How To Use Connectnow Accounting

Transcription

1 Church Accounting USER GUIDE Payroll

2 2 ConnectNow Church Accounting: Payroll User Guide Pub 117, May Victors Way Suite 200 Ann Arbor, MI Web: Phone: (734) main (866) support Fax: (734) ParishSOFT LLC, all rights reserved. ParishSOFT grants licensed users the right to unlimited duplication of this publication for internal use. PUB MAY

3 CONTENTS Introduction... 7 Introduction to ConnectNow Payroll... 8 Reporting... 8 Hosting... 8 Data Conversions... 8 Functionality and Privileges... 8 System Requirements... 9 User Checklist... 9 About This Manual... 9 Training... 9 Support Open Your Secure Payroll Website Log In Log Out Change Your Password Navigation Basic Setup Complete Initial Payroll Setup Enter Employer Information Field Descriptions for the Employer Information Screen General Information Tax IDs ACH Info Contact Info Set Up Pay Groups Recommendations for Pay Groups Field Descriptions for the Pay Group Information Screen Manage Pay Groups Edit a Pay Group Delete a Pay Group Enter Pay Items Field Descriptions for the Pay Item Information Screen Manage Pay Items Edit a Pay Item Delete a Pay Item Manage Deductions and Benefits Field Descriptions for the Deduction/Benefit Screen Manage Deductions and Benefits Edit a Deduction or Benefit Delete a Deduction or Benefit Enter Account Distributions Copy Account Distributions Edit Account Distributions Set Up Payroll Check Layout Pop-Up Blocker Employee Entry Enter Employee Information Employee General Tab ConnectNow Church Accounting: Payroll User Guide

4 4 Employment/Custom Tab Tax Data Tab Pay Data Tab Multi-Account Distribution for Pay Data Delete a Pay Data Line Item Add More Pay Data Lines to Form Deductions/Benefits Tab Accums Tab Personal Tab If Employee earns Personal Time each Pay Period If Employee earns Personal Time as a Lump Sum amount at the beginning of the year 43 Direct Deposit Tab Add a Direct Deposit Line Item Add More Lines Delete a Direct Deposit Line Item Paychecks Tab Process Payroll Process Payroll Payroll Overview Payroll Progress Indicator Editing an Existing Payroll Step #1 Setup Payroll Requirement for Closed Payroll Step #2 Select Employees Step #3 Edit Timecards Reset a Timecard Delete Pay Items from a Timecard Delete a Timecard Step #4 Calculate Fixing Errors Recalculate Select Employees Step #5 Review Step #6 Edit Paychecks Edit a Benefit or Deduction Item Calculate Overrides Edit Paychecks Edit Wages Delete a Paycheck Void a Paycheck Step #7 Print Checks Manage Check Numbers Step #8 ACH File Print ACH Receipts Step #9 Close Payroll Optional Setup Start-Up Employee Totals Enter Start-Up Employee Gross Wages Enter Start-Up Deductions/Benefits Job Category Personal Time Setup Personal Time Record Personal Time If Employee earns Personal Time each Pay Period If Employee earns Personal Time as a Lump Sum amount at the beginning of the year 72

5 Delete a Personal Time Line Item Record Personal Time End of Year Personal Time Processing Clear out all activity and retain available time as new earned Completely clear all used and earned activity. Zero available Clear out activity and apply a fixed number of hours as new hours available Retain all activity but adjust available time to a fixed number of hours as the new available time PreNote Employees Local Tax Setup End of Year Reporting W-2/W Employer ParishSOFT Responsibilities W-2 Setup Box 10 Dependent Care Box 11 Non-Qualified Plans Box (b), Taxable Life Insurance, or other codes Box 14 Allowances Reprocess/Edit Employee s W-2 Information W-2 Boxes where is the information located in ConnectNow Payroll? W-2 Boxes where is the information located in ConnectNow Payroll? Print W-2 Review Print W-2 s/w-3 s W-2/W-3 Examples W-2 Copy A, 2-Up Blank Paper (Employer s Social Security Administration Copy) W-2 Copy D, 2-Up Blank Paper (Employer s Copy) W-2 Copy 1, 2-Up Blank Paper (Employer s State, City, Local Copy) W-2 Employee Copies B&C, 4-Up Blank Paper (Employee s Copy) W-2 2-Up Pre-Printed (Printed on preprinted forms found at 92 W-3 Blank Paper W-3 Preprinted (Printed on preprinted forms found at 94 W-2 Electronic Filing Reports Reports Paycycle Employee End of Period Federal State and Local Report Options Date Selections Paygroup Selections Employee Selections Sort Options Report Format Report Sub-Title Memorized Report Groups Memorize a Report Group Print a Memorized Report Group Exporting Reports Print ConnectNow Church Accounting: Payroll User Guide

6 6 Set Employer Information Print Administrator Tasks Manage Users Reset a User s Password Permissions Audit Index

