Newsletter

Tricks of the Trade

Every day, members of The Sleeter Group Consultants Network tackle the day-to-day problems of their clients in the real world. The following is an example problem and solution that surfaced this month on our Sleeter Group Consultants Network E-Mail Group.

Setting Up A New QuickBooks File When Client Has Assisted Payroll

Melanie posted the following email: Well, I’m not happy. I just started to create a new file and immediately ran into a warning message stating that because my clients has ASSISTED PAYROLL, I can’t start a new file.

Not being easily defeated, I called Intuit and spoke with somebody from Assisted Payroll. According to support, if I want to start a new file using the same company EIN, then I have two choices:

1. Stop your existing Assisted Payroll subscription and then re-apply after creating your new data file, or
2. Request a Disaster Recovery from Intuit payroll. This will create a new file that contains only payroll-related information: (a) payroll items, (b) only those accounts within the Chart of Accounts that are associated with payroll (i.e. Payroll Liabilities, Payroll Expenses). There is no charge for this.

Once the new file is created, the support rep said it would be necessary to enter everything manually (including customer list, vendor list).  She also noted that adding account numbers or changing account numbers once the file was created would be no problem.

Is it true that these are the only options for people using Assisted Payroll? I wish there was a simpler solution.

Bonnie Nagayama responded: Disaster recovery is the right answer. You can use third party tools to transfer in the lists and transactions so it’s possible to avoid entering manually.

Melanie continued: So may I assume I need to:

1. Request disaster recovery which leaves an empty file containing ONLY those accounts required for use by Assisted Payroll (question: if they use the default Payroll Liabilities and Payroll Expenses accounts, can the payroll items be re-linked to different – more specific accounts?)
2. Take the resulting "empty" file and use the standard .iif files for importing COA, customers, vendors, etc.
3. Will I need to manually re-create any memorized transactions or reports?

Bonnie Nagayama responded to each item above: 

1. As you go through the recovery process, you have the option to QuickAdd or set up payroll items so you can either take the time as you go to set them up, or go back and edit them once the download process is complete.
2. Yes and/or any other file transfer tools to move the lists and transactions as needed to reconcile the file.
3. Yes, none of the tools can transfer memorized transactions and reports between data files.  You will also need to set up users/passwords, preferences, etc.

Melanie: What will happen because of the fact that the company has been forced to run payroll out of the old company file?

Bonnie Nagayama: When the recovery process is started the tech should be able to choose for you the time period to be downloaded, i.e. you can download 2007 to current or just 2008.  That way the G/L was correct we just lost the ability to do payroll reports for the previous year.

Melanie: Can they reproduce in the new file the 2008 payroll that’s been created and then NOT transmit it to Intuit (I assume that transmitting it would double it and reports, W-2’s would be overstated)?

Bonnie Nagayama: You will not want to re-create the payroll or it will be transmitted.

Editors Note: Bonnie Nagayama is conducting a webinar on this topic entitled File Conversion In Depth.