QuickBooks Enhanced Payroll for Accountants: Complete Guide

Are you an accountant struggling to manage employee payroll? QuickBooks Enhanced Payroll for Accountants provide tools to access employee payments/ manage payroll tax calculations/ and maintain organized payroll records. QuickBooks Enhanced Payroll comes with a cap of 50 clients. To use this, you need to understand its process/ features/ and setup requirements. It will help professionals improve workflow and reduce manual errors.

In this guide, we will explain QuickBooks Enhanced Payroll for Accountants, its key benefits, and how accountants can use it to manage payroll responsibilities.

What Is QuickBooks Enhanced Payroll for Accountants?

It is a payroll service designed for accounting professionals who manage payroll for multiple client businesses through QuickBooks Desktop. The accountant-focused offering includes tools for after-the-fact payroll processing and client-ready payroll reports along with the standard Enhanced Payroll features.

You can enter employee hours/ review payroll details/ and pay your team from QuickBooks with enhanced payroll. These features help accountants organise payroll records and support their clients’ payroll accounting needs.

How Does QuickBooks Enhanced Payroll for Accountants Work?

Enhanced Payroll for Accountants assists accounting professionals in managing payroll for multiple client businesses using QuickBooks Desktop. Here’s a quick overview of how it works:

• Accountants configure the payroll service by entering company and employee details.
• Payroll information can be entered and allow for the review of paycheck details.
• QuickBooks calculates payroll amounts, which accountants must review for accuracy.
• Accountants generate client-ready reports to examine employee payroll activity and payroll tax.
• Payroll transactions are kept alongside accounting records. QuickBooks accountant payroll enables reconciliation and supports financial reporting.

Remember: This price change impacts QuickBooks payroll for accountants when you use direct deposit to pay W2 employees.

What Are the Benefits of QuickBooks Enhanced Payroll for Accountants?

Enhanced Payroll gives you the tools to create paychecks and file taxes yourself. Check out the table below to learn about additional benefits:

Benefit	Explanation
After-the-Fact Payroll	Records payroll information for issued paychecks.
Client-Ready Reports	Helps accountants prepare payroll reports for clients.
Multiple-Client Management	Supports payroll management for multiple businesses subject to product terms.
Payroll Calculations	Helps calculate employee pay and applicable payroll taxes.
Error Detection	Helps identify discrepancies when reviewing payroll records.
Organized Recordkeeping	Keeps payroll transactions connected with QuickBooks Desktop accounting records.
Time Savings	Reduces manual effort through payroll tools and preconfigured reports.

Remember: Features depend on the QuickBooks version and subscription. Verify historical product features with Intuit before describing them as currently available.

How to Set Up QuickBooks Enhanced Payroll for Accountants?

Here is the complete guidance to set up QuickBooks Enhanced Payroll for your financial activities:

Step 1: Activate Your Payroll Subscription

Once you have QuickBooks Enhanced Payroll for Accountants, you need to activate it. The steps to activate depend on whether you bought it online/ by phone/ or from a retail store.

If purchased Online/ by phone

If you purchased payroll online/ by phone, you will get a 16-digit service key by email. You will enter this key in QuickBooks so you can utilise the payroll features.

If you did not receive your service key, check your junk/ spam folder. You will need to sign in through your account login.

• Move to the QuickBooks Desktop company file.
• Select Employee and then Payroll.
• Choose Enter Payroll Service Key.
• Click Add and enter your service key.
• Select Next and then Finish.
• Wait for the new Tax Table to be downloaded.

If purchased from a retail store:

• Navigate to the QuickBooks Desktop company file.
• Move to Employees and Payroll.
• Select Install Payroll from Box.
• Enter the Payroll License and product information on the Payroll activation page.
• You can find the license and product info on a yellow sticker on the CD folder in the box.
• Select Continue.
• Follow the given steps to complete the payroll activation, such as entering the service key.

Complete the Payroll Setup Tasks

You will add the employees and set up the federal & state payroll taxes. Enter paychecks and tax payments you have already paid this year.

We know it takes time to get payroll information into QuickBooks. So the setup is designed to allow you to add info at convenience and save as you go.

• Go to Employees and Payroll Setup.
• Consider the on-screen steps to add employees and set up company payroll items along with taxes.

How to Generate Payroll Reports in QuickBooks Enhanced Payroll?

Want to track employee payments/ payroll taxes/ and payroll expenses accurately? It helps accountants review payroll data/ monitor expenses/ and maintain organised records for their clients.

Create a Payroll Summary Report

It gives you the total payroll wages/ taxes/ deductions/ and contributions. Here is how to run a payroll summary report. Note that the dates in this report are by paycheck dates only, not by period dates.

For QuickBooks Workforce

• Go to the Reports icon (image of the Reports menu and then Standard reports.
• Scroll down to the Payroll section and select Payroll Summary.
• You can enter the report name in the search field to find it.
• Set a date range and select the Apply option.
• If you want to include/ hide a certain detail in this report, select Customize and then run the report.

For QuickBooks Desktop

• Move to Reports and select Employees & Payroll.
• Choose Payroll Summary.
• Adjust the date range.
• Click Total in the Show Columns.

Create a Payroll Summary Report by Employee

Run a Payroll Summary by Employee if you need to view the payroll wages/ taxes/ deductions/ and contributors totalled by employees.

QuickBooks Workforce

• Move to the Reports icon image of the Reports menu and then Standard reports.
• Scroll down to the Payroll section and select Payroll Summary by Employee.
• Set a date range and select Apply.
• Choose Customise and run the report if you want to include/ hide a certain detail in this report.

