Payroll Software – Who Needs Earnings and Deductions?

By Stephanie Elsen

Who Needs Earnings and Deductions

You know the answer if you are responsible for payroll at your organization. An earning code represents the calculation used to calculate an employee’s pay, such as hourly, salaried, bonus, etc. A deduction code does the same for an employee’s deductions, such as 401K, wage garnishment, etc.

Most payroll software programs include a standard set of earning and deduction codes for you to choose from. If your needs become more complex than your payroll system can handle with the standard codes, be sure that your system includes the ability to customize the codes so you can calculate earnings and deductions correctly. If your system doesn’t allow you to customize the codes, you will need to figure out a way to do the calculations outside the payroll system, and enter them into the system by hand. This is inconvenient and inefficient.

A good example of this is a wage garnishment deduction. An employee’s garnishment calculation must be done correctly, and wage garnishments can vary greatly by employee. You need to ensure garnishments are calculated and deducted correctly from employee pay checks. If the system will not allow you to create the code to meet your needs, you will need to calculate it elsewhere and enter by hand.

CenterPoint Payroll Software has a set of standard earning and deduction codes available. And you can also customize as many codes as you need to, so you won’t have to be using spreadsheets or entering data by hand.

I've upgraded, so what’s next?

By Stephanie Elsen

what’s next

So, you made the decision to upgrade from an older Red Wing Software accounting or payroll program to a newer one. Congratulations. That’s a big decision, and one that can put you on your way to smoother processes and better financial management. Still haven’t gotten around to making the transfer from your older system to the newer one? There’s no need to feel bad. Rest assured knowing we are here to help you when you are ready. There are many different ways we offer to help you make the transition from one program to another. Use every option you can! Knowledge is power, and most of the options we offer come at no additional charge.

  1. Data Transfer.

    There are documents to help you transfer or “migrate” the data from your old program into the new one. Many customers choose to do the data transfer on their own, with the assistance of help documents and in program help. If you would rather not do that, we would be glad to do it for you, for a nominal fee. Pricing depends on the amount and condition of your data.

  2. Online Training Videos.

    Red Wing Software offers videos that were created specifically with the purpose of teaching new customers the essentials they need to be successful. Even if you’ve already been using the system, you can learn something from the videos! What’s more, you can view them at no additional charge, as long as your Customer Care Membership is current.

  3. Phone Support.

    No matter which step you are at along the way, Red Wing Software’s support team can help with issues or questions that arise during the upgrade process. Simply pick up the phone and give us a call with the toll free number you are provided when you upgrade. The number is specific to your product, so you will be directly connected to the right team. Customers with current Customer Care Membership have unlimited support available to them.

  4. Classroom Training.

    Many customers feel comfortable starting out with online training and support. For those who prefer training in person, Red Wing Software offers classroom training.

Don’t forget that your software will help you for years to come, and the time you invest at the start will pay off in efficiency as time goes on. It’s an investment worth making!

What to Look For in a Payroll Company

By Stephanie Elsen

Handshake

There are two things you know for sure about payroll. 1. Employees want their checks on time. 2. The government wants to receive their tax payments on time. Both are serious and important reasons for choosing wisely when selecting payroll software or a payroll service. Making the mistake of choosing the first or cheapest payroll option can result in frustration, and more importantly can hinder your ability to pay employees and the government on time! Here are some real things to look for when searching for a payroll company.

Service. Are you frequently in a hurry to get payroll completed? Many businesses are! What happens when you run into a problem the day that you are doing payroll? Maybe, at the last minute, you need to set up a brand new pay code or an employee garnishment and you need some help. Who will be there to help you? Be sure you choose a payroll company that offers excellent service. And make sure that service team is available and knows what they are doing! While you are sitting there reading this blog post, it might not seem important. But when the time actually comes, you will be thankful for choosing a payroll company that can really help you when you need it.

Options for paying employee taxes. You need to pay employee taxes by a certain date. If not, your company will be faced with dreaded fines! Be sure you can get the information you need out of your payroll system, so that you can send tax payments to the appropriate party in a timely manner. More and more states are requiring tax filing to be done online, instead of via printed forms. Make sure you have the options within your payroll software that can help you accomplish this!

Of course features are also extremely important within your payroll software or system. Once you find a payroll system that has all the features you need, be sure that company can also provide the service and tax filing capabilities you need to pay your employees and make tax payments in a timely manner!

Pay Stubs

By Stephanie Elsen

Can a whole blog post be written about pay stubs? Well, if you manage payroll, you know pay stubs are important! A pay stub is the piece of paper an employee receives that contains information about their pay. If they receive a printed pay check, it’s typically attached to the check. If their pay is direct deposited or distributed on a pay card, the paper is simply handed out to those employees. Some employers even go a step further and offer electronic pay stubs, which eliminates the need for paper and allows employees to access their pay information securely online. No matter the form they take, the pay stub is necessary so employees can access information and details about their pay, employment, and benefits. Here are some things you should know about printed pay stubs.

Here are examples of some of the standard pay stub types available with a payroll system. What you put on the pay stubs for your employees largely depends on your company, the benefits you provide, and which information you and your employees need to see (or not to see).

  • Standard Pay Stub
  • Standard with Leave & Deductions Pay Stub
  • Standard with Benefits Pay Stub
  • Piece Rate Pay Stub
  • Standard with Piece Rate Pay Stub
  • Standard without YTD Hours Pay Stub
  • Standard without Leave Pay Stub

While many payroll software systems offer a standard set of payroll stub variations, some systems also allow you to design your own pay stubs, so they are exactly as your company and its employees with to see them. Red Wing Software’s CenterPoint Payroll does allow for designing of custom pay stubs with its Check Stub Designer, which is an optional add-on product.

Placement of the pay stub can vary greatly, and that’s why many payroll systems offer the ability to choose where the check and the pay stub are on the check paper stock. The page is typically divided into three sections, with one section being for the check itself, one section for the employee stub and the other section for the stub which the employer keeps.

Some payroll systems also offer users the option of providing electronic pay stubs. Employees are then able to access their current and prior pay data online, from any computer via the internet. This eliminates the need for paper pay stubs, and is also convenient way to provide employees in multiple states or locations with their pay information.

It is important to choose a payroll system that can create pay stubs for your company and its employees in a way that makes the most sense for you.

Pay Stub Sample – CenterPoint Payroll Software.

Pay Stub Sample – CenterPoint Payroll Software