The following information is covered in this chapter:
The Reports tab window provides a number of different selection criteria to help you gather the information you want. For example, you can limit your reports to specific employee lists, specific time periods, and specific departments.
The Reports tab window is further divided into specific groups or types of reports.
Displays a list of state and federal reports that are processed using the powerful, easy to use Aatrix FormViewer. Print & Mail reports are a subscription service from Aatrix Software. See Print & Mail reports for more information on processing Print & Mail reports.
Thumbnails of Print & Mail reports are not available as Sample Previews
Displays standard built-in reports such as the Employee Data Summary report.
Displays the custom reports created with the EZ Report Builder and the Freeform Report Builder.
Allows you to group several reports together in a "bundle" for batch printing purposes. This provides a convenient way of printing out, in a single print job, all the reports you generally print (e.g., after payroll). For more information on report bundling, please refer to Report Bundles .
The list of reports that displays depends on the tab view you select. For example, when you click the Standard tab, you will see all the pre-designed reports that are installed with the program. Likewise, any reports you custom-create using the EZ Report Builder or Freeform Report Builder will also display in the Standard report list.
The Reports list can be modified to display only those reports that are important to you. For complete details, refer to Edit Reports List .
You can generate and print your state tax remittance and unemployment forms using data culled from the payroll program. For more information on which State forms are currently available, call Aatrix Software at (800) 426-0854.
Modify the list of displayed reports by clicking this button. For more information, please see Edit Reports List .
This is a utility built into the payroll program that can be used to quickly put together payroll information in a report format. For more information, please see EZ Report Builder .
Use this button to edit any custom reports that you have created with the Freeform Report utility or the EZ Report utility.
Click this button to save the report as a text file that can be read by various programs. Note that state and federal reports as well as report bundles can not be exported. For more information, please see Exporting EZ reports .
Click this button to send the currently selected report to the computer screen so that you can view the information prior to printing. For more information, please see Previewing Reports .
Click this button to send the currently selected report to the printer without previewing. For more information, please see Previewing Reports .
Click this button to create a new report bundle. The Report Bundle feature allows you to group several reports together in a "bundle" for printing purposes. For more information, please see Report Bundles .
Click this button to change the reports that comprise a report bundle.
The basic steps for generating a report are outlined in the following instruction set. No matter what type of report you are generating (e.g., pre-designed, EZ Report), the steps are basically the same. That is, you set the report criteria in the Reports tab window, then determine whether you want to first preview the report or send it directly to the printer.
Select the Report on Employee radio button above the Employee List box, and then highlight the name of the employee on whom you wish to report.
To report on an employee list, select the Report on List radio button and then choose the appropriate list from the Employee List pop-up menu.
You can generate a report from an entire Employee List or an individual employee by clicking the desired radio button. The name of the currently selected Employee List and the name of the currently selected employee is displayed.
If you wish to change to a different Employee List, select the appropriate list from the Employee List pop-up menu.
If you wish to report on a different employee than the one currently selected, highlight the desired employee's name on the Employee list. Some reports only use an Employee List, in which case the Employee option is grayed out even when an employee is selected.
You can limit the report with the following options:
This option accumulates data from all pay periods in the employee file.
This option uses all the information that has accumulated in the employee file for the year you enter.
Select this option if you want the report to reflect an entire quarter of activity. Choose the quarter you want and enter the appropriate year. The date range the program uses are:
This option narrows the data gathered to a specific month of a specific year. Enter the appropriate choices in the text box.
This option generates a report based on payroll information processed specifically on the date you enter in this format: DD/MM/YY.
Upon selecting this option, enter a data range from DD/MM/YY to DD/MM/YY in the appropriate text boxes.
Check this box if you do not want the report to include employees who were not paid during the selected reporting period.
Click the Set report limits button to further restrict the report using options such as: name, City, State, and Hire Date. Mark the checkboxes and fill text fields as needed. Click the OK button when finished, or Cancel to exit.
Preview allows you to view the report on-screen, and Print sends it directly to the printer. The Preview mode offers special advantages discussed in the next section.
