Managing & Processing Payroll

The process of creating a new payroll takes all of the existing pay data (rates, scheduled earrings, deductions, taxes and direct deposits) and brings that employee information forward as the default. A best practice is to make any known changes to employee records in advance of processing payroll to eliminate any unnecessary editing of payroll records. The system makes creating and managing payroll simple. To start processing payroll, select Payroll > Process Payroll from the Main Menu.

The first step is to select the appropriate payroll period to be processed.

This menu option allows you to view and access all of the payrolls on file, both scheduled and completed. When selected, the following screen is displayed.

After selecting a payroll by checking the box in the left column, you can use the icons to take further action.

  • The Payroll Prep Process icon takes you to the steps of the Payroll Prep Process.
  • The View/Edit Payroll icon opens the selected payroll for editing.
  • The View/Edit Employee Statements icon takes you to the Pay Statements for the payroll.
  • The View/Edit Batches View/Edit Batches icon allows you to view or edit payroll batches.
  • The Payroll Quick Links icon opens the payroll quick links.

If the Auto Create Payroll box was not selected when the Pay Period profile was created, or you are processing an unscheduled payroll, you can add a new payroll for processing by clicking the Add New button.

Adding a New Payroll

From the Process Payroll page, you can manually add a new payroll to the scheduled payrolls in the system by choosing the Add New option. The steps to create the new payroll are described below.

After clicking the Add New button, you can add a new payroll that has not been scheduled. After clicking the button, a window displays allowing you to select the appropriate Payroll Type from the drop-down menu. Descriptions of some standard Payroll Types are listed below.

  • Correction — This payroll type is used to make corrections to a previously finalized payroll. Usually there has been a mistake in the reporting of hours or processing the payroll and an updated Pay Statement is needed for the employee that contains the correct amount of earnings, taxes, and deductions. This ensures that the year-to-date values are accurate at the end of the year for W2 processing.
  • FUTA Credit Reduction — This payroll type allows Service Providers to create FUTA reconciliation payrolls that are required due to a FUTA rate change made after the first of the year. This feature is only available at the Service Provider Admin level and is never visible to end users/clients. Once this payroll is finalized, there will most likely be a variance due to the tax rate change. This variance can then be passed to the payroll tax software to impound funds as needed.
  • Historical — This payroll type allows loading of any prior payrolls prepared and finalized in previous or legacy payroll systems. If you are switching to the system mid-year and need to capture previous legacy payrolls that were finalized, and taxes paid in another system, this is the payroll type to use. Historical payrolls by default do not have the tax engine calculate any employee or employer amounts since typically the numbers need to remain the same since taxes and wages have been previously reported and/or paid. In the event you desire the tax engine to perform the calculations, you have the option to allow this by editing the Historical Pay Statement Type.
  • Note: It is important to note that any variances in the amounts would need to be reviewed to ensure that any tax reports and payments are adjusted or made to avoid any penalties and/or interest from tax jurisdictions. There is an option to create a Historical import to upload the information on a mass scale for multiple/all payrolls for the company at one time.
  • Reconciliation — This payroll type is used when there is any tax rate change at some point in the year and requires updating multiple employees and their previously finalized payrolls to reflect the correct taxes to ensure that the year to date numbers are accurate. This payroll type is similar to the FUTA Credit Reduction payroll type, but the Reconciliation payroll type allows you to update ANY tax rate change and is not limited only to FUTA. The Reconciliation payroll type will catch any type of variance in the tax amounts and will make the adjustment in either Federal Income Tax (FIT) or State Income Tax (SIT) producing only a zero net check.
  • There are options under Settings > Payroll Setup > Company Taxes that allow you to determine if you would like the system to behave differently when processing this type of payroll. A common best practice is to allow for no more than $0.05 variance and allow FIT to be adjusted first and followed by SIT. Typically, the Reconciliation Delta Pay Statement type should also be set to block all FIT and SIT so that they are not an adjustment on a reconciliation payroll. This is not done by default as SITs can be added to the company at any time and must be individually blocked.
  • Regular — This payroll type is used for every regular scheduled pay frequency payroll that is processed.
  • SPA Correction — This payroll type is only visible to the Service Provider Admin and is used to perform a correction payroll to a company’s previously finalized payroll when the purpose for the correction is the Service Provider’s responsibility versus the client’s responsibility. This type of correction payroll will not typically be a billable item to the client, but it is up to the Service Provider to make this determination.
  • Successorship — This payroll type is used to enter historical information when a client company has been acquired by another company. Typically, this type is only used once at the time of acquisition of the client company. This payroll is similar to a historical payroll in that the new owner can determine if they want to continue/track the prior company’s totals.
  • Supplemental — This payroll type is used to process an off-cycle or unscheduled payroll.
  • Void — This payroll type is used to void a previously finalized payroll. This option should only be used if the entire payroll needs to be reversed. Otherwise, you have the ability to void pay statements individually on most other payroll types.

