Work with payroll payments
Payroll payments are automatically created when a payroll run is created (during calculation). Each payment batch represents a payment obligation, whether to employees, a tax agency, a benefit carrier, or another payee. All payments, including employee pay, are processed from the Payroll Payments page. This article explains how batches are created, what they contain, and how to process them.
How payment batches are created
OnePayroll creates a payment batch for every payroll obligation when a payroll run is created (during calculation). This includes employee paychecks, income taxes, benefits, and garnishments. What determines how a batch is keyed and consolidated depends on the source type:
For income taxes and benefits:
- With a remittance group assigned — When you create a payroll run, OnePayroll calculates the payment period using the remittance group's payment cycle and the payroll payment date. It finds an existing open batch for that remittance group and period, or creates a new one, then adds the amounts. This means multiple payroll runs within the same cycle period accumulate into a single batch.
- Without a remittance group — A separate batch is created per payroll run, keyed to the individual jurisdiction or benefit record with the payroll run's period dates and the payment method from the vendor assigned to the tax authority or benefit provider.
For employee paychecks and garnishments:
Batches are always created per payroll run, one per payment method for employee payments and one per agency for garnishments. Remittance groups do not apply. For example, if some employees use electronic payment and others use check, two separate employee payment batches are created for that payroll run, each with the corresponding payment method assigned.
Open the Payroll Payments page
Search for and open Payroll Payments to see all payment batches. You can also reach the Payroll Payments page from the role center, where cues show the count of upcoming, due, overdue, and completed payments. The list shows:
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Description | The name of the payee or obligation (for example, Federal Payroll Taxes). |
| Amount | The total dollar amount accumulated in this batch. |
| Payment Method | How the payment will be processed. |
| Due Date | The date by which the payment must be made. |
| Payment Status | The current status: Open, Processed, or Completed. |
Payment batch statuses
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Open | The batch is accumulating amounts and has not been paid. |
| Processed | A payment file or check has been generated. |
| Completed | The payment has been confirmed as paid. |
View payment details
Select a batch to open the Payroll Payment card. The card shows:
- Period — The start and end dates covered by this batch.
- Due Date — When payment is due.
- Payment Method — The method to be used.
- Remittance Group — The remittance group that generated this batch.
- Payment Summary factbox — A breakdown of amounts by source (for example, individual tax jurisdictions or benefit names contributing to the total).
To see the individual payroll entries that make up the total, choose the Show Payment Entries action.
To navigate directly to the remittance group, benefit, or tax jurisdiction that generated this batch, choose the Show Reference action.
Process a payment
Processing uses the payment method stored on the batch to choose the payment processing mode, such as electronic payment or computer check. However, the actual payee, recipient bank account, and payment method details for each entry still come from the underlying source record.
To process a payment:
- Open the Payroll Payments list.
- Select the batch with status Open.
- Choose the Pay action.
- OnePayroll processes the payment by using the batch's payment method to determine the payment type.
Note
The Pay action is only enabled for batches with Open status.
Important
The Pay action works best when all entries in the batch have compatible underlying payout setup. In remittance-group batches, amounts can come from multiple jurisdictions or benefits that still resolve to different vendors and vendor payment methods. If those source-level settings are not aligned, the batch might not behave as a single unified payment. In those cases, use Report and settle the payment outside the system, then use Mark as paid.
Generate a report or filing
Use the Report action to produce a report or file for this payment batch. The output depends on whether the batch has a remittance group:
- With a remittance group — The output depends on the Filing Method configured on the remittance group. For the Default filing method, a summary report is produced. For localization-specific filing methods, the applicable country- or region-specific remittance file or form is generated.
- Without a remittance group — A payment summary report is produced, listing the payments collected for the batch within the batch's start and end dates.
To create a report:
- Open the payment batch (or select it in the list).
- Choose the Report action.
- Save or download the generated file.
Tip
The Report action is available regardless of payment status. You can generate the report before or after payment processing.
Mark as paid manually
If payment was made outside of OnePayroll—for example, by logging into the EFTPS website manually or writing a manual check—you can mark the batch as paid without processing a file.
To mark one or more batches as paid:
- In the Payroll Payments list, select the batch or batches to mark.
- Choose the Mark as paid action.
- Confirm the action.
- Status changes to Completed and the payment date is recorded.
Reopen a payment batch
If a payment batch was processed or marked as paid in error, you can reopen it.
To reopen a batch:
- Select the batch in the list (or open the card).
- Choose the Reopen action.
- Status returns to Open.
Payment batch period and amounts
The period covered by a payment batch depends on whether the source has a remittance group:
- With a remittance group — The period is calculated from the remittance group's payment cycle using the payroll payment date as the reference. Multiple payroll runs in the same cycle period accumulate into one batch.
- Without a remittance group — Each payroll run creates its own payment batch. The period matches the payroll run's period.
The Amount field on a payment batch is a calculated total of all associated payment entries. It updates automatically as new payroll runs are created.