QuickBooks Error 15240: payroll update won’t download.
Error 15240 is a 15000-series error Intuit says appears when updating QuickBooks Desktop or downloading the latest payroll tax table update. Intuit’s 15240 article names Internet Explorer security settings, firewall settings, and system date and time. Below: the causes Intuit names, Intuit’s seven-step fix in order, and why we don’t follow its instruction to turn on SSL 2.0 and 3.0.
Error 15240 is one of the 15000-series codes Intuit says appear when updating QuickBooks Desktop or downloading the latest payroll tax table update. Intuit’s dedicated 15240 article (Canadian and UK editions; the en-US help routes 15240 to its general 15000-series article, updated 8/5/2026) names misconfigured Internet Explorer security settings, firewall settings, or system date and time settings. Intuit’s steps: Run as Administrator, fix the date and time, set folder permissions, adjust Internet Explorer’s settings, and check the firewall. That article says to turn on SSL 2.0 and SSL 3.0; Microsoft has removed or disabled both on current Windows and enables TLS 1.2, so we keep TLS 1.2 on instead. 15240 shares Intuit’s 15000-series article with 15215, 15223, 15271 and 15276.
Published by TechBrot.
Error 15240, in five questions.
What is Error 15240?
A QuickBooks Desktop update error in the 15000-series: Intuit says these codes appear when updating QuickBooks Desktop or downloading the latest payroll tax table update. Intuit’s en-US article lists it with 15215, 15276 and others under one set of solutions.
What causes it?
Intuit’s dedicated 15240 article (Canadian and UK editions) names three: Internet Explorer security settings, firewall settings, and system date and time. Intuit’s en-US 15000-series article adds series-wide causes such as damaged Windows files, the File Copy Service disabled, and digital signatures that can’t be verified.
The IE settings surprise?
Intuit’s 15240 article says to mark Use SSL 2.0 and Use SSL 3.0 in Internet Options → Advanced. Microsoft’s own documentation (updated 2025-03-20) says SSL 2.0 was removed from Windows 10 version 1607 onward and SSL 3.0 is disabled by default on current Windows, while TLS 1.2 is enabled. We don’t recommend turning the old protocols on.
How to fix?
Intuit’s order: (1) Run QuickBooks as Administrator; (2) check the date and time; (3) give the Users group full control of the Intuit folders; (4) Internet Explorer settings (see our TLS note); (5) the firewall. Then the en-US 15000-series steps: Quick Fix my Program and Reset Update, the QBW32.exe certificate, the Install Diagnostic Tool, a clean install.
15240 vs PS038?
Different problems: 15240 is about downloading updates failing (tax tables, QuickBooks Desktop updates). PS038 is about transmitting paychecks failing. Different cause space, different fixes — though both are payroll-adjacent.
Error 15240, plainly.
Error 15240 is one of the 15000-series codes that Intuit says appear when trying to update QuickBooks Desktop or download the latest payroll tax table update. Intuit’s en-US help covers it in its general 15000-series article (updated 8/5/2026); Intuit’s dedicated 15240 article is published in its Canadian and UK editions, and it attributes the error to misconfigured Internet Explorer security settings, firewall settings, or system date and time settings. If the blocked download is a tax table update, Intuit notes you need an active QuickBooks Desktop Payroll subscription to update the tax table at all.
Intuit’s steps are set out below in Intuit’s order, with one correction: Intuit’s 15240 article tells you to turn on SSL 2.0 and SSL 3.0 in Internet Explorer’s settings, and Microsoft has removed or disabled both protocols on current Windows. We explain what to do instead in step 4. If Intuit’s steps don’t clear the error, contact Intuit support or a ProAdvisor — a focused diagnostic is from $1,200 — a fixed fee, set after scoping. The license error Error 3371 is a different problem with its own page.
Error 15240: the fix, in order.
The causes Intuit names for error 15240, the self-fix in order, and the signals that it needs a ProAdvisor — set out in full below.
