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T
tdcli
August 12, 2021
Question

How do you record Payroll & Print Checks in Quickbooks Desktop Pro 2020?

  • August 12, 2021
  • 1 reply
  • 0 views

Good Morning,

 

I'm new to Quickbooks and I just wanted to clarify how to record Payroll in the 2020 Desktop Pro version. We are not enrolled in a payroll service and don't have manual payroll set up as of yet. All the deductions are calculated on an excel spreadsheet for the time being. Do I just go under the Banking tab and click Write Checks and issue the check to each employee and choose the Payroll Expenses account?

My employer would also prefer to have the payroll checks printed. We have business checks, but I am unable to figure out how to print the name of the employee as well as the amount on the lines of the blank check. When I click print and format the preferences, it always prints vertically on the check (even when loading it in both portrait or landscape mode as per my printer's instructions). Is there a trick to it?

Any help on these topics would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance!

1 reply

M
Mark_R
August 12, 2021

I've got you covered, @tdcli.

 

In QuickBooks Desktop (QBDT), you can record your payroll manually without a payroll service subscription. I'd be happy to guide you through the steps on how to set it up. 

 

To start, please make sure that your internet connection is offline or not connected to your computer. Then, proceed with the steps below to set up your company preferences for payroll:

 

  1. Go to the Edit menu, then select Preferences.
  2. Select Payroll & Employees from the left menu, then go to the Company Preferences tab.
  3. In the QuickBooks Desktop Payroll Features section, select the Full Payroll radio button.
  4. Click OK.

 

Once it's set, you can now create the manual payroll in QBDT. Here's how:

 

  1. Go to the Help menu, then select QuickBooks Help.
  2. Search for manual payroll and press Enter on your keyboard.
  3. Select the topic Calculate payroll manually (without a subscription to QuickBooks Payroll).
  4. Under Set your company file to use the manual payroll calculations setting, click the manual payroll calculations link.
  5. Select Set my company file to use manual calculations link. When your company file is set up for manual payroll computation, QuickBooks inserts a zero amount for each payroll item associated with a tax.
  6. Close and reopen QuickBooks Desktop.

 

With the steps, you don't have to write a check. Thus it's already included in the process.

 

Most importantly, I recommend seeking help from your accountant for more guidance on creating payroll manually in QBDT. If you don't have an accountant, you can find one using this link.

 

The Community forum is always open to help you again if you need further assistance creating manual payroll in QBDT. Have a good one.

T
tdcliAuthor
August 16, 2021

Thank you for your help! May I ask if you have to set up manual payroll to record a payroll check in Quickbooks? Right now I have a separate excel spreadsheet with all the deductions, but I'd like to record payroll checks issued before I took over the position. Thanks again for your help!

john-pero
john-pero
August 16, 2021

You can record historical paychecks with or without manual payroll setup but you might end up with duplicate deduction categories.

 

When you write a payroll check either concurrent with payroll or as a historical transaction you are recording just a net check payment. Behind the scenes you must post Gross Payroll and Employee deductions for taxes.   Running payroll will also post the Employer liabilities that are due so that you can be timely in submitting these

 

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