QuickBooks 2011: The Missing Manual

Running Payroll

Once your payroll setup is complete, generating payroll checks each pay period takes only a few minutes. But before you run payroll, you need up-to-date tax tables, as the box on Updating Tax Tables explains. This section explains the steps for running a payroll, from selecting which employees you’re going to pay to printing the checks.

WORD TO THE WISE: Updating Tax Tables

Make a habit of updating your tax tables before running each payroll. It’s the best way to make sure you withhold the correct amounts. QuickBooks needs the most current tax tables to calculate your payroll taxes correctly and generate the correct payroll tax forms. No matter which QuickBooks payroll service you sign up for, being able to download updated tax tables is one of the benefits you receive with your subscription.

Before you run a payroll, download a tax update by choosing Employees→Get Payroll Updates. Click Update to start the download. After the progress bar disappears, you’ll see a confirmation message. Click OK to view the contents of the update.

If you sign up for the Assisted Payroll service, QuickBooks checks whether your tax info is the most current whenever you send payroll data, and downloads the update for you automatically if your tax tables are out-of-date.

Note

When you use direct-deposit services, you have to run payroll at least two banking days before the actual pay date so the service can process the payroll and transfer money into your employees’ accounts. The transmission ...