Hot FAQs Continued....

Q My State tax is calculating with all zeroes!

or

My Federal tax jumped up abnormally high for several employees!

A See alert text below for this answer.

IMPORTANT! If you have upgraded to Payroll 16, you MUST verify each employee's marital status and number of claims. To do so: Click the Employees tab. In the Employee Tab window TAX section, highlight the name of the employee, verify the marital status and claims, and click the SAVE button in the toolbar before going on to the next. Repeat through the Employee list.

Q I have updated to version 16. When I go to the Payroll Items tab window and highlight an employee, I see all the deductions that are assigned to the employee. However, when I go to the Process Payroll tab window, all of a sudden there are deductions that are not showing up at all for some employees. What gives?

A This can be easily corrected by going to Payroll Items tab window and highlighting Employee List Settings (in red at) the top of the Employee List. Unassign all deductions by clicking on the checkmark in front of each deduction. Then, re-assign the deduction that was missing by clicking in the checkmark column in front of the item. In the same manner, re-assign all other deductions assigned to all employees. Now, return to the Process Payroll tab window and verify that the missing deductions display as assigned.

Q I am trying to do my quarterly reports in v16 and I get a message cannot access the form. What gives?

A You will have to update your forms by opening the Form Viewer utility directly from the applications folder instead of through your payroll program.

To do so

1. Close the payroll program (Top Pay, Ultimate, etc.)
2. On your hard drive, locate the OS X Applications folder.
3. In the applicable Aatrix program folder (i.e., Aatrix Top Pay, Aatrix Ultimate Payroll) folder, double-click the Aatrix Form Viewer application icon.( For a screenshot, click here.)
4. When the utility launches, select Update Forms from the Help menu on the menu bar across the top of the screen.
   
5. Click the Internet Update button. NOTE: If you do not have Internet access to update your forms and have not arranged for updates via CD, call Aatrix Sales Department at 1-800-426-0854 to order a CD update by mail.
6. In the Update screen, mark the forms packages that you need and then click the Update button.
   
   A message will display when the updating is complete. Quit the Form Viewer, relaunch your payroll application, and process the form.

Q I have completed the update to version 16 and I have some non-tax items ( medical Insurance, IRA deduction ) that does not calculate when I go to process payroll. How do I get it to calculate?

A You will have to edit the deduction. To do so:

1. In the Payroll Items tab window, click Employee List Settings (in red) at the top of your Employee List.
2. Double-click on the deduction that is not calculating. In the Edit screen, verify that the Calculation Method is correct. For example, if the deduction in question is a percent of gross pay, then make sure that the Calculation Method says Percent of Gross Pay. Click OK after making your correction(s).
3. In the next screen that appears, click OK again to make the change for all Employees on the master list.
4. In the Process Payroll tab window, verify that the deduction now calculates correctly.

Q I created a new employee and there is no filing status selection in the Employee tab window Tax section--the space below that column is blank! How do I assign the filing status?

A You have no tax assigned to the new employees. To correct this:

1. In the Payroll Items tab window, highlight the name of the new employee in the employee list.
2. Double-click the Federal Income Tax and click OK in the edit Deduction window.
3. Double-click on the State Income tax and again in the Edit Deduction window click OK.
4. Go back to Employees and verify that there is now a selection for the filing status.
To correct this for future new employees, go to Payroll Items and highlight New Employee Settings and make sure that the Federal and State taxes are assigned to new employees.

Q I have followed the instructions to get the year end update installed for Top Pay, and I get an error code -10660 when I launch the program from Quickbooks®. Can you help?

A It sounds as if you dragged an old Aatrix application to the Trash, and QuickBooks® is trying to open the program from the Trash. Make sure your new application is in the OS X Applications folder--and THEN empty the Trash. When you launch again out of QuickBooks®, it should work.

QI have updated to v 16 and now my SS, Medicare, etc. calculates the same as my Federal tax. Is this correct?
ALSO
Q. Federal Tax withholdings calculating incorrectly or coming up with zeroes.

A. To correct this:

First of all, make sure you have the latest upgrade of Payroll 16.

1. In the Payroll Items tab window, click Employee List Settings at the top of your employee list.
2. In the paysheet area of the window, double click on the Federal or State deduction that is calculating incorrectly.
3. In the Edit Deduction screen that opens (as pictured below), make sure the TYPE of item from the TYPE popup list matches the name of the item. For example, if the Name of the deduction is FE 2005 US Federal, it must be matched with FEDERAL INCOME TAX from the TYPE popup list. Another example: a tax named CA 2005 California should be matched with STATE INCOME TAX from the TYPE popup list.
4. Next, choose Tax Calculation from the Calculation Method popup list. Click the OK button. NOTE: If Tax Calculation is already selected--re-select it.
   Click for screenshot
5. If you had to re-select the Calculation method, you will see an additional screen display titled SELECT TAX CALCUATION. Choose the type of tax that applies to your payroll item (i.e., Federal, State, or Local.)
   Click for screenshot
6. In the Update Payroll Item screen, make sure that the selection is correct, for example, if you want to apply it to the entire Employee List and to all New Employees that might be created from this point forward. Click the OK button to return to the Payroll Items tab window. Your calculations should now be correct.

