If you're already using QBO for accounting, consolidating payroll into QuickBooks Workforce eliminates the disconnect between your books and your payroll data. Here's what to know before you make the switch.
When payroll lives inside QBO, wages, taxes, and deductions post directly to your books automatically — no manual journal entries or third-party syncs needed.
Third-party payroll processors can't automatically allocate labor costs to QBO Projects. With QuickBooks Workforce, payroll costs flow directly into project profitability reports.
Employee time tracked in QB Time syncs directly to payroll runs — eliminating double entry and reducing errors for hourly and project-based workforces.
Fewer logins, fewer monthly bills, and one support team to call. Consolidating payroll into QBO reduces the overhead of managing multiple platforms.
Starting January 1 is the cleanest transition. There's no prior YTD data to carry over, W-2s are handled entirely by your new provider, and quarterly 941 filings start fresh. If you have any flexibility, plan for this timing.
Switching at the end of Q1, Q2, or Q3 (March 31, June 30, or September 30) limits the YTD data you need to carry over to one, two, or three quarters. It also aligns with Form 941 quarterly filing deadlines, keeping tax records clean.
If year-end and quarter-end aren't possible, switch immediately after a completed payroll run and before the next one begins. This ensures your old provider fully closes out the most recent period before QuickBooks Workforce takes over — minimizing the risk of duplicate payments or missed filings.
Never switch in the middle of an active pay period. This creates complications with partial-period wage calculations, tax withholdings, and can result in employees being paid from two systems for the same period.
QuickBooks Workforce now offers a self-service migration tool for ADP RUN customers: upload your employee and pay history reports and an Intuit payroll specialist reviews and corrects the data before it reaches you. This currently applies to RUN Powered by ADP only — ADP Workforce Now isn't yet supported.
QuickBooks Workforce supports importing employee and pay history from Paychex. Check your Paychex contract for cancellation terms — some plans have annual commitments. Export all YTD tax and wage reports before ending service. A self-service migration option for Paychex is in development.
Gusto customers can now use the same self-service migration tool: upload your employee and pay history reports and an Intuit payroll specialist reviews and corrects the data before it reaches you. Since Gusto also integrates with QBO for accounting, work with a ProAdvisor to avoid duplicate entries during the transition.
New as of July 2026: customers switching from ADP RUN or Gusto can migrate employee and pay history through a self-service upload — with an Intuit payroll specialist reviewing and correcting the data before it ever reaches the customer.
An employee summary report and a payroll history (earnings) report. Not needed if switching at year-end with no pay history to carry over.
The system automatically parses both reports and maps the pay data to the right fields — no manual re-entry.
A payroll specialist personally checks for history issues, corrects them, and triggers the import — the customer only sees the result. Any field can also be edited inline in the review table.
Add SSNs and direct deposit info, connect the bank account, sign tax forms, and run payroll. Employees can self-serve their own direct deposit and personal info via an "Invite to Workforce" link instead of the payroll manager entering it.
Employee summary report + payroll history (earnings) report from ADP RUN or Gusto. Not needed if switching at year-end with no pay history to carry over.
EIN and tax deposit frequency (monthly or semi-weekly).
State unemployment insurance (SUI) and SUTA rates.
Business bank account details, for direct deposit and tax payments.
This is the general migration path for all providers. If you're switching from ADP RUN or Gusto, see the self-service migration option above — it replaces steps 1–3 below with an automated upload and expert review.
Pull year-to-date wage reports, tax withholding summaries, and employee deduction details. You'll need these to enter accurate YTD figures in QuickBooks Workforce.
Add your company details, tax IDs, pay schedules, and employee records. Use the import tool to bring in employees and pay history from ADP, Paychex, or Gusto where available.
If switching mid-year, manually enter YTD wages and tax withholdings for each employee so QuickBooks Workforce can file accurate quarterly and annual returns.
Before submitting, use QuickBooks Workforce's built-in Preview Payroll option to review employee pay amounts, tax withholdings, and deductions side by side with your current provider's most recent payroll. Only submit and pay employees once everything matches.
Once your first live payroll runs cleanly in QuickBooks Workforce, you're ready to cancel your old provider. Be sure to review your contract for any notice periods or cancellation requirements before doing so.
If you have hourly employees or track time by project, connect QB Time to your payroll. This enables automatic time-to-payroll sync and project labor costing.