7 INTRODUCTION 7

8 8 Introduction to ConnectNow Payroll ParishSOFT s ConnectNow Payroll brings you a powerful, fully featured payroll system with the freedom of anytime, anywhere access all delivered in an easy-to-use interface. An online application, Payroll is designed especially for churches and schools, so staff even the non-experts can manage payroll, deductions, benefits, special clergy allowances, and personal time with confidence. Fully integrated with our ConnectNow Ledger and Payables program, all Payroll processing is automatically tracked in your general ledger, so there s no need for duplicate data entry or special imports. And because Payroll is Web-based, ParishSOFT maintains current state and federal tax tables for you, so you can rest assured that your Payroll system will always be updated with the most current rates. The ConnectNow family of Church Accounting modules includes: Ledger and Payables and Payroll, with Accounts Receivable, Fixed Assets, and Purchase Orders coming soon. Reporting Payroll offers full reporting on historical data for all prior years, so you can quickly access the records you need at any time. You can even work in next year s file without having to close the prior year. Hosting ConnectNow Church Accounting programs and databases are hosted by ParishSOFT, so you ll never need to update your software. ParishSOFT automatically updates your system; backs up your data; and provides Web-based access, advanced encryption, and a state-of-the-art data center that ensures your records are safe and secure but always available to your authorized users. Data Conversions Most churches that use ConnectNow Church Accounting choose to have ParishSOFT convert their old accounting data so that they can get started right away without rekeying any old records. If your church still needs data conversion, please contact our team of experts at support@parishsoft.com or x2. Functionality and Privileges Because this guide covers functionality for both standalone church accounting systems and those hosted by parent organizations, some of the options illustrated may not be available to you. Login-based system privilege settings may also render certain functions unavailable to your user account. The Payroll system provides two different system privilege levels: Church Administrator and Church User. Only users with the Church Administrator privilege can do the following: View options in the Church Manager tab this tab is hidden to Church Users Manage Payroll system user accounts. Create a payroll with a date that is prior to the current accounting month.

9 EMPLOYEE ENTRY Administrators may grant staff with the Church User permission level access to all other functionality in the Payroll system. For more information, see Manage Users of the Payroll System, page 110, and Permissions, page 112. If you find that some of the functionality illustrated in this guide or otherwise available in the system is not available to you, please contact your organization s ConnectNow Church Accounting administrator to discuss your system privileges. System Requirements Internet Connection Firefox 3.6 or above for Mac/PC users or Internet Explorer 8 or above for PC users Acrobat Reader X or above Cookies and Java Script must be enabled on your PC Pop-ups must be allowed for the ConnectNow Church Accounting site User Checklist Before you can log in to your secure Payroll website, the ConnectNow Ledger and Payables system must be set up and functional. In addition, you will need the following to set up payroll or to access your payroll records: fund/department allocations, deductions, special clergy benefits, check layout and printing, and more. The Payroll system provides informative messages and mouseover tips (i.e., tips that display when you position your mouse pointer over a particular field or other screen area) based on your user activity. The examples shown in this document use demonstration data and do not represent the actual records of any person or organization. Training ParishSOFT also offers classes in two convenient formats: teletraining or inperson. Each class is taught by an experienced ParishSOFT instructor and conducted in a hands-on format that is designed to help you get comfortable with the Ledger and Payables software quickly. 9 Your church s secure web address A valid login (i.e., Username and Password) About This Manual This guide documents the features and functionality of the Payroll application using simple, task-based examples to illustrate how to use the tools to manage efficiently your employee records, pay groups, ConnectNow Church Accounting: Payroll User Guide

10 10 Support Convenient support links, located on your main Payroll dashboard, make it easy to contact support, open the user guide or online help tools, or review release notes. For customer support, please contact us via phone or , or use our online tools. Toll Free: Web: x2

11 EMPLOYEE ENTRY Open Your Secure Payroll Website Your ConnectNow Ledger and Payables application is available from any web browser to users with valid login credentials. Complete the following steps to access the application: Log In 1. Open your web browser application (e.g., Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, etc.). 2. Enter your secure Ledger and Payables http address in your browser s address line. 3. Add the website to your list of frequently visited sites. Firefox users can click Bookmarks > Bookmark this Page; Internet Explorer users can click Favorites > Add to Favorites. Enter the login credentials (Username and Password) provided by your organization s ConnectNow Accounting Church Administrator, and click the Submit button. Log Out To protect your sensitive employee and payroll records, log out of the Payroll website when you are finished working in the system or if you need to leave your computer unattended. The Logout button is located in the upperright corner of your Ledger and Payables browser window. Simply click it to sign out of the system. Change Your Password You can change your own password by accessing your personal user profile. 1. Click on your user name in the upper-right corner of your screen. Your personal user profile will open. 2. Enter your Current Password, New Password, Confirm the New Password Click Change Password and Submit. Your password is now changed. ConnectNow Church Accounting: Payroll User Guide

12 12 Navigation A valid login will take you to the ConnectNow Church Accounting page. Payroll setup and processing functions are available from the Payroll tab. Additional tabs for other ConnectNow Church Accounting products may also be available to you depending on which modules your church has licensed and the system privileges allowed for your login. The upper right of the screen shows your login information, parent organization, and church name. Navigation icons for Payroll Process, Employees, Setup, and Reports are available on the upper-left side of the screen and provide fast, easy access for staff who manage your payroll. Below the icons is the current dashboard view of your payroll. The upper-left side of the dashboard shows real-time summary data from your last payroll, account details for your current payroll, and tax form reminders. The dashboard also links you to the Next Step needed for your current pay cycle processing. The graph in the lower-left shows the last 12 months of gross wages. Your complete list of Employees displays on the right. Employee names and addresses are linked, so you can make fast updates to employee information or send a quick . Click with your mouse to navigate to any area of the Payroll program.

