Troubleshooting Payroll
Payroll troubleshooting calls, QB-to-AE payroll history, employee cards, payroll categories, taxes, liabilities, reports, forms, and escalation.
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✅ Quick Easy Access Payroll Checklist
Use this as the fast call-control checklist before diving into the full troubleshooting sections below. It pulls the key payroll discovery, setup, testing, and explanation points into one easy-access view.
| Step | Check |
|---|---|
| 1 | Can I restate the issue in one sentence with employee/category/date/report? |
| 2 | Have I verified AE product, build, OS, payroll year, and tax table date? |
| 3 | Is the problem one employee or all employees? One category or all payroll? |
| 4 | Did I check employee Payroll Details: Taxes, Wages, Deductions, Expenses, Accruals, Recurring Pay, Pay History? |
| 5 | Did I open the payroll category and check type, rate, limit, linked account, and Exempt settings? |
| 6 | If this is a QB switcher, did I confirm whether historical payroll was entered through Process Payroll? |
| 7 | If rates changed, did I check Audit Trail and the first paycheck of the year? |
| 8 | If report/liability issue, did I verify the transaction source and whether Pay Liabilities is the correct workflow? |
| 9 | Did I test safely using preview/test file/copy before altering live data? |
| 10 | Did I explain whether the fix affects future checks only or also requires historical correction? |
📚 Converted Guide Sections
1How to Use This Guide
How to Use This Guide
This guide is designed as an internal playbook for payroll troubleshooting calls. It is not meant to turn reps into payroll accountants. It is meant to give reps a repeatable way to think, ask questions, test safely, and know when to escalate.
Core principle Core principle |
Do not jump straight to an answer. Payroll cases sometimes look like tax bugs at first, but the root cause is often setup history: employee card settings, category exemptions, rate changes after checks were recorded, tax tables not loaded, deleted paychecks or historical payroll entered outside Process Payroll (spend moneys or GJs) |
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| What this guide covers | Why it matters for QB switchers |
|---|---|
| Payroll discovery and call control | New AE payroll customers often describe problems using QuickBooks terms. Reps need to translate the problem into AE structures: employee cards, payroll categories, tax tables, paychecks, liabilities, and reports. |
| Question phase and evidence gathering | QB switchers may have imported lists but have no payroll data. The rep must find out what was actually entered in AE versus what only exists in exported QB reports. |
| Troubleshooting/testing workflow | Every payroll case needs isolation: one employee or all employees, one tax/category or all payroll, one paycheck or all periods, setup issue or file-specific behavior. |
| Real CRM case patterns | The case examples show how good troubleshooting found causes that were not obvious from the customer’s first description. |
| Public KB cross-references | Reps should use the KB for official steps then use this guide for the thinking process and call handling. |
2Table of Contents
Table of Contents
2. The Four-Phase Payroll Investigation Framework
3Support Mindset for Payroll Calls
1. Support Mindset for Payroll Calls
Payroll support is different from general software support. The customer is often stressed because payroll affects employee pay, tax filings, year-end forms, and liability balances. A rep should sound calm, structured, and curious. The goal is not to prove the customer wrong; the goal is to prove the setup and data trail.
What reps must assume at the start
| Assumption | What the rep should do |
|---|---|
| The customer may be correct that the result is wrong. | Take the concern seriously and ask for the exact paycheck/report/form where the customer sees the issue. |
| The cause may not be where the customer is looking. | Trace from employee card to payroll category to paycheck to report/form. |
| A state rule may have changed. | Use the official AccountEdge KB and, when needed, the state source or customer-provided documentation. |
| Prior edits should be considered. | Use Audit Trail when rates, categories, or employee settings may have been changed after checks were recorded. |
| General Ledger/Spend Money entries are not payroll history. | For QB switchers, they need to understand that entering Payroll via GJs/Spend Money (outside the payroll module) will not show that data on any payroll reports or Aatrix reports. Payroll data must be entered through the payroll module. |
Few things that reps should not do during applicable scenarios:
Do not say “it is working for everyone else” as a way to dismiss the customer. That damages trust and does not troubleshoot the file.
Do not tell the customer to void years of checks unless a senior confirms that is truly required. In the Stacee accrual case (SCA2405259), the customer only needed to adjust the current YTD accrual balance, not void historical checks.
Do not create a deduction when the item is not actually a liability. In the Lori reimbursement case (SCA2505762), using a deduction would incorrectly put the amount in Pay Liabilities.
Do not assume that tax tables include employer-specific FUTA/SUI rates. Those are user-entered and must be verified.
Do not test in a live customer file unless the test is reversible, understood, and documented. Delete any test transaction immediately after verification.
Rep coaching point A useful payroll support phrase goes something like: “Let’s trace what AccountEdge is calculating from. We’ll compare the employee setup, payroll category setup, and the paycheck preview before we decide whether it is a setup issue, a rate/table issue, or something file-specific.” |
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4The Four-Phase Investigation Framework
2. The Four-Phase Investigation Framework
All payroll cases should move in this order: Discovery, Question Phase, Troubleshooting/Testing, and Implement Solution.
