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ajm01998
August 2, 2022
Question

Paying employees without a Social Security Number

  • August 2, 2022
  • 5 replies
  • 0 views

I have an employee who was just hired on a J-1 visa.  He has applied for his Social Security Number but it hasn't been issued to him yet.  What SSN should I enter for him if he hasn't received his number by the time his first paycheck is due?

    5 replies

    J
    JamaicaA
    August 2, 2022

    I understand the importance of paying your employees on time, @ajm01998. I’m here to provide a workaround so you can still compensate them without the SSN.

     

    You can enter zeros as a temporary SSN. If your employee has a Tax Identification Number, or TIN, you can also use that. Just be sure to update his/her record under Personal Info once the SSN is received.

     

    If you’re using direct deposit as the pay method, you’re unable to pay your employee. This is because Intuit requires the SSN for a personal guarantor who is accountable for the account's finances. 

     

    As a workaround, you can utilize a third-party application to help you achieve this. To view the compatible applications, kindly visit this page: Apps for QuickBooks Desktop. From there, you can compare and read other customer’s feedback about the app. This way, you can choose the app wisely that’ll suit your needs.

     

    For future reference, read through this article to learn more about how to set up direct deposit for employees.

     

    I’ve included this guide to help you manage your employees and keep their records accurate for payroll in QBDT: Help Articles for QuickBooks Desktop Payroll.

     

    Please know that I’m here to help if you have additional employee info or payroll concerns. Just leave a comment below, and I’ll get back to you. Take care.

    T
    TV Bent
    August 29, 2023

    It's not allowing me to enter 000-00-000

      G
      GlinetteC
      August 29, 2023

      Hi TV Bent. I understand that you may be upset with the issue of not being allowed to enter a zero SSN, but I'm here to assist you and provide guidance to help you move forward. 

       

      When using direct deposit in QuickBooks Desktop Payroll, you may face a situation where you can't pay an employee if their Social Security Number (SSN) is not entered. This requirement exists because Intuit, the company that developed QuickBooks, mandates the inclusion of an SSN for a personal guarantor who assumes responsibility for the financial aspects of the account. 

       

      Therefore, it is essential to provide the employee's valid SSN to avoid problems when saving their information.

       

      I'm sharing this article to learn how to fix your employee's SSN: Correct your employee's Social Security number.

       

      Furthermore, you can utilize the payroll reporting features in QBDT. These reports can be customized to suit your specific needs, allowing you to manage payroll taxes and monitor employee expenses effectively.

       

      If you have any further questions about managing employees in QBDT, don't hesitate to ask. I'm here to assist you.

      G
      Gmendes
      October 12, 2022

      I have QuickBooks online and it’s not letting me input the zeros.

      what should I do?

      @ajm01998 wrote:

      I have an employee who was just hired on a J-1 visa.  He has applied for his Social Security Number but it hasn't been issued to him yet.  What SSN should I enter for him if he hasn't received his number by the time his first paycheck is due?

       

        Rose-A
        Rose-A
        October 12, 2022

        Hey there, Gmendes.

         

        Entering zeros as the employee's Social Security Number (SSN) is unavailable in QuickBooks Online. I'd suggest asking your employee for the correct SSN and ensuring to input the number in the correct format (xxx-xx-xxxx).

         

        Also, I'd recommend reaching out to our QuickBooks Online Payroll Support. They'd be able to help on how to get around this.

         

        We can learn more about how SSN works in QuickBooks Online in the following articles below. These will provide us with more detail about the SSN and ITIN as well as how to differentiate the two:

         

        Correct your employee's Social Security number.

        Understand the difference between a Social Security number and Individual Taxpayer Identification number.

         

        I'll be around to help if there's anything else you need aside from entering the employee's SSN, Gmendes. I'm always here to provide additional assistance.

        W
        Wthcpa1
        January 12, 2023

        We have several employers that have employees with ITINs.  We have been processing their payrolls using Quickbooks Desktop 2020 with no issues (even using Direct Deposit on them).  I now have a new client that wants my firm to prepare their payroll.  They have several employees with "900" social security numbers.  QuickBooks will not allow me to even set up the employee with those socials.  I can't even set them up with zeros for the socials.  Is there any way to fix this?  If not, any suggestions on a 3rd party software that will handle these?