13 13 BASIC SETUP

14 14 Complete Initial Payroll Setup The process in the flowchart on this page illustrates the basic initial setup that new users will need to complete before they begin using the ConnectNow Payroll system. Note that your ConnectNow Ledger and Payables system must be set up prior to processing payroll. Begin Payroll Setup For instructions on completing each of the setup items, please see the pages referenced for each task in the following list. 1. Enter Employer Information, page Set Up Pay Groups, page Enter Pay Items, page Manage Deductions and Benefits, page Enter Account Distributions, page Set Up Payroll Check Layout, page Enter Employee Information, page Prenote Employees for Direct Deposit, page 75. Instructions for Processing Payroll begin on page 48. Is Ledger & Payables Setup Complete? No Set up ConnectNow Ledger and Payables System Yes Enter Employer Information Set Up Pay Groups Enter Pay Items Run Payroll Cycles Manage Deductions/Benefits Enter Account Distributions Select Employees, Edit Timecards, Calculate, Review/Edit, Print Checks, Submit ACH File Set Up Payroll Check Layout Close Payroll Enter Employee Information Reports Prenote Employees for Direct Deposit End Payroll Setup Process Payroll

15 EMPLOYEE ENTRY Enter Employer Information 15 Use the Employer Information screen to set up your general church information; your federal, state and local tax IDs; and your ACH (Automated Clearinghouse) information for direct deposit processing. 1. Click the Setup button. 2. Click Employer Info. 3. Enter your church s General information, including the full name of your church, address, and phone. 4. Enter the Tax ID numbers for Federal, State, and Local withholding. The system provides four State and four Local tax ID fields. 5. If paying your employees by Direct Deposit, enter the ACH Information required for processing your direct deposits. Field descriptions are provided on page Enter the primary Payroll user s Contact information. 7. Click Submit to save your entry and proceed to Set Up Pay Groups, page 17. ConnectNow Church Accounting: Payroll User Guide

16 16 Field Descriptions for the Employer Information Screen General Information Employer Name Enter the name of the church or other organization issuing payroll, up to 30 characters as it should appear on your checks, 941 and W-2 s. Address and Address 2 Enter the address of your organization as it should appear on your checks, 941 and W- 2 s, up to 30 characters per address line. City, State, ZIP Code, Phone Enter the city (up to 30 characters), state, ZIP Code, and phone number of the organization. The address entered here will display on your printed paychecks, 941 and W-2 s the phone number will not display on checks. Tax IDs Federal Tax ID Enter the Federal Tax ID number for your organization. State 1 State 4 Enter the two digit state abbreviation and state tax ID number for your organization. If you pay employees who reside in multiple states, enter up to four state abbreviations and tax ID numbers. Local 1 Local 4 Enter the local tax abbreviation and local tax ID number for your organization. If your area has more than one local tax, enter up to four local tax abbreviations and local tax ID numbers. ACH Info The fields for ACH Information must be completed in order to process direct deposits. ACH files may be uploaded directly to your Church s bank or may be provided to a third party ACH service. ConnectNow Payroll can accommodate both methods of Direct Deposit. If you are unsure of the data you should enter in these fields, contact your ACH service provider for more information. Immediate Destination Nine-digit routing number of the receiving point to which the file is being sent. This is typically the applicable Federal Reserve routing number. Immediate Origin Nine-digit routing number of the sending point of the file. This is typically your bank s routing number. Immediate Destination Name Name of the receiving point for which the file is destined. This is typically your bank s name. Immediate Origin Name Name of the sending point of the file. This is typically your church s name. Originating DFI Identification Eight-digit routing number to the Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) originating entries. This is typically your bank s routing number minus the last digit. Account Number Your church s bank account number. Batch Number Assigned automatically and sequentially by the system for each ACH file submission. The number in this field indicates the total number of batches assigned by the system. Contact Info Enter the Contact Name, Phone, Fax and for the primary Payroll user in your Organization.

17 EMPLOYEE ENTRY Set Up Pay Groups Use the Pay Groups screen to define pay periods for groups of employees paid at the same frequency as specified in the Pay Periods Per Year field. You can set up pay groups to match pay frequency (Monthly Salary, Monthly Hourly, Semi-Monthly, Weekly, etc.), staff title (Day Care, Pastor, Office Staff, Teachers, etc.) or whatever else makes sense for your organization. Once you have Pay Groups set up, you can process payroll by Pay Group. 1. Click the Setup button and select Pay Group. Recommendations for Pay Groups Use separate pay groups for employees paid from different bank accounts. If you process payroll for teachers who are paid only for part of the year (e.g., Sept June), we recommend setting up a separate pay group then changing your payroll processing during the summer break is as easy as not selecting the Teachers pay group Click New Pay Group (located above and left of the Pay Group Information fields). 3. Enter the Pay Group Number. 4. Enter the Description of the Pay Group. 5. Enter the number of Pay Periods Per Year. ConnectNow Payroll uses the Pay Periods Per Year field to annualize the gross pay, deductions and benefits for each employee and use the Federal and State Annual Tax tables to determine applicable taxes; then de-annualize the amounts for the current payroll. 6. Click Submit to save your entry. You can now assign employees to the new Pay Group from the Employee Information > Pay Data screen. ConnectNow Church Accounting: Payroll User Guide