For the example used below, a previously corrected and finalized payroll will be used. Select the Payroll Type that you would like to add.

Select the Correction option if you need to correct a previously finalized payroll due to a client error that is billable to the client. After selecting Correction, a window displays requiring you to enter the Adjustment As Of Date for the Correction payroll.

Enter the Pay Date of the payroll that you want to correct. For example, the payroll to be corrected is 10/01/2019. After entering the date, a screen displays requesting that you confirm where you would like the Correction payroll to be inserted.

The Payroll screen then displays, allowing you to enter the appropriate information for processing the correction payroll.

Click the Save button to establish the correction payroll for processing. After saving, the Correction payroll will now appear in the listing of all payrolls under Team > Payroll > Process Payroll

You may now proceed with payroll processing for the Correction payroll. First, key the payroll changes, after which the delta or variance is calculated to produce any payments for the difference.

By clicking the Payroll Prep Process icon next to a specific payroll, you are redirected to the Payroll Prep Process screen. After going to this screen, note that there is a listing of all functions related to processing payroll. The Payroll Prep Process screen is organized in such a manner that will easily walk you through the payroll processing steps in the correct order. It is important to note that based on a combination of security and the Business Process An organized flow of activities or tasks that achieves a business goal. An automated business process minimizes the amount of paperwork and manual tasks to complete that process by way of automatic actions, online forms, and automatically generated messages. Steps established in the company setup, the following steps may or may not appear to the user.

The steps that can be included in the Payroll Prep Process screen are:

  • Employee Related Functions
  • Initiate Payroll
  • Import Time (External)
  • Add/Edit Batches
  • Add/Edit Pay Statements
  • Sign-Off Open Alerts
  • Close/Open Payroll (Pre Process Payroll)
  • Check Your Totals
  • Run Accruals (if the Accruals module is enabled)
  • View Payroll
  • Submit Payroll
  • Finalize Payroll
  • Finalize & Deliver Payroll
  • Deliver Payroll

The following is an example of the Payroll Processing steps within the system. These are the most common steps performed and are organized in the logical processing sequence to assist the user. The options that appear in the Payroll Prep Process screen are driven by the Business Process functionality turned on at the Company level. Descriptions of these processes are described below.

This section provides you with two links to input employee data that was not previously entered before processing payroll. As stated at the beginning of this section, a best practice is to enter all employee master data updates and additions prior to initiating the payroll process. However, there are situations that cannot be avoided, and the system will support these unforeseen circumstances. This step serves as a reminder to enter all new hires or employee changes for this pay period. When this section is complete, check the box to acknowledge this step and mark it as complete. Once checked, it cannot be unchecked.

  • Hire New Employee(s) Hyperlink — The first option, Hire New Employee(s), allows for hiring new employees and the second option, Edit Employees, allows data to be edited for existing employees. These two options are hyperlinks that can be selected by the user to complete the employee data entry required for processing payroll. When you select the Hire New Employee(s) hyperlink, the employee new hire screen is displayed. Details surrounding completion of the employee new hire data can be found at Employee Maintenance section of this document.
  • Edit Employees Hyperlink — When you select the Edit Employees hyperlink, the screen for selecting an employee or employees for inputting or updating employee payroll information. Details surrounding completion of the employee new hire data can be found at Employee Maintenance section of this document.

Initiate Payroll is a tool that allows you to add multiple pay statements at one time. When you initiate payroll, the system creates pay statements for the selected employees and copies the appropriate company and employee level settings to those pay statements to apply to pay statement calculations. When you are initiating a payroll, the window shown below will open, asking if you want to initiate payroll and then provide assorted options related to initiating the payroll. These options should be reviewed and completed before the payroll is initiated. Descriptions of these fields are listed below.