| Phase | Goal | Rep actions | Exit criteria |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Discovery of issue | Understand exactly what the customer sees and where they see the issue. | When applicable - obtain product/version, payroll year, tax table date, employee names tax/category names, date ranges, sample paycheck/report, screenshots, and whether the customer is switching from QB or correcting historical payroll. | Rep can paraphrase the issue in one clear sentence and name the exact AE window/error/report involved. |
| 2. Question phase | Clarify setup, history and what has changed to narrow the cause. | Ask whether this affects one employee or all employees; whether deductions are pre-tax; whether rates changed mid-year; whether tax tables were loaded; whether the customer entered historical payroll through Process Payroll or journal entries. | Rep has a short list of likely causes and knows what evidence will confirm or eliminate each. |
| 3. Troubleshooting/testing | Always test in your widgets file first, then if needed, test it on customer’s data. | Compare affected vs unaffected employees. Review employee card, payroll category, Exempt settings, Work/Residence codes, W-4 settings, audit trail, paycheck preview, and reports. Replicate in Widgets/test file when possible. | Rep can show why the calculation/report result is happening or can explain why file research is needed. |
| 4. Implement solution | Apply the confirmed fix and verify results via reports, card files or new paychecks. | Make the setting change, re-run/preview payroll, adjust balance safely, update category setup, record/pay liability correctly, or escalate with full evidence. Verify Payroll Summary, Register Detail, Tax Liabilities, Pay Liabilities, or FormsViewer as appropriate. | Customer sees the corrected result or receives a clear escalation path with evidence and next step. |
Phase 1: Discovery of Issue
Discovery is where the rep collects enough evidence to avoid guessing. For payroll calls, a screenshot alone is sometimes not enough. The rep needs both the customer’s result and the setup path that led to that result.
| Discovery item | Ask / verify | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Product and payroll scope | US or Canada? Pro or NE? Mac or Windows? Current build? | Payroll features, tax tables, forms, and setup menus differ from CA vs US. |
| Payroll year and tax tables | What is the current payroll year in AE? What tax table date is loaded? | Incorrect or stale tax tables can make calculations wrong before any employee setup is reviewed. |
| Affected area | Is the problem in Process Payroll, an employee card, a report, Pay Liabilities, W-2/941, or a state form(aatrix)? | Each area has a different data source and troubleshooting path. |
| Pattern size | One employee, all employees, one category, one state, one pay period, or all pay periods? Has this issue ever happen in the past? | A one-employee issue points toward employee card settings; all employees points toward category setup, tax tables, rates, or some other system-wide setting. If it’s a recurring issue, it should be looked at more deeply (escalation may be required) |
| QB payroll data | QB Payroll can’t be imported into AE, they must enter paychecks manually. Did they enter all of their paycheck data? How about tax liability payments, have they made all of their payments to date? | Payroll reports, Pay Liabilities, and Aatrix forms require paycheck data, not just imported lists or GL entries. |
| Evidence needed | Screenshots of paycheck preview, employee Payroll Details, payroll category setup, Exempt windows, audit trail, and report filters. | Support needs enough data to replicate and escalate without re-calling the customer for basic facts. |
Phase 2: Question Phase
The question phase is not a script to rush through. It is the most important part of the call because payroll issues sometimes hide in lack of knowing AE & assuming things. The rep’s job is to turn the issue into a testable task.
| Issue type | Best questions to ask |
|---|---|
| Tax/deduction not calculating | Is the category checked on the employee card? Is the wage exempt from that tax/deduction? Has the limit already been reached? Was the tax table loaded after checks were already processed? Have any paychecks been deleted/reversed then re-entered? Is the employee card file setup correctly for taxes/deductions? |
| Tax/deduction calculating too low | Are there HSA, medical, 401(k), cafeteria, or other pre-tax deductions? Are they exempt before the tax in question? Is the customer expecting gross wages while AE is using taxable wages? |
| SUI/FUTA/ETT issue | Was the employer rate changed after the first paycheck? Does Audit Trail Report show a rate change? Does the wage/expense limit calculate from rate x wage base? |
| W-4 / Federal withholding issue | Is the employee using 2019 W-4 or 2020 W-4? In the employee Card File - are hidden 2019 allowances still populated? Is extra withholding entered? Are marital status and dependents correct? |
| Accrual issue | Is the payroll category actually an Accrual type? Is it assigned to the employee? Is the report date range in the current payroll year? Is the customer trying to correct historical hours or future accrual behavior? |
| Pay Liabilities/reporting issue | Was the amount generated by a paycheck using a Deduction, Expense, or Tax category? Was it paid through Pay Liabilities or Spend Money? Is the customer expecting GL-only entries to show in payroll reports? |
Phase 3: Troubleshooting and Testing
Testing should be disciplined. The rep should change one variable at a time and should compare the affected employee against a similar employee where payroll looks correct. This is how the Trina CO FAMLI (SCA2403143) issue was solved: the affected employee had HSA/medical deductions set to reduce the taxable base, while another employee did not.
| Always test in the widgets file FIRST if possible BUT… | Safe testing rule When testing in the customer file, prefer paycheck preview before recording. If recording is necessary, explain what will be recorded, verify it is reversible, and delete the test transaction immediately afterward. For unclear or high-risk cases, use a copy of the company file or Widgets/test file instead. |
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1. Replicate the setup in a test file when possible: same wage, same state, same tax/category, same deduction behavior, same rate/limit.
2. Compare affected vs unaffected employee cards side by side: taxes, deductions, expenses, wages, recurring pay, pay history, W-4, work/residence codes.
3. Open the payroll category and check: type, rate, percent-of basis, limit, linked payable/expense account, and Exempt button.
4. Preview a paycheck and calculate the expected amount manually. If the expected tax is rate x gross but AE is using a lower wage base, identify which deduction or exemption reduced it.
5. Use Audit Trail when the issue involves rate changes, setup changes, or a sudden change after the first payroll of the year.