Book the discovery callAll QuickBooks error codesQuickBooks Payroll services
The full explanation, step by step — the causes, the self-fix in order, and when to call.
Error 15240, in five questions
How do you fix QuickBooks error 15240? Intuit says this 15000-series error appears when QuickBooks Desktop can’t finish an update or a payroll tax table download. Intuit’s 15240 article gives five steps, in order: run QuickBooks as administrator, check the date and time, set folder permissions, check Internet Explorer’s settings, then the firewall. Keep TLS 1.2 on. If the steps fail, contact Intuit support or a ProAdvisor.
What is QuickBooks Error 15240?
QuickBooks error 15240 is one of the 15000-series codes Intuit says appear when you update QuickBooks Desktop or download the latest payroll tax table. It occurs in Desktop, Premier and Enterprise. To download a tax table at all, Intuit says you need an active QuickBooks Desktop Payroll subscription, so a subscription, login or billing problem goes to Intuit. TechBrot is independent, not Intuit and not Intuit’s support.
What causes QuickBooks Error 15240?
What causes QuickBooks error 15240? Intuit’s dedicated 15240 article, published in its Canadian and UK editions, attributes it to three settings: Internet Explorer security settings, firewall settings, and the system date and time. Intuit doesn’t rank them. Each one is a setting on the computer, not a problem inside your books, and Intuit’s steps check all three before any reinstall.
Causes Intuit gives for the whole 15000 series
Causes Intuit gives for the whole 15000 series come from its U.S. article, which covers 15240. It lists the Shared Download drive not mapped correctly, a missing file or component for payroll updates, damaged Windows files, the QuickBooks File Copy Service disabled, and QuickBooks being unable to verify digital signatures. Intuit doesn’t tie any one of these to 15240.
How to fix Error 15240 yourself
How to fix error 15240 yourself starts where both Intuit articles start: run QuickBooks as administrator. Close QuickBooks completely, right-click the QuickBooks Desktop icon, and choose Run as Administrator. Then retry the update. For a payroll tax table, Intuit’s route is the Employees menu, then Get Payroll Updates, then Download Entire Update, then Update.
Verify system date and time are correct
Step two is to verify the system date and time are correct. Intuit’s 15240 article says to select the time display in the Windows taskbar, choose Change date and time settings, set the correct date and time, then apply. Retry the update before moving on, and keep to Intuit’s order rather than jumping ahead to a reinstall.
Set Windows permissions on the Intuit folders
Step three sets Windows permissions on the Intuit folders. Close QuickBooks. In Program Files, open the Intuit folder’s properties, then Security, then Advanced. Make the Windows Users group the owner, give it full control, apply, and retry. Intuit says to repeat this for the Intuit folders under Common Files, ProgramData, and your user profile’s AppData Local folder.
Verify Internet Explorer SSL/TLS settings
Step four is Internet Explorer’s settings. Intuit’s 15240 article, as we read it in September 2026, says to open Internet Options, then Advanced, and mark Use SSL 2.0 and Use SSL 3.0. We don’t recommend that. Microsoft’s documentation says SSL 2.0 has been removed from current Windows, and SSL 3.0 is disabled by default on Windows 10 and Windows 11, while TLS 1.2 is enabled. Keep Use TLS 1.2 checked.
Check your firewall, then your antivirus
Step five is your firewall, then your antivirus. If you use a third-party firewall, Intuit says to ask its developer how to adjust it, and to allow the QuickBooks program file and the QuickBooks update file through. Intuit’s firewall article adds that if the firewall is set up and problems continue, check your antivirus settings. If the error remains, contact Intuit support or a ProAdvisor rather than turning old protocols on.