  • All On Assigned Pay Period — This will initiate the creation of pay statements for all employees assigned to this pay period. Employees are assigned to a pay period on the first day of that period based on their pay period profile and their active status as of that day. Therefore, an employee who is terminated within the pay period will still be included in this payroll initiation so that they can receive their final pay statement.
  • All Active — This will initiate the creation of pay statements for all active employees on file regardless of whether they are assigned to this pay period profile or not.
  • All w/PSTs This Quarter — This will initiate the creation of pay statements for all employees that have had pay statements created within the current quarter regardless of the employee’s pay period.
  • Note: NOTE: The PST Type must be selected. A drop-down listing of all the active PST Types on file is provided and may be used alone or in combination with a filter. The PST Type link will allow you to jump to the PST Types screen to review, add or edit Pay Statement Types.
  • If payroll was initiated, you do not need to check any boxes.
  • If payroll was NOT initiated, and if there are Pay Periods attached to the Payroll, select All On Assigned Pay Period.
  • If payroll was NOT initiated, and there are NO Pay Periods attached, select All Active.

If none of the Create Types is applicable, a filter can be created to pull in desired employees by Adding a Filter. For example, a company might want to pay all employees on the Assigned Pay Period AND pay a bonus to a few employees who are not scheduled to be paid on this pay period. By adding a filter, the user can choose only the employees who will receive a bonus.

Select the +Add button to use Extra Filters and the following window is displayed.

If a filter has been previously created, and is active, it will be displayed in the Extra Filters section. The existing filters can be removed by selecting the Delete action from the ellipsis.

If you require a new filter for employees to be included in the payroll to be processed, select the +Add button. Extra Filters can be used in conjunction with, and independently of, the Types.

  • Block Base Comp. — This allows employee base compensation records to be included or excluded from the payroll processing. The available options are Yes and No.
  • Process – This allows you to choose how the payroll will process records. Choices are: Calculate None, Auto Records, No Taxes or Calculate All, which is the default setting. It is recommended that this setting be left as the default value unless instructed otherwise as this is only changed when doing special payroll adjustments/corrections .
  • Pay Stub Note — This allows entry of a one-time only note to be included for this payroll processing only on all of the employee pay statements. The note can be further edited or deleted on individual pay statements.

After all options have been reviewed and completed, select the Initiate button located at the bottom of the Initiate Payroll window to begin initiation of payroll. Upon successful completion, a checkmark with the number of pay statements created will appear.

Companies importing information from Excel or another external timekeeping system can import the data through the Import Time (External) step. The first step is to finalize time records for the pay period.

  • Third Party Time System — To import time from a third-party system, use Import Time (External).
  • Errors and Warnings -- On the Process Payroll page, errors (# Errors) and warnings (# Warnings) columns are displayed. If the Default view is utilized, the columns automatically populate. If a custom view is utilized, the columns can be added.
  • Clicking on the numbers in the # Errors and # Warnings columns will provide Pay Statement specific information.

After choosing View Payroll Batches under Import Time (External), the following page will display. From this page, you can manage, view, edit, and create new import batches. Descriptions of the available options of this page are listed below.

  • Open Batch For Edit — Click the Open Batch For Edit icon to open a batch for editing. When you click this icon, a Question window will open where can proceed without checking any options. If you click the Don’t Ask Again checkbox, this option will not display on future edits.
  • After clicking the OK button, you will be presented with the following page where you will process the open batch.
  • If you click the back arrow without closing the batch, the Open Batch For Edit icon changes, indicating it is still open (Continue Batch Edit). You can close the batch by checking the checkbox next to the open batch to select it and then choosing the Close Selected Batches button. After closing the batch, a confirmation window displays where you will confirm (OK) or Cancel the request.
  • Edit Payroll Batch – Click the Edit icon to open the window shown below and edit the batch.
  • View Detailed Records – Click the Search icon to view a report of the batch.
  • Import File – Click the Choose file icon to select a file for import.
  • The Import Template (Regular) or the Import Template (Columnar) hyperlinks can be used to download an Excel import template from your browser. These templates may be downloaded to your computer for use in configuring your import file. The templates contain instructions and notes to aide you.
  • Type link — Under the Type column, the batches appear with a hyperlink, and if you click the link name, the batch will open where you can edit and save settings.
  1. To create a new batch, click the New Batch button.
  2. A window opens where you can define the Batch Type, Name and Pay Period From and To dates for the new batch. If the Batch Type you want is not listed in the drop-down, you can click the hyperlink to create a new type, and then return to this window to proceed.
  3. Upon selecting Add, you are provided with options to further define the batch.
  4. After clicking OK, you can edit, manage, save and update the batch for the payroll process.
    • To delete a batch, click the checkbox to select one or more batches and click Delete Selected Batches. A confirmation window will open for you to confirm or cancel the request, and the system then redirects you to the Payroll Prep Process screen.
    • To close a batch, click the checkbox to select one or more batches and click the Close Selected Batches button.
    • Use the Payroll Quick Links button to access other payroll options, as needed.
    • Click the View Batch Types button to view the currently configured Types that are used for creating batches. From this page, you can create or edit new Types.
  5. Manual Time Entry — If you only need the ability to manually key in employee time and/or earnings amounts, you will skip both of the above steps when processing payroll.