6. Run the report with a narrow date range first. Then broaden the range only after the base result is understood.
Phase 4: Implement Solution
Implementation should include the fix, a verification step, and a customer-facing explanation. The customer should understand whether the fix affects future payroll only or whether historical checks/reports must be corrected separately.
| Fix type | What to explain to the customer |
|---|---|
| Employee/card setting change | This will usually affect future paychecks. Existing recorded paychecks may need to be deleted/recreated or adjusted depending on the situation and tax/reporting requirements. |
| Payroll category change | Changing category setup after payroll has already been recorded can alter future calculations but does not automatically rewrite old checks. Verify historical reporting impact. |
| Rate change | FUTA/SUI and some employer rates are customer-entered. If the rate was changed after checks were recorded, AE may calculate catch-up or limits based on the new rate behavior. |
| Accrual balance correction | If the customer is correcting accumulated hours, adjust the employee’s current YTD pay history/accrual balance within the employee’s card file carefully rather than voiding large amounts of payroll unless instructed by supervisor. |
| Manual workaround | Document why a workaround is being used, what reports it will and will not affect, and which account/category should be reviewed by the customer’s accountant. |
| Escalation/file research | Do not promise a bug or a fix. State what was verified, what remains unknown, and what data is needed to research safely. |
5QB-to-AE Baseline Discovery Checklist
3. QB-to-AE Baseline Discovery Checklist
Customers switching from QuickBooks often believe payroll history can be imported like a list. The rep must confirm what was actually brought into AccountEdge. In AccountEdge, employee card/list data may be imported, but actual payroll history and paychecks must be entered through payroll transactions if the customer expects payroll reports, liabilities, and year-end forms to populate.
QB switcher distinction A QuickBooks Payroll Summary export is a reference document. It is not payroll history inside AccountEdge. If the customer needs 941s, Pay Liabilities, Payroll Summary, or tax liability tracking in AE, the historical amounts must be entered through Payroll > Process Payroll, either as individual checks or summary checks, depending on the customer’s reporting needs. For history-based reports by Aatrix like W2s/W3s, the customer can enter “catch-up” payroll data if they switched to AE after beginning of their payroll year. Pay History within the employee’s card file can be used to enter this data for YTD (please refer to this FAQ for detailed info on this exact scenario). |
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| Checklist area | Rep should verify | Red flag (Incorrect process) |
|---|---|---|
| Initial setup | Setup > Payroll & 1099 Information: payroll year, employer details, FUTA/SUI rates, tax IDs (this is all user-entered data and not updated by tax tables) | Customer assumed tax table update included their employer-specific SUI/FUTA rate. |
| Tax tables | Setup > Payroll Updates or Payroll Command Center > Payroll Updates; verify tax table date loaded. | Customer updated the program but did not load tax tables into the company file. |
| Employee cards | SSN, address, Work Code, Residence Code, tax settings, W-4 fields, wages, deductions, expenses, accruals. | Only employee names imported; payroll details never completed. |
| Payroll categories | Wages, Deductions, Employer Expenses, Accruals, Taxes, linked accounts, limits, Exempt setup. | QB item names were recreated without matching AE category type or linked account behavior. |
| Historical payroll | Was YTD data entered as individual checks, monthly/quarterly summary checks, or GJ only? | Customer expects Pay Liabilities or Aatrix forms to populate from journal entries/spend moneys. |
| First test payroll | Preview paycheck, compare expected wages/taxes/deductions, run Payroll Summary and Register Detail. | Customer records live payroll before verifying category setup and tax behavior. |
Recommended QB-to-AE onboarding call flow (first or second call with a new AE user that switched from QB and wants to setup Payroll)
1. Ask the customer when they switched from QuickBooks and what payroll period they want AccountEdge to start owning.
2. Ask whether they need AccountEdge to generate tax forms for periods before the switch. This determines whether historical paychecks must be entered via Process Payroll or via employee card file > payroll details > pay history)
3. Confirm that all employee cards have payroll details completed, not just names and addresses (Deductions, Accruals, Employer Expenses & Taxes)
NOTE* Tax Tables are pulled from the Residence or Work Code that’s set in the employees card file > payroll details > personal details. It is important the user set’s the correct code so that taxes calculate properly.
NOTE 2* Some states have local and municipal taxes, not every state has a name for their local/municipal tax BUT it has a %, simply look at which % applies to their locality (ask the user as they should know) and select that as the work/residence code.
4. Confirm tax table loading and employer-specific rates before the first live payroll.
5. Run a test paycheck for at least one hourly and one salary employee, including deductions and employer expenses.
6. Have the customer review Payroll Summary, Register Detail, Tax Liabilities, and Pay Liabilities before processing live payroll.