Q I did the Tax Table update but the year on my Federal (or State, etc.) tax payroll item still says 2005!

A You need to manually change the title of this item. Many users give these items unique names, so while your tax table rates DID change in the background, your title must be changed manually. To do so:

1. Access the Payroll Items tab window.
2. In the Employee List on the left, highlight Employee List Settings (this will apply the change to all employees on the list at once).
3. Double click the payroll item you need to change the name of. Or highlight the item and click the Edit button on the toolbar.
4. In the Edit Item screen, change the year in the title and then click OK.
5. In the alert that asks if you want to apply the settings to New Employees as well, click OK.

Your changes have been made, and your year should now display correctly.

Q (for Payroll v16 ONLY) I get an error message with Code -50...?

A This issue has been resolved. It was an error in the updater application. If you are still experiencing it you need to install the latest updates. If you do not have Internet access for the computer on which you run Payroll, call Aatrix to have a CD shipped out to you.

Q I just did a new install and now my Top Pay, Paycheck, or Ultimate program is telling me that the program has been password protected and to enter a password! Help!

A Enter the default password, which is simply the word password in lower case letters. Payroll information is very sensitive and confidential and you should protect your program with your own password as soon as possible after installing it. You can set your preferred level of password protection, or turn it off altogether, in Program Preferences. Please consult the user manual for more information. Chapter One, Getting Started, Security Preferences. (Link will open in a new window.)

TAX TABLES ARE INCLUDED in the v16 upgrades for ALL users. You simply enter your Tax Table Unlock code after installing v16 to activate them.

Q I still have payroll to do this year and have already installed the Tax Table Update for next year. Have I created a problem?

A Tax Tables for the following year should not be installed until AFTER the last payroll has been run for the year. For the Federal, State and any Local Income Taxes that are built into the Aatrix Tax Base, it will not be a problem. It will just mean a little smaller or larger refund when the employee files their individual tax return.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The tax updates will update the limit for SS to the limit for NEXT year. This will affect those employees who have already met the upper limit for social security for this current year, If you have employees who have met the social security limit for the current year, you should contact your accountant for guidance.

Q. I upgraded from version 11-14 to version 15-16 and received a message stating the installation was successful. But when I look in my Top Pay folder, I still see the old application and none of the files seem to have been updated. Why is this?

Q I just upgraded from version 11-14 to version 15-16. When I look in my Aatrix program folder in Applications my company is not there like it used to be. How come?

A Applies to both questions above.
Due to Apple's new structuring specifications as of last year, Top Pay versions 15/16 are now installed in the OS X main Applications folder on the hard drive. So, the data needed to launch and run the program are in the main Applications folder. Your company and payroll data from your previous installations is automatically copied over and stored in your user Documents folder on the hard drive.

Your original payroll application folder is not updated. You should Archive the old folder (in Finder, highlight the folder and select File > Create Archive, or else use an application like Stuffit®) and then save to external media for a backup. You can then drag the old payroll application folder to the Trash.

Q. One of my liabilities won't calculate, but I know I owe taxes.

Solution

1. Create the liability payment in the Liabilities tab window by selecting the appropriate payment, Employee list, and Period to pay.
2. Click the Verify button in the button bar.
3. Print the report that displays be selecting Preview > Print Report. Close the report.
4. Look at the dates the report says there are deposits.
5. Click the View Register button.
   Locate the deposits in the register for each date on the report.
6. Double-click the deposit.
   At the bottom of the Edit Entry dialogue, verify that the period selected is the appropriate for that payment. (For example, verify that it's set up for the correct month rather than the whole year.)
7. Make the appropriate changes and then reprocess the Liability check.

The totals should then pull in.

Q I am currently operating under OS 9. Will version 16 work with OS 9?

A No, version 16 was programmed to be operated using OS 10.2.8 or greater. The current Apple Operating System available is 10.4.3.

We recommend that our customers keep up to date with current Mac Operating Systems available. For assistance with Operating System upgrades contact your IT or go to www.apple.com.

Q When I process a Direct Deposit (DD) payroll, why is my ACH (automated clearing house) file incomplete?

A The ACH file does not finish creating until the payroll program is closed. Close the payroll program and the ACH file will then be complete.

Q Why when I do a Direct Deposit payroll and process half of it one day, and finish it off the next day -- all of my DD info does not show on my ACH file! What happened?

A The program will not save the DD employees which were processed the day before.

If you wish to process the direct deposit employees' payroll in parts, do so in this manner:

1. Put the DD employees from the first day into the Check Queue by clicking the Queue Check button in the Process Payroll tab window. This will store them until you process them out of the Check Queue.
2. The next day, add the rest of the DD employees to the Check Queue.
3. Finally, process all the direct deposit employees you have place in the Check Queue.

Q. I get an error type 2 when opening Top Pay 15. What is an error type 2?

A. An error of Type 2 is a System Error code associated with OS 9 and earlier operating systems.

To correct this problem you will either have to contact Apple or upgrade your operating system to OS X. The new versions of our Payroll Series software require OS 10.2 or higher and are not created nor guaranteed to run on older systems.

For more support FAQs on older versions of Payroll Series software, please go to MyAatrix and log in with your email address and customer number. The Knowledge Base has extensive Q&A on previous versions of this product.