From the Payroll Prep Process screen there are two ways that data can be edited when processing payroll:

  • Add/Edit Batch
  • Add/Edit Pay Statements

Most users will use one method or the other as a preference based on their company needs. In general, for more complex data entry such as having many labor overrides, some users find Pay Statement entry to be easier.

By clicking View/Edit BatchesView/Edit Batches , you will be redirected to the Payroll Batches screen where you can open your batch and complete data entry.

To open a batch for edit, click the Open Batch for Edit icon. A question box pop-up is displayed asking if you would like to allow multiple users to edit this batch. Select your option(s), and then select OK.

  • If the batch is closed, the batch Status will be listed as Closed. If edits are necessary, you will need to re-open the batch (Open Batch for Edit ). If you did not use the Initiate Payroll feature, you will not have any pre-populated rows within the batch entry screen.
  • If the batch is open, the batch Status will be listed as Open.

After clicking the Open Batch for Edit icon to edit a batch, a question box appears, with the following checkboxes:

  • Allow Concurrent Edits by Multiple Users — This box is usually selected to allow multiple users to have access to edit/make changes, save data entry, and close the batch. When this box is checked, the Pay Statement may be edited directly from the batch.
  • If this box is not checked, only the user who opened the batch will have access to make changes in the batch and save. If a user attempts to view and edit the Pay Statement from the batch, a warning message will appear at the top of the screen.
  • Show Records for Other Batches — If you have multiple batches select this checkbox so the records from all batches will become visible. In this case, the records from the other batch will be visible, but not editable.
  • Don't Ask Again — The Question box no longer appears.

On the Batch Edit screen, you have the ability to select the columns you need for data entry. For example, you can add a column for Overtime Hours, Bonus Amount, etc. There are many available columns within the Batch Edit to assist with the input of your payroll data.

If you add adjustments to prior Pay Periods, you must also select the Pay Period on the row containing the adjustment amount. From the Batch Edit screen, click on Select Columns and add the Pay Period column. You can move the Pay Period column to the desired location relative to other columns in the screen.

Click on the Pay Period field within the adjustment row to display a search icon. You can then click on the Search icon to display a pop-up from which you can choose the Pay Period associated with the adjustment. Pay Periods are sorted in chronological order, with the most recent pay periods occurring first.

After performing data entry, you have two options.

  • If you are not yet finished entering the data and need to revisit the batch later, select the Save button. This will save the data in the batch but will not update the information for others to view or recalculate the Pay Statements at this time.
  • Alternatively, you can select the Save & Update Payroll button. This selection will save the data in the batch and recalculate any Pay Statements that have been edited. Once you click Save & Update Payroll, the system will generate a warning message: You are about to save batch edits to payroll. This operation cannot be undone! Do you want to continue? You can select the OK button to continue or select the Cancel button to cancel the action to Save & Update Payroll.

Anything that is entered into the batch will automatically flow into the Pay Statement when you click the Save & Update Payroll button within the batch screen.

When editing the batch, there is a Batch Type column with three different types: Master, Auto and Manual. The Master Type is directly linked to the Pay Statement and contains default information such as the employee’s default Cost Center and Base Rate of pay. The Auto Type will contain rows with any Scheduled earnings or deductions. The Manual Type indicates that the user added a row for manual data input, or they clicked the Add Rows button.

