine used to look like, but since the update a few days ago it is no longer there. I have the Enhanced Payroll subscription and I know it is still active as I ran payroll this morning. Attached is a screenshot of the reports I have under Employees & Payroll.

Unless it's a new bug, it's unusual for the menu to go away.

I'd try repairing the QuickBooks installation. See How to Repair QuickBooks 

Does that work?

Hello there, @SS2024.

I understand the importance of the Export Payroll Data to Excel report in QuickBooks Desktop (QBDT). For now, Let's use the verify and rebuild tools in QBDT that address a data issue with your company file that causes the behavior where the menu option of Export Payroll Data to Excel isn't showing. 

The verify function is designed to identify any corrupted data, while the Rebuild function will attempt to fix the damaged data detected. It also enables your QuickBooks software to restore the data inside the company file. However, ensure to have a backup copy of your company file before doing the Verify and Rebuild process. If changes occur, having a backup copy allows you to restore it to undo the changes.

Here's how:

1. Go to Window, then select Close All.
2. Go to File, then choose Utilities.
3. Select Verify Data. If you see:

• QuickBooks detected no problems with your data — your data is secure, so you don't need to do anything else.
• If you see an error message – you can search on our QBDT support site to learn how to fix it.
• If your data has lost integrity – damage to your data was found in the file and we have to rebuild your data.

If you need to rebuild the data in your company file, please follow the steps provided below:

1. Go to File, then select Utilities.
2. Click on Rebuild Data.
3. Follow the on-screen instructions, then press OK.
4. Select the place where you want your backup file to be saved, then tap OK.
5. Enter a new name in the File name. Click Save.

Please refer to the article below, which provides detailed instructions on the steps I outlined earlier.: Verify and Rebuild Data in QuickBooks Desktop. 

If the issue is still not fixed, I recommend contacting our support team to help you further. The team has the expertise and necessary tools to assist you with this concern. 

In addition, you might want to check this article to help you personalize and get the most by customizing any report that you want to generate: Customize reports in QuickBooks Desktop.

Let me know if you have any other concerns about the menu Export Payroll Data to Excel or the verify rebuild. I'll be around to provide further assistance to you.

@Clark_B 

RE: For now, Let's use the verify and rebuild tools in QBDT that address a data issue with your company file that causes the behavior where the menu option of Export Payroll Data to Excel isn't showing. 

Verify and Rebuild will not fix the menu items, because they are in no way connected to the QuickBooks file. They are part of the installation. Which you should know, being the QuickBooks expert that you are.

However, repairing the QuickBooks installation might fix it. It depends on what Intuit broke this time. Which again, you should know.

Who at Quickbooks is going to fix this problem? And when will it be fixed? We have the exact same issue. Ever since you (Quickbooks) pushed out the latest "update" this option for "more reports in excel" under the payroll reports menu no longer exists. Specifically the reports for 401k under this menu are critical for business operations. Before it disappeared we could normally run it for both 'Roth' and 'Traditional' 401k as needed. I attached a screenshot of that the report's headers normally look like when ran. We rely on this report every week to calculate our weekly 401k submissions for our employees. Now that this has gone missing by Intuit's "update", we don't have a way to calculate and provide this critical submission for our employees 401k money this week. Please advise ASAP?

Thank you for bringing this to our attention, Midwest. I'll further provide the necessary information to help you get past this issue. 

We can manually update the tax table to provide you with up-to-date, accurate rates and calculations for federal and supported state taxes, payroll tax forms. If the same thing happens, we can install the repair tool to eliminate errors when you use, install, or update QuickBooks. 

Here's how: 

1. Close QuickBooks.
2. Download the most recent version (1.6.0.3) of the QuickBooks Tool Hub. Save the file somewhere you can easily find it (like your Downloads folder or your Windows desktop). Note: If you've installed Tool Hub before, you can find out which version you have. Select the Home tab. The version will be on the bottom.
3. Open the file you downloaded (QuickBooksToolHub.exe).
4. Follow the on-screen steps to install and agree to the terms and conditions.
5. When the installation finishes, double-click the icon on your Windows desktop to open the tool hub.

Then, we can use the QuickBooks Tool Hub to  fix common errors.

In case the issue persists, I recommend contacting the QuickBooks Support Team. They have the resources to securely determine this issue through screen sharing while ensuring you're personal information remains safeguarded.   

