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J
Jane111
October 29, 2022
Question

Form 941reporting different total wages

  • October 29, 2022
  • 1 reply
  • 0 views

Hello,

My payroll form 941 for the 3rd quarter shows a different total on line 2 (Wages, tips, and other compensation) than the Taxable wages on lines 5a & 5c.  Line 2 total wage is about $400 higher that on line 5.  I just couldn't figure out why I have this problem.  This is the 1st time I've ever encountered this issue using Quickbooks payroll.  Can someone help please?

Thank you so much.

 

1 reply

J
jamespaul
October 29, 2022

Hello, Jane. 

 

I'll gladly lend a hand and ensure the amounts on your 941 form are correct. 

 

There is likely a payroll item that's causing the 941 amounts to show a different total. An item may have been set up incorrectly. 

 

The first thing we'll want to do is to check the Payroll Summary report for the deduction or addition payroll items. Here's how to run it: 

 

  1. Go to the Reports menu. 
  2. Hover on Employees & Payroll.
  3. Select Payroll Summary. 
  4. For the Dates, set it to the third quarter to see the affected amounts. 

 

Review the payroll items. If you need to see a breakdown of the related paychecks, double-click on the total amounts to see them. 

 

If there are any payroll items that were calculating the amounts incorrect, then we'll want to review and change the settings.

 

Simply go to the Lists menu, then select Payroll Item List. Open the item that's causing the issue, and review and change how it is taxed. 

 

Another way to review and correct the 941 form is to run the Payroll Checkup tool. A detailed guide can be found here: Run payroll checkup.  

 

More details and solutions about fixing the 941 form can be found here: Troubleshoot Form 941 in QuickBooks Desktop Payroll.

 

After fixing the issue, do you need help efiling the 941 form in the future? I'll share this article to guide you with the steps: E-file and e-pay state forms and taxes in QuickBooks Desktop Payroll Enhanced. 

 

If you have any other concerns about the 941 form or any other tax forms, let me know and I'll help you out again. Need help on your entries like sales, paychecks, expenses and other things? Lay down the details below and I'll assist you. 

J
Jane111Author
October 29, 2022

Hello James,

Thanks very much for your quick response.  I now recall having to edit some pretax payroll items that were initially setup incorrectly at the beginning of 3rd quarter (or the end of 2nd quarter in June).  In the Tax Tracking field, it was initially set up as "none".  A few weeks later I learned that I should have selected "Cafe 125" for tax tracking.  So I edited these payroll items in 3rd quarter.  But I don't know why I still got the discrepancy between line 2 and 5 on 3rd quarter form 941.

M
Mich_S
October 29, 2022

We recognize the effort you put in to resolve the discrepancy in total wages on Form 941, @Jane111. I'd like to add a few more insights for you to have this done in no time.

 

Line 2 of Form 941 will only display wages subject to federal withholding tax, while line 5a will only display wages subject to FICA Social Security tax. If there is a pay or deduction item that is set up as taxable by one of these taxes but not the other, there can be a discrepancy in these amounts.
 

Make sure to map each line correctly to avoid discrepancies. See this guide to know more about how QuickBooks populates Form 941.

 

You may also find this additional link helpful: File a corrected Federal Form 941 and 940 in QuickBooks Desktop Payroll. This includes the steps on how you can amend previously filed forms 941 and/or 940.

 

It's our pleasure to be of help anytime. Please keep us updated so we can respond as soon as possible. We'd love to answer more queries regarding, payroll, taxes, or QuickBooks specifically. Stay safe and don't overwork yourself.

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