Getting Started

The following information is covered in this chapter:

• About the Aatrix Payroll Series
• Export Chart of Accounts from QuickBooks®
• Creating a new company
• Tab window primer
• Program preferences

About the Aatrix Payroll Series

Thank you for choosing Aatrix Software. Our payroll programs have been designed with an "open architecture" format that allows you to define and set the parameters for your deductions, employer paid contributions, and extra income items to fit your payroll needs.

If the software "as is" cannot perform a needed payroll task, call customer support. A variety of additional plug-ins have been created to handle most situations.

While comprehensive and powerful, our payroll programs use the latest in user friendly interface features which have made our software among the most popular on the market. However, if you have never done payroll processing before or you have any questions, our support staff will be happy to help you.

This manual is for Aatrix Top Pay, Aatrix Ultimate Payroll, and Aatrix Paycheck, version 16. Please note that Paycheck might not have all the features of Top Pay or Ultimate Payroll. The information is this manual is current at the time of the initial release of a major software release; however, due to programming changes for update releases, it may change without notice. The latest version will always be available on the Internet at http://doucmentation.aatrix.com.

Installation

Payroll Series v16 products operate on Mac OS 10.2 or higher. THe application is not supported on any platform lower than 10.2. Depending on your previous version, your installation may be different, so follow the instructions that came with your upgrade.

Launching the application

When you start the payroll application, a screen to enter your registration code for Tax Tables will display. (NOTE: This registration code is your UNLOCK CODE.) Tax Tables are an annual aubscription service from Aatrix, and automate your state tax calculations for doing payroll. If you purchased Tax Tables, you would have been sent a registration code via email. Enter your customer number and Tax Table unlock code into the appropriate boxes, and then click Register. If you are using the program as a tryout, click the Later button to continue. This box will continue to appear until you have entered the appropriate information.

A second registration screen will display: this one to register your program. It will connect to the Internet and ask for information about you, your operating system, and program. This will greatly help our support staff should you ever call with questions, and also helps Aatrix by targeting our users' needs. You can click the Register Later button to skip this step. This box will continue to appear until your have registered.

Next, first time users will be asked to enter their name and company name into the application splash screen. This merely personalizes the product, and you can enter anything you like into the text fields of this screen. Click the Continue button when finished. You will not need to do this again (until the enxt major upgrade!)

NOTE: Users upgrading to Payroll 16 from a previous version may see a series of screens called the Calculation Engine Wizard. Brand new users will not see this utility. The Calculation Engine Wizard simply asks you to confirm how certain pre-existing payroll items are linked. Verify the wizard's selections match your payroll items in each screen and click NEXT to continue. The amount of screens in this wizard depend on the number of existing payroll tax items. You will only see this Wizard on your first time launch after upgrade.

Internet Update Check

Reminders: Reminders about changing SUTA and other tax rates may pop up on program launch. Click OK to acknowledge them and move on, or click the Stop showing this reminder button to turn off the reminders. You can always change this setup in Preferences. Reminders will show up (until you turn them off) each time you start up your payroll program.

Company Selection screen

After all those startup screens come and go, the program will display the Company Selection dialogue. This is your gateway into the payroll application. When you first start up, a fully functional sample company, Rock Castle Construction, is selected by default. For new users, we recommend that you use this sample company to safely experiment with new or unfamiliar facets of the application.

You'll want to set up your own company and get going, but first let's take a look at the controls and functions of this dialogue.

Buttons in this window

New Company

Select this button to create a new company. For more information, please see Creating a new company

Back up Company

Select this button to back up the currently selected company.

Restore from Backup

If you should need to restore a backup, you would select the Restore from Backup button. For more information on how to restore from a back up, please see Chapter 13, Data Maintenance .

Delete Company

To delete a company, select the company and click the Delete Company button. An alert will display warning you that all data for the company will be erased if you proceed. Click the Proceed button to continue with the delete process, or Cancel to abort.

Quit

To stop the launching of the payroll program, click the Quit button.

Continue

Select the company you want to open, then click the Continue button. The program will open to the Employees tab window of the company you selected.

