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# System prepended metadata

title: '2026 Fix: QuickBooks Time Showing Lunch as Paid—How to Correct Break Policies'

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<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When </span><strong>QuickBooks Time</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> or </span><strong>QuickBooks Payroll</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> suddenly begins counting unpaid lunch breaks as </span><strong>paid time</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">, it can throw off payroll totals, overtime calculations, job costing, and compliance requirements. Many teams face this issue after a settings change, new timesheet import, or system update.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">QuickBooks Time counting unpaid lunch as paid? Here&rsquo;s how to fix lunch deduction settings fast. Expert help: </span><strong>+1-866-409-5111</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If your employees take </span><strong>unpaid lunches</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">, but QuickBooks is logging those breaks as paid hours, don't worry &mdash; this is a very fixable issue. Below is a clear, step-by-step guide to correct your lunch settings and ensure your payroll stays accurate. And if you need live help, you can always call </span><strong>+1-866-409-5111</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Why QuickBooks Time May Be Counting Lunch Incorrectly</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Several things can cause </span><strong>unpaid lunch time to appear as paid</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> in QuickBooks Time:</span></p>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Incorrect break rules</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> set up in </span><a href="https://www.qbookshub.com/quickbooks-time-login/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">QuickBooks Time</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /><br /></span></a></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Manual timesheet entries</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> overriding automatic deductions</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /><br /></span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Automatic break deductions not enabled</strong><strong><br /><br /></strong></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">New workers added without assigned break policies</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /><br /></span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Sync issues</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> between QuickBooks Time &amp; QuickBooks Payroll</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /><br /></span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A recent </span><strong>QuickBooks update</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> that reset certain automation settings</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /><br /></span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If one of these occurred, your </span><strong>unpaid lunch breaks</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> may suddenly show up under total hours worked.</span></p>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">How to Fix QuickBooks Time Counting Lunch as Paid (Step-by-Step)</span></h2>
<h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">1. Check Break Rules in QuickBooks Time</span></h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Break rules determine whether employees are paid or unpaid during breaks.</span></p>
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Go to </span><strong>Feature Add-Ons</strong><strong><br /><br /></strong></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Select </span><strong>Time Options</strong><strong><br /><br /></strong></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Choose </span><strong>Breaks</strong><strong><br /><br /></strong></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Look for your default lunch break rule</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /><br /></span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Confirm that the break is marked as </span><strong>Unpaid</strong><strong><br /><br /></strong></li>
</ol>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">✔ If it says </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Paid</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, switch it to </span><strong>Unpaid</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p>
<h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">2. Verify Automatic Break Deductions</span></h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If employees forget to clock out for lunch, QuickBooks Time can automatically deduct break time &mdash; but only if the automation is enabled.</span></p>
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Go to </span><strong>Company Settings</strong><strong><br /><br /></strong></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Click </span><strong>Schedule &amp; Break Rules</strong><strong><br /><br /></strong></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Check </span><strong>Automatic Breaks</strong><strong><br /><br /></strong></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ensure </span><strong>Auto-Deduct Unpaid Breaks</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is ON</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /><br /></span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Select the correct duration (30 minutes, 45 minutes, etc.)</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /><br /></span></li>
</ol>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If this is turned OFF, QuickBooks will assume lunch is </span><strong>paid</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p>
<h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">3. Check Employee-Specific Settings</span></h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sometimes the issue occurs only for certain employees.</span></p>
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Go to </span><strong>Team Members</strong><strong><br /><br /></strong></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Select the employee</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /><br /></span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Check </span><strong>Assigned Policies</strong><strong><br /><br /></strong></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Make sure the correct </span><strong>Break Rule</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is assigned</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /><br /></span></li>
</ol>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If employees were added after you created your break rules, they may not have been automatically added to the unpaid lunch rule.</span></p>
<h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">4. Review Timesheets for Overrides</span></h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Employees or supervisors may manually override the break.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In </span><strong>Timesheets</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">:</span></p>
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Open the employee&rsquo;s day</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /><br /></span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Look for breaks logged as paid</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /><br /></span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Correct or remove paid breaks</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /><br /></span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Reapply unpaid break rule</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /><br /></span></li>
</ol>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This is common if people manually enter hours instead of clocking in/out.</span></p>
<h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">5. Sync QuickBooks Time With QuickBooks Payroll</span></h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sometimes the break rule is correct in QuickBooks Time but payroll still shows the wrong totals.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">To fix:</span></p>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Go to </span><strong>QuickBooks Time Integration Dashboard</strong><strong><br /><br /></strong></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Select </span><strong>Sync</strong><strong><br /><br /></strong></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Confirm that </span><strong>Hours Imported</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> match the adjusted timesheets</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /><br /></span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If sync errors appear repeatedly, it may be a configuration issue &mdash; professional support can help at </span><strong>+1-866-409-5111</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p>
<h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">Pro Tips to Avoid Lunch Errors in the Future</span></h3>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Use </span><strong>automatic unpaid lunch deductions</strong><strong><br /><br /></strong></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Require employees to </span><strong>clock out/in</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> for lunch</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /><br /></span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Review break rules after every </span><strong>QuickBooks update</strong><strong><br /><br /></strong></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Perform a weekly payroll audit for break discrepancies</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /><br /></span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Assign break rules to all new hire profiles</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /><br /></span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">These steps prevent major payroll miscalculations.</span></p>
<h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">FAQs</span></h3>
<h3><strong>1. Why is QuickBooks charging employees for unpaid lunch?</strong></h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Because the break rule is likely set to </span><strong>Paid</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> or the </span><strong>automatic deduction</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is disabled.</span></p>
<h3><strong>2. Can I apply unpaid lunch rules to all employees at once?</strong></h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Yes. Use </span><strong>Company-Wide Break Policies</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and assign them globally.</span></p>
<h3><strong>3. Why did lunch rules stop working after an update?</strong></h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Updates sometimes reset certain settings or disconnect sync rules.</span></p>
<h3><strong>4. Can QuickBooks Time automatically deduct 30 minutes of lunch?</strong></h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Yes &mdash; turn on </span><strong>Auto-Deduct Unpaid Breaks</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p>
<h3><strong>5. What if lunch deductions still don&rsquo;t work?</strong></h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">You may need account-level troubleshooting. Call </span><strong>+1-866-409-5111</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> for expert assistance.</span></p>