The Ledger : Payroll

Itty Bitty Timesavers

Jennifer Maroney — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:57:00 GMT

Hey blog readers! I found a great post on The Book Bag that I wanted to share with you. If you've liked The Ledger time savers you must check out the Itty Bitty Timesavers post. It lists some great tips and tricks to save you a few seconds here and there. Remember, a few seconds saved on each task quickly adds up to extra hours and who can't use more hours in their day ?

Talk to you soon!

AP and PY End-of-Year Support Roundtables

Jennifer Maroney — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:01:00 GMT

It's been a year since you last created your W-2s and 1099s. Do you need a refresher or are you new to the process? If you have any questions about end-of-year for AP or PY, make sure you attend one of our end-of-year Support Roundtable sessions.

The Accounts Payable End-of-Year Support Roundtable will provide an overview of the end-of-year process, including running end-of-year reports, setting up vendors to track 1099 activity, creating 1099 forms, making 1099 adjustments, and a question-and-answer period at the end of each section. Here are the session dates:

Thursday, December 10 from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. ET
Wednesday, January 6 from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. ET

There are only 150 "seats" available for each session so don't delay, register today!

The Payroll End-of-Year Support Roundtable will provide an overview of the end-of-year process, including running end-of-year reports, creating W-2 forms through Aatrix, making W-2 adjustments, and a question-and-answer period at the end of each section. Here are the session dates:

Wednesday, December 9 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. ET
Friday, January 8 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. ET

There are only 65 "seats" available for each session so so don't delay, register today!

The Great and Powerful Wizard

Jennifer Maroney — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:23:00 GMT

Amounts? And Information? And Tax Forms. Oh my! Don't feel like the Scarecrow when it comes to correcting your 1099s and W-2s. Go see [speaking in a booming voice into a microphone] the great and powerful Wizard of 1099s and W-2s for help.

Our brand new 1099 and W-2 Wizards are easy-to-use interactive help pages to take you step-by-step through the process of correcting all information and box amounts on 1099 and W-2 forms. They even have examples and screen shots! It's almost like having a Support analyst right there in your office helping you make the correction.

To use the wizards, simply open the 1099 Wizard or W-2 Wizard, hover over the box to adjust, click, and follow the steps. It's that easy!

Have you used the 1099 or W-2 Wizard? Share your experiences and feedback by leaving a comment. Talk to you soon!

Payroll Post Notes: Update Compensation Types with Ease

Jennifer Maroney — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 12:00:00 GMT

Do you have employees receiving pay raises or do you need to update benefits and deductions? Don't go through the process of first changing the existing record to inactive and then adding a new record, trying to remember the options selected on the original record; do it all at once using the Change Compensation Wizard. This wizard allows you to copy and update an existing pay type, benefit, or deduction while replacing the existing record.

Before we continue, I should let you know exactly what happens when you use this handy dandy wizard. The existing compensation type will be expired on the date of your choosing and the new updated compensation type will be automatically added to the employee record. Nothing too complicated, but I wanted to let you know that both compensation records will remain on the record as a paper trail.

Here's how to use the Change Compensation Wizard:

In Records, Employees, open the employee record.
Select the Compensation/Deductions tab.
Click Change Compensation.
In the Change Compensation Wizard, select Copy Existing [compensation type].
In the ID field, click the binoculars and select a compensation type to copy.
Note: You must select a compensation type currently assigned to the employee.
Mark the Expire this [compensation type] checkbox and enter an effective end date.
Mark the Increase/Decrease [compensation type] using checkbox and enter an amount.
Note: To increase the [compensation type], enter a positive number. To decrease the benefit, enter a negative number.
Click OK.

The new compensation type will become effective the day after the existing compensation type expires.

Enjoy your extra time and talk to you soon!

Journal References Are Supposed to Mean Something?

Jennifer Maroney — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 12:11:00 GMT

Do you ever wonder what the transaction Reference column on the General Ledger Report or Post Report means? If you do, then this post is for you! The Reference, also known as journal reference, is created when you post from subsidiary ledgers (AP, AR, FA, CR, SB, and PY) or in detail from The Raiser's Edge. The journal reference defaults are defined in Configuration, can be customized for your organization's needs, and can even be defined for each transaction type.

