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D
dwunderlich
July 26, 2020
Question

Has anyone solved the problem with line 5a on Form 941 when social security wages do not pull to the form so it looks like an overpayment?

  • July 26, 2020
  • 1 reply
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1 reply

MaryLurleenM
MaryLurleenM
July 26, 2020

Let me help you in populating form Form 941, dwunderlich.

 

First,  you'll have to make sure that you have the latest QuickBooks release and tax table version on that one computer. Keeping your QuickBooks updated prevents unexpected issues within the program. Let me walk you through the steps. 

  1. Go to Help, then Update QuickBooks Desktop.
  2. Select the Options tab, and tick the Mark All button.
  3. Click the Update Now tab, then put a check mark on the Reset Update box.
  4. Hit Get Updates. Once the update is complete, restart your computer and right-click the QBDT icon then choose Run as Administrator.

Then, let's update your tax table version:

  1. Go to Employee, then Get Payroll Updates.
  2. Select the Download entire payroll update radio-button.
  3. Click Update.

However, you can manually update Line 5a (Taxable Social Security Wages) in QuickBooks Desktop, then submit the form to the IRS.

 

To learn more about how QBDT generates Form 941: How QuickBooks Populates The 941. Each line found on the form has a short description of how it's populated.

 

You're always welcome to drop by in QuickBooks Community if you have any other concerns about 941.

S
ssurber
September 23, 2020

I tried updating everything and it still doesn't populate the 5a wages.

MaryLandT
MaryLandT
September 23, 2020

I appreciate you updating QuickBooks Desktop and the tax table, ssurber.

 

Let me help ensure you'll get the amount to populate in Line 5A. After the updates, you can log off QuickBooks and reboot your computer.  Once up, turn off all anti-virus software to allow the system in accessing the form (don't forget to turn it on later).

 

Once up, run QuickBooks as the administrator and you should have the latest tax table. Then, pull up again the form to see if the amount is already populated.

 

If it's not showing the latest version, the update didn't go through. You can turn off all anti-virus, then update it again (don't forget to turn it on later).

 

I also suggest opening a report to check the wage base amount if it's the same with the one on the form. Simply follow the steps below:

 

  1. Go to the Reports menu.
  2. Pick Employees & Payroll, then select Payroll Summary.
  3. Click Customize Report, then select the Display tab.
  4. Select Last Calendar Quarter from the Dates drop-down list.
  5. In the Display columns by drop-down list, select Total Only, then clear the Hours and Rates checkboxes.
  6. Proceed to the Filters tab.
  7. Choose Payroll Item in the Filter drop-down list, then choose Selected payroll items in the Payroll Item drop-down list.
  8. In the Payroll Item window, select Federal Withholding, Medicare Company, Medicare Employee, Social Security Company, and Social Security Employee. Clear any other selected items, then click OK.
  9. Select OK to return to the Payroll Summary report.

Double-click the "Social Security Employee Total" amount to display the Transactions by Payroll Item report. The Wage Base column total minus the Wage Base (Tips) column total should equal line 5a, Column 1.

 

If the amount is still not populating, I recommend chatting with our QuickBooks Desktop Payroll Team. They can further investigate what's causing this behavior.

 

Feel free to comment below on how everything turns out. Just mention my name if you need anything else.

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