| Historical payroll entry method | When to use | Reporting impact | Support warning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual paycheck entry | Best when the customer needs accurate monthly bank reconciliation and detailed payroll reports. | Highest accuracy for reports, liabilities, and forms. | Time-consuming but best for clean audit trail. |
| Monthly or quarterly summary paycheck per employee | Useful when switching mid-year and customer mainly needs YTD/quarter totals in AE. | Populates payroll reports and liabilities, but detail is summarized. | May not match monthly bank reconciliation if periods are grouped. |
| General journal entry only | Accounting-only tracking when customer will not rely on AE payroll reports/forms. | Does not populate payroll reports, Pay Liabilities, or Aatrix payroll forms. | Do not recommend if customer expects AE to file or report payroll detail. |
6Fast Triage Matrix: Symptoms, Causes, and First Checks
4. Fast Triage Matrix: Symptoms, Causes, and First Checks
| Customer symptom | Likely causes | First checks |
|---|---|---|
| One employee has little/no federal tax | W-4 settings, hidden 2019 allowances, marital/dependent fields, extra withholding, wage/tax exemptions, work/residence code. | Open employee card > Payroll Details > Taxes. Toggle W-4 year if needed to expose old allowance fields. Compare to another employee. |
| State tax or PFML looks too low | Pre-tax deductions reduce taxable base; category is using taxable wages not gross wages; customer expects state-specific rule not built into AE. | Open wage and deduction Exempt settings. Compare affected vs unaffected employee. Use state/AccountEdge KB to verify basis. |
| SUI keeps calculating after wage base reached | Rate changed after checks were recorded; AE limit behavior is based on calculated dollar limit, not just gross wage threshold. | Check Audit Trail and first paycheck rate. Verify SUI/FUTA setup in Payroll & 1099 Information and payroll category details. |
| Mandatory state deduction needs setup | New state program may require employee deduction and/or employer expense. | Check state-specific KB. Determine employee count, employee share, employer share, wage limit, and report needs. |
| Accrual report says nothing to print | Category is wrong type, not assigned, no accrual recorded in date range, report filter issue. | Open Payroll Categories and confirm type = Accrual. Check employee assignment and current payroll year/date range. |
| Customer wants to correct vacation/sick balance | Prior accrual rate was wrong; customer needs YTD balance correction, not necessarily void historical checks. | Card File > employee > Payroll Details > Pay History > current payroll year > YTD accrual field. |
| Pay Liabilities missing amount | Amount was recorded as wage/GJ/Spend Money or category is not Deduction/Expense/Tax linked to liability. | Confirm transaction came from Process Payroll. Open category linked account and liability type. |
| W-2/941/FormsViewer totals wrong/blank | Paychecks not processed through AE, tax tables/forms viewer not updated, wrong year, employee data incomplete, categories wrong. | Run Payroll Summary, Register Detail, Tax Liabilities. Check FormsViewer updates and payroll year. |
| NRA employee setup question | No dedicated NRA setup; requires manual handling and/or CPA verification. | Set work/residence as appropriate, uncheck Medicare/SS if applicable, manually adjust FIT before recording. Document customer responsibility. |
| Payroll deduction meant to reduce an invoice | Payroll and Sales/AR do not directly integrate in that way. | Do not use a deduction if it is not a liability. Consider negative tax-exempt wage + service credit memo against invoice using same expense account. |
7Deep-Dive Modules: How to Troubleshoot Payroll Issues
5. Deep-Dive Modules: How to Troubleshoot Payroll Issues
Module A - Tax Tables, Product Updates, and Payroll Year
A customer may say “I updated AccountEdge,” but that does not always mean the correct tax tables are loaded into the company file. Reps should verify both the application update and the payroll tax table loading step.
| Step | What to verify | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Check AccountEdge version/build. | On Mac use AccountEdge Pro/NE > Check for Updates; on Windows use Help > Check for Product Updates. |
| 2 | Load payroll tax tables. | Use Setup > Payroll Updates / Load Payroll Tax Tables or the Payroll Updates button in the Payroll Command Center. |
| 3 | Confirm the company file is in the current payroll year. | Tax table loading requires the appropriate payroll year. |
| 4 | Do not assume FUTA/SUI are in tax tables. | Employer-specific FUTA/SUI rates are user-entered, not automatically included in tax table updates. |
| Case - SCA2504242 | Real case link: Linda (SCA2504242) - SUI/ETT The customer thought California SUI/ETT was calculating incorrectly. Audit Trail showed SUI was changed from 1.5% to 1.6% after the first January paycheck. The first check used the old rate, then later checks used the new rate, which explained why SUI appeared to calculate past the expected wage base. The key evidence was not the customer’s spreadsheet; it was the Audit Trail plus the first paycheck. The first check used SUI at 1.5%, the rate later changed to 1.6%, and AE recalculated toward the new expected dollar limit. |
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Module B - Employee Card Tax Setup and W-4 History
When only one employee is affected, start with that employee’s card. This is where tax selection, W-4 information residence/work codes, deductions, expenses, and recurring pay are attached to the employee.
NOTE* The document W-4 is a document that’s provided by the employee to the employer. So if a customer asks where do they get employee’s information from, they should already have the W-4 from their employee that contains all of this info. If they don’t have it, they can’t continue the setup until they do.
1. Open Lists/Card File > Cards > Employee > Payroll Details.
2. Review Personal Details: legal name, SSN, address, and contact details used for payroll forms.
3. Review Taxes: federal/state tax selections, Work Code, Residence Code, W-4 year, marital status, dependents, extra withholding, allowances if using 2019 W-4.
