What happens to my Job Costing reports when I edit and reapprove time entries?

When you unapprove , edit the project tag, and reapprove a time entry in QuickBooks Online (QBO) Time, the system is designed to correct the associated job costing records immediately. * The original (incorrect) labor cost allocated to Project A is removed. * The correct labor cost is then instantly applied to Project B upon reapproval. This change flows directly to your QBO job costing reports, ensuring that the total project expenses and profitability metrics are accurate for client invoicing and internal analysis. This mechanism prevents billing errors and ensures that true costs are captured.

How can I fix the project tag if the time entry was already included in a run payroll?

If the incorrect time entry has already been processed and included in a run payroll, simply editing the entry in QBO Time will not correct the paycheck or the payroll history . The paid hours are locked. You must follow a two-step process: 1. Correct the Project Tag in QBO Time: Unapprove, edit the project, and reapprove the time entry as described in the main guide. This fixes the Job Costing . 2. Make a Manual Payroll Adjustment: You must then manually create a void, adjustment, or correction paycheck specifically to reallocate the labor cost from the incorrect project to the correct project within your QBO Payroll module. This ensures that both the payroll tax records and the job costing reports are balanced and accurate.

Which specific user roles can unapprove and edit previously approved time entries?

Not all users have the permission level to undo an approval. The ability to unapprove and edit approved time entries is typically restricted to the following roles within QBO Time: 1. Administrators (or account owners) 2. Managers (if they have the specific "Manage Timesheets" or equivalent permission enabled in their profile settings) Standard employees can only edit their own unapproved entries. This access restriction helps maintain data integrity and prevents unauthorized changes to time records linked to payroll.

I am trying to Bulk Edit, but the option is grayed out. Why is this happening?

The Bulk Edit feature in the Manage Timesheets view is highly restrictive and often grayed out due to specific system criteria. The entries you select must meet all of these conditions simultaneously for the option to become available: 1. Status: All selected entries must be Unapproved . 2. Employee: All entries must belong to the same employee . 3. Date/Week: All entries must fall within the same day or week (depending on your timesheet settings). 4. Permissions: You must have Admin or Manager permissions. If even one entry in your selection fails any of these conditions, you must use the slower, manual edit method.

Will editing the time entry notify the employee who submitted it?

Generally, no , editing a time entry via the Admin/Manager portal in QBO Time does not automatically send an email or in-app notification to the employee whose hours were changed. However, the change is permanently recorded in the Audit Log associated with that time entry. If an employee reviews their timesheet details, they will see the corrected project name, and the audit log will show the administrative user who made the modification, along with the date and time of the change. It is best practice to notify your team verbally or via internal message regarding policy updates or large-scale corrections.

Can I lock past time periods to prevent future accidental project tagging errors?

Yes, and this is a highly recommended practice for maintaining EEAT-compliant data integrity. You can lock time periods in the QBO Time settings to prevent any further time entry or editing after a set cut-off date. To implement this: 1. Navigate to Settings (or Time Tracking Settings ) in QBO Time. 2. Find the section for Time Entry Lock Date . 3. Set the lock date to immediately after your last payroll run or billing cycle closure (e.g., the last day of the month or pay period). This action prevents all users, including managers, from changing entries before the lock date, protecting the historical accuracy of your payroll and job costing data.

What are the best Pro Tips for preventing project tag errors going forward?

To minimize human error and eliminate the need for future complex corrections, implement these three preventative strategies: 1. Set Default Projects: For employees who spend most of their time on one project, set that project as their default project in their employee profile. 2. Use Kiosk/Mobile Confirmation: Train or set up mobile and kiosk settings to require a final project confirmation screen before a clock-in is successful. 3. Use Reminders and Geofencing: Utilize mobile app features like reminders to prompt clock-in/out and geofencing to automatically suggest the correct project when an employee arrives at a specific job site.

5 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩𝐬 𝐭𝐨 Reassign Employee Hours In QuickBooks Online Without Affecting Payroll

Hey, I’m Dennis Lee, and I’m running into a bit of a mess inside QuickBooks Online Time. A couple of my team members accidentally logged hours under the wrong project last week — and now I need to move those hours to the correct project before I run payroll and generate client reports.

The issue is, the hours themselves are valid — the employees were definitely working — but they just tagged the wrong job during clock-in. I’ve got one guy who logged 12 hours to a project that hasn’t even started yet, when in reality, he was working on something completely different that’s already billable. I can’t afford to have inaccurate project costs, and I don’t want to mess up our labor reports either.

