QuickBooks Payroll Updated Error PS038

A simplified step-by-step guide to fix QuickBooks Error PS038

Payroll has always been an essential part of business operations. Managing employees’ payroll and filing regular taxes is an easy task with QuickBooks Desktop Application with help of Intuit Payroll services. The best part of Intuit payroll services is that you do not have to face difficulties with calculating taxes and filing them on time.

QuickBooks Error Code PS038

There’s a possibility you may come across a few obstacles while running the payroll for an employee or managing the payroll data. QuickBooks gives you the error codes for any issues arising with improper functionality of the application. QuickBooks Error PS038 is one of the error codes you may notice while running the payroll, sending payroll usage data, or just updating the tax tables in QuickBooks.

What does PS038 mean in QuickBooks?

Payroll is all based on numbers and calculations. The correct amount for the paychecks and wages, number of hours, and accurate calculation of taxes lead to fair reporting of quarterly and annual tax forms.

At times there are issues with the payroll data or tax tables in QuickBooks. QuickBooks stops us to proceed with payroll in order to avoid the incorrect reporting of paychecks, wages, and taxes. This interruption is displayed with the error code PS038. Error code PS038 indicates that either the payroll usage data was not accurately sent to Intuit payroll servers. Or our tax tables are not updated.

 QuickBooks desktop payroll error ps038

QuickBooks Desktop software release update plays an important role while updating the payroll tax tables. We need to ensure that our QuickBooks is updated to the latest release in order to get successful payroll updates.

QuickBooks desktop is designed to operate with payroll functionality if you have an active subscription and you did the latest upgrade to the software. Using an obsolete version of QuickBooks software would not allow you to use the payroll services with the company file. You can still keep track of your employee record however it would not allow you to run the payroll and calculate or file the taxes.

The first thing to check is that you go online and do the payroll update. Look on the top menu bar and find the Employees tab somewhere in the middle. Navigate to Get Payroll updates and click the update now button.

Also, check the tax table number displayed on the update window.

More insights on QuickBooks payroll update error ps038

If you see the payroll error ps038 while running the payroll, there are chances that your last payroll was not successful and as a result, you are not able to proceed with the next payroll smoothly.

Do not ignore this error code as it may result in unfinished payroll leading to incomplete direct deposits.

Payroll Update Error PS038 determines that despite having an active subscription to Intuit Payroll services our payroll is not functioning well.

Note: Not every accounting applications comes with a user manual. Updates are necessary for software to enhance the productivity and Start Post is best place to follow these updates and stay connected.

How to fix ps038 in QuickBooks

Before performing any troubleshooting with the QuickBooks company file we need to make sure that we have created a local or online backup of the company file we are working on.

After the backup is successfully created, we need to verify the data integrity to check if there are any issues with the company file database.

Navigate to the menu bar on top and find the File tab. Go to Utilities then click verify data.

Data verification takes time depending on the size of your company file. If there is any issue with the database it shows the rebuild now button.

Try running the payroll updates once again after you have done rebuilding the data successfully with no errors.

Steps to send the payroll data to Intuit Servers

If you still have failed payroll update with the error code PS038 follow the below steps carefully:

  • Under the employee’s tab, go to the “My payroll service” tab.
  • Next, click on “send usage data” and resolve if you are able to send payroll data.
  • Once payroll data had sent then, try to get the payroll updates.

You might also need to check the stuck paychecks in sending usage data. Follow the below steps one by one to check and resend the stuck paychecks:

Steps below are required to clear “online Status” Stuck paychecks

  • Up from the menu bar select the “Edit” tab and then Find
  • Navigate to the advanced tab.
  • Now navigate to choose to filter section in order to show the stuck paychecks.
  • Under this section, you will have to select “Detail level” which is located at the “filter” list.
  • Now you will have to select ‘summary’.
  • Again, navigate to choose the filter section.
  • Now, select “online status” which is present in the filter list.
  • Now you have to select “online to send” from the drop-down.
  • You have to check those paychecks which are not successfully sent to the software. To do this, navigate to ‘find’.
  • Run verify data utility again to check if there’s any more stuck paycheck

Toggle the stuck paychecks in payroll data

We also might need to toggle the stuck paychecks if we do not get the solution with clearing the stuck paychecks or running verify and rebuild data.

  • Check for the oldest stuck paycheck and open it
  • Click on the paycheck detail button
  • You will see the Review Paycheck window, in Earnings, you need to add the exact same earnings item as the last earnings item in the list.
  • Click NO if you see the Net Pay Locked notification
  • Click YES if you see the Past transaction notification
  • Select Save and Close to close the paycheck
  • Open the same paycheck again and delete the amount you entered as earnings
  • Save and close the paycheck again

I also encourage you to run a QuickBooks repair to ensure that the software and your files are free from any potential damage. This would fix any common issue without making any changes to our company file data. Then, you can run a verify and rebuild to fix data issues. I’ll show you the step-by-step process.

These are the steps to repair QuickBooks:

  1. First, back up your company file.
  2. Restart your computer. This makes sure there are no programs that may affect the repair.
  3. Open the Windows Start menu, then select Control Panel.
  4. Click Programs and Feature or Programs. Then Uninstall a program.
  5. Choose QuickBooks from the list of Programs, then Uninstall/Change.
  6. Select Continue, or Next.
  7. Choose Repair, then Next.
  8. Once it’s done, select Finish.
  9. You may have to restart your computer to complete the repair.

Make sure that the QuickBooks Desktop Application is updated to the latest release. To update the QuickBooks, you need to go to the Help tab up on the menu bar and click Update QuickBooks Desktop.

In the update section notice that all the options should be selected such as critical fixes, maintenance releases, and so on. Post the successful update kindly do the payroll update again followed by the Send usage data.

Assuming that the above steps worked well and you were able to get rid of QuickBooks Payroll Error code PS038. You are still stuck and finding it complicated to deal with this error code or run out of time. You may speak with our customer-friendly support team at 1800-280-5969. Here, you get an assurance that the issue will be fixed in an efficient and timely manner.

ruthmazur
My name is Ruth, I am accounting professional providing accounting and fintech services to my clients. I have always been a technology enthusiast with skills and multiple certifications in accounting and finance. This combination of technology and finance makes me a better person to serve my clients with exceptional services with any leading accounting software including QuickBooks.