Problem Overview
QuickBooks Error PS033 occurs when the payroll tax table files become corrupted or damaged, preventing QuickBooks from processing payroll calculations correctly. This error can lead to incorrect tax calculations, failed payroll runs, and compliance issues.
Common Symptoms
- Payroll calculations are incorrect
- "Damaged payroll tax table" error message
- Cannot process payroll runs
- Tax amounts don't match expected values
- Payroll update failures
Common Causes
- Corrupted tax table files
- Incomplete payroll updates
- Company file damage
- Network connectivity issues during updates
- Antivirus interference
Quick Resolution
- Update payroll tax tables
- Use QuickBooks Tool Hub
- Verify company file integrity
- Reinstall payroll tax tables
- Contact QuickBooks Payroll Support
Step-by-Step Solution
Download and install the latest payroll tax tables from Intuit.
- Open QuickBooks and go to Employees menu
- Select Get Payroll Updates
- Choose Download Entire Payroll Update
- Follow the prompts to complete the download and installation
- Restart QuickBooks after the update completes
- Verify payroll calculations work correctly
Note: Ensure you have an active payroll subscription and stable internet connection before attempting the update.
Use the dedicated payroll tool in QuickBooks Tool Hub to fix tax table issues.
- Download and install QuickBooks Tool Hub from Intuit's website
- Run the Tool Hub as Administrator
- Go to the Payroll Issues tab
- Click Clear Payroll Tax Table Cache
- Run Payroll Update Error Reset Tool
- Restart QuickBooks and attempt payroll update again
Important: Always backup your company file before using payroll repair tools to prevent data loss.
Manually remove and reinstall payroll tax tables to fix corruption issues.
- Close QuickBooks completely
- Navigate to the payroll tax table folder:
C:\ProgramData\Intuit\QuickBooks\Components\Payroll
or
C:\Users\[Username]\AppData\Local\Intuit\QuickBooks\Payroll
- Rename the Tax folder to Tax.old
- Restart QuickBooks and go to Employees > Get Payroll Updates
- Download the entire payroll update to recreate tax tables
- Test payroll calculations
Success Tip: Renaming the tax folder forces QuickBooks to download fresh tax table files, often resolving corruption issues.
Check company file integrity and rebuild data to fix underlying issues.
- Create a backup of your company file
- Go to File > Utilities > Verify Data
- If errors are found, run Rebuild Data
- Follow the prompts to complete the rebuild process
- Update payroll tax tables after successful rebuild
- Test payroll functionality
Warning: Always create a backup before rebuilding data. The rebuild process can take significant time for large company files.
Configure security software to allow QuickBooks payroll updates.
- Temporarily disable your antivirus software
- Attempt to update payroll tax tables
- If successful, add QuickBooks to your antivirus exception list
- Ensure the following folders are excluded from scanning:
C:\ProgramData\Intuit\
C:\Program Files (x86)\Intuit\
C:\Users\[Username]\AppData\Local\Intuit\
- Re-enable antivirus after configuring exceptions
Note: Many antivirus programs mistakenly flag payroll updates as suspicious due to their file modification behavior.
Payroll Tax Table Management Guide
Data Management
Verify company file integrity, rebuild data, manage payroll data, and maintain clean financial records.
Update Management
Manage payroll updates, troubleshoot update failures, maintain current tax tables, and handle update errors.
Security Configuration
Configure antivirus exceptions, firewall rules, and security settings for payroll functionality.
Repair Tools
Use QuickBooks Tool Hub, manual repair methods, and diagnostic tools to fix payroll issues.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should payroll tax tables be updated?
Payroll tax tables should be updated at least once per quarter, but ideally every time you process payroll. Intuit releases updates whenever tax laws change, which can happen at any time during the year. For compliance and accuracy, always update your tax tables before processing payroll, especially at the beginning of a new calendar year or when there are known tax law changes.
Can I process payroll with Error PS033?
It is not recommended to process payroll while experiencing Error PS033. Damaged tax tables can lead to incorrect tax calculations, which may result in underpayment or overpayment of taxes, penalties from tax agencies, and incorrect employee paychecks. Always resolve tax table issues before processing payroll to ensure accuracy and compliance.
What causes payroll tax tables to become damaged?
Payroll tax tables can become damaged due to incomplete updates, network interruptions during downloads, antivirus software interference, company file corruption, disk errors, or software conflicts. Power outages during updates are a common cause. Using the "Download Entire Payroll Update" option instead of incremental updates can help prevent corruption.
What if Error PS033 persists after trying all solutions?
If Error PS033 continues after trying all standard solutions, contact QuickBooks Payroll Support immediately. They can check your payroll subscription status, verify tax table integrity on their servers, and provide specialized tools for severe corruption cases. You may need to create a new company file and import your data, or in extreme cases, Intuit may need to reset your payroll data on their servers.