Running payroll and pay statements
Prepare a pay run, review calculated gross-to-net figures, approve and post the payroll journal, and produce pay statements — or import a run from your provider.
- Plans
- Payroll import and W-2 readiness: Core and above. Calculation preview: rolling out
- Availability
- Rolling out in prelaunch
- For
- Owners, Bookkeepers
- In KontoCore
Payroll → Run · Statement
Calculations cover 2026 federal and Ohio only and are pending independent CPA verification. Filing and payment rails: Provider connection required.
What this does
A pay run collects hours and earnings for a period, calculates withholdings and employer taxes for covered employees, and posts one balanced journal entry.
If you pay through a provider, import its run instead; KontoCore posts the same entry and tracks the liabilities.
Before you start
- Finish payroll setup and clear every coverage flag.
- Approve timesheets if hourly or job-costed labor is included.
How to
Calculate and post
- 1Payroll → Run → New run; choose schedule and pay date.
- 2Review hours and earnings per employee.
- 3Review calculated taxes and deductions — compare against your provider or accountant while CPA verification is pending.
- 4Approve, then Post.
- 5Open Statement to view or print pay statements.
Import instead
- 1Payroll → Run → Import; upload the provider’s payroll register.
- 2Map columns to pay items, review, and post.
Statuses and lifecycle
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Draft | Editable; nothing posted. |
| Approved | Locked for review; not yet posted. |
| Posted | Journal and liabilities recorded. |
| Reversed | Undone by a linked reversing entry. |
Corrections, voids, and reversals
- Posted records are never edited in place. Void or reverse them; KontoCore records a linked reversing entry with the user, time, and reason.
- Paychecks already paid through a provider must also be corrected with that provider.
Provider and availability notes
- Posting a run does not pay anyone. Direct deposit and tax deposits require a connected provider or your own payment process.
- Payroll calculations are produced by KontoCore’s computation engine for 2026 federal rules and Ohio state rules. Independent CPA verification of these calculations is still in progress, so review every result before relying on it.
Permissions
- Users with payroll permission prepare runs; posting can require approval on Advanced.
What happens in your books
Gross pay $2,000; employee withholdings $420; employer taxes $153:
| Account | Debit | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| Wages Expense | 2,000.00 | |
| Payroll Tax Expense | 153.00 | |
| Payroll Liabilities | 573.00 | |
| Net Pay Clearing | 1,580.00 |
Common mistakes
- Importing and also calculating the same period, doubling wages.
- Posting before reviewing calculations against a trusted source.
Troubleshooting
Run won’t calculate
An employee is not covered or missing W-4 data.
Related articles
Payroll in KontoCore: what it does todayHow payroll works in KontoCore: importing provider payroll, previewing calculations for 2026 federal and Ohio rules, and which filing and payment steps need a provider.Payroll setup: schedules, pay items, and coverageConfigure pay schedules, earnings and deduction items, employer tax settings, payroll accounts, and the jurisdiction coverage check before running payroll.Payroll liabilities and tax depositsTrack withheld and employer payroll taxes and deductions owed, record deposits and remittances, and reconcile payroll liability accounts to zero.Labor, time, and equipment costingCharge employee time and equipment usage to jobs and cost codes, with labor burden and equipment rates, so job cost includes more than vendor bills.
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Last reviewed October 6, 2026