Can I delete an Employee in QB Online?

Let me walk you through the steps on how to delete an employee, @contact-webcraft,

In QuickBooks Online Payroll, deleting an employee accidentally entered can be done directly under their profile information. I'll show you how.

1. Go to Payroll.
2. Select Employees.
3. Choose the name of the du[plicate employee in question.
4. Under the employee name, select Edit employee.
5. Select Delete employee.
6. Click Yes.

Now that your employee is gone, here's an article you can read and learn more about adding contractors: Set up Contractors in QuickBooks Online Payroll.

I've got you this helpful article for ideas about how you can work well with your employees' payroll in QuickBooks: Help Articles in QuickBooks Online Payroll. You can also get an overview of the other payroll features used to save time in creating your paychecks and running your payroll.

If there's anything else that I can help you with aside from working with your contractors in QuickBooks, please let me know in the comment section below. I'll be notified once you include my name, @JonpriL, in your follow-up reply. Take care always!

Help! What if I have re-hired an employee from last year. Employee was set up in QB last calendar year but was never paid (so there is no payroll history). I marked her inactive in QB last year. Now in 2026 I re-hired her, entered her in QB again, but system won’t let me complete her profile because her SSN is in there from last year. I tried to delete her old profile from last year but can’t. Should I delete the new profile I just entered, then reactivate the old one from last year? 

Yes, you should delete the new profile and reactivate the old one. Because QuickBooks does not allow duplicate Social Security Numbers (SSNs) to prevent tax filing errors.

Here's how:

1. Go to Payroll, then select Employees.
2. Change the filter from Active to All to show both active and inactive employees
3. Locate her old profile and click the three-dot menu (⋮) under Actions.
4. Select the Change Status.
5. Under Employment Status, change it from the current status to Active.
6. Once you have made the change, click Save.

After reactivating, make sure to update her hire date, pay rate, W-4, and direct deposit information.

For additional reference, you can check this article: Invite your employees to QuickBooks Workforce to see pay stubs, W-2s and more.

Let us know if you have any additional questions by leaving a comment below.