Journal references are displayed on:

The transaction detail on an account record
The post report
The Journal Entry batch
All General Ledger reports where Reference is an available field

There are a few things to keep in mind when you set up your journal references. First, the total number of characters in a journal reference cannot exceed 50 characters. Secondly, changes to journal references are not retroactive, so the changes will only affect items that are not yet posted. Finally, when you create the references, make sure you include necessary details for an effective audit trail.

So let's get to the process...

For FE subsidiary ledgers, go to Configuration and click Posting Information. Then highlight the transaction type and select the appropriate field names and field lengths. Remember to define the journal reference for both the debit and credit side of transactions by marking the Debit or Credit option in the dark gray bar.

To define the journal reference in RE, go to Configuration, click General Ledger, and select the field names and lengths; you will see a sample of the journal reference at the bottom of the screen.

Don't see what you want? You can add custom fields to FE or RE by clicking Fields and entering the new name. Not sure how or why you would need a custom field? Try using them to emphasize specific transaction types such as INT- for Interfund entries and APPL- for Application entries.

For more information on customizing journal references or step-by-step instructions, take a look at the Posting Information section of the RE or subledger Configuration Guides.

Purging Records

Karen Badham — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 12:17:00 GMT

Have you ever wanted a record, or a group of records just gone? I mean completely gone. This is something you can do in The Financial Edge. We call it purging records.

Why would you want to purge records? There are a variety of reasons. You may need to purge records to make corrections, such as needing to reprint a check using the same check number. Purging records may also improve database performance. For example, if your vendor Activity tabs take a long time to load, it may be beneficial to purge old vendor activity. Purging records to help with performance issues should be a last resort after trying the steps in How to troubleshoot performance issues.

But wait! Before you continue, understand that purging records removes them permanently from the database and they can never be recovered. We always recommend creating a backup of your database before completing a purge process. This way if you need to review the purged information, you can use the back up.

Here are the records that can be purged in The Financial Edge:

Payroll Post Notes:Track Rehires' Length of Service

Jennifer Maroney — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 04:38:00 GMT

Do you have students that only work for you during the school year? Whatever the reason for rehiring the employee, make sure the rehire event is associated with a hire event. This allows you to accurately track the employee’s length of employment. Remember, in order to calculate payroll for an employee, the last event on their record must be associated with a hire event. Let's get to it.

The first thing you need to do is tell the system which hire event to look at when calculating tenure. In most cases this would be the most recent hire event, but you can select either the original hire event or the most recent. The tenure displays on the bottom of the employee record.

To set the tenure start date, go to Configuration, Business Rules. Then highlight Employee General and select Most recent hire date or Original hire date from the If an employee has more than one hire event, calculate tenure based on the employee's drop-down list.

Now that you have the system configured to calculate the tenure correctly, it's time to create the rehire event. If you already have the rehire event created, you can skip to the next paragraph. To create the hire event, go to Configuration, Tables. Then highlight Event ID and click New Table Entry. In the new screen that appears, enter the short and long description for the event, select Hire in the Associate with field, and click OK.

The final step is to add the rehire event to the employee record. On the HR Info tab of the Employee record, click New Event. In the Event ID field, select the rehire event ID and enter a scheduled and actual date. Save and close the employee record and you're done!

Talk to you soon.

An Easy Way to Open a Group of Records

Karen Badham — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 17:51:00 GMT

Have you ever had a situation where you need to edit a whole list of records? There are many ways you can do this, from editing each record individually, to global change, to import. But what if what you are trying to accomplish can't be done with global change or import and the task seems too daunting to hunt and peck for each record? Don't despair; there is a tool you can use. I call it Open Query as a List.

Create a query with the proper criteria that fits the list of records you want to edit. On the Results tab double click the top row to open the first record. Once the record is open, make the necessary edits and click Save and Continue. Then use the blue arrows at the top to scroll through each record in the query. This is much easier than searching for each record!

Take a look at the solution, How to scroll through records, for step-by-step instructions.

