Paying local payroll taxes

Hello kend2, I'll share proper ways on how we can manage local payroll taxes in Payroll Premium.

QuickBooks Online provides options on how you want to handle your local tax payments. If you want the system to automatically handle them, we can set up E-file & Pay and turn on the Automated tax payments and form filings feature. Still, we can manually pay and file local taxes outside of QuickBooks. Both of them are correct methods when paying local tax liabilities. 

Since the local taxes aren't showing in the payment lists, we can use an incognito window. This prevents unusual behavior in the program. Here are the shortcut keys.

• Google Chrome: Ctrl + Shift + N
• Mozilla Firefox: Ctrl + Shift + P
• Safari: Command + Option + P

If it works, you can clear cache and temporary internet files to optimize the browser's performance: Delete browser cache and Intuit-specific cookies. Another way is to use compatible browsers with QuickBooks Online. 

If it persists, we can create a prior tax history. Before doing so, let's delete the normal expense to avoid duplicate data. Then, we can follow these steps.

1. Select Prior tax history.
2. Choose Add Payment.
3. Note: This will be a non-posting transaction. It will not affect the bank register. But it will clear the taxes from showing due and record the deposits.
4. Enter: Payment Date, Check, Number (optional), Notes (optional), Tax Item, Amounts.
5. Select OK. You will then be back on the Prior Tax Payments screen.

For details, we can check this out: Recording prior tax payments.

Also, we can generate payroll reports in QuickBooks Online (QBO), depending on our needs. Let's use the articles below as our guides:

• Run, print, and customize payroll reports
• Year-end checklist for QuickBooks Online Payroll.

I want to ensure you accomplished the tasks for local tax liabilities in QuickBooks. If you have other questions with payroll taxes and forms, please know I'm always willing to assist you anytime. Have a good one!

Hi kend2,

Hope you’re doing great. I wanted to see how everything is going about the local payroll taxes. Were you able to see it? Was it resolved? Do you need any additional help or clarification? If you do, just let me know. I’d be happy to help you at anytime.

Looking forward to your reply. Have a pleasant day ahead!

My clients are using QB Online Payroll Core.  They were able to record local tax payments previously, but now are no longer able to do so.  I tried the incognito screen as you mentioned, but the option is gone entirely to record those payments in the payroll system so all liabilities/payments are tracked properly.  The client contacted support, and they don't have a clue.  Why have they removed this feature?

Hey there, @herinner. 

It's great to see you back in the Community. I appreciate you hopping on this thread about paying local payroll taxes. 

The reason this may be occurring is that your Tax tab may have updated to the automatic tax payments and form filing feature. To be sure, can you provide me with a picture of your screen where the option you used to be? 

Review the guide (hyperlink) from above to learn more about the automatic tax. 

I'll be waiting for your response! 

No, this is not the case.  My client does not want Qbks to file and pay taxes on their behalf, so that feature has never been turned on.  The only tax payments that can be recorded are to allow qbks to pay the federal and state.  Clicking into tax payments, there is not an option to add a payment in there either like there used to be.

Thanks for coming back and performing the recommended solutions provided by my colleague, herinner.

So far, the viable option for us to record the local tax payment is to create a prior tax history in the Tax /Payroll Taxes section or create a check to reduce the bank register. Here's how to enter a prior tax payment: 

1. From the left menu, select Taxes, then choose Payroll Tax.
2. Tap Enter Prior Tax History.
3. Choose Add Payment.
4. Select tax type and liability period (the period that the taxes were accrued) then enter the required information.
5. Press OK. You will then be back to the Prior Tax Payments screen.

