Payroll End of Period Checklist

This process should be done after the last payroll of the month has been processed.

1.         Make an image of the data (Hub / Utilities / Make Database Image). Backup the data directory – generally \avdata\lastimage.
2.         From Agvance Accounting Reports, go to Payroll / Payroll Status. Run the Employee Totals report with a Select Source of By Check and the Select Range as the date range of the current payroll month. Print or save the report for a file copy.
3.         (Optional) From Agvance Accounting Reports, go to Payroll / Payroll Status. Run the Check Register report, entering a date range of the current payroll month.

If closing the payroll quarter, skip to step 6 below.

4.         From Agvance Accounting, go to End of Periods / Payroll Month. Check that the month displayed is the payroll month to be ended. Select OK to run the process. This process zeroes the month to date balances on the employee files.
5.         Run the Employee Totals report found at Reports / Payroll / Payroll Status, choosing the Select Source as Period to Date and Select Period as Month to Date, to make sure that month to date totals have been zeroed.

If closing a payroll month that does not end a quarter, stop here.

6.         From Agvance Accounting Reports, go to Payroll / Payroll Status. Run the Employee Totals report, with a Select Source of By Check and the Select Range as the date range of the current payroll quarter. Print or save the report for a file copy.
7.         From Agvance Accounting Reports, go to Payroll / Payroll Status. Run the Quarterly 941 report. Verify that the proper quarter is displayed in the Select Quarter drop down.
8.         From Agvance Accounting Reports, go to Payroll / Payroll Status. Run the Unemployment Insurance report. Verify that the proper quarter is displayed in the Period area and set other report criteria as needed.
9.         (Optional) From Agvance Accounting Reports, go to Payroll / Payroll Status. Run the Check Register report, entering the date range of the current payroll quarter.

If closing the payroll year, skip to step 12 below.

10.         From Agvance Accounting, go to End of Periods / Payroll Month. Check that the month displayed is the payroll month to be ended. Select OK to run the process. This process zeroes the month to Date and quarter to date balances on the employee files.
11.         Run the Employee Totals report, choosing Period to Date as the Select Source and Quarter to Date as the Select Period to verify that quarter to date totals have been zeroed.

If closing the payroll quarter (except December), stop here.

12.         From Agvance Accounting Reports, go to Payroll / Payroll Status. Run the Employee Totals report with a Select Source of By Check and the Select Range as the date range of the current payroll year. Print or save the report for a file copy.
13.         From Agvance Accounting Reports, go to Payroll / Payroll Status. Run the Employee Totals report with a Select Source of Period to Date and the Select Period of Year to Date. Compare the totals on this report to the totals on the report run for Step 12 above. If the totals of these two reports match, proceed with the checklist. If the totals do not match, please contact SSI Support for assistance.
14.         From Agvance Accounting Reports, go to Payroll / Payroll Status. Run the Unemployment Insurance report. Check to see that the proper quarter is displayed in the Period area and set other report criteria as needed.
15.         (Optional) From Agvance Accounting Reports, go to Payroll / Payroll Status. Run the Check Register report, entering a date range of the current payroll year.
16.         (Optional) From Agvance Accounting, go to Payroll / Attendance. Make all entries in the Attendance module but do not end the attendance year at this time.
17.         Make an image of the data at Hub / Utilities / Make Database Image. Backup the data directory – generally \avdata\LastImage. This backup should be archived as a payroll end of year backup in a secure location.
18.         W-2s may be printed from “live” data before the payroll year is ended, or may be printed after the data is archived. SSI strongly recommends printing W-2s on plain paper and checking them thoroughly before printing them on the W-2 forms.
19.         From Agvance Accounting, navigate to End of Periods / Payroll Month. Check that the month displayed is December. Agvance will automatically close December, Quarter 4, and the payroll year. Select the correct year for the payroll year being closed. Verify that there is enough available space on the selected drive to archive the data. Choose OK to run the process.
20.         (Optional) From Agvance Accounting, go to Payroll / Attendance. On the Reset Balances tab, make selections for resetting balances and enter the beginning of the year date. Choose Reset Balances.
21.         (Optional) If using time cards, from Agvance Accounting, go to Payroll / Timecards. Choose Delete Range. Enter the Start and End dates for the prior year and select the Processed checkbox. This deletes timecards from the prior year in the current dataset. However, these timecards remain archived in the prior year dataset.
22.         Delete any employees who no longer work for the company.