The Best Button Ever

Karen Badham — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 14:25:00 GMT

I am going to share with you one of my favorite tips for importing. It’s called the browse button. This button will give you examples of what the import will take for a particular field. On the Fields tab of the import parameter, highlight an import field line and then click the Browse button. It’s in white text on the dark gray bar towards the bottom right. A Browse box will pop up with examples of what can be imported for that field.

I hope this helps your import process!

To Void or Purge...That is the Question

Jennifer Maroney — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 14:33:00 GMT

It's inevitable, no matter how careful you are, at some point you'll have to correct a check. The question is should you void or purge. What's the difference? Well, voiding cancels the check, leaving it available to view in the bank register. Purging, on the other hand, removes the check from the system as if it was never entered. Now that you understand the differences, check out these guidelines to help you determine which course of action to take:

Void a check when:
- The physical check is ruined.
- The physical check is not ruined, but is incorrect and needs to be reprinted. For example, the check was written to the wrong vendor or for the wrong amount, or it was returned by the vendor to request a replacement check.
- You don't want to use the actual check, but you want to show the check as used in the check register. For example, if the check number is out of range and will not be used, or if your internal policies and procedures mandate it.
Do not void a check when:
- The address is incorrect or did not print. The check can still be used without a window envelope.
- The check is recorded as the wrong number in the register, but the check is not ruined. In this case, renumber the checks.
- Only the post date or post status is incorrect, and the check is unposted, change the post status or post date.
Purge a check when:
- The check is recorded in the register and you need to reuse the check number. For example, you printed the check to blank paper. In this instance you should void and purge the check.
- Only the post date is incorrect and the check is posted. Void and purge the check and enter it again with the correct post date.
- You need to remove the check number from the register.
Do not purge a check when:
- You want the check to show as used in the check register.
- Your internal policies and procedures forbid purging checks.

Talk to you soon!

Payroll Post Notes: Got Fringe Benefits?

Jennifer Maroney — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 12:47:00 GMT

Many organizations provide employees with a company car, discounts on airline tickets, or memberships to exclusive country clubs and other social groups. A number of these perks, called non-cash fringe benefits by the IRS, must be included in the employee's gross earnings. You can find information about what is considered a non-cash fringe benefit in the IRS Employer's Guide to Fringe Benefits (PDF) or by speaking to your accountant.

Now you know what a non-cash fringe benefit is, how do you include it in gross wages? The answer lies in the Benefit record. When creating the new benefit, select to create a new Non-Cash Compensation Benefit or select Non-Cash Compensation for the Benefit category. This type of record allows you to calculate the benefit for a single period or over several periods without impacting the amount of the employee's take home pay. Here's how to set it up:

In Configuration, Benefits, select File, New, New Non-Cash Benefit from the menu bar.
Enter a Benefit ID and Benefit Description.
Select Percent or Amount and define the percentage/amount to calculate the benefit.
Mark the Include amounts for this benefit in W-2 Box checkbox and select the box, if applicable.
Define the appropriate tax settings for federal, local, and state.
On the GL Distribution tab, enter both the debit and credit account.
Save and close the benefit record.
Add the Non-Cash Benefit to the employee record.

Talk to you soon!

Help for Error Headaches!

Jennifer Maroney — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 16:16:00 GMT

Are you getting an error and don't know what to do? I found this great post in The User's Edge blog that I wanted to share with you. Check out Sarah's Shortcuts: Lions, tigers, and errors, oh my!

Talk to you soon!

You’re Never Too Cool for School

Libby Weiskittel — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 12:27:00 GMT

Has a new process recently been added to your plate? Are you frustrated because it's easy to get stuck and you're not quite sure of the best way to accomplish this unfamiliar task? Instead, why not acquaint yourself with the new process by signing up for a distance learning class...

(Dreamy clouds forming)

Visualize yourself in your favorite locale, just logging in to meet a friendly informed instructor ready to guide you through a class tailored to meet your specific needs.

(Dreamy clouds softening)

~ 1 revealing class later ~

Voila! No more frustration. The process is now familiar.

