QuickBooks Paystub: A Beginner’s Guide To Print & Create (2026)

Feeling lost trying to figure out your pay stubs? You're not alone. Your QuickBooks paystub is easier to manage than you think.

Millions of small business owners use QuickBooks every day, and paycheck printing is one of the top tasks people ask about. The good news is that it's way easier than it looks.

This guide will walk you through every step in detail. We'll show you how to make pay stubs on QuickBooks using both Online Payroll and Desktop. No accounting degree needed.

If QuickBooks isn't the right fit, we'll point you toward a simple paystub generator that gets the job done quickly. By the end, you'll know how to print, reprint, and manage your QuickBooks paystub like a pro.

Key Takeaways

• QuickBooks can print pay stubs through both Online Payroll and Desktop Payroll

• You need an active QuickBooks Payroll subscription to generate pay stubs

• QuickBooks Workforce lets employees view their own pay stubs anytime

• Save pay stubs as PDF before printing for a digital backup

• Contractors and freelancers may need a standalone paystub generator instead

What Even Is a Pay Stub? (The Basics)

A pay stub is a document that shows how much you earned during a pay period. It lists what was taken out for taxes and other deductions. Think of it as a receipt for your paycheck.

If you've never looked at one before, here's a quick glossary of the terms you'll see:

• Gross Pay: The total amount you earned before anything gets taken out. This is your "full" paycheck amount.

• Net Pay: What you actually take home after taxes and deductions. This is the number that hits your bank account.

• Deductions: Money taken from your paycheck for things like health insurance, retirement, or union dues.

• Taxes: Federal and state income tax, plus Social Security and Medicare. These are required by law under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

• YTD (Year-to-Date): A running total of everything you've earned and paid since January 1st.

Don't worry if these terms feel new right now. Once you see them on an actual pay stub, they make a lot more sense.

What Is a QuickBooks Paystub?

​

A QuickBooks paystub is the pay stub that the system creates when you run payroll. It shows your employee's gross pay, tax withholdings, deductions, and net pay. You need an active QuickBooks Payroll subscription to create and print pay stubs for your team. Think of it as a detailed receipt for every payroll run.

Unlike platforms such as ADP payroll, QuickBooks requires the Payroll add-on from Intuit. People often want to know how to create a paystub in QuickBooks, but it won't happen on its own. Once you set up employee payroll and connect your payroll bank account, the software runs the math each pay cycle. That covers federal taxes, state taxes, and any deductions you've set up.

The QuickBooks pay stub then becomes available to view, download as a PDF, or print on plain paper. If your employees get direct deposit, they won't receive a physical check. Their pay stub still gets created and stored in the system.

How To Print Pay Stubs in QuickBooks Online

Printing pay stubs in QuickBooks Online is simple once you know where to look. Here's how to create a pay stub in QuickBooks Online, step by step.

QuickBooks Online Step-by-Step

1. Log in to your QuickBooks Online account at qbo.intuit.com

2. Click Payroll in the left navigation menu

3. Select Employees from the dropdown

4. Click the employee whose pay stub you need

5. Find the Paycheck list section and locate the pay period

6. Click View next to the paycheck you want

7. Click the Print button or the printer icon (or save as PDF first)

You can consider saving the pay stub as a PDF first. This gives you a digital backup you can email or store in the cloud. You won't need to reprint later if the copy gets lost.

QuickBooks Online also has a batch feature for pay stub printing. Wondering how to generate pay stubs in QuickBooks for several employees at once? Go to Payroll, then Paycheck list. Select a date range, check all the employees you need, and print them together.

QuickBooks Desktop vs. Online: Quick Comparison

Feature	QuickBooks Online	QuickBooks Desktop
Menu path	Payroll > Employees > Paycheck list	File > Print Forms > Pay Stubs
Batch printing	Yes, select multiple from the list	Yes, select date range
PDF save	Built-in download button	Print to PDF option
Employee self-service	QuickBooks Workforce portal	Not available natively
Paper options	Plain paper only	Plain paper or check stock
Payroll Settings location	Gear icon > Payroll Settings	Edit > Preferences > Payroll

How To Print Pay Stubs in QuickBooks Desktop

​

The process for QuickBooks Desktop works a bit differently from the online version. Everything goes through the File menu instead of a web dashboard.

Here's how to print a pay stub in QuickBooks Desktop, step by step.

Desktop Step-by-Step

1. Open QuickBooks Desktop and make sure your Payroll subscription is active

2. Go to File in the top menu bar

3. Select Print Forms, then choose Pay Stubs

4. Pick the payroll bank account from the dropdown

5. Set your date range to find the right pay period

6. Check the box next to each employee you want to print paychecks for

7. Click Preview to review, then click Print

That's how to print pay stub in QuickBooks Desktop in just seven steps. If you searched for "Print paystubs QuickBooks Desktop," the above walkthrough covers exactly that. You can print QuickBooks Desktop paystubs on plain paper or on special check stock paper.