18 18 Field Descriptions for the Pay Group Information Screen Pay Group Number Enter the unique ID number for your pay group, up to 30 characters. The system will sort your list of Pay Groups by ID number in the Quick Find list. Once you save your new Pay Group, this field cannot be edited. Description Enter the description of your pay group, up to 30 characters (e.g., Monthly Salary, Monthly Hourly, Semi-Monthly, Special). Pay Periods Per Year Enter the number of times payroll will be processed for this pay group during a oneyear period. Delete a Pay Group Pay Groups that are not assigned to employees can be deleted from the system. If a user tries to delete a Pay Group that is in use, the system will provide the error message shown below, along with a list of the employees who belong to the Pay Group. You can then remove the employee(s) and delete the pay group. To delete a Pay Group, view the details on the Pay Group Information screen and click the Delete button. Manage Pay Groups Use the Quick Find to view the details of any Pay Group in your system. 1. Click the Lookup button. 2. Select the Pay Group from the list. 3. Click Find Item. Edit a Pay Group The Pay Group Information will display. You may edit the Description or Pay Periods Per Year for any Pay Group in the system just make a change and click Submit. Note the Pay Group Number cannot be changed.

19 EMPLOYEE ENTRY Enter Pay Items Use the Pay Item screen to define the things that might be included in an employee s pay (e.g., salary, housing allowance, mileage, and any reimbursements, etc.). The Pay Item Description(s) is printed on the employee s paycheck stub. 1. Click the Setup button and click Pay Item. 2. Click New Pay Item (located above and left of the Pay Item Information fields). 3. Enter the item s Description as you would like it to appear on employee paycheck stub. 4. Choose the Pay Item Type of Taxable, Non-Taxable or Clergy. Taxable Pay Item Types would include lay employee Salary items. Non-Taxable Pay Item Types would include Allowances, Reimbursements, Mileage, etc. Clergy Pay Item Types accumulates wages that are subject to Federal and State income tax withholding. However, because withholding for Social Security and Medicare is typically not calculated for employees in this group, you should disable withholding for Social Security and Medicare taxes. 5. Enter the Default Check Sequence (required). 6. Choose the Default Gross Pay Account (optional). 7. Click Submit to save. Field Descriptions for the Pay Item Information Screen Description Enter up to 30 characters in this field to identify each unique Pay Item. The Description will be selectable from the employee s Pay Data screen, and it will print on paychecks when selected as a line item for a given employee. Pay Item Type Your selection of Taxable or Non-Taxable determines whether the system calculates taxes for a given Pay Item. Default Check Sequence The number in this field is used to control whether Pay Items print on one check or on separate paychecks. To print all Pay Items on a single paycheck, always use a check sequence of 1. When you wish to print Pay Items on separate checks, enter a Check Sequence of 2 or more. This will result in an additional paycheck printing for the employee for the selected Pay Item. For example, you may want to pay the Pastor s Salary on one paycheck but issue a separate check for his Housing Allowance to accomplish this, just assign the Housing Allowance Pay Item the Check Sequence ConnectNow Church Accounting: Payroll User Guide

20 20 Default Gross Pay Account This selection determines the account to which the Pay Item disbursement will be allocated in your ConnectNow Ledger and Payables system when you process payroll. This field is optional. If you would prefer to assign this directly on the Employee s Pay Data display, leave this field blank. Manage Pay Items Use the Quick Find to view the details of any Pay Item in your system. 1. Click the Lookup button or type the first letter of the Pay Item description. Edit a Pay Item Once you have displayed the Pay Item Information, you may edit any of the details just make the desired change and click Submit. Delete a Pay Item Pay Items that are not assigned to employees can be deleted from the system. If you try to delete a Pay Item that is assigned, the system will inform you that the item is in use and cannot be deleted. To delete a Pay Item, view the details on the Pay Item Information screen and click the Delete button. 2. Select the Pay Item from the list. 3. Click Find Item.