4. Review Wages: confirm the correct wage categories are checked and linked properly.
5. Review Deductions and Employer Expenses: confirm categories are assigned only when applicable.
6. Review Recurring Pay: confirm recurring wages/deductions/taxes match what the customer expects each pay period.
7. Compare with an employee whose payroll calculates correctly.
Case - SCA2412361 |
Real case link: Nancy (SCA2412361) - New Mexico tax at zero An employee’s New Mexico tax was not deducting. Research found the employee had 99 allowances hidden under the State section of the 2019 W-4 option. The fix was to switch the employee temporarily to 2019 W-4, select State, clear Allowances to 0, then switch back to 2020 or later W-4. This can be done in Lists > Cards > Employee > Payroll Details > Taxes > State. |
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| If you see... | Think... | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Only one employee has the issue | Employee-specific card setup or hidden W-4 field. | Compare the affected employee against a similar employee. |
| Employee had a previous W-4 setup | Old 2019 fields may still influence results if not cleared during conversion. | Toggle to 2019 W-4 and check allowances/extra withholding fields. |
| Customer says “all settings look correct” | They may not know which settings affect payroll. | Remote in and verify, do not rely only on customer description. |
Module C - Payroll Categories, Exemptions, and Linked Accounts
Payroll categories control how AccountEdge calculates and posts payroll. For QB switchers, this is where many setup mistakes happen because QB Payroll Items do not map perfectly to AE category behavior.
| Category type | Purpose | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Wage | Employee earnings such as salary, hourly, bonus, reimbursement-style wage, or non-cash wage. | Using a wage when the amount should create a liability, or forgetting Exempt settings. |
| Deduction | Employee-withheld amounts owed to someone else, such as health, retirement, garnishment, or employee share of state program. | Using a deduction for money that is not actually payable as a liability. |
| Employer Expense | Company-paid payroll expenses such as employer taxes or employer benefit contributions (FICA, FUTA, SUI) | Forgetting to set employer share/rate for state programs or employee count rules. |
| Accrual | Tracks vacation/sick/paid leave accruals and balances. | Creating the category as Other/Expense instead of Accrual, causing accrual reports to show nothing. |
| Tax | Preloaded federal/state/local taxes controlled by tax tables and employee work/residence/tax setup. | Trying to edit tax behavior that is controlled by tax tables (hard coded and unchangeable) or employee card setup. |
Exempt button thinking
The Exempt button is a common source of “wrong calculation” cases. If a wage is exempt from a tax/deduction/expense, that tax will not calculate on that wage. If a deduction is set up as pre-tax/exempt before a tax, it can reduce the wage base that later taxes use.
| Trina Colorado - SCA2403143 | Real case link: Trina (SCA2403143) - Colorado FAMLI The customer believed Colorado Paid Leave was calculating on net pay instead of gross pay. Testing showed one employee calculated correctly at 0.45% of $2,000 = $9. Another employee showed a lower number because HSA and medical deductions were marked exempt before taxes, reducing the wage base used for CO Paid Leave. The coaching point: category exemptions affect subsequent payroll calculations. |
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Module D - State-Mandated Deductions and Employer Expenses
State payroll programs are a common pain point because rules change and states use different wage bases, employee/employer shares, and employer-size thresholds. Reps should not rely on memory only - use the AccountEdge KB and customer/state documentation.
| Program type | Rep workflow | Examples from data/KB |
|---|---|---|
| Paid Family/Medical Leave | Confirm state, year, employee share, employer share, employee count threshold, wage base, and whether AE auto-creates category or requires user-created deduction. | Colorado FAMLI, Washington PFML, Maine PFML. |
| State retirement program | Determine whether it is employee-only deduction or also employer contribution. Create the deduction in Setup > Payroll Categories > Deductions > New Payroll Category at the required rate; create the employer expense in Setup > Payroll Categories > Employer Expenses > New Payroll Category only if company contributes. | Amy (SCA2407562): Maine mandatory retirement/Roth IRA style deduction case |
| Paid sick/vacation accrual | Determine hourly vs salary accrual method, limit, carryover, and whether category type is Accrual. | Stacee (SCA2405259) and Hailey (SCA2413116) accrual cases. |
| Workers comp / hourly rate taxes | For Example, Worker's Comp and the California Training Tax are not taxes. They are not deducted from an employee's paycheck, therefore, they are Employer Expenses. | Susan (SCA2403029): Washington workers comp concern - rate per hour worked rather than gross wage percent. |
Module E - FUTA, SUI, ETT, Wage Bases, and Rate Changes
FUTA and SUI rates are employer-specific. AccountEdge tax table updates do not know each employer’s unique rate. Reps must check Setup > Payroll & 1099 Information and, if needed, Setup > Payroll Categories > Employer Expenses to review the related employer expense categories.
| Question | Why ask it |
|---|---|
| What was the rate on the first paycheck of the payroll year? | If the rate was wrong on early checks and corrected later, later checks may appear to behave unexpectedly. |
| Did the customer change the SUI/FUTA/ETT rate mid-year? | Audit Trail can confirm a setup change that explains the calculation pattern. |
| Is the customer combining taxes into one category? | Combining items like CA ETT into SUI may confuse reports/limits and is not the clean recommended setup. |
| Is the customer looking at wage base or tax dollar limit? | AE limit behavior may be based on rate x wage base dollar limit, not simply gross wages reaching a threshold. |
Module F - Accruals, Vacation, Sick Leave, and Balance Corrections
Reps should first determine whether the customer needs to correct future accrual behavior or only adjust the current displayed balance.