If you use a check voucher format, the pay stub info prints on the attached voucher portion. For plain paper, QuickBooks formats everything to fit standard 8.5 x 11-inch paper.

Customizing Your QuickBooks Paystub

The Desktop version lets you customize what appears on your pay stubs. Go to Edit > Preferences > Payroll & Employees > Company Preferences and adjust your printing preferences. You can show or hide:

• Sick and vacation time balances

• Legal company name and DBA

• Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN)

• Phone number and address

• Employee Social Security number (partial or full)

• Salaried employee hours

If you're not sure what to include, show everything except full Social Security numbers. Most states require certain information on pay stubs. Keeping the defaults is usually your safest bet.

How To Reprint Pay Stubs in QuickBooks Desktop

To reprint pay stubs in QuickBooks Desktop, go to "File", then "Print Forms", then "Pay Stubs". Select the date range for the stubs you need. Check the employees you want to reprint for and click "Print." It takes about 2 minutes.

If you need to reprint a single pay stub, there's an even faster way. Go to the Paycheck list (under Employees), find the paycheck, double-click it, and select "Print" from the toolbar. This prints just that one stub without the full batch process.

For QuickBooks Online, reprinting is even simpler. Go to Payroll > Employees, click the employee name, find the paycheck in their history, and click View, then Print.

QuickBooks Workforce: Let Employees View Their Own Pay Stubs

Here's something many small business owners don't know about. QuickBooks Workforce is a free portal where your employees can view their own QuickBooks pay stubs without having to ask you.

Once you enable QuickBooks Workforce in your Payroll Settings, each employee receives an invitation to create their own Intuit account. After they're set up, they can:

• View current and past pay stubs

• Download pay stubs as PDF files (Adobe Acrobat Reader works best for viewing)

• Access their W-2 forms during tax season

• Check from any device (the Workforce app works on iOS and Android)

This saves you a ton of time. Employees can grab their own stubs for rental applications, loans, or personal records. Many large employers like Walmart offer similar portals.

Don't Panic: Common QuickBooks Paystub Mistakes and How To Fix Them

Running into problems? It happens to everyone. Here are the three most common issues and how to fix them fast.

1. Pay Stubs Won’t Print or Look Misaligned.

This usually happens when your printer settings don't match the paper size. Go to File > Printer Setup > Pay Stubs and make sure the page size matches your paper (8.5 x 11 for plain paper). QuickBooks Desktop also has alignment codes if things are slightly off.

2. Browser Blocks the PDF From QuickBooks Online.

Most browsers have pop-up blockers that stop the pay stub PDF from opening. Try turning off your pop-up blocker for qbo.intuit.com. You can also use Chrome or right-click the print button and select "Open in new tab."

3. Pay Stub Shows Wrong Amounts.

Check your Payroll Settings to make sure tax rates and deduction amounts are up to date. QuickBooks Payroll updates tax tables on its own, but custom deductions need manual updates. If you work at a company like Dollar General that uses a different system, the fix may differ. Review the payroll run details before reprinting the QuickBooks paystub.

Can You Make Pay Stubs on QuickBooks Without Payroll?

No. There's no QuickBooks pay stub generator that works without an active Payroll subscription. Contractors, freelancers, and self-employed workers need a standalone tool instead. Online tools like our AI paystub generator let you build pay stubs in minutes without QuickBooks Payroll.

Many people search for a QuickBooks paystub generator, hoping for a workaround. There isn't one. A QuickBooks paystub template that works outside of Payroll doesn't exist either. Here's when QuickBooks might not fit:

• You're a freelancer or contractor. QuickBooks Payroll only creates pay stubs for W-2 employees, not 1099 contractors.

• You don't have a QuickBooks subscription. The Payroll add-on requires an active QuickBooks account.

• You need proof of income for a loan or apartment. If your employer doesn't provide pay stubs (like some Amazon workers experience), you can create your own documentation.

If you've been searching for how to make a paystub on QuickBooks without the Payroll plan, a standalone generator is the simplest path.

Can you make pay stubs on QuickBooks as a beginner? Yes, but only through the Payroll feature. If that's not an option, you can still get a professional document ready to download in just a few clicks with the right tool.

You Might Also Like

• Walgreens Employee Portal and Pay Stubs

• Family Dollar Pay Stub Access Guide

• 7-Eleven Pay Stub Portal for Employees

• CVS Workbrain: Access Your Pay Information

• Dollar Tree Paystub Login and Access

In Conclusion

Printing and managing your QuickBooks paystub is simpler than it seems once you know the steps. QuickBooks Online handles everything through the Payroll menu. Desktop uses the File > Print Forms path. Set up QuickBooks Workforce so your employees can access their own stubs. Always save a PDF copy before printing.

If you're a contractor, freelancer, or anyone who doesn't use QuickBooks Payroll, you still have options. Ready to create your first pay stub? It's easier than you think. Get started in minutes and have a professional pay stub ready in no time.