IMPORTANT: All state and federal Print & Mail Reports require
you to click the Preview button to launch the Aatrix FormViewer. Instructions for state and federal Print & Mail reports processed
with the Aatrix FormViewer are discussed later in this chapter. See
Aatrix FormViewer
.
You may want to view a report on screen for various reasons before sending it to the printer. Previewing allows you to catch errors before you print, which ultimately saves printing time and paper. While in Preview mode, you can then send the report to the printer or to the Print Queue.
While previewing a report, a Preview menu is available with the following commands.
These commands allow you to advance forward or return to prior pages in a multi-page report.
Selecting this command allows you to view thumbnail images of each page in the report. Clicking a thumbnail image will open that page in the Preview window.
These commands allow you to print the currently displayed page or all the pages in the report.
Selecting this command sends the report to the Report Queue whereby you can print it later along with a batch of reports. For complete details, refer to Report Queue .
Selecting this command closes the active report window.
The Reports List in the Reports tab window initially displays all the reports that were installed with the program. You can modify this list using the instructions provided in this section.
After using the payroll program, you may find that you don't have a need for all the reports provided by the program. You can easily edit this list to display only those reports you want.
Selecting a report that is already selected removes the checkmark and the report will not display in the Reports tab window.
Your customized report list displays the next time you access the Reports tab window and click the Custom reports tab.
The Report Queue (pronounced simply like the letter "Q") is similar to a print spooler. Use this feature to store a list of reports to print all at once, at the time you choose. Since the report queue file is saved to your hard disk, the reports already in it will remain even if you exit the program.
In order to use the Report Queue feature, you must first add the reports you want to it. The following instruction set guides you through this process.
Adding a report to the Report Queue
A dialogue appears confirming that the report was added to the Report Queue.
All reports that are added to the Report Queue remain there until you are ready to print them.
Printing/viewing the Report Queue
Each report that is waiting to be printed is displayed with the report name, company name, number of pages, and the date the report was queued.
To print a single report, select the report and then click the Print button. The standard Macintosh Print dialogue will appear allowing you to print the report. To print all the reports, click the Print All button.
After printing all your reports using the Print All option, a message window will appear asking if you would like to delete all of the reports from the Report Queue.
If you want to preview a report before printing it or removing it from the Print Queue, select the report and then click the Preview button. To exit the preview mode, select Preview > Exit Viewing.
To remove a single report from the Report Queue, select the report and then click the Remove Report button. A dialogue will appear asking if you are sure that you want to remove the report. Click the Yes button to remove the selected report or the Cancel button to return to the Report Queue. To remove all the reports in the Report Queue, click the Remove All button.
The reports listed in Print & Mail tab view all are processed with a program called Aatrix FormViewer. This program will prompt you to check for updates at the end of each quarter. This ensures you are using the latest government approved forms.
The Forms Subscription is an annual subscription, valid for one year from purchase date. You will be prompted to enter a registration code when printing or previewing forms from the Print and Mail selections. Once the registration code has been entered you will not be prompted again until the subscription expires. For purchasing and pricing information, please contact Aatrix Sales at (800) 426-0854.
The Aatrix FormViewer will cull data from Pay History to fill in your State and Federal reports. Any fields that need additional information entered will be marked in red on your screen. The program will not allow you to proceed to the next step of processing if you have not entered information in all red fields.
This new feature also makes eFiling your state and government reports an option for your company. Please see eFile for more details on this feature.
There are three steps to process forms:
This is the step that allows you to make changes your report.
This is the step from which you can print a Records Copy for your files.
This is the step from which you can either print the form and mail it to the appropriate agency, or eFile.
A progress bar displays in the toolbar as you process the form, showing the current step of the process.
The File menu, at the top of the screen, contains commands for various tasks such as Page Align and changing your registration information.
The Toolbar displays a progress indicator that tells you which step of the forms process you are currently running. Tips and hints to guide you through the process always will display in the center of the toolbar. Depending on the phase of the forms process, different command buttons will display.
The title of the report will always be displayed in the title bar at the top of the window displaying the form.