21 EMPLOYEE ENTRY Manage Deductions and Benefits 21 Use the Deductions/Benefits screen to define any line item taken from an employee s pay (e.g., 403(b), Health Insurance, Garnishment, etc.). You must specify a liability and/or expense account link for all gross pay accounts on the Account Distribution screen to calculate a payroll. 1. Click the Setup button and click Deduction/Benefit List. Items with Codes less than or equal to 10 are systemdefined deductions and benefits for standard items. 3. The system will create a copy of the item you selected and assign it the next available Code number. Scroll to the end of the list view to locate the newly copied deduction or benefit and click the Edit button to enter the item s details. 2. To add a new item, click Add a New Deduction/Benefit From Template, and click the Select button to create a new benefit or deduction based on an existing template. ConnectNow Church Accounting: Payroll User Guide

22 22 4. Change the Description fields as needed, entering the text as you would like it to display on employee paychecks. 5. Select either Deduction or Benefit as the Type. 6. The Code Number is generated sequentially and automatically by the Payroll system. 7. Select a W2 Category for the item. 8. Check or uncheck the Subject to Tax boxes as appropriate (see field descriptions below for more information). 9. Click Submit to save, and proceed to page 24 to Enter Account Distributions. Field Descriptions for the Deduction/Benefit Screen Description Name of the deduction or benefit as it will appear on employee paychecks and in your Payroll system. Type Specify whether the item is a Deduction or Benefit. Deductions are withheld from the employee's check and accumulated in a liability account for payment. Benefits are calculated amounts the employer pays on behalf of the employee for a service or tax (e.g., insurance, Social Security). Benefit amounts are accumulated in a liability account for payment and are automatically expensed. Code Number Assigned sequentially and automatically by the Payroll system. You can edit this field to assign another code number of 11 and higher. W2 Category Used for checking applicable boxes for Form W-2 printing. Choices include Other, Retirement, Tax Deferred, and Retirement and Tax Def. Subject to Tax Check the boxes to determine how deductions and benefits affect tax calculations. When the checked taxes are calculated, the taxable wage amount used will be reduced by the amount of the deduction. For benefits, the benefit amount will be included in the taxable total.

23 EMPLOYEE ENTRY Manage Deductions and Benefits To view the details of any deduction or benefit, click the Edit button from the main list view of Deductions/Benefits. Edit a Deduction or Benefit Once you have displayed the details of the deduction or benefit, you may edit any of the details just make the desired change and click Submit. Code Numbers 1-10 are reserved by the system and cannot be edited. 23 Once you have the details view open, you can use the Quick Find to view the details of another deduction or benefit in your system. 1. Click the Lookup button or type the Code Number of the deduction or benefit. Delete a Deduction or Benefit A deduction or benefit that is not in use by the system can be deleted from the system. If you try to delete an item that is assigned, the system will inform you that the item is in use and cannot be deleted. To delete a deduction or benefit, view the details on the Deductions/Benefits screen and click the Delete button. 2. Select the deduction or benefit from the list. 3. Click Select. ConnectNow Church Accounting: Payroll User Guide

24 24 Enter Account Distributions Use the Account Distributions screen to define liability and expense accounts from the Ledger and Payables system that will be updated with each payroll posting. Liability accounts are credited (increased). Expense accounts are debited (increased). ConnectNow Payroll will automatically take the monies withheld from the employee s check for all Deductions (e.g. Federal Tax, Health Insurance, 403 (b), etc.) and store in the Liability Accounts you select on this display. The system will also book the expense portion of any Benefit (e.g. Social Security, Medicare, 403(b),etc.) for you and store the amounts in the Liability Accounts you select on this display. When it comes time to pay the bill for the Deductions and Benefits, use the Liability Accounts as the Bill Line Item which will Debit (decrease) the Liability account. Director, or priest s Housing Allowance. 1. Click the Setup button, and click Account Distributions. 2. Locate the desired gross pay expense account in the Quick Find list and click Select Account. 3. For each deduction line item, click the lookup arrow and select the appropriate liability account. 4. For each benefit line item, click the lookup arrow and select a liability and an expense account. 5. Click the Submit button to save. Account Distributions are defined for each gross pay account. Gross pay account are normally salary expense accounts used to pay an employee s regular or allowance pay. Examples include Pastor s Salary, Youth

25 EMPLOYEE ENTRY Copy Account Distributions 25 To save time, you may copy an account distribution from one gross pay expense account to another. This is a convenient way to set up account distributions for like gross pay accounts, such as Parish Clergy Salaries and Contracted Clergy. After you copy account distributions, you may edit liability and expense account settings for individual line items as needed. 1. Locate and select the gross pay account containing the distribution settings you wish to copy using the Quick Find. NOTE: All Gross Pay Expense Accounts must have all Deductions and Benefits distributed to the appropriate Liability and Expense accounts; including Clergy Salary expense accounts. You will be able to choose which taxes are withheld on each Employee s Tax Data tab. 2. Click the Select Account button. The account distribution settings will display. 3. Click the Copy button, located at the bottom of the screen. 4. Select the account to which you wish to copy the selected distributions, and click the Copy button. The system will return you to the previous screen containing the copy from settings. To view the settings in the copy to account, select that account using the Quick Find. ConnectNow Church Accounting: Payroll User Guide

26 26 Edit Account Distributions Account distributions may be edited to change expense or liability account settings as needed. 1. Locate and select the gross pay account using the Quick Find. 2. Select the liability or expense account setting you wish to change and press your <Delete> key to clear the field. 3. Click into the lookup table and select the new liability or expense account. 4. Click the Submit button to save.