Creating a new company

Aatrix Company Setup Wizard

The Aatrix Company Setup Wizard was created to help guide you through the steps needed to set up your company and begin processing payroll as quickly as possible. Required fields (for example, Company Name) must be entered before accessing the next screen. A progress bar at the top of the Setup Utility displays the setup status as you enter information. Additionally, a context-sensitive help window displays with steps to complete each screen.

The Payroll Setup Utility is accessed when you click the New Company button in either the Select Company window or in the Company tab window within the program.

Buttons on each window

Cancel

Clicking this button will close the Setup Utility without saving any data. A confirmation window will display that gives you the option to not exit in case you accidentally clicked the Cancel button.

Finish

If you click the Finish button, the information that you have entered will be saved and any additional information will need to be added in the appropriate tab window.

Back

Returns you to the previous screen to enter or edit information.

Next

Advances you to the next screen to continue adding information.

Help

This button will open or close the Help window.

Before you start the Payroll Setup Utility

To save time during the setup process, please have the following information readily available:

• Company information
• Employee information
• Chart of accounts information

Export chart of accounts from QuickBooks®

To expedite your company setup, you must export your Chart of Accounts from QuickBooks® as a tab-delimited text file. It is a simple and painless procedure if you use the instructions below.

1. Launch your QuickBooks® application.
2. From the File menu at the top of the monitor's view area, select File > Export > List to IFF File.
   An IFF file is a tab-delineated text file in a format that can be read by most text readers, spreadsheet applications, and word processing programs.
3. Mark the Chart of Accounts checkbox, and then click the OK button.
4. In the next screen, enter COA.iff in the Save As box.
5. From the Where popup menu, choose Desktop as the destination for the file.
6. Click the Save button.
   A message will display informing you of a successful export. Now, when you run the Setup Wizard, the utility will be able to find your chart of accounts information.

Creating a new company

If you are using your payroll program with QuickBooks®, you must export your chart of accounts in order to link to the checking account to which you will post payroll.

1. Click the New Company button in either the Company tab window or the Company Selection window (at program startup).

This launches access the setup wizard.

2. In the Welcome dialogue, follow the instructions presented in the text. When you are ready to begin, click the Next button to begin entering your data.

Required fields are: Company Name, State, and EIN. The EIN is used to link the payroll program with another accounting program (example, QuickBooks® Pro), you will also need to enter your Employer Identification Number (EIN).

There is a 25 character limit on the Company Name. If your company name is longer, abbreviate it in this step. When you have created the new company, you can change the company name to the legal name within the Company Tab window.

3. To advance to the next screen, click the Next button.

You can also click the Cancel button to enter the data via the tab windows in the Payroll program. Once you have begun entering data within the setup wizard, to quit and save what you have currently entered, click the Finish button.

Detailed online QuickHelp is available for each screen of the Company Setup wizard. Click the Help button in each dialogue to activate QuickHelp if not already visible.

4. Click the Next button to proceed to the Income items screen. Select additional items needed by marking the checkbox next to the approprate item.
5. Click the Next button to proceed to the Deduction Items screen. The program automatically marks the default deduction items, and any additonal items that appear which are NOT marked can be selected if needed at this point in the Wizard.
6. Click the Next button to go to the Employer Paid screen. Again, certain items needed for payroll will already be marked for you. Mark additional items if required.
7. Click Next to go to the Employee screen.
8. Enter employee information in appropriate fields, and then click the New button to add the employee to the employee list on the left.
9. If you need to edit an employee you just created, highlight the name in the list, change the information, and then click the Save button.
   Continue to add employees. Remember, you can add or edit employees later on in the Employee tab window of the program.
10. Click the Next button to proceed to the Link screen.
    If you exported your Chart of Accounts from QuickBooks® at the beginning of the wizard, simply select the checking account to which Payroll will be posted, and click Next to finish the wizard.
    If you have NOT yet exported the Chart of Accounts, or saved it to another location, you will be prompted to import the file at this time. To do so:
    
    • Click the Import button to locate your COA file.
    • After locating the file and returning to the Link screen, select the checking account to which Payroll will be posted from the popup list.