After you have completed all data entry and have saved the batch and updated payroll, you must click the Close Batch button to continue with the Payroll Process. The Close Batch selection will close down the batch and not allow editing of the information you have entered, which allows you to proceed with payroll processing. Once again, you will receive a warning message "You are about to close batch editing. Do you want to continue?" Select OK.

On this same screen, you also have the option to create a new batch if necessary. For example, you may want to create a separate batch for bonus or commission payments.

To start a new batch, select the New Batch button. The system will present a series of questions related to the new batch. The first questions are related to type of batch, batch name and time period covered for the batch.

The final set of questions allows you, if needed, to establish a filter for the employees to include in the batch, determine which Pay Statement Type is to be used for Payroll Processing and assign override Cost Center options.

After the questions are answered, select the OK button to initiate the creation of the batch. After creating the batch, you are ready to enter data into the batch.

If you need additional rows added to the batch, click the Add Rows button.

Conversely, if you need to delete a row from the batch, click the Delete Rows button.

You can also access Payroll Utilities by clicking the Utilities button located at the top of the screen. When selected, the following selections will appear on the screen allowing you to select further options.

  • Options — Selecting the Options button from the Utilities window allows you to access the following options.
  • Allow Concurrent Edit By Multiple Users — This option allows you to open the batch for editing by multiple users. If this option is not checked, only the user who opened the batch will have access to make changes in the batch, save, and close the batch.
  • Do Not Ask Again — This option allows you to check the box so above question is not asked again. If you did not check this box when first initiating payroll, selecting Options allows you to check the box if needed.
  • Delete Empty Rows — Selecting the Delete Empty Rows button from the Utilities window allows you to delete all empty records contained in the batch. This option will clean up any unused rows from your view and condense the records for easier auditing. Alternatively, selecting Close Batch will accomplish the same result.
  • Regenerate — Selecting the Re-Generate button from the Utilities window allows you to regenerate the batch records if needed.
  • If the batch has not been saved and updated prior to running Regenerate, you will lose all data / overrides entered into the batch.
  • If the batch has been saved and updated prior to running Regenerate, you will not lose any data / overrides entered into the batch. The system will just close and reopen the batch.

As noted above in Add/Edit Batches, there are two ways that data can be edited when processing payroll – either by Add/Edit Batches and/or Add/Edit Pay Statements. Most users will use one over the other as a preference based on their company needs. In general, for more complex data entry such as multiple labor overrides, users will find Pay Statement entry to be easier.

This is done under Team > Payroll > Process Payroll > View/Edit Employee Statements (Pay Statements) and/or from Add/Edit Pay Statements (View Pay Statements) in the Payroll Prep Process. The primary difference between editing Batches and Pay Statements is the organization of the information on the screen. Batches show information across employees and Pay Statements. The Pay Statement screen shows all of the information for a single Pay Statement at a time.

After selecting Add/Edit Pay Statements (View Pay Statements), you can add a new Pay Statement, Edit, Preview and Delete Pay Statements contained in the batch. You can also move directly to the individual employee information screen if needed.

You may use the following items for the selected employee to Edit, Preview, Delete or Edit employee information.

  • Use the View/Edit Pay Statement icon to edit the Pay Statement for the selected employee.
  • Use the Preview Pay Statement icon to preview the Pay Statement for the selected employee.
  • Use the X icon to Delete the Pay Statement for the selected employee.
  • Use the Employee Information icon to access the selected employee’s Employee Information screen.
  • Click the hyperlink in the Type column to View or Edit the Pay Statement Type listed for the employee.

Note: In a payroll with multiple Pay Statements including a Void Pay Statement Type, the Void Pay Statement should be processed first. Alternatively, the Void Pay Statement can be run in a separate Void payroll.

To view the detail for an employee’s Pay Statement, select the Edit icon to view or edit any employee pay statement.

On the View/Edit Pay Statement screen, you have the ability to edit the employee Pay Statement if needed.

  • You can add one or more rows to the Pay Statement by clicking Add Rows.
  • Similar to the Batch Edit screen in the previous step, you can enter data manually that will appear on the Pay Statement.
  • You can Add Columns for the entry of Cost Center Overrides, Shifts, etc.

By clicking the Utilities button, the options shown below give you many options to manage a single employee.

