how would i record an owners paycheck as an owners investment? He wants to be on payroll but not collect the money, he wants to keep it in the business.

The business owner doesn't need to be added to the payroll in order to pay themselves; instead, we can simply create a cheque for them, Maureen.

An owner's draw account is an equity account in QuickBooks Online that tracks withdrawals of company assets made to compensate the owner. Here's how to do it:
 

To create an Equity account:

1. Select Transactions on the left menu, and then select Chart of Accounts.
2. Click the New button and select Equity as the Account Type.
3. Choose Owner's Equity as the Detail Type.
4. Enter an opening balance if needed and select Save and Close.

To create a cheque:

1. Select + New and click on Cheque.
2. Choose the bank account where your money will be withdrawn.
3. Select Print later if you want to print the cheque.
4. In the Account field, select Owner's equity you created.
5. Enter the amount and select Save and Close.

I'll share this article about owner's draw. While the associated region is United States, the concept and steps remain the same: Set up and pay an owner's draw.

After recording the owner's draw cheque, the funds can then be transferred to the investment account. You can follow the detailed steps in this article: Record an owner's contribution or capital investment in your business.

We'll be right here if you have additional questions.