If error persists, run Tool Hub’s Quick Fix My Program
If the error persists, run Tool Hub’s Quick Fix my Program. From Intuit’s U.S. 15000-series article: open the QuickBooks Tool Hub, choose Program Problems, then Quick Fix my Program, and retry. If it still fails, delete the Components folder in the QuickBooks ProgramData folder, then reset the update under Help, Update QuickBooks Desktop. Past that, Intuit lists a digital-signature certificate, its Install Diagnostic Tool, and a clean install.
If you’re seeing other 15000-series errors
If you’re seeing other 15000-series errors, Intuit’s U.S. article lists 15240 with 15215, 15223, 15276 and others, under one set of causes and solutions. It doesn’t describe a different mechanism for 15215 or 15276. Error 15223 also has its own Intuit article, which keeps TLS 1.2 checked. Error PS038 is a different problem, paychecks failing to send, and error 3371 is a license error with its own page.
Four signals it’s a ProAdvisor call
Four signals it’s a ProAdvisor call. Intuit’s steps didn’t resolve it, even after Tool Hub and the Install Diagnostic Tool. Error 15240 shows up alongside other 15000-series errors in the same week. A payroll or quarterly tax-filing deadline is close and the tax table still won’t install. Or you’d rather not change Windows folder permissions, firewall rules or Internet Explorer’s security options yourself.
Component-level repair, without the guesswork
Component-level repair, without the guesswork, means knowing what to change and what to leave alone, including not re-enabling protocols Microsoft has retired. A focused diagnostic is from twelve hundred dollars, a fixed fee set after scoping. This reference is reviewed by a Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor. Seeing H202 or H505 instead? That has its own video. TechBrot is an independent bookkeeping and advisory firm, not affiliated with Intuit. Send this to whoever runs payroll, and subscribe.
The causes Intuit names.
From Intuit’s 15240 article (Canadian edition, shown as updated 11 months ago when read 2026-09-26; the en-US edition returns 404) and Intuit’s en-US 15000-series article (updated 8/5/2026). Intuit doesn’t rank them.
Cause 01 · Internet Explorer security settings
Intuit’s dedicated 15240 article names misconfigured Internet Explorer security settings first. Its instruction for them is the SSL 2.0 / SSL 3.0 step we correct below (fix step 4). Intuit’s en-US 15000-series article does not mention Internet Explorer at all.
Cause 02 · Firewall settings
Both Intuit articles name the firewall: the 15240 article says to consult your third-party firewall’s developer and allow qbw32.exe and qbupdate.exe, and the en-US 15000-series article lists a firewall setting that may block payroll updates. Intuit’s firewall article adds: if the firewall is configured and you still have issues, check your antivirus settings.
Cause 03 · System date and time
Intuit’s 15240 article names system date and time settings, and its second step is to set the correct date and time in Windows.
Also listed · Causes Intuit gives for the whole 15000 series
Intuit’s en-US 15000-series article, which covers 15240, lists: the Shared Download drive not mapped correctly; a missing file or component for payroll updates; damaged Windows files; the QuickBooks File Copy Service (FCS) disabled; and QuickBooks being unable to verify digital signatures. Intuit doesn’t rank any of these or tie one to 15240.
How to fix Error 15240 yourself.
Steps 1–5 follow Intuit’s 15240 article in Intuit’s order, with our correction at step 4; steps 6–7 are Intuit’s en-US 15000-series steps. If they don’t resolve it, stop and contact Intuit support or book a diagnostic.
Run QuickBooks as Administrator
Close QuickBooks completely. Right-click the QuickBooks Desktop icon → Run as Administrator. Both Intuit articles start here. Retry the update; for a payroll tax table, Employees → Get Payroll Updates → Download Entire Update → Update.
Verify system date and time are correct
Intuit’s 15240 article: select the time display in the Windows taskbar, choose Change date and time settings, set the correct date and time, then Apply and OK. Retry the update.
Set Windows permissions on the Intuit folders
Intuit’s third step: close QuickBooks; in Program Files (or Program Files (x86)), right-click the Intuit folder → Properties → Security → Advanced; make the Users group the owner; give Users Full control; apply and retry. Intuit says to repeat this for the Intuit folders under Common Files, ProgramData, and your user profile’s AppData Local folder.
