BTerrell Group Blog

How to File a TWC Unemployment Report Using Sage 300 ERP or Accpac

by Brian Terrell

I built my business on automation, and often say I enjoy helping clients do more work with less effort. And, I sometime flirt with over automation, which occurs whenever an automation costs more to develop that it returns in savings. In other words, over automation results in doing less work with more effort. I feel disgusted when I fall into the over-automation trap; however, it occurs as an honest and overly optimistic outgrowth of technology curiosity that has other, not-so-easily measured benefits. I assure you that filing the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) quarterly state unemployment tax report using Sage 300 ERP (formerly called Sage Accpac) does not fall into the category of over-automation.

Sage 300 ERP provides an out-of-the-box state unemployment report filing function, but I never used it. Shame on me…it might be even easier. However, since I can execute my method in minutes per quarter without thinking, I'll wait to read some other person's blog to get up to speed on the out-of-the-box Sage function. Until then, I'll just recite what I have done for more than 15 years (times three companies times four quarters per year).

Step 1 requires obtaining a TWC login for the state commission's self service web site. Note that I can file on behalf of companies that I do not own if properly authorized, and this helps the managed payroll service provider, bookkeeper or CPA firm provide this service for a client.

After setting up my online account, I print Sage 300 ERP's Payroll Quarterly Wage Report by Employee to Preview and export to Excel. use the "data only" format, and I export directly to the application. After choosing the Format and Destination, accept all of the default selections in the export function:

This causes the report to open in Excel, whereupon I delete the first row and move the column headers in the new first row (the row that becomes the first row after I delete the original first row) one column to the left (overwrite that column header in Column A entitled TXSUTA). This places the column headers above the correct column heading.

Delete all columns except SSN, Last Name, First Name, Middle Name, and Total Earnings. Total Earnings, in this case, represents quarter-to-date total wages. Texas asks only for these five columns. I then move First Name and Middle Name to be between SSN and Last Name using the cut and paste command applied to the entire column. Next, I add up the Total Earnings column and tie it to the original report, which I leave open in the Preview window for this purpose. If the total ties to the report, delete the total and delete the first row. We no longer need the column headings and we no longer need the check total.

Save the file under an appropriate name in an appropriate location. Remember, the wage information for the entire company should be carefully managed. Log in to the TWC Employer Services web site, choose the correct Employer record (if managing several employers), and upload the wage information from the file. If there are any records containing zeroes in the Total Wages row, the site will ask if it can delete those records. Answer yes and tie in the results to the check total, which may still be open in the Preview window. Follow instructions for filing the report and remitting the payment.

Payment remittance can be made by credit card or by bank transfer. Alternatively, the website can prepare a remittance advice that I can then print to paper and mail in with my check. The online payment or check must be remitted by the last day of the month following the end of the payroll quarter.

22 years ago, when I first began to use the product formerly known as Accpac, I wrote a special report to print the TWC continuation pages using a dot matrix printer. If you remember what a "continuation page" is or even what a dot matrix printer is, then you are a veteran. choose my words carefully here, as I am a veteran, too! However, my time as a payroll veteran draws nigh…please look forward to an upcoming post on why I believe fewer and fewer SMBs will be doing their own payroll over time.

May 2013 Intacct Webinars and Product Tours

There are lots of great webinars and product tours sponsored by Intacct for the month of May. Click on the sessions you're interested in to find out more and sign up today!

 

Upcoming Informational Intacct Webinars	Upcoming Intacct Product Tours
Nonprofits Using QuickBooks: Solve your 5 Toughest Accounting Challenges May 8, 2013 at 11:00 AM PT	Intacct Product Tour May 1, 2013 at 10:00 AM PT
Cloud Financials Done Right: Avoiding the Pitfalls of Implementation May 9, 2013 at 11:00 AM PT	Intacct Product Tour for Nonprofits May 2, 2013 at 11:00 AM PT
Preparing your Company for SOX Readiness Wednesday, May 22, 2013 11:00AM PDT	Intacct Product Tour for Organizations Growing Beyond QuickBooks May 7, 2013 at 10:00 AM PT
	Intacct Product Tour for Software Companies May 7, 2013 at 11:00 AM PT
	Intacct Product Tour May 8, 2013 at 10:00 AM PT
	Intacct Product Tour for Project Accounting May 9, 2013 at 10:00 AM PT
	Intacct Product Tour for Multi-entity Businesses May 14, 2013 at 10:00 AM PT
	Intacct Product Tour May 15, 2013 at 10:00 AM PT
	Intacct Product Tour for Nonprofits May 16, 2013 at 10:00 AM PT
	Intacct Product Tour for Organizations Growing Beyond QuickBooks May 21, 2013 at 10:00 AM PT
	Intacct Product Tour May 15, 2013 at 10:00 AM PT
	Intacct Product Tour: Key Reporting Features and Functionality May 23, 2013 at 10:00 AM PT
	Intacct Product Tour May 29, 2013 at 10:00 AM PT
	Intacct Product Tour for Software Companies May 29, 2013 at 11:00 AM PT
	Intacct Product Tour for Multi-entity Businesses May 30, 2013 at 10:00 AM PT

Missed one of the sessions above? Not to worry...click here to see the updated webinar schedule. This site is updated frequently, so bookmark it and check back often!