Fields that must be filled out are highlighted in red. If a required field is not filled out, you will be alerted before being allowed to save or print the report as a final copy.
Use the Tab key or mouse to move through the fields. Use the vertical Scroll Bars to move the screen up and down. The horizontal Scroll Bars will move the screen left and right.
For forms with more than one page, use the arrows on the extreme left side of the toolbar to advance or go back. You may also click on the page number display located between these arrows to directly access any page desired in a multiple page report. On forms with only one page, these controls will be grayed out (unavailable).
The following instructions will walk you through a generic form process. For those processing Form 941, please see Processing Form 941 .
When all the criteria have been set for your report in the Reports tab window, click the Preview button. This will launch the Aatrix FormViewer, which will display the report with most or all of the data fields filled in for you. Report processing is divided into three simple steps and through each step, the program displays prompts to guide you. An alert message outlining the basic steps appears. After reviewing the steps, click the OK button to close it and proceed.
In the FormViewer window, review the report for accuracy. Any red fields will have to be filled in manually. If the report you are processing has required (red) fields, an alert will notify you.
The date on the form always defaults to the current day (as defined by your computer's internal clock). If this needs to be changed, move the cursor into the date field and click the right mouse button. This activates a drop down menu with choices for clearing the date or setting the value to the current date. You may also use the arrow located on the right side of the date field to drop down a calendar display. Click on the month and day you need, and the date is set accordingly.
The program automatically calculates the data necessary for most form fields. However, you should double check all calculations in monetary and numeric data fields.
If you missed any required (red) fields and click the Next Step button, an alert will appear to warn you that you must go back and complete the report. You cannot advance to the next step until all required fields have data in them.
A Verify Report Complete message appears.
This message will appear also for the next phase of the process and ensures
that you validate the accuracy of your report. Although the software is produced,
tested, and proven to perform accurate calculations, errors are possible for
many reasons. Aatrix Software, Inc. is not responsible for inaccuracies that
might occur. Clicking the Agree button shows that you have
verified the accuracy of all the data and information that appears in the report.
The application saves your report and proceeds to the next step.
When Review / Edit is completed, it is time to print a copy of the report for your records. My Copy is printed on plain paper. A large diagonal watermark indicated that the report is a records copy only.
Printing a State / Federal filing copy
If you choose to eFile, please see eFile .
Clicking the Print button in different phases of the process will have different results. If you are in the Review/Edit step, the form will print with the watermark DRAFT on it. In the My Copy step, it will print with the watermark RECORDS COPY on it. The Federal copy step will print a report that can then be submitted to the appropriate agency.
If you have not purchased the Form Subscription, all copies will print with
a large, repeated DEMO watermark.
Before printing the final filing copy of a state or government form, you should always print a test page to ensure the data will print in the form boxes correctly. To use Page Align, select File > Page Align and click the Test Print button. Every form will print with a registration mark in an unused corner. This registration mark should always be an inch from the left and bottom (or top) margin.
If the registration mark on your test form is off, make adjustments as needed by entering a numerical value or with the sliders to move the data up or down, left or right. You should always print a test alignment form when switching to a new printer or printing for the first time to a preprinted form.
The IRS requires every employer to submit a Form 941 - Employer's Quarterly Federal Tax Return at the end of each quarter. It reports the amount of earnings withheld from your employees' paychecks against how much you actually deposited to the IRS over the course of the quarter. Categories included on a Form 941 report include Federal Income Tax, Social Security, and Medicare.
Your payroll program culls the information for the Form 941 from information already stored in your employees' Pay History files.
The following series of instructions lead you through the process of generating a 941 report. Because your payroll program has the ability to separate your payroll data by quarter and year, you can generate a 941 after a new quarter has started.
The steps by which you process all of your Print & Mail forms will be similar to those illustrated below for the 941 form.
Processing Form 941 - Step One
Before processing Form 941, print out the Federal Tax Summary report, or the
Pay History Detail, report (in the Standard tab view) for the same quarter you
are processing Form 941. Use the information from the report to assist in processing
Form 941.
