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August 7, 2025
Question

How do I pay my employees if I forgot to run payroll on time?

  • August 7, 2025
  • 1 reply
  • 2 views

I didn't hit "run payroll" by the deadline and it is now payday. Will it pay them tomorrow or in another week? Or should I write checks?

1 reply

QuickBooks Team
August 7, 2025

You can pay your employees with checks to ensure they receive their payments on time, Columbiaentllc.

 

Since you missed the payroll deadline, the direct deposits will not go out today. QuickBooks requires a certain lead time to process direct deposits, which can vary from one to five business days, depending on your specific payroll service and settings. They will not be automatically paid tomorrow or next week.

 

To handle this, you can pay your employees with paper checks by creating an unscheduled payroll in QuickBooks for the missed pay period. Here’s how:

 

  1. Go to My apps.
  2. Access the Payroll menu, then go to Employees.
  3. In the right corner, click on the Run payroll dropdown.
  4. Select one of the given options.
  5. Review the pay period and pay date.
  6. Select Paper check on the Pay method column.
  7. Click on Preview payroll to verify that all information is correct.
  8. Finally, click Save for later or Submit payroll.

 

QuickBooks will generate the checks for you to print and distribute to your employees. Once you’ve paid them, be sure to submit that payroll in QuickBooks to maintain accurate records and tax withholdings.

 

You can also enhance your payroll management with our QuickBooks Payroll. Our experts handle everything from employee setup to tax form preparation, optimizing your payroll process efficiently.

 

The entire QuickBooks community and other forum members are here to help if you have other questions or concerns.