I’ve been digging through the QuickBooks Time dashboard, but it’s not super clear whether I can bulk-edit time entries or if I have to go one-by-one. I’m also worried that changing entries after approval might mess with payroll history or synced data in QBO.

Has anyone else had to reassign employee hours to the correct project after they were submitted? What’s the safest way to do this without losing data or causing errors in invoices and job costing? I’d really appreciate any workflow tips or lessons learned this seems like something that should be simple, but I’m nervous about clicking the wrong options.

Hi Dennis Lee,

You’re not the only one running into this issue.

Many QuickBooks Time users accidentally tag hours to the wrong project, often due to mobile clock-in rushes, default project settings, or simple human error. While the hours themselves may be accurate, associating them with the wrong job can lead to bigger issues than you’d expect.

To correct employee time entries logged under the wrong project in QuickBooks Online Time, go to Timesheets, filter to find the incorrect entries, and unapprove them if needed. Use Bulk Edit in the Manage Timesheets view to update the project, or edit each entry manually if bulk editing isn’t available. Once done, reapprove the entries to sync them with payroll and update job costing and billing.

Incorrect project tags can distort payroll costs, throw off job costing, and result in inaccurate client billing. If these entries are already approved or synced to QuickBooks Online Payroll, fixing them without triggering payroll mismatches or reporting errors can feel tricky.

You’ve likely tried to fix it by manually editing time entries, but the process can feel unclear, especially when entries are already approved or linked to payroll.

Let’s walk through what causes this issue and how to safely reassign project hours, without compromising payroll accuracy or historical data.

Highlights (Key Facts & Solutions)

This section highlights the key facts and solutions for correcting project time entries in QuickBooks Online Time:

Core Solution: To correct misassigned project hours, Admins or Managers must first unapprove the time entries, edit the Project field to the correct job, and then reapprove the entries.
Permissions Required: Only Administrators or users with Manager-level access (with specific permissions) can unapprove and edit previously approved time entries.
Payroll Critical Warning: Editing time entries only affects Job Costing reports and future payroll calculations. If the hours have already been processed in a run payroll, a manual payroll adjustment is required in QBO Payroll to correct the labor cost on the actual paycheck.
Bulk Edit Limitations: The Bulk Edit feature is restrictive; it is only available for unapproved entries that share the same employee and the same day or week. Otherwise, entries must be edited individually.
Data Integrity: The correction process ensures that the labor costs are correctly reallocated, preventing inaccurate client billing and fixing distorted job costing reports.
Prevention Tips: Best practices include setting default projects for employees and using Time Entry Lock Dates to prevent retroactive changes after a payroll period closes, maintaining the integrity of historical data.

Can I Edit Approved or Synced Time Entries?

Yes, you can edit approved or synced time entries in QuickBooks Online Time, but it depends on timing and user permissions.

Here’s what you need to know:

Approved Time Entries

Admins and Managers can unapprove entries to make changes.
Once unapproved, the time entry becomes editable (project, hours, notes, etc.).
After editing, the entry must be reapproved to be included in payroll and reports.

Synced with QuickBooks Online Payroll

If time entries were already synced with QuickBooks Online:
- Edits will reflect in payroll only if made before running payroll.
- If payroll has already processed those hours, you’ll need to make manual payroll adjustments.

Note: Editing synced entries after payroll does not fix paychecks or job costing. Always verify totals before finalising.

Bulk Editing Limitations

Bulk edit is only available for unapproved time entries that share:
- The same employee
- Same day/week
- Same status
Approved or locked entries (due to pay period closure) cannot be bulk edited.

User Permissions Matter

Only Admins or users with Manager-level access can:
- Unapprove
- Edit approved entries
- See full audit logs

Steps to Reassign Hours to the Correct Project

This section outlines the steps to reassign hours, ensuring your time entries reflect the correct project work and preventing billing errors, payroll mismatches, and inaccurate job costing. Properly unapproving, editing, and reapproving entries keeps your data clean and synced across QuickBooks Time, Payroll, and reporting.

Step 1: Identify Incorrect Entries

Go to Time Entries > Timesheets
Filter by employee, project, or date range
Spot hours logged to the wrong project

Step 2: Unapprove Entries (If Needed)

Select the time entry and click Unapprove
Only Admins or Managers can do this

Step 3: Bulk Edit (If Applicable)

Use the Manage Timesheets view
Select multiple entries and choose Bulk Edit
Change the Project field and save

Note: Bulk edit only works if all selected entries share editable properties, like same employee or date range.