If the 941 Form option does not appear in the Reports list, be sure it is checked in the Edit Reports List window. If necessary, refer to Edit Reports List .
In most instances, you will want to report on the Master List.
Select the appropriate quarter from the pop-up menu and then enter the year for which you are generating the 941 report.
When you click the Preview Report button, the Aatrix FormViewer will generate and display your Form 941. Review the report for accuracy. Any red fields will have to be filled in manually. If the report you are processing has required (red) fields, an alert will notify you.
The 941 you see on the screen is designed to look like an actual pre-printed Form 941, with certain fields automatically filled in by the program. It is a self-calculating form - meaning that any time you change a value on the form, the fields affected by this change will be reset with the appropriate values.
If the form is not readable on the screen, you can enlarge it by selecting View > Double Size or View > Triple Size.
If you are a Semiweekly or Monthly Schedule Depositor with over $2500 in Line 13, you can mark the appropriate checkbox and enter the deposits made.
Manual entry of certain information may be needed in some fields, such as your
name and title at the bottom of the form. To enter information in any of the
non-calculating fields, click the cursor in the field and type in the needed
information.
If you missed any required (red) fields and click the Next Step button, an alert will appear to warn you that you must go back and complete the report. You cannot advance to the next step until all required fields have data in them.
A Verify Report Complete message appears.
This message will appear also for the next phase of the process and ensures
that you validate the accuracy of your report. Although the software is produced,
tested, and proven to perform accurate calculations, errors are possible for
many reasons. Aatrix Software, Inc. is not responsible for inaccuracies that
might occur. Clicking the Agree button shows that you have
verified the accuracy of all the data and information that appears in the report.
The application saves your report and proceeds to the next step.
When Review / Edit is completed, it is time to print a copy of the report for your records. My Copy is printed on plain paper. A large diagonal watermark indicated that the report is a records copy only.
Printing a State / Federal filing copy
Clicking the Print button will print a copy of your 941 form that you may then mail to the IRS.
Alternatively, if you choose to eFile, click the eFile button. This will connect you to the Aatrix eFile server and Aatrix will submit your form electronically. This feature does involve extra setup and have additional service fees. If you choose to eFile, please see eFile .
Upon printing or eFiling, the program will archive your completed form so that you may view it or edit it at a later date. You may then exit the Aatrix FormViewer by selecting Aatrix FormViewer > Quit Aatrix FormViewer.
Aatrix eFile provides a secure transfer directly from your payroll software to the government agencies involved. Upon completing your State or Federal form, you may eFile, saving time and money by avoiding formatting, packaging, postage and mailing. You are now able to complete the form, submit the form and pay your liability due in one sitting.
There is a fee to use the eFile service. Please contact Aatrix at (800) 426-0854 or FormsSupport@aatrix. com for more information.
There are two places to access the Enroll dialogues. You may choose Company > Enroll in eFile. The dialogue can also be found by clicking the eFile button and then clicking the Enroll Now button in the dialogue that displays.
The Enroll dialogue has four windows which require you to enter the necessary information for eFiling.
This window requires your company information, including Name, Address, E-Mail, EIN, Phone and Fax. Enter the information requested and click the Next button.
This window requests your bank information so that when you eFile your payments can be submitted. Enter the information requested and click the Next button.
This window allows information for a second party preparer. The window defaults with your information entered, with a checkbox at the bottom noting that "Preparer is taxpayer". Enter the information requested and click the Next button.
The final window gives you instructions of where to submit your Enrollment Form upon completion. Please review this information before printing, signing and submitting the Enrollment Form. Click the Finish button.
After enrollment submission, you will receive your User ID and Password via E-mail in ten days or less.
IMPORTANT: By this point you should have already enrolled for eFile and provided all the necessary information. If you have not, please click here to review the enrollment information at the beginning of this section .
This dialogue will only display the first time you eFile after enrollment. This information will be saved for subsequent efiling.
If a payment is due with the form, a dialogue displays the payment information, as well as a field for you to enter the appropriate check number.
If no payment is due, you will proceed directly to Step 7.
A final dialogue will display confirming the successful eFile transaction and the charges incurred for the transaction.