Here's how: 

1. Go to Help, then select QuickBooks Desktop Help/Contact Us.
2. Hit Contact Us.
3. Give a brief description of your issue, then Continue.
4. Sign in to your Intuit account, choose Continue, and then Continue with my account. 
5. We'll email you a single-use code. Enter your code and select Continue.
6. Click chat with us or Have us call you. 

Check out their support hours to determine availability. 
 

Furthermore, you can refer to these articles to learn more about how QuickBooks offers a selection of payroll and employee reports that can help you manage payroll and keep track of employee expenses:  Customize payroll and employee reports. 

Should you require more information about managing your payroll reports in QuickBooks, hit the Reply button. I'll get back to assist you. Keep safe!

@Erika_K  RE: To proceed, may I know which version of QuickBooks you are using? If you have an older version, it may be why you can't access the option for more reports in Excel.

That is not correct.  All versions of QuickBooks have these reports and have since the turn of the century. Which, as the QuickBooks expert here, you should know.

Thanks BigRed for sticking up for us (the little guy). It seems ErikaK may be a chat bot or AI or something because most of the canned response is not even related to this issue. Anyway, to be completely forthcoming, we are indeed still on v21 and likely waiting until the last possible moment 5/31 to do the forced upgrade to v24 as we've grown used to doing every 3 years. But this doesn't explain why Intuit fumbled the ball with whatever they did during their recent "update" that made the 'export payroll data to excel reports' go the way of the dodo. I'll let our employees know they won't be getting their 401k contributions this week due to Intuit's brilliant idea of not bothering to test what actually happens when they push an "update"...Just kidding, if QB can't give a "real" solution, I'll just do what I always do (patch together some manual "get by" solution to take care of it myself).

I am in the same situation - trying to run the 401(k) contribution report and the menu option has disappeared.  

The incompetence and the smarmy, ineffective responses are infuriating.  I'm glad I found and read this stream before I wasted my time on useless "fixes."

So QB, WHEN WILL THIS BE FIXED???

I am having the same problem.

FIX THIS NOW, QB!

I understand that you are facing an issue with your QuickBooks payroll data report that disappeared after the recent update, @TKD779. I would be happy to assist you in resolving this issue. 

In the meantime, we can perform some troubleshooting steps to fix this. First, let's run the Quick Fix my Program from the QuickBooks Tool Hub. This tool is designed to help fix common program-related issues. Here's a step-by-step guide:

1. Download the QuickBooks Tool Hub.
2. Open the file you downloaded (QuickBooksToolHub.exe).
3. Follow the on-screen steps to install and agree to the terms and conditions.
4. When the installation finishes. Double-click the icon on your Windows desktop to open the tool hub. 

Once done, you can run the Quick Fix to repair your program. Here's how:

1. In the QuickBooks Tool Hub, choose Program Problems.
2. Click Quick Fix my Program.
3. Start QuickBooks Desktop and open your data file.

If the issue persists, we can further troubleshoot by running the QuickBooks Install Diagnostic Tool. You can find the step-by-step guide in this article: Repair your QuickBooks Desktop for Windows.

Also, you may want to check out one of our Help pages as your reference to guide you in managing your business growth and transactions using QBDT: QuickBooks Learn and Support. It includes 

Let me know if there's anything else you need help with managing your QuickBooks Desktop. I'm always here to help you anytime. Take care and keep safe!

@Quickbooks/Intuit Experts....

Any update on the fix? As you can see, several of us experienced the same problem since your most recent "update"

With your update, you wiped out the drop down reporting options for exporting additional payroll reports to excel.

We need it back. Please advise ASAP.

Your frustration about being unable to utilize the Export Payroll Data to Excel report is understandable, Midwest. 

Since you've already performed the troubleshooting steps, but still the issue persists, I recommend contacting our Customer Support Team for further assistance. They have the resources to review your account securely and investigate this further. Here are the steps to follow:

1. Go to Help, then select QuickBooks Desktop Help/Contact Us.
2. Hit Contact Us.
3. Provide a brief description of your issue, then click Continue.
4. Sign in to your Intuit account, choose Continue, and then Continue with my account. 
5. Enter the single-use code that we'll send to your email, then select Continue.
6. Click chat with us or Have us call you. 

Please know that our support team is available for Pro, Premier, and Plus users from Monday to Friday, between 6 AM to 6 PM. For Enterprise users, our support is available 24/7.

Moreover, you can refer to this article to learn the different payroll and employee reports that can help you manage and keep track of your payroll and customize them according to your business reporting needs: Customize payroll and employee reports. 

Please feel free to leave a comment below if you have any further questions. I'm always here to help.

