PAYROLL SERVICE FAQs
What payroll accountant services do you offer?
We have a variety of options to choose from.  We can print paychecks, handle payroll tax processing, enter time tracking and employee mileage to bill against customers and projects, complete after-the-fact processing or reissue damage or lost paychecks.  We also offer several more services, which are discussed throughout this document.

Does A1 Acct Inc print our paychecks and distribute to employees?
We could.  The easiest and least expensive way is to email, fax or deliver you the paystubs, then give your employees the paystub along with a check written from your checking account that matches the net pay amount on the paystub.  We could also set up direct deposit for your employees.  Call us and we will help you set up a system that works best for your business.

Does A1 Acct Inc handle payroll tax processing service?
We sure do.  We use QuickBooks and automatically calculate and print out the relevant forms and reliable reports.  This will give you more time to manage your business for important matters such as increasing sales and profits.

What payroll forms do I need to give A1 Acct Inc when we hire new employees?
We would need your W-4 and State tax exemption forms (which we happen to supply if needed), demonstrating the employee claims.  Any forms required by other agencies such as Department of Homeland Security Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification are the responsibility of your business.

Does A1 Acct Inc prepare the checks for the payroll tax amounts due?
No.  When you receive your information to be sent to the government agencies, we will highlight or communicate to you any amounts that are due and when they are due.  Your business will write out a check or use an electronic funds transfer payment system (EFTPS) and send the required documents.

What other reports are provided with the payroll accountant tax services?
Our reports include: Federal (940, 941) and State Reports, Quarterly Payroll, W-2s, 1099s and Sales Tax Deposits as well as any other reports you may request.

Can I do my own paycheck function and just have A1 Acct Inc do the payroll tax processing?
Yes. This method is a good way to save on costs but this approach tends to introduce an element of risk of error, so be careful.  There is no room for discrepancy with payroll liabilities.  Penalties would occur so be very careful when preparing your payroll tax reports.  Our QuickBooks Enhanced Accountant feature provides with an efficient method for reviewing your payroll records, finding and correcting any errors in payroll preparation and then confirming how much you need to pay in federal and/or state liabilities.  It also allows us to prepare professional-quality payroll reports for you.

Do you provide a checklist for information needed to set up Payroll?
Yes. We use a Payroll Setup Checklist to gather items about your payroll needs.  This helps set up your account and avoid problems later when you start using QuickBooks Payroll.

What are the payroll and time tracking features and processes in QuickBooks?
There are several and A1 Acct Inc would be glad to help setup and/or handle your company’s payroll accountant needs.

  • Set up payroll items
  • Setup payroll schedules
  • Enter year-to-date paycheck and payroll liability payment information
  • Enter after-the-fact payroll
  • Enter time tracking information
  • Allocate payroll expenses for salaried employees to specific Customer:Jobs
  • Replace lost or damaged paychecks
  • Pay payroll liabilities correctly
  • Pay shared payroll expenses
  • Track employee loans and loan repayments
  • Adjust W-2 and Form 941s
  • Create reports with information for state and federal payroll tax returns

What can you tell us about QuickBooks Time Tracker?
Time tracking is available in QuickBooks Pro and higher editions only.  In addition, QuickBooks Time Tracker is a subscription-based service that works with QuickBooks so employees and vendors can track their own time-online. The timesheets can then be downloaded and added to QuickBooks timesheets.

Can time tracking transfer information throughout the accounting software?
Time tracking allows you to track hours worked by owners, employees, and subcontractors.  You can make time billable for specific jobs.  In addition, QuickBooks can transfer time to paychecks, regular checks, and bills from contractors. 

What can you tell us about the Vehicle Mileage Tracker?
It's available in QuickBooks Pro and higher and provides a way to track mileage for tax purposes as well as to bill specific customers:job for mileage.

