Turn on suggestions
Auto-suggest helps you quickly narrow down your search results by suggesting possible matches as you type.
Showing results for
Hello QuickBooks Community! Our goal here at Intuit is to support you no matter what products you use or how you run your business. Not every business owner uses a payroll software, but it’s still important to keep track of your information. That’s why the QuickBooks Blog has an article all about using a payroll ledger! Not only does it have great information on how to use one, but templates for you as well.
Let’s start by explaining what a payroll ledger is. “A payroll ledger is a system for keeping track of payment information for each employee or contractor who receives payments from the payroll department of a firm. Payroll ledgers can be physical paper spreadsheets or digital spreadsheets. Payroll ledgers allow business owners to quickly see how much money they’ve paid out, whom they’ve paid, and when. In addition to being essential for payroll records, these ledgers may also serve as important documentation for tax purposes and other recordkeeping needs.”
Essentially, it’s a way for you to have your payroll records in one place instead of looking at a bunch of timesheets for each employee. You only need a few things to get started:
- Spreadsheet software, like Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets
- A list of your employees and contractors
- Payroll information, like invoices or pay stubs for employees
Once you’ve put together all the necessary information, knowing how to make a payroll ledger is as simple as following these steps:
- Open a new worksheet using your spreadsheet software. Be sure to name it something intuitive and searchable, like “2021_Payroll_Ledger.” It’s also a good idea to store it in a clearly named folder, like “Payroll Information.”
- Select the first column (the vertical series of cells in your spreadsheet). Name it “Employee Name.”
- If applicable, name the next column “Employee ID Number.” If you don't use employee ID numbers, you can skip this step. (Note, you may also want to include a column with basic contact information, like an email or phone number.)
- After this step, create a series of columns that reflect the different pay information that may apply. For example, this might include “Hourly Rate” or “Rate Per Word,” or “Overtime Rate.” Be sure each has its own column.
- Create a column for “Date.”
- Create columns titled “Net Pay” and “Gross Pay.”
When you finish setting up your spreadsheet, make sure to save your document and start entering the correct information into each cell.
Pro tip: Most spreadsheet software allows you to create new sheets within a spreadsheet, using the tabs at the bottom of the window. If your spreadsheet becomes cluttered, or you want to start new sheets for each pay period, it can be helpful to create new tabs.
If you’d like to read more about payroll ledgers, read the full article here: Payroll Ledger Template: What is a Payroll Ledger?