April 2013 Intacct Webinars and Product Tours

There are lots of great webinars and product tours sponsored by Intacct for the month of April. Click on the sessions you're interested in to find out more and sign up today!

Upcoming Informational Intacct Webinars	Upcoming Intacct Product Tours
Stop Your Nonprofit from Reporting Like it's 1999 Thursday, April 11, 2013 10:00AM PDT	Intacct Product Tour for Multi-Entity Businesses Tuesday, April 9, 2013 10:00AM PDT
Moving Financials to the Cloud: Avoiding the "QuickBooks Tax" Thursday, April 11, 2013 11:00AM PDT	Intacct Product Tour for Project Accounting Tuesday, April 9, 2013 11:00AM PDT
Why You Should Move Your Financials to the Cloud Wednesday, April 17, 2013 1:00PM PDT	Intacct Product Tour Wednesday, April 10, 2013 1:00PM PDT
Why Cloud Financials are the Right Choice for Today's Software Companies Thursday, April 18, 2013 10:00AM PDT	Intacct Product Tour: Key Reporting Features and Functionality Tuesday, April 16, 2013 10:00AM PDT
Running Church Finances in the Age of the Cloud Thursday, April 18, 2013 11:00AM PDT	Intacct Product Tour for Software Companies Tuesday, April 16, 2013 11:00AM PDT
Revenue Recognition Made Easy for Services Companies Thursday, April 25, 2013 10:00AM PDT	Intacct Product Tour for Organizations Growing Beyond QuickBooks Thursday, April 18, 2013 10:00AM PDT
You Think You Know Cloud, But Do You? Tuesday, April 30, 2013 11:00AM PDT	Intacct Product Tour for Multi-Entity Businesses Tuesday, April 23, 2013 10:00AM PDT

Missed one of the sessions above? Not to worry...click here to see the updated webinar schedule. This site is updated frequently, so bookmark it and check back often!

This Microsoft critic thinks they’ve done something right…

For Christmas, I purchased an excellent new MacBook Air notebook for my wife. I enjoy giving technology gifts…in part because I like to set up those devices and learn new things in the process. In this instance, I purchased Microsoft Office for the Mac, and I received the right to install that program, which did not include Outlook, for about $139 on up to 3 computers. In early February, I discovered Microsoft Office 365 Home Premium, which gives me the right to install that program, which does include Outlook, for $99 on up to 5 computers. What’s the difference? The second offering demonstrates a subscription based software revenue model, which means I owe $99 per year. I’m renting software.

I think Microsoft got it right. This represents the new way software will be bought and sold. In exchange for my $99 per year, my wife has rights to all upgrades as they are released including the ability to use cloud versions of Microsoft Office from any device using a browser. This is software as a service (SaaS). And, Microsoft throws in 27 GB of online disk space to store all of the documents she may create using both the local and cloud based versions of Microsoft Office. This compares favorably to Dropbox and the 5 GB of space they provide at no charge.

Microsoft usually draws my ire as the ultimate “me, too” competitor. Come up with a good idea, and Microsoft will clone it. Even thought Microsoft Office 365 Home Premium represents another “me, too” response…this time to Google Docs and Dropbox…I think they had to do it. And, now I can properly license and install this industry standard software for $20 per device (per year).

BTerrell Group Joins Intacct Business Partner Program

DALLAS- BTerrell Group, a premier ERP and accounting consulting firm based in Dallas, today announced a partnership with Intacct, a leading provider of cloud-based financial management and accounting software. BTerrell Group, a long-time Sage partner with a substantial client base in Texas and the Southwest, selected Intacct as a cloud-based financial solution after a comprehensive review of the competing solutions. As an Intacct Business Partner, BTerrell Group will sell, implement, support, and develop enhancements for Intacct’s award-winning cloud financial applications.  

“It thrills me to offer Intacct, a best-of-breed-on-demand ERP product, to our prospects as another option,” said Brian Terrell, Managing Partner of BTerrell Group. “Intacct’s cloud-based system offers our clients flexibility, access, and lower technical infrastructure requirements than on-premise accounting platforms.  All the while, we remain strongly committed to our client base and prospects who prefer on-premise solutions.”

Intacct is the only vendor to be named a preferred provider of financial management and accounting software by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the trade association of the accounting industry. Intacct delivers a professional-strength financial infrastructure built to offer real-time reporting and business analytics, powerful automation and integration, superior compliance and auditability, plus unlimited flexibility and scale to evolve as a business grows. By tapping into the power of cloud computing, Intacct offers greater speed, increased cost-effectiveness, and superior manageability. 

“One of the areas that really attracted us to Intacct is the robust cloud-based development tools that allow us to customize and extend Intacct to deliver comprehensive solutions for our clients,” added Brian Terrell. “We are very excited about the opportunity to create unique extensions and vertical industry solutions built on the Intacct platform that deliver increased value to our customers and expand the scope of our business.”