    NOTE: For information on exporting your chart of accounts frpm QuickBooks®, please follow the instructions in the QuickHelp window that appear on the right of all the wizard screens. If you cannot see the QuickHelp window, click the Help (questionmark) button in the lower left corner of all the wizard windows.

11. When your checking account has been linked, click the Next button.
12. In the final wizard screen, click the Finish button.

The program creates a folder ƒor this company and saves it in the hard drive's Documents folder inside a folder titled Aatrix Payroll (the name of the program you have, for example: Aatrix Top Pay, Aatrix Ultimate Payroll). This company folder will contain a Checkforms ƒ folder, an Employee Files ƒ folder, a Registers ƒ folder and a Reports ƒ folder.

The next time that you launch the payroll program, the name of the new company will be displayed in the Companies list.

When the setup is complete, the payroll program will display, taking you directly to the Company tab window where you can edit information and/or select additional items if necessary.

In the Company tab window's Defaults box, make sure the defaults for Checkform, Register, and Employee List are acceptable.

NOTE: Top Pay defaults to the QuickBooks Laser checkform. If necessary, you can change this checkform at any time from within the Print Checks dialog.

Tab window primer

After you have set up your company with the Payroll Setup Utility, you will be entering information directly into the tab windows. Before you begin using your payroll program, there are some things you should become familiar with in order to use the program more easily.

There is no need to close or minimize windows when switching between modes in the payroll application or your accounting application.

It is helpful to think of your payroll program as operating in six different modes: Company Setup, Human Resources, Employees, Payroll Items, Process Payroll, Reports, and Liabilities.

To access any one of the modes, click the appropriate tab.

Each tab window contains a set of toolbar buttons that change depending on which mode you are in. Clicking these buttons will execute the command that the button represents. For example, clicking the New employee button allows you to create a new employee file.

Clicking the QuickBooks® tab will launch the QuickBooks® program.

Company tab window

Click the Company tab to open the window that contains your company information.

The Company tab window displays buttons in the toolbar that allow you to set up new companies, store bank information such as bank routing number for printing checks on blank checkstock or direct deposit.

The Company tab window is discussed in detail in Chapter Two- Company .

Human Resources tab window

Click the Human Resources tab to set up the human resources information for your employees, such as Cafeteria Plans, Pension Plans, Paid Time Off (PTO), Evaluations, and Loans.

The buttons on the toolbar are context-sensitive to the tab selected in the Human Resources window.

For detailed information, access Chapter Three- Human Resources .

Employees tab window

It is in the Employees tab window that you will set up your new employee files with such information as name, address, pay rate, and tax information. This is also where you will make changes to your existing employees or delete them from the system. Chapter Four - Employees discusses the Employees tab window and all of its features.

Payroll Items tab window

Add, create, assign, and edit payroll items in this mode. Any payroll item that is displayed in this window is available to assign to your employee files. The payroll items you initially see are the ones you created via the installation process. A checkmark ( √ ) will appear next to the name of the payroll item to indicate that it is assigned to the currently highlighted employee in the Employee List. Learn more about the Payroll Items tab window in Chapter Five - Payroll Items .

Process Payroll tab window

The Process Payroll tab window displays the selected employee's timesheet with all assigned items such as income, deduction, and employer paid contributions. You can enter or change many of the values as well as add or remove payroll items on-the-fly. You can queue all the checks for printing at the same time if desired, and send or post your payroll information to various accounting programs such as QuickBooks®, MYOB, and Quicken®. Process Payroll is explored in depth in Chapter Six - Process Payroll .

Reports tab window

A huge array of reports and configurable reporting options is one of this applications most powerful features. You can generate reports for an entire Employee List or a specific employee. There are Print & Mail reports, a subscriber service which allows you to generate state and federal reports ready to file and offers the easy and exciting eFile service. A broad selection of pre-made and customizable Standard Reports deal with the everyday running of a business. The Standard reports and any customized reports you create can be grouped into bundles to be printed all at once.