| Scenario | Correct support direction |
|---|---|
| Wrong accrual rate was used and employee is owed additional hours | If the customer only needs current balance corrected, use Lists > Cards > Employee > Payroll Details > Pay History > current payroll year > YTD and adjust the accrual amount. |
| Accrual report shows nothing to print | Verify the category type is Accrual in Setup > Payroll Categories > Accruals and confirm it is assigned in Lists > Cards > Employee > Payroll Details > Accruals; in Hailey (SCA2413116)'s case, changing type from Other to Accrual allowed the report to work. |
| Need to set up paid sick leave | Create an Accrual payroll category in Setup > Payroll Categories > Accruals > New and configure hourly vs salary accrual method and limits based on state rules. |
| Customer asks whether prior checks must be voided | Do not say yes unless confirmed. Determine whether correction is balance-only, report-only, or taxable wage correction. Escalate if unclear. |
| Stacee - SCA2405259 | Real case link: Stacee (SCA2405259) The customer had been told she needed to void all checks from 2/14/2022 to 2/14/2023. The actual need was much simpler: adjust the employee’s current YTD paid leave amount in Lists > Cards > Employee > Payroll Details > Pay History > current payroll year > YTD. |
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Module G - Pay Liabilities and Payroll Reporting
Pay Liabilities is only meaningful when the payroll items were created by payroll transactions and associated payroll categories. If the customer uses Spend Money, Receive Money, or General Journal to imitate payroll, those transactions may affect the general ledger but not the payroll subsystem.
| Customer expectation | Correct explanation |
|---|---|
| “I entered a journal entry, why is Pay Liabilities blank?” | Payroll > Pay Liabilities is populated by paychecks using tax/deduction/expense categories, not GL-only entries. |
| “I paid the agency with Spend Money, why does liability report look wrong?” | Payroll liability reconciliation expects liability payments through Payroll > Pay Liabilities. Recording the payment in Banking > Spend Money may reduce the GL but not the payroll liability workflow. |
| “I created a deduction to recover money from an employee.” | Only use a deduction if the withheld amount is truly payable to someone. Otherwise it may incorrectly appear in Pay Liabilities. |
| “I need reports for a new deduction.” | Reports > Index to Reports > Payroll > Payroll Summary and Employee Activity Detail are useful for viewing deduction activity. Payroll > Pay Liabilities is used when the deduction creates a payable obligation. |
| Lori - SCA2505762 | Real case link: Lori (SCA2505762) - payroll-to-AR workaround Payroll and Sales/AR do not directly integrate to let an employee paycheck deduction pay down a customer invoice. The tested workaround was a tax-exempt wage entered as a negative amount in Payroll > Process Payroll, linked to an expense account, paired with a service credit memo in Sales > Enter Sales using the same expense account. A deduction was avoided because it would incorrectly create a Pay Liabilities item. |
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Module H - Nonstandard Employees and Manual Tax Adjustments
Some payroll scenarios do not have a dedicated AccountEdge setup. In those cases, the rep should clearly explain what AccountEdge can do, what must be manually adjusted, and when the customer must consult a payroll professional.
| Scenario | Recommended approach | Customer responsibility |
|---|---|---|
| Non Resident Alien employee | There is no dedicated NRA setup. Set Work/Residence codes in Lists > Cards > Employee > Payroll Details > Taxes, uncheck Medicare/Social Security there if applicable, and manually adjust Federal Income Tax in Payroll > Process Payroll before recording the paycheck. | Customer/CPA must determine the correct tax amount. Support should not give tax advice. |
| State program not fully modeled in AE | Use the closest supported category setup in Setup > Payroll Categories if available; otherwise document a manual calculation/workaround. | Customer must verify compliance with state agency/CPA. |
| Tax formula disputed by customer | Request supporting documentation and compare against AE category setup and tax table behavior. Escalate with evidence if AE appears inconsistent. | Customer should provide official state/agency documentation, not only a spreadsheet. |
Module I - Year-End Forms, W-2/941, and FormsViewer
Year-end and quarterly forms depend on payroll transactions, employee data, tax tables, and FormsViewer. Reps should verify the data path before troubleshooting a form display issue.
1. Confirm all paychecks for the year/quarter are recorded through Payroll > Process Payroll.
2. Run Reports > Index to Reports > Payroll > Payroll Summary, Register Detail, Tax Liabilities, and any relevant category reports before opening Payroll > Payroll Tax Forms / FormsViewer.
3. Confirm the employee card has complete name, SSN, address, and tax setup in Lists > Cards > Employee > Payroll Details.
4. Update AccountEdge (AccountEdge Pro/NE > Check for Updates on Mac or Help > Check for Product Updates on Windows) and then load tax tables from Setup > Payroll Updates / Load Payroll Tax Tables. Then reopen Payroll > Payroll Tax Forms / FormsViewer and apply any available FormsViewer/Aatrix update prompts if forms are blank, incomplete, or outdated.
5. For Canadian T4-style issues, confirm the correct form year/version is being used in Payroll > Payroll Tax Forms / FormsViewer and that AccountEdge build is current for that country product.