Step 4: Edit Entries Individually

If bulk edit isn’t available, open each entry
Update the Project field manually
Save the changes

Step 5: Reapprove Entries

Once all edits are made, reapprove entries for payroll sync
Confirm changes reflect in payroll preview and job costing reports

Pro Tips to Avoid This in the Future

Set default projects for repeat tasks
Train employees to confirm project selection before clocking in
Use reminders or mobile app restrictions to reduce human error
Review timesheets daily or weekly before approval

FAQs

What happens to my Job Costing reports when I edit and reapprove time entries?

When you unapprove, edit the project tag, and reapprove a time entry in QuickBooks Online (QBO) Time, the system is designed to correct the associated job costing records immediately.

* The original (incorrect) labor cost allocated to Project A is removed.
* The correct labor cost is then instantly applied to Project B upon reapproval.

This change flows directly to your QBO job costing reports, ensuring that the total project expenses and profitability metrics are accurate for client invoicing and internal analysis. This mechanism prevents billing errors and ensures that true costs are captured.
How can I fix the project tag if the time entry was already included in a run payroll?

If the incorrect time entry has already been processed and included in a run payroll, simply editing the entry in QBO Time will not correct the paycheck or the payroll history. The paid hours are locked.

You must follow a two-step process:

1. Correct the Project Tag in QBO Time: Unapprove, edit the project, and reapprove the time entry as described in the main guide. This fixes the Job Costing.
2. Make a Manual Payroll Adjustment: You must then manually create a void, adjustment, or correction paycheck specifically to reallocate the labor cost from the incorrect project to the correct project within your QBO Payroll module.

This ensures that both the payroll tax records and the job costing reports are balanced and accurate.
Which specific user roles can unapprove and edit previously approved time entries?

Not all users have the permission level to undo an approval. The ability to unapprove and edit approved time entries is typically restricted to the following roles within QBO Time:

1. Administrators (or account owners)
2. Managers (if they have the specific “Manage Timesheets” or equivalent permission enabled in their profile settings)

Standard employees can only edit their own unapproved entries. This access restriction helps maintain data integrity and prevents unauthorized changes to time records linked to payroll.
I am trying to Bulk Edit, but the option is grayed out. Why is this happening?

The Bulk Edit feature in the Manage Timesheets view is highly restrictive and often grayed out due to specific system criteria. The entries you select must meet all of these conditions simultaneously for the option to become available:

1. Status: All selected entries must be Unapproved.
2. Employee: All entries must belong to the same employee.
3. Date/Week: All entries must fall within the same day or week (depending on your timesheet settings).
4. Permissions: You must have Admin or Manager permissions.

If even one entry in your selection fails any of these conditions, you must use the slower, manual edit method.
Will editing the time entry notify the employee who submitted it?

Generally, no, editing a time entry via the Admin/Manager portal in QBO Time does not automatically send an email or in-app notification to the employee whose hours were changed.

However, the change is permanently recorded in the Audit Log associated with that time entry. If an employee reviews their timesheet details, they will see the corrected project name, and the audit log will show the administrative user who made the modification, along with the date and time of the change. It is best practice to notify your team verbally or via internal message regarding policy updates or large-scale corrections.
Can I lock past time periods to prevent future accidental project tagging errors?

Yes, and this is a highly recommended practice for maintaining EEAT-compliant data integrity. You can lock time periods in the QBO Time settings to prevent any further time entry or editing after a set cut-off date.

To implement this:

1. Navigate to Settings (or Time Tracking Settings) in QBO Time.
2. Find the section for Time Entry Lock Date.
3. Set the lock date to immediately after your last payroll run or billing cycle closure (e.g., the last day of the month or pay period).

This action prevents all users, including managers, from changing entries before the lock date, protecting the historical accuracy of your payroll and job costing data.
What are the best Pro Tips for preventing project tag errors going forward?

To minimize human error and eliminate the need for future complex corrections, implement these three preventative strategies:

1. Set Default Projects: For employees who spend most of their time on one project, set that project as their default project in their employee profile.
2. Use Kiosk/Mobile Confirmation: Train or set up mobile and kiosk settings to require a final project confirmation screen before a clock-in is successful.
3. Use Reminders and Geofencing: Utilize mobile app features like reminders to prompt clock-in/out and geofencing to automatically suggest the correct project when an employee arrives at a specific job site.

Disclaimer: The information outlined above for “How to Reassign Employee Hours to the Right Project in QuickBooks Online Without Disrupting Payroll or Job Costing?” is applicable to all supported versions, including QuickBooks Desktop Pro, Premier, Accountant, and Enterprise. It is designed to work with operating systems such as Windows 7, 10, and 11, as well as macOS.

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