27 Set Up Payroll Check Layout Use the Set Up Payroll Check Layout screen to define the layout of your payroll checks and specify precisely the position of data that will be printed on your check. The default settings for checks apply to checks purchased through But you can customize the check layout for your existing check stock. 1. Click the Setup button, and click Payroll Check Layout. 2. Select the Bank Account from which your payroll checks will be paid. Each account may have a different check layout. Check Date Check Amount Check Number Check Amount (Words) Check Payee Check Memo Payee Name/Address 27 NOTE: Adjustments are made in 1/100 of an inch increments. To move ¼ inch, enter 25, to move ½ inch, enter 50, to move 1 inch enter Under Payroll Check Page Layout Options, select your Payroll Check Format from the following four options: Check-Stub-Stub Stub-Check-Stub Check-Check-Check 3. Specify any Left/Right and Up/Down position adjustments needed for each check field by clicking the green arrows. Adjustments are made in 1/100 inch increments to the following fields:

28 28 5. For the option Print Check # On Check, specify Yes or No. NOTE: You must continue to purchase pre-numbered checks. This option will print the check number in small characters near the pre-printed check number and is for auditing purposes. 6. For the option Print Check Payee, specify Yes or No. If your Employee s Name prints in an additional line under Pay to the order of:, select Yes on this option. needed prior to processing your first payroll. NOTE: You must click Save Settings before clicking Print Test Check or the system will revert back to your previous settings. 9. Click Save. The sample printed check layout below shows the positioning of fields and sections for a check-stub-stub layout. If the Pay to the order of is built into the Employee s Name and Address and the employee s name prints only once on the check, select No on this option. 7. Under Overall Page Adjustments, change the left and right Margins and customize the Section Divider spacing to change the spacing between check, stub, or account number sections as needed. 8. Click Save Settings. Then click Print Test Check, print a sample check on one of your test forms, and inspect the positioning of all fields carefully. Make and save any additional adjustments TIP: If using the same check stock as Ledger & Payables, and you ve already completed the check layout in Ledger & Payables, print the Ledger & Payables Check Layout display and simply insert the numbers used in the previous layout.

29 EMPLOYEE ENTRY Pop-Up Blocker You may receive a notice that pop-ups have been blocked for this site. You must always allow pop ups for this site to print checks. In Internet Explorer, right-click the yellow bar for more options. Then, choose this option: Always Allow Popups from This Site. In Firefox, click the Options button on the right. Then, then choose this option: Allow pop-ups for name of diocese.connectnowaccounting.com. 29 ConnectNow Church Accounting: Payroll User Guide

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31 EMPLOYEE ENTRY 31 EMPLOYEE ENTRY ConnectNow Church Accounting: Payroll User Guide

32 32 Enter Employee Information Use the Employee Information screen to add new employee records to the Payroll system or to edit existing employee records. Independent contractors or others who would receive a 1099-MISC form should be entered and paid as a vendor in the Ledger and Payables system. Employee information is organized on a series of nine tabs. The only required tabs to enter an employee are General, Tax Data and Pay Data. The remaining tabs are either optional or informational only. Employee General Tab To add new employee records, complete the following steps. 1. Click the Employees button, a list of previously entered employees will display. 2. Click Add a New Employee. Enter the employee s General Information. All fields are limited to 30 characters unless otherwise noted. Suffix Enter a name suffix or credential (e.g., Jr., PhD, Sr). Address, Address 2, City, State, and ZIP Code (or postal code) Enter the employee s complete address as it should be printed on paychecks. Gender M for male or F for female. This field accepts only one character. Birthdate Enter in mm/dd/yyyy format or select from the calendar lookup table. The employee s age will calculate based on the date in this field and display to the right of the birthdate. Phone Number, Cell Phone and Enter the contact information for the employee. Emergency Contact name and Emergency Phone Enter the emergency contact person s name and phone number. It s helpful to note the relationship of the person to the employee either field (e.g., sister, spouse) so that in the event of an emergency, your staff will be better informed about whom they are contacting. 3. Click Submit to save and activate the links to the remaining employee information tabs. First, Middle, and Last Name (required) Enter the employee s full name as you would like it to appear on paychecks in the available fields. We recommend you enter the employee name exactly as it appears on his/her Social Security card to keep compliant with IRS payroll requirements.

33 EMPLOYEE ENTRY 33 Employment/Custom Tab Click the Emp/Cust tab, check the Active box (if applicable), complete the fields on this screen as appropriate for the employee. Employment & custom information includes the employee's job title, employment date and physical limits. Also on this dialog are several custom fields you can use for whatever purposes are most useful to you. All fields are limited to 30 characters unless otherwise noted. Active Employment status of the employee. Only employees with a status of Active will be available for a given payroll process. Check the box to set the employment status to Active. Inactive employee data will show up on Payroll reports for the period in which they were paid. Job Title Enter the employee s title as it should appear in your Payroll system. Job Category Select the Job Categories you ve created from the lookup table (see Job Category on page 69). Employment Date and Employment Date 2 Enter the date using MM/DD/YYYY format or select a date from the calendar lookup. Use the Employment Date 2 field when a previously terminated employee begins working for your organization again. ConnectNow Church Accounting: Payroll User Guide