To review all the tax payments you've made, please follow the steps below:

1. Go to Taxes and choose Payroll Tax.
2. Under Pay Taxes, click the link to View tax payments you have made.

        3. You'll be routed to the Tax Payments window.

        4. Click Run report.

You can refer to this article for detailed steps on how to record prior tax payments in QBO: Recording prior tax payments. You can also proceed to create a check transaction to show the actual payment amount coming from your bank account. Let me show you how:

1. Click the +New icon and select Check.
2. Choose the Payee from the drop-down list.
3. From the bank account drop-down menu, select the account the check withdraws money from.
4. Choose the correct liability or expense account in the CATEGORY section and complete the fields.
5. Press Save and close to close the check window.

Additionally, you can run some payroll reports to get a closer look at your business's finances and view useful information about your business and employees.

Keep in touch if you need any more assistance with this, or if there's something else I can do for you. I've got your back. You have a good one.

You aren't understanding.  I am talking about the QUICKBOOKS ONLINE PAYROLL CORE program.  Not the QuickBooks Online Accounting program.  The details you provided are for the accounting software.  This client does not use your online accounting software.  They only use the online payroll program. We need to record this tax payment in that payroll software so their liabilities paid to date and still outstanding are correct.  This used to work.  As recently as last month it worked.  But it is not working any longer.

Hi, @herinner.

I can imagine the hurdle you’ve been through when trying to record local tax payments. I'll outline a couple of handy details to help you out in sorting this concern.

Please know that in your QuickBooks Online Payroll Core subscription, local taxes are calculated and tracked based on your setup. Thus, you'll have to pay and file your local taxes manually outside of QuickBooks.

In your QBO payroll subscription, we can view your local tax liabilities by using the Payroll Tax Liability report. To balance it out, record any local tax payments you've made. I'll guide you on how:

1. Go to Taxes, then Payroll Tax.
2. Select the Payments tab.
3. From there, review the payments listed and locate the tax you want to record a payment for.
4. If the payment is listed, choose the option Mark as paid and click Yes, mark paid. This will be a non-posting transaction. It will not affect the bank register, but it'll clear the taxes from showing due and record the deposits.

If the payment is not listed and you'll need to edit a prior tax payment, please check out this helpful resource here for more details about this process: Recording prior tax payments.

On top of that, here's an article you can review to find out which payroll taxes and forms your QuickBooks Payroll subscription pays and files for you: Payroll taxes and forms QuickBooks Payroll does for you.

Moreover, I've added this reference to guide you further in managing automatic tax payments and filings in QBO Payroll: Manage automatic tax payments and form filings.

I’m always ready to assist you if you have any other questions or concerns about local taxes. Tag me in your reply, and I’ll sprint back into action. Have a good one and keep safe always! 

Please go back to my other responses to see the actual problem.  I know your description of how to do this is how it is SUPPOSED to work.  But the problem is, it no longer works.  As of just recently there is no longer an option to pay the local payroll taxes in any way.  I have uploaded a screenshot multiple times, but I'm not sure it is attaching for you to see.  We can pay the federal and Ohio taxes, but we no longer have the option to create a payment/to record a payment other than the ones able to be paid directly through Qbks Online Payroll Core. Not on the Payroll Tax/Payments screen NOR in the tax payment history screen.

Hello there, @herinner.

I've seen your screenshot and I can see that there are no available taxes for you to pay or mark as paid. But don't worry, I'll make sure this issue is taken care of.

The possible reason why you're experiencing this issue is that the employee's work location of the tax address was incorrect. You'll want to update their work location with the correct address to have the option to record local taxes in QuickBooks Online.

If the issue persists, I recommend contacting our QuickBooks Support Team. This way, they can further look into this matter and provide in-depth troubleshooting steps to get this resolved. To reach them, you can follow the steps below:

1. Sign in to your QuickBooks Online account.
2. Click the Help button.
3. In the QuickBooks Assistance chatbox, select Talk to a human and choose I still need a human.
4. Select Contact Us.

Come back to this post and let me know how it goes, @herinner. I'll be around to provide further assistance.

You may want to run and customize payroll tax reports in QuickBooks. This will help you view useful information about your business and taxes.

Have a good one!