What are some unique characteristics of QuickBooks payroll service?
  • Paycheck vouchers do not show totals for wages, taxes, deductions, and adjustments (Printable paystubs do show this information).
  • Company contributions are not included on paycheck vouchers or the printable paystub.
  • Commission, additions, deductions, and company contributions cannot be allocated to specific Customer:Jobs.
  • You cannot merge duplicate employees.
  • Sick and vacation pay accrues only in hours (not in dollars, days or weeks).
  • Sick and vacation pay accrued automatically per hour on the paycheck accrues for hours paid for sick and vacation time as well as regular time.
  • QuickBooks does not accrue comp time.
  • QuickBooks does not accrue the dollar value of unpaid wages, benefits, vacations, or sick pay.
  • Hours from previous paychecks often appear automatically on the next paycheck.

Does QuickBooks take care of payroll tax forms?
QuickBooks provides a variety of ways to get information about preparing, reviewing, revising, printing, and e-filing payroll tax forms from QuickBooks.  To prepare and file payroll tax forms in QuickBooks, you must have a payroll service subscription.

What payroll item types are provided?
Payroll item types are: Wage, Addition, Deduction, Company Contribution, Federal Tax, State Tax, and Other Tax.

How do you handle year-to-date information?
When you start using the QuickBooks payroll feature after the first of the year, you need to enter the details of payroll activities from earlier in the year so that the year-to-date amounts and payroll reports will be accurate in QuickBooks.  Please allow A1 Acct Inc to assist you in properly entering YTD payroll amounts.  We will check year-to-date amounts and identify errors and fix them.  This ensures that the company file is ready to start using QuickBooks to track payroll.

Do you provide "After-the-Fact" payroll accountant service using QuickBooks?
Yes, some people prefer to prepare and issue paychecks manually (outside QuickBooks) and then ask to calculate payroll liabilities.  Or, you may ask A1 Acct Inc to prepare tax forms at the end of quarter and the year.  Our 'After-the-Fact" payroll functionality can make it easier to:

  • Verify and/or adjust payroll (earnings, deductions, and payroll taxes)
  • Calculate federal and state tax liabilities
  • Prepare payroll tax forms
  • Update your financial records with detailed payroll data

Are you capable of allocating payroll expenses for salaried employees?
QuickBooks can pay salaried employees in a way that allocates their salary based on the time they spend on individual customers and jobs. 

How big of a deal is voiding and reprinting payroll checks?
It's a big deal.  Voiding and replacing a paycheck can be a challenge.  Ask A1 Acct Inc for specific steps to follow without changing the tax calculation.

We paid our payroll liability but the payroll liability account did not change.  Why not?
One of the most common mistakes made when using payroll feature is to pay payroll liabilities using a regular check instead of a liability check.  This causes a problem because regular checks in QuickBooks change the chart of accounts, but they don't change the numbers in the payroll system.  A1 Acct Inc can help you find incorrectly paid payroll liabilities.
 
We share payroll expenses between the company and employees.  Will QuickBooks handle payroll expenses that are shared by the employee and the company?
When a payroll expense (such as medical insurance) is split between the company and the employee, the employees share is usually deducted from each paycheck and the company pays the balance.  There are two ways to handle this situation in QuickBooks.  We can link the employee deduction payroll item to an expense account.  Or we can add the company-paid portion to the payroll liability check.

We frequently provide loans to employees and want to know how you handle tracking these loans.
We set up an Other Current Asset account (called Employee Loans), which is used for all employee loan and loan repayment transactions.  A deduction in type payroll item (called Loan Repayment) can be linked to automatically recover the money from paychecks.

Will A1 Acct Inc adjust the contents of boxes on W-2 forms and lines on 941 forms?
QuickBooks provides a set of payroll reports that recreate much of the W2, W3, 940, 941, and state forms lists with additional detail so you can drill down on complicated boxes (such as Box 1 on the W2) and troubleshoot forms by payroll items.

What kind of reports does QuickBooks generate about information for state and federal payroll tax returns?
QuickBooks use a specially prepared template that extracts the payroll data requested by most states and displays it in Microsoft Excel.  This report is called Payroll Summary.  This report is a versatile report that you can modify to review payroll history in many ways.  It contains all the information about paychecks and the employer’s related payroll expense.

  • Payroll Detail report
  • Payroll register report
  • Payroll Expense Summary report
  • Payroll Year-to-date Summary report
  • Employee Cost comparison report
  • 941/940/State Liabilities and Payment report
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Payroll Accountant Frequently Asked Questions