34 34 Termination Date and Termination Date 2 Enter the date using MM/DD/YYYY format or select a date from the calendar lookup. Use the Termination Date 2 field when an employee has been terminated from a position and has a start date in the Employment Date 2 field. Deceased Check to indicate the employee is deceased. This setting is provided for the purpose of reflecting an employee s Deceased status properly on the W-2 form. Retirement Number If applicable, enter the employee s retirement number. Last Physical Enter the date of the employee s last physical examination. Physical Limitations If applicable, enter a description of the employee s physical limitations. Custom Number 1 2 Two custom number fields can each store up to a 30-character alphanumeric ID for each employee. These fields are ideal places to track an employee number, benefit plan number, etc. Custom Text 1 4 Four custom text fields can store additional information of up to 30 alphanumeric characters each. These fields are ideal places to track location codes, certifications, etc. Custom Date 1 4Use the four custom date fields to record dates that you wish to track in your Payroll system (e.g., certification or retirement dates). Enter dates in MM/DD/YYYY format or select dates from the calendar lookup. Custom Long Text Use the custom long text field to record custom information of up to 30 alphanumeric characters. Click Submit to save. Tax Data Tab Employee tax data defines which taxes will be withheld from the employee's paycheck. It also records their marital status, deductions, and allowances. The tax tables within the ConnectNow Payroll system are updated regularly on our servers, so you can rest assured that each time you process your payroll, taxes are being calculated using the latest tables from the IRS and each of the 50 U.S. states. You do not need to update tax tables within the system. If any localities within your employees states of residence require that you withhold local taxes, you can add those rates to the system (see Local Tax Setup on page 76). All fields are limited to 30 characters unless otherwise noted. Click the Tax Data tab to define which taxes will be withheld from the employee s paycheck. Boxes are checked by default for Social Security, Medicare, State, and Federal Tax Withholding, as well as Subject to State Unemployment. Uncheck to deselect or check to select withholding options as appropriate. 1. The Payroll system assumes that Social Security Tax should be withheld for each employee, so the Withhold Social Security Tax box is checked by default. If Social Security Tax should not be withheld for the selected employee (e.g. Clergy), uncheck the box. 2. The Payroll system assumes that Social Security Tax should be withheld for each

35 EMPLOYEE ENTRY employee, so the Withhold Medicare Tax box is checked by default. If Medicare Tax should not be withheld for the selected employee (e.g. Clergy), uncheck the box. 3. In the Tax Statement field (required), select W-2; and enter the employee s full Social Security Number (required, e.g ). 4. Under State Tax Withholding, select the State of residence and Marital Status, and enter the data in the Allowances, Dependents, or Extra withholding fields as needed. Withhold State Tax This box is checked by default. If U.S. State Tax should not be withheld for the selected employee, uncheck the box. When unchecked, the data fields that define State Tax withholding will be hidden. Applicable State Select the employee s state of residence from the lookup. State Tax deductions will be calculated based on the selected state s tax table. Marital Status Select the marital status for the State tax calculations as appropriate for the employee. Options include: Single, Head of Household, Married Jointly/Spouse Employed, Married Jointly/Spouse Unemployed, Married Separately/Spouse Employed, Married Separately/Spouse Unemployed. 35 If your state does not differentiate between an employed spouse, the system will simply assume Married-Jointly or Married- Separately based on the selection made. Allowances Enter the number of exemptions to be considered in each of the State calculations ConnectNow Church Accounting: Payroll User Guide

36 36 as appropriate for the employee based on the employee s W-4 form. Dependents Enter the number of dependents to be considered in the State Tax calculations as appropriate for the employee. Not all States use the concept of Dependants; use only if applicable for your State. Override Enter the dollar amount (as a positive number, not a negative number) that will be deducted per paycheck instead of the standard State Tax calculations. This will replace what the system would calculate for State Taxes and use the amount entered. Include the 2 decimal places required by the system. If the dollar amount entered is $0.00, no taxes will be withheld. Extra If the employee wishes to have additional tax withheld, enter the amount per paycheck in the field for State Extra withholding (as a positive number, not a negative number). Include the 2 decimal places required by the system. If an Override amount has been entered for State Tax Withholding, the Payroll system will ignore any amount in the Extra field. Subject to State Unemployment This field is checked by default to indicate that the employee is to be included on the State Unemployment report. No taxes are withheld from the employee if this box is checked. 5. Under Federal Tax Withholding, select the Marital Status and enter data in the Allowances, Override, and Extra withholding fields as needed. Withhold Federal Tax When unchecked, the data fields that define federal tax withholding will be hidden. Select the marital status for the Federal tax calculations as appropriate for the employee. Options include: Single, Married, Married but use Single Tables. Head of House tables are identical to Single tables in the Federal Tax Tables. If you have an employee who has defined themselves as Head of House on their W-4, select the Marital Status of Single. Allowances Enter the number of exemptions to be considered in each of the Federal calculations as appropriate for the employee based on the employee s W-4 form. Override Enter the dollar amount (as a positive number, not a negative number) that will be deducted per paycheck instead of the standard Federal Tax calculations. This will replace what the system would calculate for Federal Taxes and use the amount entered. Include the 2 decimal places required by the system. If the dollar amount entered is $0.00, no taxes will be withheld. NOTE: If you have Clergy who want their wages to be reported as Federal Taxable Wages on the W-2, but do not want taxes withheld, check the box at Withhold Federal Tax and enter a $0.00 in the Override field. Extra If the employee wishes to have additional tax withheld, enter the amount per paycheck in the field for Federal Extra withholding (as a positive number, not a negative number). Include the 2 decimal places required by the system. If an Override amount has been entered for Federal Tax Withholding, the Payroll system will ignore any amount in the Extra field. Marital Status