All users of Aatrix Payroll series applications have access to the EZ ReportBuilder, a utility that enables you to quickly put payroll information together into a report format. Ultimate Payroll users also have a powerful report designer that allows you to build an incredible array of customized reports.

The Freeform Report Builder is a feature only available in Ultimate Payroll. Aatrix Top Pay and Aatrix PayCheck both have EZ Report Builder, but do not have the Freeform Report Builder. If you require the ability to customize reports, you can upgrade your current payroll program. Call (800) 426-0854 for details.

Read more about the Reports tab window in Chapter Seven - Reports .

Liabilities tab window

In the Liabilities tab window, you can set up your payments (e.g., 941 deposit, health insurance payment) beforehand and use them whenever you write checks. When you use a payment, the program calculates the amount of the check using data it gathers from the Pay History records. Calculate and print checks, make deposits and withdrawals into various check registers, and view payment histories.

Chapter Eight - Liabilities details the Liabilities tab window.

Preferences

Preferences can be set or changed any time and any place in the application. In the Company tab window, click the Preferences button. Elsewhere in the program, access the Preferences dialogue by selecting Program (Program name, e.g., Aatrix Top Pay > Preferences... ) from the File menu at the top of the window.

Program preferences

Following is a description for each option in the Program Preferences window:

Currency symbol

Use this field to define the monetary symbol to print on checks. The program defaults to the standard "$" sign. To change the program default, tab to the Currency symbol field, delete the $ character, then enter the symbol you want.

Plural of currency name

Use this field to define the monetary unit to print on checks. The program defaults to Dollars. To change the program default, tab to the Plural of currency name field, delete the text, then enter the text you want.

Menu link to

Select the accounting program you are linking your payroll program to. If this option does not apply to you, or your accounting program is not listed in the pop-up menu, choose the None option.

If you choose an accounting program, its name will appear as a pull-down menu in your payroll program. For example, if you choose Intuit QuickBooks®, your payroll program will have a QuickBooks® menu listed.

Automatic backup

The program defaults to automatic backup. This means that whenever you print or edit a check, you are prompted to back up when you quit the program. There is always the possibility of hard disk failure or damage to your data due to a variety of causes. Therefore, always keep a backup of your data. If needed, refer to Backing up payroll data .

Support large employee lists

If selected, the Create Custom List dialogue will appear when opening the program that allows you to create a customized Master List on the spot.

In this dialogue, all employees are initially selected. To exclude an employee from the list, click the employee's name. Click the None button to exclude all employees, then you can select just those employees you want to appear on the list. Click Active Only to display only active employees. The Employee List pop-up menu will display your customized employee list as Modified Master List.

If the Support Large Employee Lists option remains marked in the Program Preferences, the Create Custom List dialogue will appear every time you launch the application until you unmark the checkbox.

Auto-create employee lists

By default, the program automatically creates an employee list for each of your different pay periods and your active and inactive (terminated) employees. These employee lists are saved to the Employee Files ƒ folder and are displayed in the Employee List pop-up menu. See Chapter 4, Employees for more on Employee Lists

Disable Payment History window on start up

If selected, the Payment History window will not appear upon program startup. You can, however, view the Payment History window at any time by selecting Utilities > Payment History.

Disable automatic Help display

If selected, the QuickHelp window will not automatically display the context-sensitive help window. To display the QuickHelp window, you can click the help icon located in the lower left-hand corner of each window.

Security preferences

In the Security preferences tab view, the Password sections are grayed out until you mark the Password protect this program checkbox.

It is highly recommended that you use password security to protect the integrity of your payroll data. Password protection is beneficial in protecting your payroll data from unauthorized use and alteration of data. The program offers two levels of password protection as well as password access to the Time Card application. This allows you to limit portions of the program to certain individuals. For example, you may not want some individuals to have the capability of editing your employee records and printing reports.

Passwords are case sensitive. This means if you set up the password(s) in capital letters here, you must use capital letters when entering your password to access the program. You will only be allowed to enter the program if you type in the correct password.

