How do I enter a payroll check and distribute it

Let me help you enter a manual payroll check and distribute it, Sam.

You'll want to  make sure the Payment method is set to paper check to run a manual payroll and manually enter the amount to each of your employees. Once done, run payroll by following the steps below:

1. Go to Payroll, then Employees.
2. Select Run payroll.
3. Select the employee’s row. You can click the field if you want to enter a data.
   
4. Below the employee's name, select the ▼ dropdown to switch the pay method to Paper check.
   
   
   
5. Preview and submit your payroll.

On the other hand, if you're using QuickBooks for accounting and another service to run payroll, you still need to keep track of those paychecks in QuickBooks. You'll want to create manual tracking accounts. After that, pay your employees outside QuickBooks and create a journal entry. To create one, follow the steps below:

1. Get your employees' payroll pay stubs or a payroll report from your payroll service.
2. Select + New.
3. Select Journal Entry.
4. Under the Journal date, enter the paycheck date.
5. If you want to track the paycheck number, enter it in the Journal no. field.

You can also check out this article for more information: Manually Enter Payroll Paychecks in QuickBooks Online.

Furthermore, QuickBooks offers list of payroll reports to keep track of your business and employees. You may want to take a closer look at your business finances. I've added this article for more information: Run Payroll Reports.

Feel free to click the REPLY button below if you need help performing payroll in QuickBooks. Our team of dedicated experts is always ready to assist you anytime. Thanks for choosing QuickBooks. Take care and more power to your business!

The error you encountered indicates that the pay date you've selected falls within the filing period you've already submitted, Rick. However, since you mentioned that you didn't recall filing the payroll tax form, let us double-check the status to make sure.

Once you've submitted your payroll taxes for a quarter, you won't be able to run payroll if you've selected a pay date within that period. If you ensure that there are no payroll tax forms filed within the specified dates, I recommend completing any pending tasks to successfully run payroll for February and entering payroll data manually. Make sure all alerts and warnings are addressed before QuickBooks allows you to process payroll for the employees.

You can check the archive for the taxes you have filed. Here's how:

1. Go to Taxes.
2. Go to Payroll Tax.
3. Then, go to Archive.
   
   

However, after checking and finding out that you've already submitted your payroll taxes for February 2025, we can delete those submissions to allow you to move forward. But If you've opted for QuickBooks to manage tax payments and form filings automatically, please be aware that you cannot cancel them on your own. In that case, I recommend reaching out to our payroll corrections team for help.

Here's how you can reach them:

1. Head to the Help icon, then the Search tab.
2. Type in Contact Us in the search bar.
3. Click Contact Us.
4. Choose the Chat or Callback option.
   
   

If the taxes haven't been processed electronically, we can remove them by following these steps:

1. Head over to the Taxes tab, then Payroll Tax.
2. Select Payment History.
3. Select the tax payment you want to cancel or delete.
4. Hit Delete Payment.
   
   

Furthermore, please refer to the attached screenshot, which outlines the steps for deleting the form.

Also, you can create a payroll summary report for future reference. It will provide detailed information on your payroll wages, taxes, deductions, and contributions.

Running payroll is essential for meeting legal obligations, fostering a positive workplace environment, managing finances, and ensuring employee satisfaction. If you need further assistance with managing your payroll, click the reply button. I'm always here to help.