Appendix A - General Information

The following information is covered in this chapter:

• Preview Report Menu commands
• Report Queue dialogues
• Changing a payroll deduction type
• Form W2 Setup dialogue
• Print Queue dialogues
• File Menu commands
• Setting Up Vendors

Preview Report Menu commands

In the Preview Report dialogue you may need to access commands from the File Menu, the general term used for the bar with the familiar Apple icon and the basic commands such as File, Edit, Help, which that runs across the top on the computer screen. Almost every application you run on your Macintosh has a File menu.

In your payroll application, the commands available in any File menu generally depend on what mode of the application you are running, for example, Company tab window, Process Payroll tab window, or in this case, the Reports tab window from which you launch your Year End reports by clicking the Preview Report button. This section of the appendix discusses the File menu commands found in the Preview Report mode.

File menu items will be available depending on the type of report you are processing. If a menu item or command is grayed out, it is not appropriate to your report type.

The Report menu

When processing W2s, W3s, and 1099s from the Preview Report window, the File menu bar will display a menu item called Report.

A brief description of each command in the Report menu follows.

Next/Previous

As you click on the Next or Previous buttons, a new W2 or 1099 will appear on your screen displaying the Next or Previous name on your Employee List. This feature allows you to select the specific employees whose W2s and 1099s you want to add to the report queues.

Get Value

The payroll program automatically inserts payroll data onto your W2 and 1099 forms. However, depending on your payroll situation, you may want to modify your W2 or 1099 forms by adding specific payroll data onto them. Use the Get Value command to assign specific payroll data to specific fields on your W2 or 1099 forms. Instructions for this command are at the end of the Report command descriptions.

Add to Queue

Use this command (pronounced "Q") to add the currently displayed W2 or 1099 form to the W2 Queue or 1099 Queue. This allows you to process all or just a portion of your W2s and 1099s and then print them as a batch when you are ready. This feature is designed so that you can quit the program at anytime and all the W2s or 1099s that you have added to the queue will be saved. You can then return at a later time to print them.

View/Print Queue

This option takes you to the W2 Queue and 1099 Queue. The View/Print Queue command is grayed out (not available) if no employee W2s or 1099s have been added to the Queue.

Import to Queue

This feature is available when processing 1099s. Use this command to import a file that contains your 1099 information. When you select the Import to Queue command, a Getfile dialogue appears allowing you to open the file to import.

Exit Report

Selecting this command closes the active window and returns you to the Reports tab window.

Using the Get Value command

This command is normally grayed out on the Report menu unless your cursor is in one of the fields for which a value can be inserted.

Using the Get Value command

1. In the selected W2 or 1099 form, place the cursor into the field in which you want to insert specific payroll data.
2. Select Report > Get Value.

In the dialogue that opens, all the payroll items available for that employee are listed. Select the payroll item you want entered into the W2 or 1099 field.

3. Select one of the following:

Add to field

The amount from the employee file is added to the amount that is currently in the W2 or 1099 field.

Overwrite field

The amount from the employee file replaces / overwrites the amount currently in the W2 or 1099 field.

Append to field (Boxes 13 & 14 only).

Use this checkbox only for editing the amount in Box 13 or Box 14. When selecting this option, the program adds the selected payroll item amount to the amount already entered in Box 13 or 14.

4. Select Remember (Optional).

Select this feature if you want to insert the amount of the selected payroll item into all subsequent employee forms.

5. Click the Get It button.

The program searches the employee's file, extracts the amount of the payroll item selected, and inserts that amount into the specified field on the W2 or 1099 form.

Amounts will only be available if there are pay history records existing for the selected employee.

File menu commands

This information only applies to users of versions prior to version 15 of the payroll application.

Reports 940, 940EZ, 943, and 945 use commands from the File menu of the Preview Report mode. The commands available for these reports are discussed below.

Print Options

Page Setup

When you select the Page Setup command, the standard Page Setup dialogue box appears allowing you to choose paper size, orientation, and scale.

