QuickBooks Payroll Not Working | 8 Ways to Get Rid of It

QuickBooks Payroll is an add-on feature to the QB software offered on both the Online and Desktop platforms. Intuit developed this tool to make your payroll processes easier by eliminating the need for manually sending paychecks and calculating taxes. It is a subscription-based service that you can pay for using the chosen plan. However, you can encounter the issue where you might notice the QuickBooks Payroll not working. This can occur due to several different reasons. So let us first discuss the causes that can lead to your payroll not working in QuickBooks.

QuickBooks Payroll Not Working – A Quick View Table

Given in the table below is a concise summary of this blog on the topic of payroll not working in QuickBooks Desktop and Online:

Description	QuickBooks Payroll not working is an issue that many users face while performing their accounting and bookkeeping tasks in the software. This can hamper your workflow and critical business processes.
Causes	QBDT app is not up to date, invalid digital signature certificate, outdated tax table and payroll, network connection problems, browser cache and cookies, Firewall blocking QuickBooks, and wrong system date and time settings.
Ways to fix it	Clear QuickBooks cache and Intuit cookies, get the latest payroll and tax table updates, update your QBDT app, verify the date and time settings of your PC, check the payroll service key, make QB Firewall exclusions, verify your network speed, and install a digital security certificate.
Ways to fix the payroll update not working	Use the Quick Fix My Program tool.

Things to Do Before Troubleshooting the Payroll Not Working Error

Given below are some of the things you should do before you go ahead and troubleshoot the issue of payroll not working in QuickBooks:

1. If you use single-user mode:
   • Check and switch back to it if you activated multi-user mode by mistake
2. Make sure you’re using QB as an admin user before running processes like sending paychecks
3. Verify the deposit lead time before your payday

Now, let us take a look at the steps to mend the QuickBooks Payroll not working error.

Steps to Perform to Resolve the QuickBooks Payroll App Not Working

Below are given the methods to resolve the issue of QuickBooks Payroll not working in Desktop and the Online applications.

Clear the QuickBooks Cache and Cookies

If you encounter the QuickBooks Online Payroll Not Working problem, it can be due to stored cache and cookies in your web browser. You should clear the QuickBooks cookies and cache in your browser to resolve this issue. This would resolve the QuickBooks Online Payroll issues.

Download the Latest Tax Table Updates

If your QuickBooks Payroll is not working, it can be due to an outdated tax table. Download the latest table updates with the steps given below:

1. Open the QB Desktop application
2. Navigate to the Employees menu
3. Click on Get Payroll Updates
   
4. Then, select Download Entire Update
5. Press Update
   
   • A window would appear after the download is complete

If your Payroll is still not working, move ahead to the next solution.

Update the QB Desktop Software

You can update the QuickBooks Desktop app to the latest version in order to fix the problem of payroll not working. An outdated QBDT app can also lead to several other issues down the line; therefore, it’s advised to keep the application up to date.

Check the Date & Time Settings of Your System

The reason for your QuickBooks Payroll not working can be incorrect time and date settings in your PC. To patch this, follow these steps:

1. Open the Start menu
2. Click on Settings
   
3. Then, choose Time & language
   
4. Now, click on Date & time
   
5. Then, ensure that the Set time automatically option is turned on
6. If you want to set the date and time manually:
   • Turn off the Set time automatically option
   • Next, to set the date and time:
     • Select Change
   • The Change date and time window would open
   • Set the Date and Time manually
   • Press the Change button

This would fix the error if you encounter the QuickBooks Payroll not working today.

Verify the Service Key for QuickBooks Payroll Not Working

You can verify the payroll service subscription to resolve the QB Payroll not working error with the following steps:

1. Close all your company files
2. Exit the QuickBooks Desktop app
3. Restart your computer
   
4. Open the QB Desktop software
5. Go to the Employees menu
6. Click on My Payroll Service
7. Now, select Manage Service Key
   
8. The following fields should display Active
   
   • Service Name
   • Status
9. Press the Edit option to verify the service key number
10. If the key is incorrect:
    • Replace it with the correct payroll service key number
11. Select Next
12. Unmark the Open Payroll Setup box
13. Hit the Finish button

This would fix the issue if your QuickBooks Payroll won’t work due to an incorrect service key.