Many of our distance learning classes focus on a single topic that isn't addressed in Blackbaud University or regional classes. For example, if you're used to working exclusively in General Ledger, but now you're trying to embrace Accounts Payable too, you can learn all about it in "Accounts Payable Essentials Online".

...Not to mention:

Save money! Taking advantage of this option saves you and your organization time and money - no travel is required!
Exceptional Instructors! Blackbaud's distance learning instructors specialize in online delivery.
Meet other people in your shoes! You will have the chance to interact with your instructor and other participants with Centra's live chat features.

Furthermore, you can purchase the Blackbaud Distance Learning Pass for The Financial Edge which provides your organization with unlimited attendance to distance learning classes as well as the eLearning Library.

To purchase your training pass and start learning today - from anywhere -contact your account manager at 800.443.9941 or at solutions@blackbaud.com.

Laters!

Improve Your Data's Quality and Consistency

Jennifer Maroney — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 15:30:00 GMT

A list of procedures and rules can improve your data's consistency and quality, and save you time and effort when entering data, preparing reports, and reconciling. I recommend compiling the procedures and rules to create a policies and procedures manual, also known as a data entry guide. The manual should specify how you enter and maintain records, and perform various functions related to your database. By documenting rules and guidelines, you can ensure consistent data entry. Here are some items to consider for your policies and procedures manual.

Soft close all periods except the current period and the next period. Closing previous periods prevents accidental posting to a closed and balanced period. By closing periods in the future, you prevent inadvertently posting transactions to periods that should not yet be affected.
Use journal codes correctly. Journal codes, also known as source codes, tell you the origin of a transaction. The codes specifically assigned to sub-ledgers should never be used in journal entries and vice versa. In GL Journal Entry, you can define which journal codes are allowed to prevent any errors. Check out BB58058 for the steps.
Create recurring journal entries for your regularly occurring journal entries. These templates allow you to define transactions and/or distributions to use over and over again.
Create distribution templates for commonly used distributions so all you have to do is select the template instead of manually typing in each account number, amount, project, or t-code. Using distribution templates not only prevent data entry errors but also save time, especially if you have detailed distributions.
Use business rules to promote accuracy and consistency. There are a variety of business rules that allow you to determine some things that should or should not be allowed in your database. Some examples include not posting zero dollar amounts, excluding inactive records from searches, allowing non-bank transactions to cash accounts, and automatically assigning record IDs. Each sub-ledger has its own business rules to set. Check out these solutions for some business rule tips: General Ledger | Accounts Receivable | Student Billing | Payroll
Configure security groups to restrict user rights. Carefully consider which users need what rights. For example, not all users should have access to voiding, deleting, or purging transactions. Depending on your organization's size and needs, you may be able to set up just one or two security groups or you may need to set up a separate security group for each user.

Talk to you soon!

Payroll Post Notes: Louisiana Tax Change

Jennifer Maroney — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:18:00 GMT

Beginning July 1, 2009, the tax calculation method for employees working in Louisiana will change. This tax change has been implemented in Payroll version 7.78, patch 9.

If you have employees subject to Louisiana state tax, complete your June payroll and then follow these steps before calculating payroll for July:

Download and install version 7.78 and patch 9.
Create a new state tax for Louisiana with an effective date of 07/01/09:
1. In Configuration, Taxes, select State taxes from the drop-down list and click New Tax.
2. In the Add new state tax setting for drop-down list, select Louisiana and click OK.
3. Change the effective date to 07/01/09.
4. Select State, Restore Defaults from the menu bar.
5. Select 2009 from the Restore the drop-down list and click OK.
6. Enter the remaining required information for each tax.
7. Click GL Distribution to enter withholding, liability, and expense accounts distributions.
8. Click Save and Close.
Change the withholding status of all employees with Zero withholding to either Single or Married withholding:
1. Create a query of records with a Withholding status of Zero.
2. On the Results tab, open the first record.
3. Change the Withholding status and click the single right arrow on the action bar to move to the next record.
Note: Although Louisiana no longer offers a Zero withholding status, we have left the status available so you can easily identify employees that need to be updated.

For more information about the Louisiana tax changes, refer to the Louisiana Department of Revenue website.