Print Report

Use this command to print the report that is currently displayed on the screen.

Auto-Calculation

By default, the fields on government forms are calculated automatically. Any time you change a number (amount) on the form, all fields that are affected by that change are automatically recalculated including the ending balances.

Changing a payroll deduction type

You may need to change a payroll item deduction type to get data to display in the proper boxes for Form W2. This topic was discussed in Step 1 - Before processing W2s . If applicable, follow the instructions below.

Changing a deduction type

1. In the Payroll Items tab window, click on the Employee List Settings link at the top of the Employee List.

This setting is generally highlighted by default, but clicking on it again ensures your settings will apply to the entire employee list.

2. In the center portion of the Payroll Items tab window, double-click the deduction you need to edit.

Payroll Item deductions are displayed in red text.

3. In the Edit Deduction dialogue, change the deduction type to either State Income Tax or Local Income Tax and click the OK button
4. In the Update Payroll Item dialogue that appears, click the OK button to make the changes and apply them to the entire employee list.

If you selected the Employee List Settings before updating the payroll item deduction as outlined in Step One of these instructions, the popup Employee List Selector and checkbox for New Employee Settings will be grayed out in this dialogue. This is correct and not a cause for concern, as you are already applying changes to the default Master List.

A reminder to return your payroll item deduction settings to what they were originally will appear at the end of the next instruction set.

The Form W2 Setup dialogue

This complicated-looking dialogue displays when you click Preview Report in the W2 process as described in Processing W2s . This part of the appendix explains the selections in the dialogue.

Control Number

This box is optional. It can be used as a counter to identify individual W2 forms. If you enter a number here, the program will increment the control number by one on each W2 that is added to the W2 Queue.

Deductions

Select the proper deduction names from the pop-up menus to match the fields. For example, your Federal Withholding deduction must be selected for the Federal Withholding field.

Box 12

Select the deduction from the pop-up menu, then enter its code using capital letters. Do not use Box 12 to report any item that is NOT listed below.

Box 14

Box 14 may be used for any other information you want printed on the W2s, such as SDI, union dues, health insurance premiums deducted, nontaxable income, voluntary after-tax contributions, Sec.414(h)(2) contributions, educational assistance payments, and parsonage allowances.

State/Local Withholding

The bottom section of the Form W2 Setup window is used to set up the State and Local Withholding deductions. Select your state deduction from the pop-up menu. The program automatically fills in the State ID number field for you. If applicable, select your Local Withholding deduction from the pop-up menu. The program allows you to set up a maximum of 10 state/local withholding deductions.

If necessary, you can use the Get Value command in the Report menu (Report > Get Value) to assign a payroll variable to a field on the W2 form. Refer to Appendix A for detailed information about the Get Value command. See Get Value .

The Report Queue dialogues

The Report Queue dialogues are similar for forms W2, 1099, and 1096. In each are listed are the names of the individuals for whom you processed and queued form information in the procedures discussed in Form W2 and W3 and Form 1099 and 1096 .

Pictured below is the W2 Report Queue dialogue.

The Report Queues are designed so that it saves all the queued reports that are entered until they are manually removed. This feature allows you to quit the payroll program at any time and then return later to print your reports.

Report Queue buttons

This section provides a brief description of each command button in all the Report Queue dialogues. It will be noted when certain buttons appear in a queue dialogue for a particular report.

W3

The W3 button appears only in the W2 Report Queue dialogue. Clicking the W3 button brings up a dialogue which allows you to print your W3 Form as described in Process Form W3 .

1096

1096 button appears only in the 1099 Report Queue dialogue. Clicking the 1096 button brings up a dialogue which allows you to print your 1096 Form as described in Printing Form 1096 .

Report

This button appears only in the W2 Report Queue dialogue. Clicking the Queue Detail Report button allows you to print a report that displays the W2 information for each employee in the W2 Report Queue as well as the totals. This report is discussed in Step 3 - Print the W2 Queue Detail Report .