The EZ Report Builder is a utility built into the payroll program. It can be used to quickly put together payroll information in a report format. You simply select the items you want on the report, in the order your want them to appear, and the program "builds" the report for you.
To open the EZ Report Builder, click the EZ Report button in the Reports tab window.
The EZ Report dialogue contains all the variables you need to create your own reports. Note the scrolling list on the lower left, in the Available Report Items box. It displays all the variables that are available for your deductions, employee data, contributions, and extra income. The variables in the list change depending on which report item is selected.
When you select Extra Income, all income variables including Regular Pay and any additional extra income you have created appear in the list. Remember that Regular Pay refers to hourly rates and/or salary that you designated in the Employees tab window. When Employee Data is selected, the Total deductions, Total Contributions and Gross Pay variables allow you to combine all applicable variables into one item on the report.
The following instruction set guides you through the process of creating your own EZ report.
The title you enter will be printed at the top and center of your report and displayed in the Custom section of the Reports tab window.
You have the option of letting the program automatically set the column widths for you, or you can determine these widths yourself. If you decide to set your own column widths, click the Manual radio button and enter the width you want (in inches) in the text box. The program will print your report using the column width you entered (except for the employee name column, which is automatically set at approximately 25 characters by the program).
The order is very important. The program prints the items in the order that you add them to the Assigned Report Items list, starting from the top. You will probably want to add the Employee Data first, so that items such as employee name, social security number, etc. are listed first.
A type is active when it applies to a report item and grayed out when it doesn't. For example, the only types that are available for deductions and contributions are the Amount, App. Wages, and App. Tips.
The Amount option prints the amount of the selected item for the period you defined in the Reports tab window (monthly, quarterly, etc. ).
This option prints the total hours worked for the item you selected.
Certain deductions and employer paid contributions such as Social Security and Federal Unemployment need to report the wages that are used to calculate the deduction or contribution. For most employers, applicable wages will be the same as gross wages. If you have a travel reimbursement, pension plan, or similar non-taxed income, the applicable wages will not be the same. For these cases, use the App. Wages option. The App. Tips option is used for reporting tip income.
This option prints the pay rate for the income item you selected.
The item is added to the Assigned Report Items list.
Moves the selected report item one position up.
Moves the selected report item one position down.
Moves the selected report item to the beginning of the list.
Moves the selected report item to the end of the list.
Remember, the order that the report items are listed in Assigned Report Items field (from top to bottom), is the order that the report items will appear in your printed report (from left to right).
Saving the report to the Reports ƒ folder makes it available only to this company. Saving the report to the Shared Reports ƒ folder makes it available to all companies.
Your EZ report list will display the next time you access the Reports tab window and click the Custom report type tab.
If you wish to make any changes to a report created with the EZ Report Builder, select the report in the Reports list in the Reports tab window, then click the Edit Report button. The EZ Report Builder window appears allowing you to make changes to the selected report.
Reports created with the EZ Report Builder can be saved as a text file or in HTML format for easy posting on the internet. To do so, select an EZ report in the Reports list, then click the Export button. A Save (OS 9: Putfile) window displays allowing you to name and save the report file in either text or HTML format.
The Report Bundle feature allows you to group several reports together in a "bundle" for printing purposes. This provides a convenient way of printing out, in a single print job, all the reports you generally print (e.g., after payroll).
The following instruction set guides you through the process of grouping together reports you specify in order to create a report bundle.
A Report Bundle can only be printed -- you cannot preview it or export the information as text.
A checkmark ( √ ) appears to the left of each selected report.
Because the program generates reports using the date limits you set such as
One Day, One Quarter, All periods, etc. , your Bundled Reports should be comprised
of reports with similar date limits. For example, you could bundle only those
reports you typically generate after each payroll
and not include those reports you process on a quarterly basis.
The names of your report bundles are displayed in the Report Bundle window and the Reports List in the Bundles tab window.
You can also create a report bundle by selecting Edit Reports > Report Bundles from the file menu.
At some point you may want to change the reports that comprise a report bundle.
The instructions below will tell you how to delete a report bundle.