Check the Speed of Your Network Connection

To use the QuickBooks Payroll service, it’s essential to have a stable and high-speed internet connection. You can check the strength of your network with the following steps:

1. Open the Speedtest by Ookla website
2. Then, click on the GO button
   
3. Let the speed test run
   
4. The results would show up like this
   
5. Now, make sure you have:
   • Download speed of more than 10 Mbps
   • Upload speed of more than 10 Mbps
   • Ping (ms) of less than 100
6. Change your internet service provider to run QB payroll smoothly if your network is not stable

Now, the problem of payroll not working in QuickBooks Online and Desktop would be fixed.

Configure the Firewall Settings for QuickBooks

You can add firewall port exceptions to resolve the problem of QuickBooks Payroll not working with the following steps:

1. Open the Start menu
2. Search for and open Windows Defender Firewall
   
3. Then, click on Advanced Settings
4. Now, right-click on Inbound Rules
5. Proceed to click the New Rule option
6. Press the Port option
7. Hit Next
8. Ensure that the TCP option is selected
9. Go to the Specific local ports field
   
10. Enter the specific port according to your QB version:
    • For QuickBooks Desktop 2020 and later, the port is: 8019, XXXXX
    • For QuickBooks Desktop 2019, the port is: 8019, XXXXX
    • For QuickBooks Desktop 2018, the port is: 8019, 56728, 55378-55382
    • For QuickBooks Desktop 2017, the port is: 8019, 56727, 55373-55377
11. After entering the port number, press Next
12. Click on the Allow the Connection option
13. Hit Next
14. Ensure all profiles are marked if prompted
15. Press Next
16. Create a rule
17. Give it a name
    • For example QBPorts(year)
18. Lastly, select Finish

Now, you would have to create Outbound Rules. To do so, follow the exact same steps given above, except choose Outbound Rules after clicking on Advanced Settings.

Install a Digital Signature Certificate

If your payroll is not working in QuickBooks, you can install a digital signature certificate with the following steps:

1. Right-click on the QBDT icon
2. Press Properties
3. Go to the Shortcut tab
4. Click on the Open File Location option
5. Press OK
6. Now, in the location, look for the QBDT app (.exe file)
7. Right-click on it
8. Press Properties
9. Navigate to the Digital Signatures tab
10. Now, select one of the entries in the field of Signature list
11. Press the Details option
12. Now, click on View Certificate
    • The Certificate window would open
13. Go to the General tab
14. Click on Install Certificate
15. The Certificate Import Wizard would open
16. Make sure the Current User is present in the Store Location
17. Press Next
18. Hit Next again
19. Finally hit Finish
20. Now, repeat the steps for the rest of the Security Certificates in the list of Digital Signature

This would fix the QuickBooks Payroll not working issue.

Fix the QuickBooks Payroll Update Not Working Problem

If you are running into the problem of QuickBooks payroll update not working, first update the QBDT app and then follow these steps:

1. Download and install the QuickBooks Tool Hub
2. Go to the Program Problems tab
3. Then, click on Quick Fix My Program
   
4. Let the tool run

The tool would fix the issues present in your application. Read our comprehensive blog to know in-depth troubleshooting methods for the QuickBooks Payroll update not working error.

Most Common QuickBooks Payroll Errors | A Table

Given in the table below are some of the most general errors that a user can encounter while using the payroll service in QuickBooks:

Error code PS038

Error code 15270

Error code PS036

Error code PS033

Error code 15240

Error code 17337

Error code 15102

Error code 1000

Error code 1046

Error code 4065

These are some of the most common QuickBooks Payroll error codes.

Potential Causes for the QuickBooks Payroll Not Working

Below are given some of the key triggers that can lead to payroll not working in QuickBooks Desktop and Online:

1. Outdated QB Desktop application
2. The QuickBooks security certificate might be invalid
3. Network connection problems can cause your payroll to not work
4. Outdated payroll and tax tables
5. You are sending payroll data in multi-user mode
6. Stored QB cache and cookies
7. Invalid payroll service key
8. Your network might have timed out, causing the payroll to not work
9. Misconfigured Windows Firewall settings
10. Incorrect system date & time settings

Now, let us list some of the most common payroll error codes.

Conclusion

In this blog, we talked about the problem of QuickBooks Payroll not working and the factors that can trigger it. Moreover, we provided you with an in-depth step-by-step troubleshooting guide you can use to resolve this issue yourself.

FAQ’s

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