Verify Internet Explorer SSL/TLS settings
Intuit’s 15240 article (Canadian edition, shown as updated 11 months ago when we read it on 2026-09-26) says to open Internet Options → Advanced and, under Security, mark Use SSL 2.0 and Use SSL 3.0. We don’t recommend that. Microsoft’s “Protocols in TLS/SSL (Schannel SSP)” page (updated 2025-03-20) says SSL 2.0 has been removed and is no longer supported from Windows 10 version 1607 onward, and SSL 3.0 is disabled by default on current Windows 10 and Windows 11; TLS 1.2 is enabled by default. Leave Use TLS 1.2 checked and the SSL boxes as Windows set them — Intuit’s own 15223 article likewise has you keep TLS 1.2 checked. If the error remains, contact Intuit support or a ProAdvisor rather than turning the old protocols on.
Check your firewall, then your antivirus
Intuit’s fifth step: if you use a third-party firewall, consult its developer for how to adjust it, and allow qbw32.exe and qbupdate.exe. Intuit’s firewall article adds that if the firewall is configured and you still have issues, you should check your antivirus settings.
If error persists, run Tool Hub’s Quick Fix My Program
From Intuit’s en-US 15000-series article: install and open the QuickBooks Tool Hub, select Program Problems → Quick Fix my Program, reopen QuickBooks and retry. If it still fails, delete the Components folder in QuickBooks’ folder under ProgramData, then go to Help → Update QuickBooks Desktop → Update Now, select Reset Update, and Get Updates.
If error persists, escalate
Intuit’s remaining 15000-series steps are to install the Intuit digital-signature certificate on QBW32.exe (Properties → Digital Signature → Details → View Certificate → Install Certificate, then restart), run the QuickBooks Install Diagnostic Tool, and, last, do a clean install. If 15240 survives those, stop: contact Intuit support (Help → QuickBooks Desktop Help/Contact Us) or book a QuickBooks ProAdvisor diagnostic against a written scope.
Where the Error 15240 steps come from.
The causes and steps above follow Intuit’s own support articles and, for the Windows security settings, Microsoft’s own documentation, linked below so you can check them at the source. Where this page and Intuit’s articles ever differ, follow Intuit.
- Fix error 15XXX when updating QuickBooks Desktop or QuickBooks Desktop Payroll — Intuit QuickBooks support
- Error 15240 — Intuit QuickBooks support (Canadian edition)
- Protocols in TLS/SSL (Schannel SSP) — Microsoft Learn
- Get the latest tax table update in QuickBooks Desktop Payroll — Intuit QuickBooks support
- Set up firewall and security settings for QuickBooks Desktop — Intuit QuickBooks support
- Get help with QuickBooks products and services — Intuit QuickBooks support
If you’re seeing other 15000-series errors.
Intuit’s en-US 15000-series article lists 15240 with these codes and gives them one set of causes and solutions — so steps 1, 6 and 7 above apply to them too.
Error 15215
Listed in Intuit’s en-US 15000-series article alongside 15240, with the same causes and the same solutions. Intuit doesn’t describe a different mechanism for 15215 in that article.
Error 15223
Also in Intuit’s 15000-series article — and it has its own Intuit article, whose first step keeps TLS 1.1 and TLS 1.2 checked in Internet Explorer’s settings. See our 15223 page.
Error 15276
Listed in Intuit’s en-US 15000-series article alongside 15240, with the same causes and the same solutions. Intuit doesn’t describe a different mechanism for 15276 in that article.
Four signals it’s a ProAdvisor call.
Signal 01 · Standard sequence didn’t resolve it
You ran QuickBooks as Administrator, checked the date and time, set the folder permissions, checked the firewall and antivirus, ran Quick Fix my Program and Reset Update, installed the certificate and ran the Install Diagnostic Tool — and 15240 persists. The cause is past surface configuration; a deeper diagnostic is appropriate.