          D
          DebSheenD
          January 12, 2023

          Hello, @Wthcpa1.

           

          I appreciate you for reaching out to us here in the Community. I can help you process payroll in QuickBooks Desktop (QBDT).

           

          Before we start, is there an error message that you encounter when processing direct deposit?? This way, I can figure out and provide you with a resolution that fits your situation.

           

          I understand the importance of running your payroll accurately. Let’s update your payroll tax table to the latest release to isolate this uncommon issue. Before doing so, let’s update your QBDT software to the latest release.

           

          This way, we’ll ensure your software is up to date with the latest features and fixes. Here’s how to do it in your QBDT software:
           

          1. Go to the Help menu and choose Update QuickBooks Desktop.
          2. Tap the Update Now tab.
          3. Click Get Updates to start the download.
          4. When the download finishes, restart QuickBooks.
          5. Accept the option to install the new release when prompted.
             

          Once done, update your payroll tax table:
           

          1. Go to the Employees menu.
          2. Hit Get Payroll Updates.
          3. Click the Download Entire Update checkbox.
          4. Then tap Download Latest Update.
             

          For more information on updating your QBDT software and payroll tax table, check out these useful articles:
           

          If the issue persists, we can run the Verify and Rebuild Data within your company file to fix issues.

           

          1. Select File, then select Utilities.
          2. Select Verify Data, then select OK to close all windows.
             

          Then, proceed with the steps outlined in the How to rebuild your company file data section. Check this article: Verify and Rebuild Data in QBDT.

           

          Additionally, I encourage checking our QuickBooks Support page for future reference. There, you can learn some tips in managing your payroll. Just browse a topic for QBDT payroll.


          You might want to check out these articles to know more about why payroll items not calculating correctly: 

           

          Keep in touch with me if you need more assistance in running your payroll. I’ll be around to back you up. Keep safe and stay healthy.

          W
          Wthcpa1
          January 12, 2023

          I updated QuickBooks and the latest payroll update.  I entered zeros for the social and this time it allowed me to set up the Direct Deposit info for the employee.  However, when I click "Ok" to save the employee's information  a box pops up that says "Enter a valid Social Security Number".  How can I get this fixed or is it even possible?

            T
            TV Bent
            August 29, 2023

            No direct deposit involved. It's just entering the ITIN number under employee profile. From what I understavd is the IRS is not allowing Quickbooks to use ITIN numbers

            Rubielyn_J
            Rubielyn_J
            August 29, 2023

            I'm grateful for your response in this thread and the extra details, @TV Bent.

             

            I understand that accurate record-keeping is crucial, especially when dealing with tax identification numbers. Allow me to clarify things for you.

             

            Our payroll services don't accept ITINs when adding employees.

             

            Using an ITIN in place of an SSN for employee identification or work is not advisable. An ITIN is exclusively accessible to residents and non-U.S. citizens who are not eligible for U.S. employment but require identification for various tax-related reasons. Beginning with the digit "9," an ITIN follows the format of a Social Security number (NNN-NN-NNN).

             

            For more details, you can visit the IRS website. 

             

            When you have an employee working under an H2A Visa for agricultural tasks, acquiring a Social Security Number is necessary both for employment and using our payroll services. This prevents any rejection of their W-2 by the Social Security Administration.

             

            Lastly, allow me to share this article that explains how to exempt a non-U.S. citizen employee from specific taxes based on their visa status: Set up your employee that isn’t a U.S. citizen.

             

            Don't hesitate to let us know if you have further queries to make sure you can smoothly manage employee profiles and ITIN numbers. I'm here to support you every step of the way. 

            A
            Amber916
            December 19, 2023

            I tried the all zeros - it won't let me - I also tried [removed] as well as [removed]

             

            Nothing is working

             

            New Mexico property

             

            Any advice anyone?

              T
              TV Bent
              December 19, 2023

              This is a Quickbooks issue that gets its directive from the IRS so there is nothing that could be done at this point with new employees.

              BigRedConsulting
              BigRedConsulting
              December 19, 2023

              @TV Bent   There is no directive from the IRS to disallow nine zeros for the SSN. Instead, there is an explicit directive from the SSA (and IRS?) to use nine zeros for the SSN when e-filing filing and the employee does not yet have an SSN.

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