37 EMPLOYEE ENTRY 6. If Local Tax Withholding applies, check the Withhold Local Tax box. Withhold Local Tax This field is unchecked by default, and the data fields that define local tax withholding are hidden. If local tax withholding applies to the employee, check the box to display the data fields that define local tax withholding (See Local Tax Setup on page 76). Applicable Local Select the applicable local tax from the lookup. Marital Status Select the marital status for the Local tax calculations as appropriate for the employee. Options include: Single, Head of Household, Married Jointly/Spouse Employed, Married Jointly/Spouse Unemployed, Married Separately/Spouse Employed, Married Separately/Spouse Unemployed. If your locality does not differentiate between an employed spouse, the system will simply assume Married-Jointly or Married-Separately based on the selection made. Allowances Enter the number of exemptions to be considered in each of the Local calculations as appropriate for the employee based on the employee s W-4 form. Override Enter the dollar amount (as a positive number, not a negative number) that will be deducted per paycheck instead of the standard Local Tax calculations. This will replace what the system would calculate for Local Taxes and use the amount entered. Include the 2 decimal places required by the system. If the dollar amount entered is $0.00, no taxes will be withheld. Extra If the employee wishes to have additional tax withheld, enter the amount per paycheck in the field for Local Extra withholding (as a positive number, not a negative number). Include the 2 decimal places required by the system. If an Override amount has been entered for Local Tax Withholding, the Payroll system will ignore any amount in the Extra field. 7. Click Submit to save the Tax Data entered. 37 ConnectNow Church Accounting: Payroll User Guide

38 38 Pay Data Tab Click the Pay Data tab and define the employee s Pay Group, Pay Items, Hourly Rate or Salary, and Account 1. Under Pay Group, select the appropriate item from the lookup table. The Pay Group options listed have been added to your Payroll system using the Set Up Pay Groups procedure on page 17 (e.g., options may include Monthly, Semi-Monthly, Special). 2. Under Pay Item, the appropriate Pay Description from the lookup item(s) for which the employee should be paid. Options in the Pay Description lookup have been added to your Payroll system using the Enter Pay Items procedure on page Specify either the Hours/Units and Rate or enter a Pay Period Amount. Hourly Employees If the employee is paid for the same number of hours each pay period, type the number of hours in the Hours/Units field and the system will auto-populate the employee s timecard each pay cycle. If the number of hours worked is variable, leave the Hours/Units field blank. The number of hours entered here can be overridden during payroll processing if needed. See the step Step #3 Edit Timecard beginning on page 51 for more information. If the employee is being paid by the hour, enter the hourly rate in the Rate field. If you have entered data into the Rate field the system will calculate the Pay Period Amount using the following equation: Pay Period Amount = Hours/Units * Rate Salaried Employees If the employee is paid a salaried amount instead of an hourly rate, enter that amount into either the Pay Period Amount or Annual Amount field. The system will automatically calculate the Annual Amount if only the Pay Period Amount is entered. It will also calculate the Pay Period Amount if only the Annual Amount is entered. Annual Amount = Pay Period Amount * number of pay periods per year (defined by the Pay Group selection)

39 EMPLOYEE ENTRY Pay Period Amount = Annual Amount / number of pay periods per year (defined by the Pay Group selection) 4. Select an Account for the Pay Item. If you associated an Expense Account when entering the Pay Items, this field will autopopulate based on your setup (see page 8), but you can change the distribution by selecting another option from the lookup table if needed. If you did not associate an Expense Account to the Pay Items, enter the correct gross pay Expense Account in the Account field. You may enter multiple Pay Item types and associated different gross pay Expense Accounts for each Pay Item type if needed. For example, if you have a custodian who works for both the school and the church, and he/she is paid out of different accounts, you could add two Custodian Salary pay data line items and enter the typical distribution here (e.g., 75% of is salary should be booked to the church account, while 25% of his salary should be booked to the school account). This helps ensure that salary expenses are distributed appropriately during each pay cycle. The Account field will remain empty on the display, but the Use Distribution checkbox will remain checked. Delete a Pay Data Line Item Click the X to remove any pay data line item from an employee s record. 39 If you would like to distribute the employee s pay over multiple accounts, see page 39 for more information. 5. Repeat steps 2-4 for any additional Pay Items. 6. Click Submit to save the Pay Data. Add More Pay Data Lines to Form To add more line items to an employee s pay data record, click the More Lines link, located in the lower-left of your screen. Multi-Account Distribution for Pay Data If you have pay items that need to be distributed among two or more accounts, select the Pay Description and enter the Hours/Units, Rate, Pay Period Amount or Annual Amount. Then click the Use Distribution checkbox and click the Distribution button. Enter the gross pay Expense Accounts and Percentages and the system will automatically distribute the employee s pay to those gross pay Expense Accounts each time payroll is processed. ConnectNow Church Accounting: Payroll User Guide