Entering individual payroll checks

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The Enter Transactions screen is used to add, delete, void, or reverse payroll checks and other transactions.

Note: Prior to entering payroll checks for a client, you will need to complete all setup steps, including setting up a bank account and payroll items for your client.

To add new payroll checks using the Enter Transactions screen, follow these steps.

  1. Choose Actions > Enter Transactions.
  2. In the Enter Transactions screen, select the client in the Client selection field in the top, right corner of the screen.
  3. In the Transaction Detail section, select Payroll Check from the Type drop-down list and select the appropriate bank account from the Bank account drop-down list.
  4. If this check has already been printed, mark the Handwritten checkbox and enter the check number and pay date.

    Notes

    • If you are processing after-the-fact payroll, the only option is to create handwritten checks, therefore Check number is a required field.
    • Check numbers can contain any combination of alphanumeric characters and certain special characters.
    • Payroll checks cannot be processed as direct deposit if they are saved as handwritten checks. If you save a payroll check as handwritten but want it to be processed as a direct deposit check, you will need to delete the handwritten check and recreate it as an unprinted payroll check.
  5. Select an employee from the Employee drop-down list. The application automatically selects the frequency based on the frequency associated with the primary payroll schedule setup for the employee. If no schedule is selected, the frequency will default to Weekly. (This is important for FIT calculations, based on IRS Publication 15.)

    Note: You can right-click the Employee field for options to add or edit an employee record on the fly or to filter the employees displayed in the drop-down list. Refer to the Adding or editing employee records during payroll check entry topic for more information about adding or editing employee records on the fly.

  6. Enter the period beginning and ending dates.

    Note: This step is necessary to get an accurate employee count on payroll tax forms, like Form 941 and some state forms, if you do not have the Calculate month 1-3 employee count on payroll tax forms based on active employee status checkbox marked in the Payroll Information tab of the Setup > Clients screen. For more information, see Employee count examples for 94x and state unemployment (SUTA) forms.

  7. Enter the number of hours for which the employee is to be paid on this check.

    Note: If you want to create a payroll check with a specific net pay amount (for a bonus check, for example), use the Edit > Calculate Net To Gross dialog.

  8. Modify any check information in the Main tab, if necessary.

    Notes

    • You can change the default allocation of hours and amounts for the employee's locations and departments by clicking the Ellipsis button buttons in each section and opening the Payroll Item Distributions dialogs, if needed.
    • You can override check-based accruable benefit hours accrued (Per hour worked, Per paycheck, and Per hourly increment accrual methods) in the Accruable Benefits section, if necessary. You can also change the default order in which the accruable benefit items display. See Accruable Benefits Sort Order dialog for more information.
    • Overridden payroll check amounts and hours in the Main tab and the Distributions dialogs display in red text. The application automatically recalculates all payroll check values when amounts are overridden and recalculates the values again when overrides are cleared.To revert a single overridden field to its original amount, place your cursor in the field and then choose Edit > Clear Override. To revert all overridden fields in the current check to their original amounts, choose Edit > Clear Check Overrides.
  9. Click the Enter button to save the check information.
  10. Choose File > Print Checks to print any checks that were not marked as Handwritten. Or, to print checks one at a time from the Actions > Enter Transactions screen, choose File > Print Current Check (or press Ctrl+P).

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