Desktop Payroll

• Move to Reports/ select Employees/ and Payroll.
• Choose Payroll Summary and adjust the date range.
• Select Employee in the Show Columns dropdown.
• Move to Customise Report and the Filter tab.
• Scroll down to select Name from the filter list in the Choose Filter section.
• Select the employee from the dropdown.
• Click OK.

What Is After-the-Fact Payroll in QuickBooks Enhanced Payroll for Accountants?

It is a feature designed to help accountants enter/ validate/ and adjust payroll information for paychecks. QuickBooks Enhanced Payroll for Accountants includes streamlined compliance functions & payroll tax tables for federal and all states.

Accountants could use a spreadsheet-style screen to enter employee paycheck details and review payroll tax calculations. The feature helped accountants maintain accurate payroll records and review tax liabilities. These details describe the historical accountant-focused product. Current availability should be verified.

How to Manage Payroll Taxes in QuickBooks Enhanced Payroll?

It helps accountants calculate payroll taxes/ track tax labilities/ and prepare tax payments. Users with Enhanced Payroll for Accountants are responsible for paying and filing the payroll taxes themselves.

Step 1: Update the Payroll Tax Tables

Ensure QuickBooks Desktop has the latest available payroll tax table before processing payroll taxes.

• Open QuickBooks Desktop and select Employees.
• Select Get Payroll Updates.
• Check the current tax table version.
• Select Download Entire Update and click Update.
• Confirm the update has completed.

Remember: An active QuickBooks Desktop Payroll subscription is required to update tax tables. State unemployment insurance rates may need to be updated.

Step 2: Review payroll tax liabilities

Review the taxes owed to federal and state agencies after processing payroll.

• Open the Employees menu and select Payroll Centre.
• Select the Pay Liabilities tab.
• Review the listed payroll taxes and payment due dates.
• Select the applicable liability and click View/Pay.
• Verify the amount and payment details before proceeding.

Step 3: Manage state payroll taxes

State e-filing and e-payment options differ by state and tax type.

• Confirm that state e-file and e-pay are configured.
• Open Employees → Payroll Centre → Pay Liabilities.
• Select the state liability and review its submission deadline.
• Select View/Pay and then E-Pay, if supported.
• Move to Employees → Payroll Tax Forms & W-2s → Process Payroll Forms to file a state form.
• Select the form and choose the filing period.
• Review it/ run Check for Errors/ and submit it using the available filing option.

If your state/tax type does not support electronic filing/ payment through QuickBooks, follow manual filing and payment instructions.

How to Set Up Employees in QuickBooks Enhanced Payroll?

Here, we will discuss the process to set up employees in QuickBooks Enhanced Payroll. It helps maintain accurate employee records and calculate payroll.

Add an Employee in QuickBooks Enhanced Payroll

First set up employee defaults to add an employee in QuickBooks Desktop Payroll. Enter the individual employee’s information.

Set Up Employee Defaults

Employee defaults allow you to fill in common fields for new hires like pay schedule and policies to save time. Log in to QuickBooks Admin to access these defaults.

• Choose Edit and go to Preferences.
• Click on Payroll and Employees, followed by Company Preferences.
• Select Employee Defaults and input the desired changes.
• Press OK twice to save the modifications.

Add Your Employee to Payroll

• Move to Employees and select Employee Centre.

• Choose New Employee and the employee’s info.
• Select OK.

How to Update QuickBooks Payroll Tax Tables?

Updating payroll tax tables helps ensure payroll calculations reflect the latest available tax rates and limits. It supports accurate employee withholdings and payroll tax calculations.

Check or download the latest tax table

Go to Employees and select Get Payroll Updates.

To know your tax table version:

• Check the number next to You are using tax table version:
• See the latest payroll news and updates to examine if it is the correct version.
• Select Payroll Update Info to get additional details on the tax table version.

To get the latest tax table:

• Select Download Entire Update.
• Choose Update. An informational window appears when the download is complete.

Verify installed updates

To confirm which update you currently have installed:

• Move to the QuickBooks Desktop company file.
• Select Employees and click Get Payroll Updates.
• Choose Payroll Update Info.

What Is the Difference Between QuickBooks Enhanced Payroll and Assisted Payroll?

It is suggested to understand the difference between QuickBooks Enhanced Payroll and Assisted Payroll. QB Enhanced Payroll gives businesses extra responsibility to manage payroll tax payments while Assisted Payroll allows Intuit to handle those tasks on the employer’s behalf.

Feature	Enhanced Payroll	Assisted Payroll
Tax calculations	Calculated in QuickBooks	Calculated through the assisted service
Tax payments	Managed by the employer	Handled by Intuit
Tax filings	Employer files supported forms	Intuit handles supported filings
User responsibility	More hands-on management	Less administrative work
Tax support	Tools and guidance	Additional payroll specialist support
Best suited for	Businesses managing their own tax obligations	Businesses wanting payroll tax assistance

Remember: Product availability and features differ by subscription. If you are subscribed to Enhanced for Accountant Payroll, you can add up to 50 EINs.

Conclusion!

QuickBooks Enhanced Payroll for Accountants helps professionals organise payroll records/ review employee payments/ and generate reports for their clients. You need to be aware of above outlined features/ setup process/ and tax management responsibilities of enhanced payroll. It can help accountants streamline their workflows and maintain accurate financial records. Product features and availability may change, consult official Intuit resources to confirm the latest information to make an informed decision.

Need professional assistance with your accounting data? Connect with the Data Service Team at +1(888)-718-7888 for expert guidance on QuickBooks data management/payroll record Organisation/ and more. Let our professionals help you keep your financial data Organised!