We are streamlining our processes and in-app messaging to ensure you can successfully onboard and run your payroll.
When you try to approve your payroll, you may sometimes receive an error message. This means there is something to be fixed before the payroll can be approved and processed.
Common error messages include:
Error: Approval Period Expired
Error: Cannot approve this payroll: Paydate not valid
Error: Payroll Pay Date is before Payroll Start Date
Error: Non empty payroll required
Error: Can not approve payroll: Employee net pay split deactivated
Error: Cannot run payroll: Check
Error: Cannot approve payroll: Company terminated error. Company Business is terminated
Error: Approval Period Expired
What this means
Error: Approval Period Expired means that the pay period you are trying to approve has a pay date that has already passed. A payroll cannot be approved with a pay date in the past, even if the employees were paid manually.
How to resolve this error
To resolve this error, select a pay date in the future. To change the pay date:
- In the left-side menu, click Payroll > Payroll Dashboard.
- On the payroll calendar, click the Pay date.
- In the drop-down calendar, select a pay date after today's date.
Error: Cannot approve this payroll: Paydate not valid
What this means
Error: Cannot approve this payroll: Paydate not valid means there is not enough time to pay employees by the pay date using direct deposit.
How to resolve this error
To resolve this error, select a pay date further in the future or turn off direct deposit for each employee and pay them outside of Wave.
To learn more about direct deposit timelines and how they affect your payroll, see Frequently asked questions about direct deposit.
Error: Already Approved
What this means
Error: Already Approved means that the date range you selected for the payroll already has an approved payroll in it. You cannot run more than one payroll per pay period.
How to resolve this error
To resolve this error, select the next available Payroll Start Date for your payroll frequency. Learn how to change or skip a payroll period.
Error: Payroll Pay Date is before Payroll Start Date
What this means
Error: Payroll Pay Date is before the Payroll Start Date means that the pay date you have selected for the payroll is before the payroll's start date. You cannot select a pay date that occurs before the pay period dates have passed.
How to resolve this error
To resolve this error, select a pay date further in the future. To change the pay date:
- In the left-side menu, click Payroll > Payroll Dashboard.
- On the payroll calendar, click the Pay date.
- In the drop-down calendar, select a pay date further in the future.
Error: Non empty payroll required
What this means
Error: Non empty payroll required means there is currently no employee or contractor payment on the payroll that you're trying to preview or approve.
How to resolve this error
To resolve this:
- Add at least one employee or contractor payment to the payroll.
- Ensure that your salaried employees are active for the selected pay period.
- Review the timesheet for hourly employees and ensure that hours are entered correctly for the selected pay period.
Error: Can not approve payroll: Employee net pay split deactivated
What this means
Error: Cannot approve payroll: Employee net pay split deactivated means that the bank account details for an employee are invalid.
How to resolve this error
To resolve this error, update your employee’s bank account details. To update an employee's bank details:
- On the left-side menu, select Payroll > Employees.
- Locate the employee you want to make changes for. If you do not see the employee under Active, check the On Leave and Dismissed tabs.
- Click the employee’s name.
- From the employee menu, select Bank details.
- Click the Edit button.
- Update the necessary fields.
- Click Save.
Onboarding Bar: Incomplete
What this means
Onboarding Bar: Incomplete means that you are missing information to complete your payroll setup in Wave. If the onboarding status bar at the top of the Payroll Setup page is incomplete, you cannot approve a payroll.
Common areas with missing information are:
- State tax details for the company
- State tax details for employees
- Authorization of tax forms
- Company funding account
- Review your payroll set up and complete each section in full. If a section is marked as Complete, review and save the information again.
How to resolve this error
To resolve this error, complete your payroll onboarding. For more information on payroll onboarding, see [US] Set up payroll in Wave.
Error: Cannot run payroll: Check
What this means
Error: Cannot run payroll: Check means that you are still in your 30-day payroll subscription trial period, and have selected a pay date after your trial period ends.
How to resolve this error
To resolve this error, select a pay date within the 30 days after you began your trial, or activate your paid payroll subscription. Learn how much Wave’s payroll subscription costs.
Error: Cannot approve payroll: Company terminated error. Company Business is terminated
What this means
Error: Cannot approve payroll: Company terminated error means Wave is having an issue recognizing your business.
How to resolve this error
To resolve this error, reach out to our Support Team. To reach them, open Mave, Wave’s automated chatbot, and request to speak with a Support Agent.