Intuit QuickBooks Payroll Correction Support

You should rarely need to void a paycheck. Remember that voiding a paycheck is not like voiding other kinds of checks; paychecks have associated tax and other liability calculations and payments that need to be taken into consideration.

The information provided on this topic varies by service. For the most effective support experience, be sure that your service is selected correctly.

Void a Paycheck with QuickBooks Basic, Standard, or Enhanced Payroll

Here are some situations in which there is a better alternative than voiding:

• An employee has lost or destroyed their paycheck
• You have overpaid an employee
• You have underpaid an employee
• Change the information you entered on a paycheck
• Wrong payroll period beginning or ending dates
• Change a payroll item

If you use the Assisted Payroll service, see Voiding paychecks (Assisted Payroll) .

For all other customers with direct deposit paychecks, see Edit or void a direct deposit paycheck.

If you created a duplicate check by mistake, you may simply want to delete it.

If you need to correct a paycheck amount and the alternatives do not provide the solution you need, you can void the paycheck.

To void a QuickBooks Basic, Standard, or Enhanced paycheck:

Note: We recommend that you back up your data before you void paychecks.

1. Click the Payroll Center icon.
2. In the Pay Employees section, click the Related Payroll Activities drop-down arrow and then click Edit or Void Paychecks .
3. Enter a date range in the Show paychecks from and through fields, and click in the display area to show the checks.
4. Click to select the check you want to void.
5. Click the Void button.
6. Follow the instructions in the message that appears.
   These instructions vary based on the check date and the payroll service you’re subscribed to. After you void the paycheck, a notation is included in the Memo field, and the net amount of the check is 0.00.
7. Click the Done button to close the Edit/Void Paychecks window.

If the paycheck you voided was issued in a previous quarter or year for which you have already filed tax returns, you must amend your payroll tax forms and file the amended returns with the appropriate agencies.

Related information

• How does deleting a paycheck affect the year-to-date amounts?

Void a paycheck with Assisted Payroll

You should rarely need to void a paycheck. Remember that voiding a paycheck is not like voiding other kinds of checks; paychecks have tax and other liability calculations that can be affected when a check is voided.

For common situations with a better alternative than voiding, see Alternatives to voiding.

For direct deposit paychecks, see Edit or void a direct deposit paycheck.

Deleting vs. voiding a paycheck

If none of the alternatives to voiding provide the solution you need, decide whether to void or delete the paycheck:

• You can delete a paycheck from QuickBooks before you send it to the Assisted Payroll service. Deleting a paycheck does not affect payroll tax filings or payments. You cannot delete a paycheck after you send it to the Assisted Payroll service.
• You can void a paycheck after you send it to the Assisted Payroll service. If the void is received after payroll processing begins, tax funds may be applied to future payrolls in the same quarter. If the paycheck is in the last payroll of a quarter, tax funds may be refunded by the taxing agencies and amendments may be required to correct tax filings.
• Should amendments be necessary, please contact us to initiate the process; fees may apply.

To void a paycheck with Assisted Payroll:

Note: We recommend that you back up your data before you void paychecks.

1. Click the Payroll Center icon.
2. In the Pay Employees section, click the Related Payroll Activities drop-down arrow and then click Edit or Void Paychecks .
3. Enter a date range in the Show paychecks from and through fields, and click in the display area to show the checks.
4. Click to select the check you want to void.
5. Click the Void button.
6. Follow the instructions in the message that appears.
   These instructions vary based on the check date. After you void the paycheck, a notation is included in the Memo field, and the net amount of the check is 0.00.
7. Click the Done button to close the Edit/Void Paychecks window.
8. Go to the Employees menu and click Send Payroll Data .
9. Click Go Online, enter your Payroll Service PIN, and click OK.

Related information

• How does deleting a paycheck affect the year-to-date amounts?

Edit or void a direct deposit paycheck

You should rarely need to void a paycheck. Remember that voiding a paycheck is not like voiding other kinds of checks; paychecks have tax and other liability calculations that can be affected when a check is voided.

For common situations with a better alternative than voiding, see Alternatives to voiding.

If you need to make changes to a direct deposit paycheck after it has been sent, you must first void the paycheck you’ve already sent and then create and send a new paycheck. Don’t edit a paycheck that was already sent; doing so will prevent the void from being successful.

Recovering funds

After a direct deposit transaction is transmitted to an employee’s financial institution, there is no way to prevent the funds from being credited to the employee’s account. Therefore, your best option is to send the void to Intuit before the start of payroll processing, which begins at 5 pm Pacific Time, two days prior to the paycheck date or on the day Intuit receives your payroll data, whichever is earlier.

If you send the void after Intuit has processed payroll, you can attempt to reverse the direct deposit as long as you submit the request within three banking days of the deposit date. Complete the Direct Deposit Reversal Customer Agreement form. When your request is initiated with the banking institution you will receive an e-mail confirmation. The process can take up to 10 days and you will be notified by e-mail as to whether or not the funds were recovered successfully.

