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Labor is probably your biggest expense. You want to know: How much are we actually spending on people? What are the tax implications? Which departments are costing the most? Is overtime getting out of control? Payroll reports give you visibility into all of it — labor costs, tax liabilities, deductions, and employee-by-employee breakdowns. Whether you’re doing a quick check or handing a package to your accountant, the data is here.

Accessing payroll reports

  1. Go to Reports in the sidebar
  2. Click Payroll Reports
  3. Select the report type

Available reports

Payroll Summary

Overview of payroll by period:
ColumnDescription
Pay PeriodDate range
Gross PayTotal wages before deductions
Employee TaxesTaxes withheld from employees
Employer TaxesYour portion of taxes
Deductions401(k), insurance, etc.
Net PayAmount paid to employees
Total CostNet pay + employer taxes

Payroll Register

Detailed breakdown by employee:
ColumnDescription
EmployeeName
Pay TypeSalary, Hourly, Bonus
HoursHours worked (hourly employees)
GrossGross pay this period
Fed TaxFederal income tax withheld
State TaxState income tax withheld
FICASocial Security + Medicare
DeductionsPre-tax and post-tax
Net PayTake-home pay

Tax Liability Report

Tax obligations by agency and period:
TaxPeriodLiabilityDepositedDue
Federal 941Q1 2025$15,230$15,230$0
CA WithholdingQ1 2025$3,450$3,450$0
CA SUIQ1 2025$890$890$0
FUTA2025$420$0$420

Deductions Report

Summary of all deductions by type:
DeductionEmployeesEmployee AmountEmployer Amount
401(k)8$4,200$2,100
Health Insurance10$1,500$6,000
Dental6$180$360
HSA4$800$0

Employee Earnings

Year-to-date earnings by employee:
EmployeeSalary/WagesBonusCommissionGross YTD
Jane Smith$45,000$2,000$0$47,000
John Doe$28,800$0$3,200$32,000

Date ranges

Most reports support flexible date ranges:
PresetPeriod
Last Pay PeriodPrevious completed pay run
This MonthCurrent month to date
Last MonthPrevious full month
This QuarterCurrent quarter to date
Last QuarterPrevious full quarter
This YearYear to date
Last YearPrevious full year
CustomAny date range

Filtering options

By employee

  • Individual employee reports
  • By department (if configured)
  • By pay type (salaried, hourly, contractor)
  • By status (active, terminated)

By pay type

  • Regular pay only
  • Including bonuses
  • Including commissions
  • Including reimbursements

By location

  • By work state
  • By pay location
  • Multi-state breakdowns

Export options

FormatUse Case
PDFShare with stakeholders
ExcelFurther analysis
CSVImport to other systems
QuickBooks formatFor accountants

Scheduled reports

Send reports automatically:
1

Choose the report

Select the report you want to schedule.
2

Set frequency

Weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or quarterly.
3

Add recipients

Enter email addresses (can include external, like your accountant).
4

Activate

Enable the schedule. Runs automatically on your defined schedule.

Common reports by role

For business owners

ReportPurpose
Payroll SummaryHigh-level labor cost view
Total Cost by MonthLabor cost trends
Quarterly Tax SummaryTax obligations overview

For accountants

ReportPurpose
Payroll RegisterDetailed journal entry support
Tax LiabilityReconcile deposits
Deductions ReportVerify benefit accruals
General Ledger ImpactSee payroll entries

For HR

ReportPurpose
Employee EarningsCompensation review
PTO BalancesTime-off tracking
HeadcountEmployee count over time

Custom reports

Create custom payroll reports:
  1. Go to Reports → Custom
  2. Select data fields
  3. Set filters
  4. Choose grouping (by employee, department, pay period)
  5. Save for reuse

Available fields

  • Employee demographics
  • Compensation components
  • Tax withholdings
  • Deductions (each type)
  • Employer contributions
  • Hours (regular, overtime)
  • Accruals (PTO, sick)

Historical reports

Access payroll data from previous years:
  1. Select the report type
  2. Choose date range (can go back multiple years)
  3. Run report
Historical data is available for:
  • 7 years (standard retention)
  • Longer if you’ve upgraded retention

Year-end reports

Special reports for year-end:
ReportPurpose
W-2 SummaryPreview W-2 data before filing
1099 SummaryPreview 1099 data before filing
Annual Tax ReconciliationVerify all filings match
State Wage ReportsState-by-state wage summary
Access in Reports → Payroll → Year-End.

Tax Reports

View tax-specific reports.