  • Reset Automatic Lines – This option allows you to reset Blocked or Overridden values.
  • Options — Selecting the Options button from the Utilities window allows you to access options to be applied to this pay statement for the employee if needed.
  • Tax Overrides — Selecting the Tax Overrides button from the Utilities window allows you to enter overrides to the Pay Statement.
  • Tax Overrides (Advanced) — Selecting the Tax Overrides(Advanced) button from the Utilities window allows you to enter tax overrides to the Pay Statement on a detailed level.
  • Add Selected Earnings/Deductions — Selecting the Add Scheduled Earnings/Deductions button from the Utilities window allows you to add additional earnings and/or deductions to the Pay Statement for the employee.
  • Payroll Alerts — Selecting the Payroll Alerts button from the Utilities pop-up allows you to view any Payroll Alerts related to the employee.
  • Preview — Selecting the Preview button from the Utilities window allows you to preview the earnings statement for the employee.
  • Labor Allocation — Selecting the Labor Allocation button from the Utilities window allows you to review the detailed Labor Distribution for this Pay Statement for the employee.
  • General Ledger — Selecting the General Ledger button from the Utilities window allows you to preview the General Ledger entries associated with this Pay Statement for the employee.
  • Close Pay Statement – Selecting the Close Pay Statement button from the Utilities window opens a confirmation window where you can close the Pay Statement for the affected employee.
  • Employee Information — Selecting the Employee Information button from the Utilities window takes you to the Employee Profile informationto make any necessary updates to the employee.
  • If multiple employees are selected, the Utilities options will change to represent mass options, as shown below in the example.

Options on the screen are available for you to control the view of the Pay Statements that appear on the screen. These options are listed below.

View Selected — Once you have selected the checkboxes for the desired Pay Statements, click the View Selected button. You can then navigate between employee pay statements by clicking the arrows.

Clicking on the back arrow button takes you back to the Pay Statement previously viewed and clicking on the next arrow button takes you to the next employee Pay Statement.

  • New Pay Statement — You can also create a new pay statement by selecting the New Pay Statement button. You can create a new pay statement for a Single Employee or Multiple Employees based on the Add For selection chosen from the drop-down list.
  • Single Employee — If you want to choose a single employee, you can use the drop-down arrow for the list of employees or click the Employees icon to bring up the list.
  • Multiple Employees — If you want to create Pay Statements for multiple employees, select Multiple Employees in the Add For drop-down list and select the Employees icon. This opens an Employee Filter for you to select the employees you want to add.
  • Select the appropriate employees and click the Add Selected button. Once you are finished selecting the employees, click the Use Filter button.
  • Use the drop-down list to select the appropriate Pay Statement Type. Once you select OK, the pay statements are created. You have the option of returning to the batch edit screen to enter data for the new pay statements, or you can choose to remain in the Add/ Edit Pay Statement area to enter the data.

The next step in the Payroll Process is to view and sign off on any Payroll Alerts. This is done under Team > Payroll > Process Payroll in the Payroll Prep Process by clicking the View Unresolved Alerts link in Sign-Off Open Alerts. If there are no Payroll Alerts associated with a Payroll, the system will display a message explaining There are NO unresolved payroll alert(s).

To sign off an Open Alert:

  1. Click the View Unresolved Alerts hyperlink in Sign-Off Open Alerts.
  2. Review the Payroll Alerts and make any necessary changes or updates. After completing the Payroll Alert review, mark each Payroll Alert complete by putting a check mark next to the alert. Select the Mark As Completed button.
  3. Select the Yes button to the warning that displays to continue. As Payroll Alerts are signed off/resolved, the system will store a time and date stamp tied to the user account for auditing purposes. In addition, a green checkmark with a message letting you know the alert has been marked as completed will appear.

The next step is to check your totals. This is done from the Payroll Prep Process (Team > Payroll > Process Payroll) by clicking the View Payroll Totals under Check Your Totals. A screen displays with summary totals related to the Payroll that is in process.

To view the details of the totals shown, click the View Pay Statements icon next to each summary.

The next step in the Payroll Process is to close the payroll from the Payroll Prep Process by clicking the Close Payroll button under the Close/Open Payroll step.

After selecting Close Payroll, the system generates a Question box asking you if you would like to close the payroll.

Select Yes to close the payroll. Once the payroll is closed, the Payroll Prep Process screen displays a message indicating that the Payroll Is Processed and Closed.

There is a hyperlink available to Re-Open the payroll, if necessary, to correct the data. When this option is selected, a Question box appears that requires a response to one of the following:

  • Open All Pay Statements — Defaults as checked to open all pay statements.
  • Rollback Check Numbers — Select this box if the check numbers should be rolled back and reused.