Please be aware of the following:

• Intuit cannot guarantee that the funds will be recovered.
• If the entire amount of the direct deposit is not available in the employee’s account, the reversal will be rejected and no funds will be recovered.
• You will be charged a $50 direct deposit reversal fee, whether or not funds are recovered.

You always have the option of attempting to recover the funds directly from the employee.

To edit or void a direct deposit paycheck

Note: We recommend that you back up your data before you void paychecks.

1. Click the Payroll Center icon.
2. In the Pay Employees section, click the Related Payroll Activities drop-down arrow and then click Edit or Void Paychecks .
3. Enter a date range in the Show paychecks from and through fields, and click in the display area to show the checks.
4. Click to select the check you want to void.
5. Click the Void button.
6. Follow the instructions in the message that appears.
   These instructions vary based on the check date. After you void the paycheck, a notation is included in the Memo field, and the net amount of the check is 0.00.
7. Click the Done button to close the Edit/Void Paychecks window.
8. Go to the Employees menu and click Send Payroll Data .
9. Click Go Online, enter your Payroll Service PIN, and click OK.

Related information

• How does deleting a paycheck affect the year-to-date amounts?

Delete a Paycheck

You should rarely need to delete a paycheck. However, you might want to delete a paycheck if you inadvertently created a duplicate check or if you need to change the amount of a check and none of the alternatives to voiding or deleting accomplish what you want.

You should only delete a paycheck if you have not sent it to direct deposit or to the Assisted Payroll service. If the paycheck appears in the Check Register with a green lightening bolt icon next to it, it has already been sent to direct deposit or to the Assisted Payroll service, and you cannot delete it.

To delete a paycheck

1. Click the Payroll Center icon.
2. In the Pay Employees section, click the Related Payroll Activities drop-down arrow and then click Edit or Void Paychecks .
3. Specify the check date for the paycheck you want to delete in both the Show paychecks from and through fields (or specify a range of dates that includes the check date), and click the Sort by drop-down arrow to select whether you want the list sorted by paycheck date or by employee name. Click in the display area to show the checks.
4. Click the check you want to delete, and click the Edit button.
5. With the paycheck displayed, go to the Edit menu (at the top of the main window) and click Delete Paycheck.

If the deleted paycheck was for a previous quarter or year that tax returns have already been filed for, you may need to amend and file corrected payroll taxes for the prior quarter. If you are an Assisted Payroll customer, you should notify the payroll service to file the amendment.

Related information

• How does deleting a paycheck affect the year-to-date amounts?

How year-to-date amounts are affected

• If you void or delete the most recent paycheck, QuickBooks updates all year-to-date figures to reflect the change.
• If you void or delete an earlier paycheck, the year-to-date figures on subsequent recorded paychecks will be correct on pay stubs, paychecks, and in the Review Paycheck window, but not in the Preview Paycheck window.
• The year-to-date figures for paychecks you write in the future will be correct.

How voiding a paycheck impacts payroll data:
If you recovered the funds

• If you void or delete the most recent paycheck, QuickBooks updates the year-to-date figures to reflect the change.
• If you void or delete an earlier paycheck, the year-to-date figures on subsequent recorded paychecks will be correct on pay stubs, paychecks, and in the Review Paycheck window, but not in the Preview Paycheck window.
• The year-to-date figures for paychecks you write in the future will be correct.

For Assisted Payroll and QuickBooks Payroll with Direct Deposit customers only:

• The memo field on the affected paycheck is modified to indicate VOID: Payroll Service Funds Recovered.
• Tax and direct deposit liabilities are reconciled and represented correctly in QuickBooks.
• Tax and direct deposit funds for the voided paycheck are not debited from your company’s bank account.

If you did not recover the funds (Assisted Payroll and QuickBooks Payroll with Direct Deposit customers only)

• The memo field on the affected paycheck is modified to indicate VOID: Payroll Service Funds Not Recovered.
• You must recover funds directly from the employee.
• Funds not already paid to the tax agencies are adjusted through the Payroll Services Customer Assets Account and applied to subsequent payrolls, reducing the amount of the next liability check generated by the payroll service.
• Taxes are adjusted by reducing the amount of payment to the agencies on subsequent payrolls in the same quarter. In some instances, taxing agencies do not adjust payments across quarter boundaries.
• Taxes paid to agencies and not fully reconciled during the current quarter are refunded to you directly from those agencies.

Alternatives to Voiding/Deleting Paychecks:

Replace a lost or destroyed paycheck

To replace a lost or destroyed paycheck and keep your payroll data accurate, print a replacement check with a new number and make a record of the lost or destroyed check.

