Get started with QuickBooks Online Payroll
You’ll need to complete a few tasks before you can pay your team in QuickBooks Online Payroll Core, QuickBooks Online Payroll Premium, or QuickBooks Online Payroll Elite services. Here’s a handy guide and videos to help you get set up.
Tip: If you're not sure which QuickBooks Online Payroll plan you have, sign in to your account. Then, refresh this page for personalized steps, or follow these steps if you're the primary admin:
- Go to Settings
and select Subscriptions and billing. - The name of your payroll plan is in the second box.
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Welcome to QuickBooks Online Payroll. Here, you can pay your employees and have QuickBooks automatically pay and file your payroll taxes on your behalf.
Let’s go over where everything is in QuickBooks Online Payroll.
Select the Payroll tab…Overview.
This is where you pay your team.
If you just signed up for QuickBooks Online Payroll, you can use the list of tasks to set up payroll correctly. You can also get help from our setup guide or check out videos to help you start.
After you’ve run payroll for the first time, this page shows shortcuts to commonly used functions, like adding employees and editing payroll items.
And you’ll see the status of your Automatic Taxes and Auto Payroll, as well as employee milestones.
From the Employees tab, you see a list of employees you’ve added to QuickBooks and important facts about them, like pay rate and how you pay them.
If you want more detail, select an employee.
If you hire a new employee, select Add an employee to set them up.
This is also where you can invite employees to QuickBooks Workforce so they can view their paychecks, paid time off, and W2s online.
You can pay employees from this screen as well, and if you ever need to run payroll just for bonuses, use this button.
The Contractors tab is where you track the contractors you send 1099s. From here, you can set up new contractors or pay them with a check or direct deposit.
QuickBooks Online Payroll also helps you choose a workers’ comp plan…and choose employee benefits like health insurance and retirement plans using our benefits partners.
If you use Payroll Premium or Elite, you can use the HR Advisor to help you hire and onboard employees…set policies…and more.
Use the Compliance tab to read the latest news from federal and state agencies on taxes and other payroll rules.
Select Taxes…Payroll Tax.
This is where QuickBooks alerts you to anything that needs attention, or is coming up in the future for tax payments…
…and tax form filing.
This is also where you can see and print 941 forms, state forms and W2s, as well as past payments
If you want QuickBooks to automatically pay and file your taxes and forms, go to the Payroll Overview page to see setup tasks you may still need to complete.
If you use Payroll Premium or Elite, you can use the Time Tab to see who’s working and where, enter time, and approve employee time.
Select Reports…and go to the Payroll section to run reports on payroll tax liabilities, total payroll cost, and more.
To see your payroll preferences, select Settings…Payroll Settings.
This is where you set up auto payroll…automated tax payments and form filings…request an increase to direct deposit limits…map payroll expenses and deductions to accounts on your Chart of Accounts…and more.
You can also use the Settings menu to change your subscription and billing info.
If you want to provide employees access to QuickBooks, select Manage users to add them. Check out this video to learn more about how to set up users.
Now you're ready to start using QuickBooks to manage your payroll.
Start your payroll setup
Open payroll setup:
- Sign in to your account as the primary admin.
- Go to Payroll, then select Overview.
If you have QuickBooks Online Payroll Elite, you can opt to have one of our experts set up payroll with you, or do it for you. Check out the Expert setup section to call or schedule an appointment.
- Select Get started.
- Select if you (or someone else) paid employees in the current year.
- Select the date when you want to start paying your employees through QuickBooks.
- Enter your main business address.
- Enter a physical address (not a PO Box). The work location determines your tax responsibilities.
- If you have multiple work locations, you can add those later when you add your employees.
- Enter your main payroll contact info.
- This is generally the person responsible for paying your employees. The payroll contact will get important payroll notifications from us, and may speak with our payroll experts about your payroll account.
- Select how you’ve run your payroll in the past.
- Depending on your answer, you may be able to import employee and pay history info instead of entering it manually.
- Now you’ll start adding your employees. See Add your team below for details.
- If you haven’t paid any of your employees this year, you can opt to pay them now by paper check if needed. Or you can continue the setup and finish the remaining setup tasks. See Set up tasks below.
- Note: If you opt to pay your employees now, you’re responsible for any payroll taxes due until you complete the payroll setup.
- If you have paid employees this year, you’ll have more tasks to complete before you can run payroll. See Set up tasks below.
Set up tasks
The remaining setup tasks are bucketed into 3 sections: Get ready to pay your team, Let’s handle your taxes, Take care of your team.
In this task, you’ll add your federal, state, and local payroll tax info.
- Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN)
- State Withholding/unemployment account numbers.
- Local tax withholding account numbers (if applicable)
- Federal, state, or local tax deposit frequency: how often the IRS, state, or local tax agency tells you to pay your taxes
- State tax rates: unemployment, surcharges, state disability, paid family leave.
Where can I find this info?
- Letters from the IRS, state, or local tax agencies.
- Prior tax reports or filings.
- If you’re new and need to register for your account numbers, select the Get your account number link in this task. CorpNet will help you complete your employer's tax registration. Fees apply.
- Contact the IRS, state, or local tax agency.
Check out this video to learn how to add your payroll tax info:
How to add your payroll tax info to QuickBooks Online Payroll
Note: If you run any payroll before this section is complete, you’ll need to make any tax payments or filing forms that come due. You won’t be able to do this from QuickBooks.
In this task, you’ll connect your payroll bank account so you can use direct deposit and we can pay and file your payroll taxes. You may be able to connect it instantly so you can use direct deposit right away.
The information you’ll need:
- Principal officer’s name, home address, Social Security number, and birth date (this is the authorized signer on the payroll bank account)
- Your business bank account online user ID and password. Or enter the routing and account number of the account you want to use for your direct deposits and payroll taxes. (We know entering this data may be scary. Read about the multiple layers of security we use to keep your data safe).
Check out this video to learn how to connect your bank for payroll:
How to connect your bank to QuickBooks Online Payroll
In this task, you'll enter year-to-date paycheck info for each employee you paid this year. We'll use this info to accurately report wages and taxes on W-2s and other payroll tax forms.
The information you'll need:
- Pay stubs or payroll reports for each employee paid this calendar year
- Payroll reports with company totals of wages and taxes for each paycheck date in the current quarter
Check out this video to see how to enter your payroll history:
How to set up QuickBooks Online Payroll when you already paid employees this year
In this task, tell us how you want to handle your payroll tax payments and filings. Your options are:
- I want QuickBooks to automatically pay and file my taxes (this is the default)
- I’ll initiate payments and filings using QuickBooks (e-pay, and e-file)
- I’ll pay and file the right agencies through their website or by mail (manual)
Select Change payment and filing preference to change your option.
Check out this video for help:
How to set up tax payments and filings in QuickBooks Online Payroll
In this task, you’ll:
- Review and double-check the payroll taxes you’ve already paid this year. This info is calculated from the pay history you entered in QuickBooks.
- Tell us how you want your taxes and forms handled in QuickBooks.
- Have us pay and file automatically for you
- You can electronically pay and file through QuickBooks
- You pay and file to the agencies yourself (manually)
- Your principal officer will electronically sign payroll authorization forms.
Info you’ll need:
- Your payroll tax liability reports, or receipts of tax payments you made this year
- Your principal officer to answer questions and electronically sign the forms
Check out these videos to help:
How to add previous payroll tax payments to QuickBooks Online Payroll
How to set up tax payments and filings in QuickBooks Online Payroll
In this section you can explore Workers’ comp policies, 401(k) plans, or health plans. We partner with providers to offer you these great services and they integrate with your payroll.
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