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This article applies to:

  • Product: Accounting CS Client Access
  • Subject: Payroll checks

Negative check treatment

For live payroll processing only.
Negative check treatment applies only to payroll checks for
tipped employees
. This is the only situation in which you can create a negative payroll check.
The application needs to know:
  • How you want to handle the reduction of deductions and taxes.
  • Whether you want to carry the shortfall amount to future checks and, if so, when to reset shortfall balances.
You'll need to set up your client information to handle payroll checks with a negative net pay and modify shortfall balances for employees.

Set up clients for handling negative checks

You set up handling for negative check amounts client-by-client. You can also adjust check handling when you enter payroll checks.
  1. Select
    Setup
    , then
    Clients
    , then choose the client.
  2. Select the
    Payroll Information
     tab, then go to the Negative Treatment section.
  3. Choose to reduce all, none, or specific
    Deductions
     and
    Taxes
    .
  4. If you chose specific, select the ellipsis button to specify the deductions or taxes.
    note
    • Deductions are reduced in the reverse of the payroll item sort order. To view the order, go to
      Setup
      ,
      Payroll Items
      ,
      Payroll Items Sort Order
      .
    • Taxes are reduced in order: federal, state, then local.
    • The application reduces deductions first.
  5. Mark or clear the
    Carry shortfall forward
     checkbox .
    note
    If you clear this checkbox, the shortfall amount is retained, but there will be no prompt for adjustment during payroll check entry.
  6. If you marked the
    Carry shortfall forward
     checkbox to make them up with future payroll check balances:
    1. Select the date to reset shortfall balances to zero for the client's employees.
    2. Choose whether you want to reset balances or create liabilities for shortfall write off.
      note
      • If you don't reset balances, shortfall balances will continue to be carried forward indefinitely and the application will attempt to make up the amounts with future check balances.
      • If you create liabilities, these will be created for all employees when items with shortfall amounts are reset to zero. The liabilities will use the selected balance reset date.

Modify shortfall balances at employee level

You don't need to set up for employee shortfall balances. When there's a shortfall balance for a payroll or payroll tax item, you can modify the balance at employee level.
  1. Select
    Setup
    ,
    Employees
    , then either the
    Payroll Items
     or
    Payroll Taxes
     tab.
  2. Select
    Edit
    , then
    Edit shortfall balances
    .
    tip
    The
    Edit Shortfall balances
     window shows active payroll and payroll tax items for the employee. Mark the
    Include inactive items with a balance
     checkbox to also show inactive items.
  3. Enter adjustments as positive or negative amounts and decide whether to create adjustment liabilities for each.
  4. Select
    OK
    , then
    Enter
     to save your adjustments and create any adjustment liabilities.

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