To replace a lost or destroyed paycheck

1. In the Banking section on the Home page, click Check Register. (If you have more than one bank account, select the appropriate account and click OK.)
2. Find the original paycheck and note its check number and the net payment amount (you’ll need this information in step 4.)
3. Double-click the entry in the check register to open the Paycheck window. Select the To be printed checkbox and click the Print button at the top of the window to reprint the check using the next number in your check-numbering sequence. Click Save & Close in the Paycheck window and close the check register.
   This is the replacement paycheck that you will give the employee.
   The next steps create a record of the lost or destroyed check.
4. In the Banking section on the Home page, click Write Checks. Use the same check number as the original lost or destroyed check, make the date the same as the day the check was originally written, make the check payable to the employee (ignore the message about using the built-in payroll features), make the check amount the net payment amount from the original check, note on the Memo line that this check was replaced by the new check you created in step 3, and choose Payroll Expenses as the Account (on the Expenses tab).
   Click the Save & Close button.
5. Open the check register again. Right-click the check you just created and click Void Check.
   You should now see the word VOID in the Memo field and a check amount of 0.00. You now have a record in your check register of the lost or destroyed check.

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Correct an overpayment to an employee

If you have overpaid gross wages to an employee, you can recover the overage on your next payroll instead of voiding the check.

To correct an overpayment

1. Set up a payroll deduction item called Over Pay with the tax tracking type Compensation.
2. On your next scheduled payroll, add this new deduction item with the amount of the overpayment on the overpaid employee’s paycheck.
   The deduction item reduces the taxable gross wages, and the adjustment is reflected on both the employee’s pay stub and your reports.

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Correct an underpayment to an employee

If you have underpaid gross wages to an employee, you can create an unscheduled payroll check for the difference.

Alternatively, you can add the difference to the employee’s next scheduled paycheck.

To correct an underpayment

1. Set up a payroll addition item called Under Pay with the tax tracking type Compensation.
2. On the next scheduled payroll, create the scheduled payroll, adding this new payroll item with the amount of the underpayment to the underpaid employee’s paycheck.
   The additional payroll item increases the employee’s taxable wages, and the employee’s pay stub and your reports reflect both the regular wages and the “catch-up” amount.

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Correct or change paychecks after they’ve been created

After you create your paychecks, you can review them and change them, if necessary.

To correct or change paychecks after they have been created

1. Go to the Employees menu and click Edit/Void Paychecks .
2. Enter a date range in the Select paychecks from and through fields.
3. Highlight the paycheck you want to edit.
4. Click Edit.
   What you can’t change on a paycheck [link]
5. At the Paycheck window, you can change the check number, check date, bank account, or employee’s address.
   Note: If you’re an Assisted Payroll customer and you’ve already sent the paycheck to the Assisted Payroll service, you cannot change the check date.
6. To make other changes, click Paycheck Detail.
   The Review Paycheck window opens. The Review Paycheck window provides Lock Net Pay, which means that you can safely edit certain paycheck details without recalculating the net amount of the paycheck.
7. Click OK to close the Review Paycheck window.
8. Click Save & Close to record any changes and close the Paycheck window.

What you cannot modify on a paycheck

You cannot modify the following information on a paycheck in the Paycheck window:

• Payee
• Amount

If you need to change the payee on a paycheck, you can delete the incorrect check and create a new paycheck.

If the amount of the paycheck is inaccurate, click Paycheck Detail and make the necessary changes. When you enter the changes, QuickBooks recalculates the amount of the check.

Note: If you’re using direct deposit or the Assisted Payroll service and you’ve sent the paycheck for processing, you cannot delete the check or change the net pay amount.

If you are in Lock Net Pay mode, you can make changes that don’t affect the net pay amount, such as modifying details in the Earnings section or the sick and vacation accrual.

If you’re using the Assisted Payroll service and you’ve sent the paycheck, you can still modify the following information:

• Memo
• Check number
• Print status
• Cleared status (for reconciling)
• Bank account you wrote the check from
• Expense and liability accounts affected (by editing the payroll items)
• Class or customer/job

If you modify a paycheck, the edited check information is resubmitted to the payroll service the next time you send payroll data.

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Correct payroll beginning or ending dates

You do not need to void paychecks to correct an error in the beginning or ending dates for the payroll. These dates are only used as a reference or memo to indicate the date range the employee is being paid for; they are not used by taxing agencies to determine tax liabilities and payment due dates.

If you want, you can make a notation in the Memo field in your check register to indicate the correct pay period dates.

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Edit payroll items

You may want to change a payroll item for any of the following reasons:

• Your company is assigned a new rate for state unemployment tax.
• The annual limit for a retirement plan deduction changes.
• Your health insurance rates increase.
• Your accountant wants you to assign an item to a different liability or expense account.

If you’re using Assisted Payroll, you cannot change the tax-tracking classification or taxability of payroll items because Assisted Payroll service files your tax forms based on these items. If you need to change this information, you must contact the Assisted Payroll service.

However, on receipt of a notice from a taxing authority, you can and should change your company’s rate for state unemployment tax or any other tax rate that varies by company. You can also change information that does not affect tax amounts or tax forms.

Edit payroll items

1. Go to the Lists menu and click Payroll Item List .
2. Select the item you want to change.
3. Click the Payroll Item button and then click Edit Payroll Item.
4. Click Next in the Edit Payroll Item wizard until you find the window you want and make the necessary changes.
   Note: You cannot change the type of the item. For example, you can’t change a payroll item marked as an addition to a deduction.
5. Click Finish to record your changes.

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