This section of my web site is devoted to providing hints and suggestions on using Quickbooks accounting software. Your help in building this section is appreciated. Just email me with your questions and it may appear here. Better yet, if you have a secret way of making Quickbooks more useful, send it along. I'll give full attribution for your contribution.

Payroll: How to get a specific amount in federal or state withholdings.

Some employees calculate their taxes very carefully and know how much they need to have taken out of their paycheck to hit their target. If you are cooperative and are willing to do it you can just keep changing the exemptions until you hit the correct amount. An easier way is as follows:

• In the navigator go to Payroll and Employees.
• Click on Employees at the top.
• Select the employee you wish to change.
• Click on the Employee button on the bottom of the Employee List screen.
• Select edit.
• Click on the Payroll tab.
• Click on the Taxes button.
• Enter 99 for the number of exemptions and the dollar amount of the desired withholding in the Extra Withholding box.
• Repeat for State taxes.

1099s

You are required to send a 1099 form to any individual to whom you pay more than $600 for services. Quickbooks makes it easy to collect the information necessary to file this form. It is a two step process:

The following are the steps necessary to tell Quickbooks what accounts you pay individuals for services:

• In the navigator go to the Company tab.
• Click on Preferences.
• Scroll down the left side of the Preferences screen until the Tax: 1099 preferences button appears. Click on it.
• Click on the Company Preferences tab.
• Click YES for "Do you file 1099 Misc. forms?" You will see the 1099 categories. Most businesses use the Non Employee Compensation and the Rents categories. Click on the Non Employee Compensation category.
• Next to Box 7: Non Employee Compensation click on the word NONE in the account column.
• Pick selected accounts.
• Select the accounts where you would be paying individuals for services. These might be professional fees, repairs, consultants etc.
• Once you have selected the accounts, click OK and close the various screens for Preferences.

These are the steps you would use to tell Quickbooks which people are individuals and thus they should receive 1099s.

• In the Navigator go to the Purchases and Vendors tab.
• Select Vendor at the top.
• In the Vendor List, click on the Vendor button on the bottom.
• Select New (or edit if you are making an existing vendor subject to 1099s)
• Put in all the demographic information including full address.
• Click on the additional information tab
• Check off the box Vendor Eligible for 1099
• Put the vendor's social security number in the field labeled Tax ID.
• Click OK and you now have set this person up to receive 1099s.

These are the steps you would use to print 1099s:

• In the navigator go to the Taxes and Accountant tab.
• Click on Print 1099s at the top.
• Check the dates and click OK.
• Check to make sure the vendors are correct.
• Click print and they will be printed. (You need to order 1099 forms for Quickbooks but of course they are happy to sell them to you.)

Do you have any burning business or Quickbooks questions? Email them to me. If possible I will respond or I might use them for a future addition to my website.