When processing Close Payroll, all zero PSTs (Empty Pay Statements) that match ALL of the following criteria are automatically deleted by the system.

  • Net Pay Statement = 0
  • Each Individual Earning Net = 0
  • Each Individual Deduction Net = 0
  • Each Individual Tax Net = 0
  • Each Individual Tax Gross Wages = 0
  • Each individual Tax Gross Subject Wages = 0
  • Each Individual Tax Subject Wages = 0
  • No arrearages exist

After processing Close Payroll, the deleted Empty Pay Statements are counted and displayed on the screen.

If you click Clear Messages, the screen will eliminate some of the display items.

If you have the optional Accruals module enabled in your system, you can update accruals from the Payroll Prep Process.

To run accruals, do the following:

  1. Click the Execute Accruals hyperlink. A message displays allowing you to confirm the action.
  2. If you are ready to execute accruals, click the OK button to proceed.

When you return to the Payroll Prep Process screen, a message displays indicating the number of employees that are up to date with each accrual type. If there are any employees requiring attention, they will be indicated with the Alert symbol and a hyperlink. Click the hyperlink to open a screen where you can view the Pay Period Profile and Accrual Profile assigned to the employee. Make any needed adjustments and re-run the Accruals process until the alerts are cleared.

You can view reports associated with the payroll directly from the Payroll Prep Process screen by selecting the hyperlink associated with the available report. The available reports are listed in the View Payroll section.

For additional information on reports, please see Reports, Charts, Dashboards.

Once the Payroll Reports have been reviewed and you are satisfied with the payroll results, the final step is to complete the Payroll Processing. Typically, you are presented with only one of the three options described below based on how your company is configured. The options will only be available as a step in the Payroll Prep Process under Team > Payroll > Process Payroll after the Payroll is closed.

This option will complete the payroll processing activities by locking down the payroll and submitting the payroll to the service provider to complete processing. The remaining steps to Finalize and Deliver the Payroll Processing output can be completed by you or your Service Provider.

  1. Select the Submit Payroll link to submit the payroll. This step locks down the payroll and allows the payroll to be finalized. A confirmation box appears for you to confirm the submission.
  2. Click the Yes button to continue with the payroll submission. After payroll is submitted, you will see the a message displayed on the screen.

This option will complete the payroll processing activities by locking down the payroll at the company level and finalizing the payroll. You or your Service Provider can then need to take the final step to deliver the payroll processing output.

  1. Select the Finalize Payroll link and the system will begin the process of finalizing the payroll and creating the final Pay Statements and reports for delivery with the payroll. A confirmation box displays to confirm that the payroll should be finalized.
  2. Click the Yes button to continue with the payroll finalization. After payroll is finalized, a message displays with the date and time the payroll was finalized.

This option will complete the payroll processing activities by locking down the payroll, finalizing the payroll and delivering the payroll processing output.

  1. Select the Finalize & Deliver Payroll link and the system will begin the process of finalizing the payroll, creating the final Pay Statements and reports, and delivery of the payroll processing output. A confirmation box displays to confirm that the payroll should be finalized and delivered.
  2. Click the Yes button to continue with finalizing and delivering payroll. After payroll finalization and delivery is complete, a message displays with the date and time the payroll was finalized (and delivered).

In addition to the standard Payroll Prep Process Steps, the following additional steps may also be available to enable:

  • Payment Warehouse Direct – This provides options for the Payment Warehouse, where the money movement step in the payroll process occurs if you do not use a Service Provider. This involves files such as the ACH and Tax files.
  • Tax File Creation (MasterTax) – This provides access to create tax files if you are using MasterTax for tax filing purposes.
  • User Defined – Here you can define additional custom steps for your Payroll Prep Process.

To ensure that you have the options necessary to submit and finalize payroll, you must have these process steps enabled within your company.

To activate the appropriate options:

  1. As the System Administrator, navigate to Maintenance > Companies > All System Companies. Click the Edit Company icon for your company.
  2. If the Business Process Steps is not available, click the Edit Tabs icon/link, add the widget and click Save.
  3. In the Business Process Steps window, check the needed option(s) for submitting and finalizing payrolls.
  4. Click Save. Sign out and sign back in to your company to refresh and activate the options, or sign in using the Login as SA link.