21st Century Accounting Help - Payroll

Close Pay Period Checklist

Use the Payroll/Close Pay Period Checklist window to keep track of Payroll activities every pay period and to close the pay period when you finish a pay cycle. The checklist provides reminders for pay period processing and shortcut buttons to help you finish processing.

You can also use the Close Pay Period Checklist window to delete the current pay period that you opened but then did not complete for some reason. This allows you to totally remove a current pay period that may be empty or contain a partial Payroll run.

The Close Pay Period Checklist gives you access to the information and functions described in the topics below.

Current Payroll year and month

For your information, the Close Pay Period Checklist window automatically shows you the current Payroll year and month.

Pay period ID

The Close Pay Period Checklist window displays a default ID or "name" for the current pay period. The default "name" is the latest pay period end date (as entered in Calculate Payroll or ATF Payroll) for employees posted in the selected frequencies or, if you don't enter optional start and end dates, the 21st Century Accounting21st Century Payroll default date. You can accept the default ID or enter your own meaningful identification for the pay period. You use the pay period ID to print certain reports and select data for display.

In this window, the pay period ID identifies the current pay period, which is the pay period you close in this window once you have completed all processing for the period.

Remember that the pay period is not associated in any way with the general ledger posting period. Closing the pay period simply prepares the system for the next Payroll run. Closing the pay period allows you to edit pay factors and employee information that you cannot edit while a Payroll run is in progress — from the time you start Payroll processing until the time you close the pay period.

Paychecks printed

The system tells how many, if any, paychecks have been printed and posted (or just posted in the case of ATF Payroll).

Paychecks remaining to print

The system tells how many, if any, paychecks have not yet been printed (or posted in the case of ATF Payroll) for the employees who were selected and processed during the current Payroll run (in either Calculate or ATF Payroll).

If any paychecks remain to be printed and posted, the Print checks button is active. Press the Print checks button to go directly to the Print Paychecks window, where you can complete the paycheck run. If any paychecks remain to be posted after the fact, the Post button is active. Press the Post button to go directly to the After the Fact Payroll window, where you can post the data.

Buttons

Close. Click the Close button to close the current pay period, as displayed in the Pay period ID field.

Closing the current pay period has the effect of resetting employee current-pay-period details and balances to zero and prepares the system to process Payroll for the next pay period. There is no limit to the number of pay periods. Closing a pay period is simply how you clear the way for the next pay cycle.

In general, you edit company information, pay factors, and employees after closing a pay period and before processing Payroll for the next pay period.

Remember that the pay period is not directly associated in any way with the general ledger posting period. You select the general ledger posting period when you print paychecks or enter ATF paychecks for any given pay period.

Delete. Click the Delete button to delete the current pay period, as displayed in the Pay period ID field. If you have opened a pay period but you have not completed or posted Payroll, the Delete function allows you to remove the pay period from the system and start fresh. You cannot delete a pay period in which paychecks have been posted.