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Add your new employee to QuickBooks Payroll
Use this article to set up a new employee in Intuit QuickBooks Workforce or QuickBooks Desktop Payroll.
If you need to change an existing employee’s info, see Edit or change employee info in payroll instead.
What you'll need
Before adding an employee in Intuit QuickBooks Workforce or QuickBooks Desktop Payroll, collect the following from your new hire:
Completed W-4 (federal withholding information)
Banking details (for direct deposit, if applicable)
Home address, phone number, and email address
Social Security number and date of birth
Hire date
| Note: Not sure which payroll service you have? Here's how to find your payroll service. |
QuickBooks Workforce Payroll
For a better experience, open this article in QuickBooks Online. Launch side-by-side view
You can add all your employee's info yourself or set up some info then invite your employee to add the rest.
There are two ways to add an employee in Intuit QuickBooks Workforce: Onboard (recommended) and Quick add. The steps vary slightly depending on your subscription — QuickBooks Workforce Payroll, or QuickBooks Workforce Premium and Elite.
Onboard (Recommended)
The Onboard workflow guides you through all required employee information in a single flow.
Go to All apps
, then Payroll, then Employees (Take me there).Select Add employee.
Enter the employee's First name, Last name, and email.
Select Continue to onboard.
Complete the onboarding workflow:
Review and complete the employee's Personal info and Work info.
Complete Payroll info, including Pay type and Default working hours.
Complete any Additional pay types.
If applicable, select Benefit class and preview Eligible benefits.
Set additional Workforce access and, if applicable, choose to Run background check.
Select Finish onboarding.
Quick add
Use Quick add to enter only the employee's name and complete payroll details directly in their profile.
Go to All apps
, then Payroll, then Employees (Take me there).Select Add employee.
Enter the employee's First name and Last name.
Turn off Let them enter their own info, then select Quick add.
Select Finish payroll info, then complete remaining payroll info and employee info directly in the profile.
QuickBooks Workforce Premium and Elite — New hire
Premium and Elite plans include additional options such as HR workflows, document management, and background checks during onboarding.
Onboard (Recommended)
Go to All apps
, then Payroll, then Employees (Take me there).Select Add employee.
Enter the employee's First name, Last name, and email.
Select Continue to onboard.
Complete the onboarding workflow:
Review and complete the employee's Personal info and Work info.
Complete Payroll info, including Pay type and Default working hours.
Complete any Additional pay types.
Add or remove any documents for the employee to complete.
Choose to Add HR workflows.
If applicable, select Benefit class and preview Eligible benefits.
Set additional Workforce access and, if applicable, choose to Run background check.
Select Finish onboarding.
Quick add
Go to All apps
, then Payroll, then Employees (Take me there).Select Add employee.
Enter the employee's First name and Last name.
Turn off Let them enter their own info, then select Quick add.
Select Finish payroll info, then complete remaining payroll info and employee info directly in the profile.
QuickBooks Workforce Premium and Elite — Rehire
Use the Rehire option when adding a former employee who already exists in your system.
Go to All apps
, then Payroll, then Employees (Take me there).Select Add employee.
Toggle to Rehire, then choose the employee you are rehiring.
If applicable, enter or edit the employee's email address.
Select Continue to onboard.
Complete the onboarding workflow:
Review and complete the employee's Personal info and Work info.
Complete Payroll info, including Pay type and Default working hours.
Complete any Additional pay types.
Add or remove any documents for the employee to complete.
Choose to Add HR workflows.
If applicable, select Benefit class and preview Eligible benefits.
Set additional Workforce access and, if applicable, choose to Run background check.
Select Finish onboarding.
Add an employee in QuickBooks Desktop Payroll
Adding an employee in QuickBooks Desktop Payroll involves two optional but time-saving steps: setting up employee defaults, then entering each employee's individual information.
Set up employee defaults
Employee defaults let you pre-populate fields that apply to most or all of your employees — such as pay schedule, sick or vacation policies, state taxes, and earnings or deductions. Defaults appear automatically when you add each new employee, saving you time.
You must be signed in as the QuickBooks Admin to access defaults.
Select Edit, then Preferences.
Select Payroll and Employees, then Company Preferences.
Select Employee Defaults, then enter the changes that you want.
Select OK twice to save changes.
Add your employee to payroll
Go to Employees and select Employee Center.
Select New Employee and enter the employee's info.
Select OK.
The fields and tabs vary depending on your payroll service. Use the appropriate tab reference below.
If you see the Required Info tab:
Required Info - First and last name, Social Security number, and Date of Birth, Home address, Main phone, and Main email.
Personal Info - no required fields
Additional info - no required fields
Payroll info - In order to pay your employee, add a pay schedule or pay frequency, pay type and pay rate, W-4 info, Federal, and state taxes. Add deductions, sick or vacation policies, and direct deposit if necessary.
Employment info - Hire date
Workers’ compensation (for QuickBooks Desktop Payroll Assisted and QuickBooks Desktop Payroll Enhanced only) - assign a workers' compensation code if you want to track this through QuickBooks.
If you don't see the Required Info tab:
Personal - First and last name, Social Security number, and Date of Birth
Address and Contact - Home address, Main phone, and Main email.
Additional info - no required fields
Payroll info - In order to pay your employee, add a pay schedule or pay frequency, pay type and pay rate, W-4 info, Federal, and state taxes. Add deductions, sick or vacation policies, and direct deposit if necessary.
Employment info - Hire date
Workers’ compensation (for QuickBooks Desktop Payroll Assisted and QuickBooks Desktop Payroll Enhanced only) - assign a workers' compensation code if you want to track this through QuickBooks.
Results
Once you've completed the steps above, your new employee will appear in the Employees list and be ready to include in your next payroll run. If you used the Onboard workflow, the employee may also receive an invitation to complete or review their own information.
Next steps
If your employee lives and/or works in a different state from where your business is located, set up and pay taxes in that state.
To invite your employees to view and print their own pay stubs and W-2s online in QuickBooks Desktop Payroll follow these steps.
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