Deleting and Voiding Paychecks

Overview

You can delete or void paychecks when errors are discovered or checks need to be cancelled. Understanding when to delete versus void is crucial for maintaining accurate payroll records and tax liabilities.

When to Delete vs. Void

Use DELETE when:

• Errors are discovered before printing checks
• The check has not been cashed and you want to remove it completely from records
• You're correcting payroll entry mistakes during the same pay period

Use VOID when:

• The check has been printed and issued to the employee
• The check may have been cashed or deposited
• You want to maintain an audit trail of the transaction
• You're correcting checks from a previous quarter

Best practice: Voiding is preferred over deleting for issued checks because it leaves a complete audit trail.

Deleting Paychecks

Deleting before printing

If you discover errors during payroll entry, before checks are printed:

1. Go to Paychecks > Delete Payroll Checks
2. Select the payroll date
3. Enter the employee's name or select from the list:
• Type the first 3-4 letters of the employee's last name, OR
• Type ALL to delete all paychecks for the selected pay date, OR
• Leave blank and press Enter to quit
1. For a single check deletion:
• Double-click the employee's name
• Click OK
1. Enter your password if prompted
2. Confirm the deletion

The paycheck is removed from the system and you can re-enter the correct information.

Deleting after printing

Use extreme caution when deleting paychecks after they have been printed.

If the check has NOT been cashed:

1. Follow the same deletion steps as above
2. Delete the incorrect check
3. Re-enter the correct payroll information
4. Print the new check

If the check HAS been cashed:

• DO NOT DELETE the check
• Use the VOID function instead (see below)

Important: Deleting checks after printing changes the tax liability for the client. You may need to reprint tax deposit checks if you issue new checks.

Voiding Paychecks

Voiding creates a negative paycheck identical to the original, which cancels out the original check while leaving a complete audit trail.

When to void

• The check has been issued but needs to be cancelled
• The check may have been cashed
• You're correcting a check from a previous quarter
• You want to maintain complete records of all transactions

How to void paychecks

1. Go to Paychecks > Void Payroll Checks
2. Choose the payroll date
3. Select one or more paychecks to void:
• Double-click each employee whose check you want to void
• You can select multiple employees
1. Click Continue
2. Enter your password if prompted
3. Confirm the void action

What happens: ProPay creates a negative paycheck with the same date and amounts as the original. This negative check cancels the original while maintaining a record of both transactions.

After voiding: Enter the correct payroll information in the current quarter if needed.

Critical Warnings

DO NOT delete checks from previous quarters

Warning: Do not delete a paycheck from a previous quarter unless you intend to reprint tax checks and quarterly forms.

Why: Deleting checks from closed quarters affects:

• Quarterly tax returns already filed
• W-2 year-to-date totals
• Tax liability calculations
• Audit trails

Better approach: Void the check in the current quarter to leave a proper audit trail, then enter the correct information in the current quarter.

Impact on tax liability

Both deleting and voiding checks affect tax liability:

When you delete or void checks:

1. The client's tax liability changes
2. Previously printed tax deposit checks may no longer be accurate
3. You may need to:
• Delete old tax checks
• Reprint new tax deposit checks with correct amounts
1. Quarterly tax returns may need adjustment

Always verify tax liability after deleting or voiding checks, especially if tax deposit checks have already been printed or filed.

Deleting All Paychecks for a Pay Date

To delete all paychecks for a specific pay date:

1. Go to Paychecks > Delete Payroll Checks
2. Select the payroll date
3. Type ALL when prompted for the employee name
4. Confirm the deletion
5. Enter your password if prompted

Use with caution: This deletes every paycheck for the selected pay date. Ensure this is what you intend before confirming.

Password Requirements

Deleting or voiding paychecks may require password authentication:

• User password may be required for standard deletion operations
• Supervisor password may be required for deleting checks from previous quarters or bulk deletions

If you don't have the required password, contact your system administrator.

Troubleshooting

Unable to delete a check

Issue: Delete operation fails or is unavailable.

Solutions:

1. Ensure you have the correct user password
2. Verify you have permission to delete paychecks
3. Check if the paycheck has been locked due to quarter-end or year-end processing
4. Contact your supervisor for the appropriate password level

Cannot find employee in the list

Issue: Employee doesn't appear when trying to delete or void their check.

Solutions:

1. Verify you selected the correct payroll date
2. Check the spelling of the employee's last name
3. Try searching with fewer letters (first 2-3 letters only)
4. Verify the paycheck was actually entered and posted

Tax liability discrepancies after deletion

Issue: Tax deposit checks no longer match tax liability after deleting paychecks.

Solutions:

1. Review the Tax Liability Screen to see current amounts due
2. Delete previously printed tax deposit checks
3. Reprint tax deposit checks with the corrected amounts
4. Document the changes for your records and the client

Voided check still showing in reports

Issue: Voided check appears in payroll reports.

This is normal: Voided checks are supposed to appear in reports to maintain the audit trail. You'll see both:

• The original positive check amount
• The negative void check amount
• These should cancel each other out in totals

To verify: Check that the void amount exactly matches (as a negative) the original check amount.

Best Practices

Before deleting or voiding

1. Verify the error: Confirm the paycheck is actually incorrect before deleting or voiding
2. Document the reason: Note why the check needs to be deleted or voided
3. Check with the client: Confirm the correct information before re-entering payroll
4. Consider the timing: Determine if the check has been issued or cashed

After deleting or voiding

1. Review tax liability: Check the Tax Liability Screen for changes
2. Verify tax checks: Determine if tax deposit checks need to be reprinted
3. Re-enter correctly: If deleting, immediately re-enter the correct payroll information
4. Update records: Maintain documentation of the change for audit purposes
5. Inform the client: Notify the client of the deletion/void and any actions they need to take

Maintaining audit trails

• Prefer voiding over deleting for checks that have been issued
• Never delete from closed quarters - void instead
• Document all changes in your payroll processing notes
• Keep copies of both original and corrected paychecks

Related Topics

• Entering Manual Checks
• After-the-fact Checks
• Tax Liability Screen
• Display Payroll Totals
• Print Payroll Checks
• Quarterly Tax Forms
• Password Management
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