“The Intacct Business Partner Program continues to attract top Sage partners looking to expand their portfolio with a cloud-based system,” said Taylor Macdonald, vice president of Channels for Intacct. “More and more businesses are moving their financial applications to the cloud to take advantage of the significant cost savings, improved speed of innovation, and superior return on investment. BTerrell Group is a great addition to our partner program and I look forward to working closely with them for many years to come.”

To learn more about our cloud solutions, visit www.bterrellcloud.com

 

Year-End Accounting Reminders: Tax Season Coming

That time of year again!

With the end of the calendar year (and possibly your company’s fiscal year) right around the corner, BTerrell Group wanted to remind you of a few year-end activities you don't want to forget:

 Order Entry:

• Clear statistics and sales history that you do not need.

Purchase Orders

• Clear statistics and purchase history that you do not need.

Project and Job Costing

• Nothing to do!

Inventory Control

• Do an inventory count.
• Post a reconciliation worksheet to adjust for any variances found in the inventory count.
• Clear statistics and expired contract prices that you do not need for drilldown.

US/Canadian Payroll

• Print reports required by statute for calendar year end.

Accounts Receivable

• Clear sales tax tracking information that you no longer need.
• Clear statistics that you no longer need.
• Run Year-End to clear activity statistics, recurring charge amounts, invoices paid and Days to Pay counter.
• Print the Customer List and customer statistic reports to verify the transfer of data to the previous fiscal year.

Accounts Payable

• Clear purchase tax tracking information that you no longer need.
• Clear statistics that you no longer need.
• Run Year-End to clear activity statistics, recurring payable amounts, invoices paid and Days to Pay counter.
• Print the Customer List and customer statistics reports to verify the transfer of data to the previous fiscal year. 

General Ledger 

• Run Create New Year to transfer balances in the income and expense account to retained earnings and enter opening balances for the new year.

Usually, you will not want to complete any year-end procedures that compromise drill down capabilities. Accordingly, we have removed those procedures from the above list.

And order those W-2s. 

Other Important Dates

January 31, 2013: Deadline to supply each employee a completed Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement, and each 1099 vendor a completed Form 1099

January 31, 2013: Deadline to file Form 941 for fourth quarter 2012

January 31, 2013: Deadline to file Form 943 and Form 944 for 2012

February 28, 2013: Deadline to file all the Forms 1099 you issued for 2012, along with Form 1096, Annual Summary and Transmittal of U.S. Information Returns (April 1, 2013, if you file electronically)

 

Photo Credit: Flickr Commons, (401K)

Top TEN Reasons to Upgrade to Sage 300 ERP 2012

Simplify Processes. Improve Visibility. Stay Connected.

1. Reduce time navigating through your system with Visual Process Flows, which you can customize by user roles and for your business.

2. Improve productivity with enhancements throughout the system such as: Entered By, On Hold Reason, and Requested By fields in Order Entry; copy order and create PO directly from order entry; and reverse GL batches.

3. Enhance usability with easier to read tables, an improved Finder, and improved end-user
documentation.

4. Get the information you need, faster! New Inquiries for operations modules facilitate quick
access to customized lists, which provide the answers you need and lower custom reporting costs.

5. Simplify update processes using the new Sage Advisor Update.

6. Save time when processing payments - capture pre-authorized payments during shipment entry or invoice entry, and invoice multiple pre-authorized payments in a single batch.

7. Make informed decisions with comprehensive reporting utilizing the new Sage Intelligence
Reporting financial report designer and reporting tree capabilities.

8. Expand customized reporting capabilities with the updated SAP Crystal Reports® runtime engine for .NET Framework 4, and new options in several standard reports.

9. Accelerate growth and stay connected with Sage CRM enhancements that improve information flow between the front and back offices.

10. Efficiently and cost effectively manage the shipping process and rate shop with an optional service that streamlines shipping and reduces costs.

Take a peek at Sage 300 ERP 2012

What happened to my Accpac?

o       Sage ERP Accpac 100 is now Sage 300 Standard ERP.
o       Sage ERP Accpac 200 is now Sage 300 Advanced ERP.
o       Sage ERP Accpac 500 is now Sage 300 Premium ERP.

Sage now has a simpler way to present the increasing levels of product capability available to you. Like luxury automobiles, the numbers associated indicates the sophistication level of the product. For example, a BMW 135 has fewer features than the 5 series.

 

So Sage renamed its core product offerings under the Sage 50, Sage 100, Sage 300, and Sage 500 banners, which in turn helps simplify finding additional Sage solutions that are the right fit for your business, when and if you need them, at any stage in your business growth cycle.

Contact Anthony Cox for more information at 866-647-2611 ext 127 or email anthony.cox@bterrell.com.

Sage ERP Accpac Version 5.5

 

Contact Anthony Cox for more information at 866-647-2611 ext 127 or email anthony.cox@bterrell.com.