When you open the program and enter in your password, the letters of the password appear on the screen as bullets ( · ). This prevents anyone looking over your shoulder at the monitor from learning the password while you are typing.

Following is a description for each option in the above preference window:

Password protect this program

Select this option to set up passwords for accessing the program. Textboxes will appear allowing you to enter the Admin, User, and Time Card passwords. To turn off password protection, deselect this option.

Admin Password

Entering the Admin password at program startup allows the user to access and perform all the functions of the program.

User Password

Entering the User password at program startup allows the user to access selected functions only, such as editing checkforms and employee records. If users attempt to access a function that is not selected, they will be warned that they do not have security clearance for that function.

Time Card entry only

Entering the Time Card password at program startup takes the user directly to the Time Card application, allowing the user to enter punch in/out times.

The program requires you to set up all three passwords. If you don't need a User password or you aren't using Time Card, enter the same password in all three text boxes. If you want to change your password(s), open the Preferences window and select the Security tab to enter your new passwords.

Default password

If your password doesn't work, or the password dialogue appears and you never set up password protection, type in the default password, password, in lower case letters. Once you are in the program, set up your passwords in the Security Preferences dialogue or uncheck the Password protect this program box if you choose to not have any passwords set up.

If you can't open the Employees tab window and the Preferences command in the Edit menu is grayed out, enter your Admin password when you launch the program. If you did not password protect your program with an Admin password, enter the default password, password, in lower case letters. Once you are in the program, set up your passwords in the Security Preferences dialogue.

Time Card preferences

Following is a description for each option in the Time Card preferences dialogue.

Time format

The manner in which you plan to enter your employee's hours is set up with the Time Format options. The 12 Hour option uses the standard AM/PM format. The 24 Hour option uses a 0-23 hour format. The Minutes option uses the standard minute (0-59) format. The Hundredths option allows you to enter the fractions of hours in hundredth (e.g., 6:92).

Automatic Overtime Calculation

If you want the program to automatically calculate the overtime hours when you import time card hours into your payroll program, select the Automatic Overtime Calculation checkbox.

Work week begins on

Select from the pop-up menu the day of the week the program should start accumulating hours worked. For example, if your regular work week starts on Monday, select Monday from the pop-up menu.

Overtime hours

In the appropriate boxes, enter the number of hours your employees must work before they begin to earn overtime and double overtime. Then select the period of hourly calculation, either by day or week.

Saturday / Sunday / Holiday hours

Select the proper pay rate for weekend hours worked on Saturday, Sunday, and holidays, as either regular, overtime, or double overtime hours.

If you select overtime and/or double overtime for Saturday, Sunday, and/or Holiday hours, the program will override the number of hours you entered in the above text boxes.

Payroll preferences

Payroll preferences options are explained below.

Store payroll records by

All payroll data is saved by date. By default, the program stores the payroll data in the employee's Pay History records using the Paycheck date. If you want the program to store your payroll data using the pay period ending date, select the Pay Period ending date option.

Reports are generated using the date that the payroll checks were stored in Pay History.

Alternate default hours

If you want to change the default hours (e.g., 86.67) to a different number, select this option and enter the hourly number you want the program to default to. So instead of the standard hours like 86.67 for semi-monthly employees, the amount could be changed to 70. This number would be the default and it would automatically display in the employee's paysheet.

Default to employee hours from previous period

When this option is selected, the program will enter the hours you entered for your employees in the previous pay period into the current paysheet.

Make sure this option is not selected if you plan to import Time Card hours for processing payroll.

QuickCalc™ real time check calculation

When you are entering or changing values in an employee's paysheet, the program, by default, uses a real-time check calculating process called QuickCalc™. When the QuickCalc™ option is selected, the program automatically calculates the employee's deductions and contributions when an income value is changed.

If you deselect QuickCalc™, the program will not calculate the paycheck values until you click the Calculate button. The Calculate button is displayed only after deselecting the QuickCalc™ option.

Include tips in gross pay

Select this checkbox if you want to include your employee's tips in their gross pay.

