Typically the Payroll Center showing your Payroll Schedule as Red results when you entered the wrong dates in the payroll schedule set-up. (Note it can also result from paying employees using unscheduled payroll instead of the normal payroll schedule.)
We tend to see this a lot when someone is using semi-monthly payrolls and frequently has to pay on a date other than set in the payroll schedule in order to issue paychecks prior to the regular date. I get a lot of calls about this from my clients who use QuickBooks Payroll even though it is relatively simple; and because it may only occur on a rare occasion they tend to forget how easy it is to correct. I have even had calls from other ProAdvisors who simply have forgotten 'where' they have navigate to in order to reset the payroll schedule dates.
So here are the steps to this easily corrected (but often forgotten) fix:
1, Select Employees, and then click on Payroll Center.
2. Open the Edit Payroll Schedule window, according to your version of QuickBooks:
- In QuickBooks 2013 or prior, you must click Related Payroll Activities from the Payroll Center, and then select Add or Edit Payroll Schedules. From the Payroll Schedule list, double-click the payroll schedule showing in red.
- If you are using QuickBooks 2014, click the Pay Employees tab within the Payroll Center. Under Create Paychecks, select the Payroll Schedule in red you need to edit. Click the Payroll Schedule drop-down menu and then select Edit Schedule.
3. Based upon the version you are using, you should now be able correct the two date boxes at the bottom to the next pay period end date and check date.
4. Once you have adjusted these two dates, click OK.
Your Payroll Schedule should now be correct, and no longer be displayed in Red within the Payroll Center.