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smpri
May 13, 2025
Question

How to account for a paper check that should have been a net-zero paycheck?

  • May 13, 2025
  • 1 reply
  • 0 views

While reconciling accounts, I found numerous payroll items incorrectly processed. They were gift cards that should have been processed as zero net paychecks but instead were marked as paper checks. For some reason they are showing up in my bank account's register, even though there are no correlating bank transactions. When I go to the item and click "Edit" it takes me to my paycheck history, rather than allowing me to delete what I'm assuming is a journal entry. If I try to edit the specific payroll item, I am prompted to contact QuickBooks support, as it's too old to edit. So I have some questions:

 

  1. How can I delete these items from my bank register? (Assuming there's no way to edit these and turn them into zero net paychecks)
    Once deleted, how can I account to reconcile my payroll liabilities accounts? Do I categorize the gift card purchase as a Payroll Expense, and transfer from my account to the payroll liabilities account, with an additional transfer to account for employer taxes? Is that also the best practice moving forward, after creating net-zero accounts?

1 reply

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SashaMC
May 13, 2025

Good Morning smpri,

 

Thank you for reaching out to the QuickBooks Community! We strongly recommend consulting with your accountant to see what would be the best fit for your business. If you don't have an accountant, feel free to use our ProAdvisor service to find one within your area. Use the link below and add your zip code to browse through the selection.

 

 

However, in order to delete the items from your bank register, you would have to exclude them from the bank reconcilation or void them. 

 

Also, you could categorize the gift card purchases as a payroll expense and then create entries to adjust the payroll liabilities and employer taxes. Here's how to create a payroll expense:

 

  1. Go to the Payroll Item List: Navigate to Lists and then Payroll Item List.
  2. Create a New Item: Select Payroll Item and then New.
  3. Choose Custom Setup: Select Custom Setup and then Next.
  4. Select Deduction, Addition, or Company Contribution: Choose the appropriate type (e.g., deduction, addition, or company contribution) and then Next.
  5. Name the Item: Enter a name for the payroll item and select "Track Expenses by Job" if you want to track expenses by job.
  6. Complete the Setup: Enter the necessary information on each window and select Finish. 

 

 Again, don't hesitate to connect with your accountant. Let me know if you have any other questions! See you soon. 

S
smpriAuthor
May 13, 2025

Hi Sasha,

Unfortunately, I cannot exclude them as they are not in my bank transactions, neither under For Review, Categorized, or Excluded. As I mentioned, they were marked as paper checks, and there was no accompany transaction through my bank.

I also cannot void them (and wouldn't want to anyway), because they are from previous tax seasons and QuickBooks requires me to contact support. They were valid payments, I just need them off my bank's register.

D
Dandie_A
May 13, 2025

I appreciate you for providing detailed information about the payroll discrepancies, smpri. I recommend reaching out to our Live Payroll Support team for assistance.

 

Since these transactions are from a previous tax season and are incorrectly listed in your bank register as paper checks, they require expert intervention. The team has enhanced access to QuickBooks systems and can perform necessary corrections or rollbacks that are beyond the scope of our capabilities. 

 

To can contact our Live Payroll Support Team directly through your QuickBooks Online dashboard. Here’s how you can reach out to them:
 

  1. Navigate to the Help icon in the top right corner of your QuickBooks Online dashboard.
  2. Click the Search bar.
  3. Enter a brief description of your issue, such as Need to adjust payroll items from a previous tax season.
  4. Click on Contact Us at the bottom of the panel.
  5. Scroll down and choose the way you want to connect (either by phone or chat).

 

For supporting hours of QuickBooks Live Support team, Here are the details in QuickBooks Online Payroll (Core, Premium, Elite😞

 

  • Core - Monday to Friday, 6 AM to 6 PM PT.
  • Premium, Elite - any time, any day.


Moreover,  if you need guidance on how to edit employee paychecks in QuickBooks Online, you can refer to this helpful article: Edit, delete and void employee paychecks.

 

If you need any more information or further assistance regarding your paychecks in QuickBooks Online. Feel free to reach out to us. We're always here to help!

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