How to setup child support deduction for payroll?

Hello justinmooreexcav,

QuickBooks Desktop makes it easy to set up the payroll items you need for your employees and I can help you with this one. If your employee's child support deduction is being taken directly off their pay cheque as a garnishment, simply add a new deduction item in the program. Here's how.

1. Select the Lists menu.
2. Choose Payroll Item List.
3. Click the Payroll Item button at the bottom of that window.
4. Choose New.
5. Select the Deduction radial option and click Next.
6. Give the item a name.
7. Select or create the name of the agency the funds are going to (ex: Ontario Court of Justice).
8. Choose the appropriate liabilities account and click Next.
9. Continue with the setup process, including selecting the tax tracking type, how it's calculated, and any relevant thresholds.
10. Select Finish when done.

Once you've got that set up, the easiest way to make sure it's on each of that employee's pay cheques is to add it to the Payroll Info on the employee profile. Follow these steps.

1. Choose the Employees menu.
2. Select Employee Centre.
3. From the employee list, double click the name of the employee.
4. Click Payroll Info.
5. Add the deduction item to the Additions, Deductions and Company Contributions section.
6. Click OK when complete.

That payroll item will now automatically deduct off the employee's pay. To verify that you've got all the setup details correct, check in with an accountant. Intuit's Find a ProAdvisor tool can help you find a QuickBooks-savvy accountant in your area, which I encourage you consider taking advantage of.

For more information about setting up payroll items and running payroll, check out the in-product QuickBooks Desktop Help by going to the Help menu and selecting it or using the F1 key as a shortcut to bring it up. Switch over to the Help tab, click Search, and enter keywords to find related articles.

Let me know if you have more questions. Have a great weekend!