Signal 02 · Multiple 15000-series errors at once
15240 alongside 15215, 15276 or another 15000-series code in the same week means the update problem is showing up more than once — worth diagnosing once for the common cause rather than chasing each code separately.
Signal 03 · Payroll deadline pressure
Less urgent than PS038 (paycheck transmission), but still real. If quarterly tax-filing deadlines or year-end payroll work are approaching and updated tax tables can’t be installed, the timing case for escalation strengthens.
Signal 04 · You don’t want to change Windows security settings yourself
Intuit’s 15240 steps change folder ownership and permissions, firewall rules and Internet Explorer’s security options — and one of them, enabling SSL 2.0 and 3.0, conflicts with Microsoft’s current defaults. If you’d rather not change those yourself, a ProAdvisor works through them with you.
When Error 15240 is no longer a software problem.
Error 15240 stops a payroll update from downloading. After it clears, what remains is the payroll that was processed — or not — while the update was stuck.
- Paychecks were created without the current tax table and have not been checked.
- Payroll was processed outside QuickBooks and never recorded inside it.
- Liability balances and payments to the agencies no longer agree.
Start with the free QuickBooks file review — a limited review that identifies likely issues and the information needed for a written scope, with the findings in plain English. If the findings show that the books themselves need work, that is QuickBooks cleanup, quoted as a fixed fee against a written scope before any work starts.
Self-fix didn’t clear 15240?
A QuickBooks ProAdvisor diagnoses the deeper cause — a focused diagnostic is from $1,200 — a fixed fee, set after scoping.
Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor credentials.
2
Intuit certifications held — QuickBooks Online (Level 2) and Payroll; Desktop and Enterprise files worked in
L2
QuickBooks Online ProAdvisor tier
Yearly
Annual Intuit re-certification
- 15240 sits at the intersection of QuickBooks, Windows security and permissions, TLS, and firewall configuration — diagnosing recurring cases takes fluency in all four.
- The firm is led by TechBrot’s founder who holds active QuickBooks Online (Level 2) and Payroll certifications, and TechBrot works in Desktop and Enterprise files; Intuit’s public ProAdvisor directory lists active ProAdvisors for verification.
- Hands-on update-troubleshooting experience to diagnose 15240 past the documented surface steps — not a script-reading queue.
Component-level repair, without the guesswork.
When 15240 persists past Intuit’s steps, the problem is past surface configuration — for example Windows permissions that don’t hold, security software that keeps blocking the update, or QuickBooks installation damage the Install Diagnostic Tool didn’t repair. Fixing it means knowing exactly what to change and what to leave alone — including not re-enabling protocols Microsoft has retired. A QuickBooks ProAdvisor works through it and applies a fix that holds.
A focused diagnostic is from $1,200 — a fixed fee, set after scoping. Written scope. If recurring update failures point to a broader pattern, ongoing QuickBooks Payroll support is the right conversation.
Payroll
ProAdvisor — plus QuickBooks Online Level 2
Diagnostic
30-minute call, scheduled after you reach out
What people ask about Error 15240.
Is this official QuickBooks support?
What is QuickBooks Error 15240?
What causes QuickBooks Error 15240?
How do I fix QuickBooks Error 15240?
Why does Intuit’s 15240 article mention Internet Explorer settings?
What’s the difference between Error 15240 and Error 15215?
When does Error 15240 require a ProAdvisor?
Standard fix didn’t work?
Standard fix didn’t work? Get the deeper diagnostic.
If you’ve worked through Run as Administrator, the date and time, folder permissions, the firewall, Quick Fix my Program and Reset Update — and 15240 persists — the cause is past surface configuration. A 30-minute call with a QuickBooks ProAdvisor scopes it — a focused diagnostic is from $1,200 — a fixed fee, set after scoping.