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nfisteve
Level 2

How to handle an old IRS payroll tax refund QB Online

I just recently received a payroll tax refund check from the IRS, but had no idea why.  I contacted them and they told me it was a 941 overpayment refund from Q2 of 2021, over 2 years ago!

I deposited the check, but now I have no idea how to match the transaction to anything when looking at the Bank Transactions page of QB Online.  I switched from QB Desktop to QB Online in May 2023, so there is no record of any overpayment when I search in my Payroll Liabilities Report.

Solved
Best answer November 06, 2023

Best Answers
jenop2
QuickBooks Team

How to handle an old IRS payroll tax refund QB Online

Maintaining accurate payroll records is essential to every employer, nfisteve. In addition to James' suggestion, I would like to provide details to assist with your concerns.

 

To begin, I'd like to ask if you've also recorded the deposit in QuickBooks Online. It is important to note that you can only match a downloaded transaction if there's a corresponding record in your bank register. 

 

If you did, look for the deposit when matching it with the one that's downloaded on the Online Banking page.

 

If you did not manually record the deposit, you can use the Add function instead. It will automatically create a record in your bank register for the tax refund.

 

Just click the transaction and select the account that you want to use in the drop-down list for Account. Then, click the Add button.

 

add.PNG

 

For more detailed information, please refer to this article: Categorize Online Bank Transactions in QuickBooks Online.

 

Next, the reason you can't see the overpayment in your liability reports is that the transaction was recorded when you were still using the Desktop version. Payroll transactions are migrated as regular checks when moving to QBO. Aside from that, the system does not carry over the previous years' payroll history when switching platforms. It's also why you can't see it in your liability report. 

 

You can use this article as a reference: Learn How Features and Data Move From QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online.

 

To help you sort this out and ensure that your payroll records are accurate, I would recommend reaching out to our Payroll Support Team. They can help you create the necessary adjustments to put the overpayment in your payroll records. 

 

Please go to this article to get their contact details: Contact Payroll Support.

 

Let me also share these articles for additional resources: 

 

 

Whether it's help with payroll items, troubleshooting errors, explaining reports, or anything else QuickBooks-related, we're always here for you, nfisteve. We'll make sure that everything is sorted out smoothly when running payroll and paying your employees.

View solution in original post

5 Comments 5
Paul  Newman
Level 3

How to handle an old IRS payroll tax refund QB Online

Hey @nfisteve, You can try this guide.

 

If you received an old IRS payroll tax refund in QB Online, you need to record it properly to avoid any discrepancies in your books. Here are the steps to follow:

1. Go to the Banking menu and select the bank account where you deposited the refund.
2. Find and open the transaction that shows the refund amount.
3. Click on Edit and change the category to Payroll Liabilities.
4. Click on Save and close.

This will ensure that your payroll tax liability account is reduced by the refund amount and that your bank balance is accurate. You can also run a payroll tax liability report to verify the changes.

 

Thanks 

Paul

jenop2
QuickBooks Team

How to handle an old IRS payroll tax refund QB Online

Maintaining accurate payroll records is essential to every employer, nfisteve. In addition to James' suggestion, I would like to provide details to assist with your concerns.

 

To begin, I'd like to ask if you've also recorded the deposit in QuickBooks Online. It is important to note that you can only match a downloaded transaction if there's a corresponding record in your bank register. 

 

If you did, look for the deposit when matching it with the one that's downloaded on the Online Banking page.

 

If you did not manually record the deposit, you can use the Add function instead. It will automatically create a record in your bank register for the tax refund.

 

Just click the transaction and select the account that you want to use in the drop-down list for Account. Then, click the Add button.

 

add.PNG

 

For more detailed information, please refer to this article: Categorize Online Bank Transactions in QuickBooks Online.

 

Next, the reason you can't see the overpayment in your liability reports is that the transaction was recorded when you were still using the Desktop version. Payroll transactions are migrated as regular checks when moving to QBO. Aside from that, the system does not carry over the previous years' payroll history when switching platforms. It's also why you can't see it in your liability report. 

 

You can use this article as a reference: Learn How Features and Data Move From QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online.

 

To help you sort this out and ensure that your payroll records are accurate, I would recommend reaching out to our Payroll Support Team. They can help you create the necessary adjustments to put the overpayment in your payroll records. 

 

Please go to this article to get their contact details: Contact Payroll Support.

 

Let me also share these articles for additional resources: 

 

 

Whether it's help with payroll items, troubleshooting errors, explaining reports, or anything else QuickBooks-related, we're always here for you, nfisteve. We'll make sure that everything is sorted out smoothly when running payroll and paying your employees.

nfisteve
Level 2

How to handle an old IRS payroll tax refund QB Online

Thanks for the quick response jenop2.  To answer your question, no, I haven't manually recorded the deposit in QB, I've only deposited the check into my bank account.

 

I spoke to QB payroll support and they suggested I categorize the deposit under "Taxes", which is a subcategory of "Payroll Expenses".

 

Thank you for all the help!

nfisteve
Level 2

How to handle an old IRS payroll tax refund QB Online

Thank you Paul!

ShyMae
QuickBooks Team

How to handle an old IRS payroll tax refund QB Online

We appreciate you taking the suggested steps above, @nfisteve.
 

We're glad that our colleague was able to provide more details that help resolve your payroll concerns.
 

Our team is dedicated to providing you with excellent customer service.

If you require further assistance with any QBO-related concerns, please don't hesitate to contact us again. We're always here to assist you. Best wishes! 

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