Edit

Use the Edit button to edit an employee's form information before printing it.

Remove

Use the Remove button to remove an individual's form from the Report Queue.

Before deleting any Form W2s or 1099s it is strongly recommended that you make a backup of the Report Queue. To make a backup, copy the Payroll W2 or 1099 Queue file which is located in the Employee Files ƒ folder to external media. You will need to do a backup for each type of W2 or 1099 generated.

Remove All

Use the Remove All button to remove all forms that are currently entered in the Report Queue.

Print

Use the Print button to print only the form data of the employee you have selected (highlighted) in the Report Queue scrolling list.

Print All

Clicking the Print All button allows you to print all the forms that are currently in the Report Queue.

Done

To quit processing forms, click the Done button to close the Report Queue dialogue.

Print Queue dialogues

The Print Queue dialogues are used to choose the proper templates, align, print samples, and finally print the various types of W2s or 1099s you must print. The Print Queue dialogue are accessed from the Report Queue dialogues by clicking either the Print or Print All buttons.

Print Queue commands

Button commands in each Print Queue are the same unless otherwise noted. Each is explained below.

Edit Template

If you find one or two fields that might be a little out of alignment, you can use the Edit Template feature to move those individual fields. Moving ALL the fields up or down should be done with the Page Align command, described below.

Be very careful using the Edit Template feature to make adjustments to government forms. You might accidentally remove fields or make changes to the wrong ones instead of simply moving them. Moving fields may also have unfortunate results, as many forms are machine read and require the data to fall into position a certain way. This may result in your company's and your employee copies being rejected by the filing agency. If you must use the Edit Template command, refer to the Payroll Series User Manual Chapter 10, Check Designer, for information on moving or changing fields on a template.

Page Setup

Page Setup is part of your Mac OS operating system and is used to set up your page (paper size, orientation and scaling) for printing your forms. For help with using Page Setup, please access Mac Help by selecting Help > Mac Help from the Finder file menu or by clicking the Help button in the Page Setup dialogue.

Print Align

The Print Align feature is the preferred method of making subtle adjustments to your forms. This utility allows you to move all the template fields vertically and horizontally by the number of pixels you enter. The scale for pixels is pre-set at 72 pixels = 1 inch. Set up your Vertical and Horizontal alignments. These settings will be applied to all phases of W2 printing until you exit the W2 mode. Upon exiting the W2 mode, the values are reset back to zero.

eFile W2s

The eFile button only appears in the W2 Print Queue dialogue. If you have purchased the W2 Exporter Module, click this button to create the W2 Report file.

Sample

Use the Sample button to print a sample form for the currently selected template. Be sure to select the template that matches the form you are printing. For example, if you are printing the Federal Copy, make sure the Federal Template is selected.

All sample printouts contain actual employee data from the current Report Queue for which you are processing forms.

Print

Use the Print button after printing samples and making adjustments to print your forms.

Done

Use the Done button to exit the Print Queue dialogue.

Setting Up 1099 vendors

You need to set up your vendors correctly at the time of your first payment in order to insure that your 1099s are processed correctly at the end of the year!

Setting up a vendor

1. Create a separate employee list called Vendors to track all of your vendor payments.
2. In the Payroll Items tab window, click the Employee List Settings and New Employee Settings options.

Make changes as needed to ensure that no employee paid contributions and employer paid deductions are assigned to the vendors.

3. In the Employees tab window, set up your vendors, creating the vendor in the same manner you would an employee.
4. Mark the 1099 Recipient checkbox if this vendor is to receive a 1099 form.

Entering vendor payments

1. In the Process Payroll tab window, enter all payments made to vendors in the Gross Amount field.
2. In the Amounts column on the paysheet, zero out the deductions and employer paid dollar amounts.
3. Click the Record Check button to record the check.