| Annette - SCA2504904 | Real case link: Annette (SCA2504904) - CPP2/T4 Although this guide is US-focused, the Annette (SCA2504904) case is a useful training example. The customer was looking at CPP/CPP2 pensionable earnings on T4 slips, and the rep needed to verify form year, build/version, product region, tax/category setup, and whether an update corrected the issue. The transferable lesson: year-end form issues require version/form-year verification before assuming a payroll calculation bug. |
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8Real-World Case Library and Coaching Notes
6. Real-World Case Library and Coaching Notes
| Case | Customer issue | Root cause / outcome | Coaching note |
|---|---|---|---|
Linda - CA SUI/ETT calculation - SCA2504242 |
Customer said CA employment tax/SUI was calculating past the $7,000 limit. | Audit Trail showed SUI changed from 1.5% to 1.6% after first January paycheck; first paycheck used old rate. | Always check Audit Trail and first paycheck before concluding tax engine issue. Employer-specific SUI/FUTA rates are user-entered. |
Trina - Colorado FAMLI - SCA2403143 |
Customer said CO Paid Leave was calculated on net pay instead of gross pay. | Affected employee had HSA/medical deductions exempting wages before CO Paid Leave; comparison employee did not. | Compare affected vs unaffected employees. Exempt settings can change the wage base for later taxes. |
Amy - Maine mandatory retirement/PFML-style deduction - SCA2407562 |
Customer wanted to verify setup for mandatory state deduction and reporting. | Support recommended employee deduction at required rate and employer expense only if company contributes; use Payroll Summary/Employee Activity Detail. | Determine whether program is employee-only or also employer-paid. Reporting path depends on category type. |
Susan - Washington PFML/WACares/workers comp concerns - SCA2403029 |
Customer explained WA PFML, WACares, and hourly-rate workers comp did not match expectations. | Support directed to WA Paid Family Leave article and recognized some state-specific rules may require workarounds or escalation. | Use official current KB/state documentation. Do not promise AE supports every state-specific calculation automatically. |
| Stacee - Accrued vacation correction - SCA2405259 | Customer was mistakenly told she needed to void many old checks to fix under-accrued hours. | Actual fix was current payroll year YTD paid leave/accrual adjustment in employee card file > Pay History. | Separate “fix future accrual setup” from “correct current balance.” Avoid unnecessary voiding. |
| Hailey - Accrual report blank - SCA2413116 | Vacation accrual setup existed but Accrual Balance report had nothing to print. | Category type was Other instead of Accrual; once changed to Accrual, report worked. | When reports are blank, verify category type and assignment before file research. |
Nancy - New Mexico tax zero - SCA2412361 |
One employee had no NM tax deducted for months. | Hidden 99 allowances under 2019 W-4 state option caused zero withholding; clear allowances then return to 2020 W-4. | When one employee is affected, check legacy W-4 fields and compare employee setup. |
| Jeff - Non Resident Alien employee - SCA2505189 | Customer needed NRA (non resident alien) setup and correct income tax behavior. | AE does not have a dedicated NRA setup; uncheck Medicare/SS if applicable and manually adjust FIT before recording. | Support can explain software workflow but customer/CPA must determine tax amount. |
| Rhonda - One employee low federal tax - SCA2505186 | One employee had only $56 federal withholding for the year while others exceeded $1,000. | Likely setup/configuration issue: exemptions, employee card tax setup, W-4, payroll categories; remote support recommended. | Do not diagnose from totals alone. Need card, paycheck, category, and comparison employee evidence. |
| Lori - Employee reimbursement against open invoice - SCA2505762 | Customer wanted payroll deduction to reduce an old customer invoice owed by an employee/salesperson. | Payroll and AR do not directly integrate. Tested workaround: negative tax-exempt wage linked to expense account plus service credit memo using same account. | Do not misuse deduction when no payable liability exists. Explain reporting impact and confirm accountant review. |
Annette - CPP2/T4 year-end issue - SCA2504904 |
Customer disputed CPP/CPP2 pensionable earnings on T4 slips. | Eventually update/reinstall/build work appeared to correct T4 CPP2 issue; case also had product-region/update confusion. | For form issues: verify country product, form year, build, tax tables, employee setup, and whether the current update resolves it. |
Customer makes a statement, whats our next move?
| Customer statement | Rep translation | Next move |
|---|---|---|
| “The tax is wrong.” | Which tax, which employee, which paycheck, which date range, and what is the expected calculation? Also, how does the customer know its wrong, do they have another source of verification they can share? IE send us a link to where they see the correct calculation? | Get sample paycheck and expected math. |
| “Everything is set up correctly.” | Customer may only have checked the visible fields they know about. If there’s an issue with an employee’s calculation, then… | Remote in and verify Lists > Cards > Employee > Payroll Details, Setup > Payroll Categories, the Exempt button inside the payroll category, and any hidden W-4 fields. |
| “The report is blank/wrong.” | Report may be reading a different data source than customer expects. | Check how the transaction was recorded and whether Payroll > Pay Liabilities is the correct workflow. |
| “The state says it should be gross wages.” | Need to know what AE category sees as gross/taxable after exemptions. | Inspect Exempt settings and compare with official KB/state documentation. |
9Escalation Standards
7. Escalation Standards
A good escalation lets a supervisor reproduce the issue quickly. A bad escalation that says only “tax wrong” will take longer to understand and investigate. Use the format below for your escalations.
| Hand-off field | Required detail |
|---|---|
| Customer / case | Customer name, case ID, product, build, OS, payroll year, tax table date. Avoid unnecessary personal data in Teams. |
| Issue statement | One sentence: “For employee X, NM state tax is $0 on checks dated __ although other employees deduct normally.” |
| Expected result | Customer’s expected calculation and source: state article, AccountEdge KB, CPA, prior software, or spreadsheet. |
| Actual result | Screenshot/report/check preview showing the AE amount. |
| What was checked | Employee card tabs, category type, Exempt windows, rates/limits, Work/Residence code, W-4, tax table date, audit trail, report filters. |
| Testing performed | Widgets/test file replication, affected vs unaffected employee comparison, manual calculation, deletion of any test check. |
| Suspected cause | Best theory and why. Include what was ruled out. |
| Requested help | Clear ask: confirm setup, verify calculation, approve workaround, request file research, or identify known defect. |
Escalation trigger Escalate when the rep cannot safely explain the result after checking employee setup, payroll categories/exemptions, tax tables, rate/limit history, and sample calculation; when a state-specific requirement is not supported directly; or when file-specific data must be researched. |
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File research requirements
Request a copy of the company file when the issue cannot be confirmed from screenshots or remote session alone.