No that's not it. Please try again. The exact same problem occurred on each of our workstations (this is QB Desktop) after you pushed your latest "update". And as you can see, we are not the only company with this problem. Please review whatever you broke during your last "update" and fix/patch it ASAP.

FYI we just discovered this as explained below doesn't work either now. So I suppose our State Agency won't be receiving their mandatory Division of Employment reporting this month (it's the same type of interface as the 'export payroll data to excel' reports so this doesn't surprise me)...

 -->>-- File Forms -->>-- Tax Form Worksheets -->>-- Quickbooks Tax Worksheets (in Excel) -->>-- State Wage Listing -->>-- then ERROR messages: "The QuickBooks Text File engine was not able create an output file." & "Unable to connect to QuickBooks. Could not connect to QuickBooks. Be sure QuickBooks is running and a company file is open."

(and yes to save you the trouble of asking, I did make sure QB was running and company file was open)

I'm currently on hold (for the last 1 1/2 hours and counting) after calling support about this missing report.  After going through the usual "fixes" the agent said, basically, that the report was discontinued and the I should upgrade to QB 2024. 

So, this brings up several points: 

QB knows that they discontinued the report.  Why do they waste 45+ minutes of everyone's time running "fixes" that they know will not fix anything?  Don't the tell their own employees what they are doing and that it will likely lead to complaints?

Eventually, they conclude that indeed the report is gone, and that QB 2021 will be unsupported in two months, so you should upgrade to QB 2024.  OK, so that means that QB wants to effectively steal two months of my already paid-for subscription and or a portion of what I paid for as I no longer have the full functionality that I paid for.  Pretty infuriating.  I asked for a refund and, of course, the agent and supervisor become mealy-mouthed.

Now at FIVE HOURS AND SIX MINUTES on the phone with four intuit drones.  The net result - the only way to get and keep the report is to upgrade to Enterprise 2024 at what is effectively a 3-1/2 times increase in price with no increase in utility.  

SO, THIS WHOLE THING IS ESSENTIALLY AN EXTORSION TO UPGRADE SO INTUIT CAN CHARGE ITS' LOYAL CUSTOMERS MORE MONEY.  And, its taken A HALF-DAY OF MY TIME.

OVERALL, DISGRACEFUL WAY TO TREAT CUSTOMERS.

I wish I could give you 100x Kudos upvotes. Thank you for sharing your experience. This is absolutely disgusting extortion at its worst. What a sad state of affairs. Sincerely though I appreciate that you've shared your experience thus far...silver lining is that you've saved me 5+ additional hours of my time, on the phone with QB "support", etc. to come to the REAL conclusion here.

This actually worked! What a simple fix. Thank you so much!

Solved! 100x Kudos to you @BigRedConsulting. Your solution is elegant and yet simple enough a non IT person (such as myself) was able to follow it to success within minutes. Now our workers can receive their 401k contributions this week. And our State Agency can receive their mandatory filing this week.

Quite baffling the fact that the Intuit/QB "professionals" couldn't cough up that solution themselves. They are supposed to be the experts of their own software, right? I hope you are billing Intuit for your valuable time spent solving their problems. Unfortunately I don't think I'll be receiving any compensation for my version of blood and plasma donation acting as one of their guinea pig test subjects.

Right.  So, why couldn't the "experts" at Intuit figure this out rather than waste half of my day and then up-sell me to a service I won't need for two months?

I stand by my earlier assessment that Intuit customer service is disgraceful.

I feel I am owed an apology - and from someone in HQ, who could have avoided this in the first place.

@TKD779 

RE: Quite baffling the fact that the Intuit/QB "professionals" couldn't cough up that solution themselves.

I doubt anyone at Intuit even knows what the issue is, or that their engineers are aware of it yet.

Someday, someone at Intuit might notify engineering and they'll try to figure it out. They might even fix it at some point, but that would require admitting a mistake and losing face, which is very hard to do in the Indian social system.

@Midwest-Q-Bks-User75 

RE: Quite baffling the fact that the Intuit/QB "professionals" couldn't cough up that solution themselves. They are supposed to be the experts of their own software, right?

Intuit support people aren't technical and don't really know anything about QuickBooks except what they read in their Q&A system, where they also likely get the pat answers that they copy/paste here on this site.

Many of their answers are either factually wrong or don't address the issues customers are asking about.

Intuit is a big company. Their support is terrible, and that is exactly how they want it to be. If they wanted it to be different, it would be different.

Clearly.