Per item income sources

Extra Income items can be set to reflect Per Hour, Per Unit, or some other "per item" rate of income. You can name this third rate of income to fit your needs. When creating a New Extra Income item, use the Income Types pop-up menu to select the newly-created option.

Additional setup (optional)

Error Checking Setup

The Error Checking feature enables you to catch errors before recording your payroll into Pay History. For more information, please see Error checking .

Checkstock Watcher Setup

The Checkstock feature will warn you when the number of checks you have on hand is running low when you quit the payroll program. For more information, please see Checkstock Watcher .

Printing preferences

Following is a description for each option in the Printing preference window:

Precede/follow net pay amounts

These fields allow you to insert special characters onto your printed checks before and after both the numerical value of the check as well as the written text value on the check. This is an excellent feature to prevent anyone from writing extra dollar amounts, either numerically or with text, onto your checks.

The program defaults to asterisk characters. You can change the default setting by using your cursor to delete the current characters and entering the characters you want.

Language on check

The language option allows you to decide which language the text of the check should be printed in. English and French Canadian are the only options available at this time. If you would like to use other languages, please contact Aatrix Software, Inc. with your request.

Don't zero out negative value paychecks

Restaurateurs may find this option useful. Sometimes because of deduction amounts, an employee can have a negative net pay. If this happens, the program automatically makes the check amount $0. 00 and warns you. Select this option to turn off this warning and allow the program to write negative checks.

When printing queue, print __ checks per page

This option allows you to print a specified number of checks per page. Use this option for printing two, three, or four checks on a pre-printed laser check form. Your checkform template must correspond to the number of checks per page. Refer to Form Setup options .

Automatically print liability checks

Selecting this option will bring up the Print Liability Checks dialogue when you quit the payroll program. It allows you to print your liability checks. For details, refer to Printing liability checks.

Enable MICR check printing

You can print your checks on blank check stock using this optional MICR (magnetic ink character recognition) check printing feature. Just insert blank check stock and the MICR toner cartridge into your laser printer and print your checks complete with the MICR line at the bottom of the check. You no longer need separate check stock for each checking account.

When the checkbox is marked, the MICR Setup button is available. Please note that you will be prompted for the unlock code to proceed with the MICR setup. For information on purchasing the MICR kit, contact Aatrix Sales at (800) 426-0854. Instructions for setting up the MICR Check Printing feature are located in the Documentation folder on the CD-ROM.

Include commas in numbers over 999.99

Selecting this option will print commas in numbers larger than 999.99, making it easier to read large amounts. Keep in mind that government forms like the 941 and W2 require no commas in large numbers.

Reports Font

Use the pop-up to select the default printing font for reports.

Size

Use the pop-up to select the default printing font size for reports.

Printing to an Imagewriter

Select this option if you use the Imagewriter dot matrix printer. The program has a built-in mode it needs to switch to when printing to this type of printer.

Holiday Preferences

Following is a description for each option in the Holidays preference window:

Mark the checkbox next to the holidays observed

The dates for the ten "fixed" holidays default in for the current year, but they can be edited in the text field to the right of the appropriate holiday. To un-assign a holiday, click the checkbox to the left of the holiday.

Create Additional Paid Holidays

To add any additional holidays that are not displayed in the Holiday preferences window, click this button. In the Additional Paid Holidays dialogue, enter the text to print on the checkstubs and reports, the date (MM/DD/YY) and how many hours to pay for the holiday. Additionally, mark the checkbox next to the holidays that you want to activate.

Click the OK button to save the additional holidays or click the Cancel button to return to the Holiday Preferences window.

Automatically assign holiday hours

Marking this checkbox will automatically assign and pay the holiday pay for the pay period in which the holiday occurs.

Auto assign to salaried employees only

Mark this checkbox to assign the holiday pay to only those employees who have been set up as salaried.

Employees Preferences

The Employees preferences window is designed to help you quickly set up your employees by having the information entered in this window default into each new employee's setup window. For example, if the majority of your employees are from the same city, start at the same basic pay scale, and/or have similar tax filing status, you can enter default information into this dialogue. This can be changed as needed from the Employees tab window to suit individual employees as needed.