Explain that without the file, conclusions may be assumptions based on limited evidence.
Ask the customer to mask sensitive employee data when appropriate and use the approved upload method.
Do not promise an ETA or guarantee a software fix. State that the file will be researched and support will follow up with verified findings.
10Customer Communication Scripts
8. Customer Communication Scripts
Opening a payroll troubleshooting call
Script “I want to make sure we trace this correctly instead of guessing. Payroll calculations usually depend on the employee card, payroll category setup, exemptions, tax table date, and sometimes prior changes. I’m going to first confirm what you’re seeing, then we’ll compare the setup and test the calculation.” |
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When the customer insists it is a software bug
Script “It may be a software issue, but before I call it that, I need to rule out the setup items that directly control this calculation. If those all check out, I’ll document the evidence and escalate it with screenshots and the exact sample calculation.” |
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When the issue is caused by setup history
Script “The reason this is happening is not the paycheck you’re looking at by itself. The earlier setup change affected how AccountEdge calculates the category limit going forward. Let me show you the first check and the Audit Trail so you can see the sequence.” |
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When a manual workaround is needed
Script “AccountEdge does not have a direct built-in workflow for that exact situation. We can set up a workaround, but I want to be clear about what it will affect and what it will not affect. I also recommend your accountant review (if applicable) it before you rely on it for reporting.” |
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When asking for a file copy
Script “Based on the screenshots, we can make an educated guess, but we cannot verify the transaction history safely without reviewing a copy of your company file or seeing the data live. A copy of the company file lets us confirm what happened instead of relying on assumptions.” |
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When correcting a mistake
Script “I understand why that previous instruction was concerning. Let’s step back and look at what you actually need corrected. If you only need the current accrual balance adjusted, that is different from redoing prior payroll checks.” |
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Source Notes and KB Reference Links
This guide was created using CRM case data, public AccountEdge Knowledge Base resources, and established internal support knowledge.
AccountEdge KB references used
Setting Up Payroll When Switching from QB: https://accountedge.helpjuice.com/en_US/converting-from-quickbooks/setting-up-payroll-when-switching
US Payroll Setup: https://accountedge.helpjuice.com/en_US/payroll/us-payroll-setup
Payroll Deductions, Taxes, or Expenses Not Calculating (US): https://accountedge.helpjuice.com/en_US/payroll/payroll-deductions-taxes-or-expenses-not-calculating-us
Mid-Year Payroll Conversion: https://accountedge.helpjuice.com/en_US/general/mid-year-payroll-conversion
Load Payroll Tax Tables (US): https://accountedge.helpjuice.com/en_US/payroll/load-payroll-tax-tables-us
Pay Liabilities: https://accountedge.helpjuice.com/en_US/payroll/pay-liabilities
Payroll Categories Linked Accounts US: https://accountedge.helpjuice.com/en_US/payroll/payroll-categories-linked-accounts-us
FUTA & SUI Rates: https://accountedge.helpjuice.com/en_US/payroll/futa-sui-rates
Colorado Family and Medical Leave Insurance: https://accountedge.helpjuice.com/en_US/payroll/colorado-family-and-medical-leave-insurance
Washington's Paid Family Leave: https://accountedge.helpjuice.com/en_US/payroll/washingtons-paid-family-leave
Maine Paid Family Medical Leave: https://accountedge.helpjuice.com/en_US/payroll/maine-paid-family-medical-leave
California and Washington Paid Sick Leave: https://accountedge.helpjuice.com/paid-sick-leave?kb_language=en_US
California ETT (employee training tax): https://accountedge.helpjuice.com/payroll/california-ett-employment-training-tax-workers-compensation?from_search=225828353
CRM case source examples used
| Case theme | CRM example used in guide |
|---|---|
| SUI/ETT rate history | Linda (SCA2504242): California SUI rate changed after first paycheck; audit trail explained calculation behavior. |
| State PFML / pre-tax deduction behavior | Trina (SCA2403143): Colorado FAMLI calculation reduced by HSA/medical deductions marked exempt. |
| Mandatory state deduction setup | Amy (SCA2407562): Maine program-style deduction and reporting question. |
| Washington state payroll programs | Susan (SCA2403029): WA PFML/WACares/workers comp concerns and workaround mindset. |
| Accrual correction | Stacee (SCA2405259): adjusting accrued vacation/paid leave hours through Pay History. |
| Accrual report blank | Hailey (SCA2413116): category type was Other instead of Accrual. |
| Withholding not deducted | Nancy (SCA2412361): hidden 99 state allowances in 2019 W-4 option. |
| Nonstandard employee setup | Jeff (SCA2505189): NRA employee requires manual handling. |
| Payroll-to-AR workaround | Lori (SCA2505762): negative tax-exempt wage plus credit memo; do not create liability deduction. |
| Year-end payroll/form issue | Annette (SCA2504904): CPP2/T4 issue used as transferable form-year/update troubleshooting pattern. |
Final trainer note This guide should be used with judgment. Payroll rules and AccountEdge KB articles can change. Reps should always verify the current KB/state rule for year-specific rates and document the customer’s exact setup before changing data. |
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🧭 Best Path / Rep Call Flow
- Discovery: identify exactly what the customer sees, where they see it, and the date/report/window involved.
- Question phase: narrow whether this is setup, transaction history, workflow, reporting, or file-specific behavior.
- Troubleshooting/testing: test one variable at a time, use safe non-posting evidence first, and avoid irreversible changes.
- Implement or escalate: apply the confirmed fix, verify the result, or hand off with clear evidence.