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Free Webinar-Identify and Safeguard Against Business Fraud

Webinars & Training
Stealing More Than the Secret Sauce - Identify and Safeguard Against Business Fraud Free Webinar Wednesday May 14, 2014 - 2-3 p.m. EST A staggering number of businesses falter and even fail because someone on the inside – an employee, vendor or even a partner – steals money, goods, data or intellectual property from the organization. Learning the warning signs can help business owners prevent and detect criminal activity and implement options to avoid future issues. Join a panel of distinguished virtual office business professionals in a free webinar designed to help businesses identify and safeguard against fraud. It will be presented by Kimberly Shannon, President, Off-Site Business Services, Nancy Smyth, President, Sunburst Software Solutions, Inc., and Shamese Shular, President, SHU Books on May 14, 2014, from 2pm to 3pm…
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Technology is Changing How We Submit Certified Payroll Reports

Technology is Changing How We Submit Certified Payroll Reports

Certified Payroll/Prevailing Wage, New Technology, QuickBooks Add-Ons, The "Sunburst" Website
Technology - computers, software, and the internet - has changed how we create and submit certified payroll reports over the last decade. For many years a paper certified payroll report - either the Federal WH-347 or a state specific form - was what you needed; and then you dug out the typewriter and typed the information onto the form - or - you painstakingly handwrote the information onto the form. Then along came computers and programs like LOTUS 1-2-3 and Excel and we would recreate the layout of the paper form using the program and fill it in each week – it was faster, neater, easier to correct typo's, and we felt that we were automating the task at hand. Then, some of the software companies created a “certified payroll…
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Ask Me Anything – 10 Common Questions about Certified Payroll

Ask Me Anything – 10 Common Questions about Certified Payroll

Certified Payroll/Prevailing Wage
Below are the 10 most common questions I’m asked just about every week about certified payroll and their answers. While these question commonly come from QuickBooks users the answers provided will apply to anyone who has to deal with the complexities of prevailing wage reporting. 1. I have to submit the Federal WH-347 form, how do I report the fringes that my company pays to the union hall? The Federal form only requires that you report payments of cash in lieu of fringe benefits (or fringe dollars that you pay to the employee as part of gross wages for the week) – NOT fringes you pay to the Union Hall on behalf of the employee. For fringes paid to the Union Hall, check box 4(a) Where Fringe Benefits are paid…
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Are Your QuickBooks Payroll & Certified Payroll Processes Efficient?

Are Your QuickBooks Payroll & Certified Payroll Processes Efficient?

Certified Payroll/Prevailing Wage, Payroll Tips, QuickBooks Add-Ons, Webinars & Training
QuickBooks Payroll and Certified Payroll processes really need to be efficient in order for a business to be successful.  When one of your businesses largest job expenses is payroll, you need to: pay your employees correctly and on time to keep them happy, make sure that those payroll costs are part of your accounting system so those costs are included in job costing reports, and you need to submit your certified payroll reports accurately and in a timely fashion in order to be paid. Yes, it's a vicious cycle! Ask any business owner how efficient he thinks his payroll and certified payroll processes are and I'm betting he'll either say "oh they are very efficient" or "they could be better".  Ask his payroll clerk who is dealing with a lot…
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QuickBooks Timely Payroll Alerts, Updates & Issues for 2013 Payroll Tax Returns

Payroll Tips, QuickBooks Reviews
So here we all are scrambling to get all of our payroll tax returns completed for year-ending 12/31/2013 (myself included) and I just receive this information via my ProAdvisor membership. Issues: Form 940 for Year Ending 12/31/2013 - Schedule A Rounding Issues in QuickBooks 2011-2014 From the Intuit Payroll Support Knowledgebase Problem: You received an error on your 2013 Form 940/Schedule A indicating you have a difference that is greater or less than $5 between the Total FUTA taxable wages for credit reduction states on Schedule A and the taxable FUTA wages on Form 940 page 1, line 7. This error could be due to the way the wages are rounded on Schedule A. You can correct this by verifying the totals and overriding the wages on Schedule A.  For…
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QuickBooks Tip:  How to Calculate Over/Under Billings

QuickBooks Tip: How to Calculate Over/Under Billings

Job Costing Tips, Reports
The construction industry often requires that your financial statements be based on Percentage of Completion accounting practices - where you recognize revenue progressively throughout the life of the job. The Percentage of Completion is determined by dividing the costs to date over the current budget (Estimate). The current budget is defined as the original budget (Estimate) plus any approved change orders.  An adjustment to the financials for overstated/understated revenue must then happen, because customer monies are often collected in advance of the work in job costing, you’ll want to state the true revenue on the financials carefully. Accounting guidelines recommend that you make your percentage of completion calculations based on  Revenue Earned = (Total Costs to Date / Current Project Budget) x Current Customer Contract Sales Price. In reality, you…
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Happy Holiday’s to you!

Happy Holiday’s to you!

"Maad" Rants & Other Stuff
In the next couple of weeks, many of us will take extra time off from work to spend with family and friends. It’s a good idea for us to take a step back from the routines that make up our daily life; in order to enjoy each moment with our loved ones. Take a day or two to forget about your business and work! There will always be bills to pay and accounts to balance; we tend to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of everyday activities!  Life is short and we need to make the moments with those we love count. Hug your loved ones. Learn to: verbalize your love and appreciation for family and friends, slow down and smell the flowers, breathe deeply, look for the…
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Employee Reimbursements-Accountable vs Non-Accountable Plans

Employee Reimbursements-Accountable vs Non-Accountable Plans

Be A Better Bookkeeper, From Our Guest Bloggers, IRS Information, Payroll Tips
As a tax preparer and payroll provider for my clients I always recommend, whenever possible, that they keep employee reimbursements’ out of payroll. The IRS even suggest this in Publication 583 (https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p583.pdf).  If it is your habit to include reimbursed expenses in employee paychecks and  your payroll is ever audited, be it from the IRS or the State, I am sure you and your employer could be very unhappy. In a perfect world, all expenses would be paid with company checks, or credit cards, leaving a clear path for accounting to identify the source and business reason for each expense. However, we do not live in a perfect world, and it is oftentimes necessary for employees to pay for these expenses. Reimbursements are not so cut and dry. If you…
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Sunburst’s Weekly Wrap-Up of Popular Posts 12/2 – 12/8/2013

Sunburst’s Weekly Wrap-Up of Popular Posts 12/2 – 12/8/2013

News You Can Use
Here at Sunburst, we specialize in QuickBooks for the construction industry – and we have an incredible amount of information between our three QuickBooks related websites; so much so that sometimes people are overwhelmed – I know I am in trying to keep it all straight! Below is a list of the most popular posts and pages from the Sunburst Software Solutions, Inc. family of QuickBooks related websites according to AddThis tracking stats. From the QuickBooks for Contractors blog: Q & A: QuickBooks Employee Payroll Reimbursements & Job Costing QuickBooks Tip – Job Costing Starts With A Simple Item QuickBooks Tip – Determing Cost of Goods Sold QuickBooks 2013 Upgrade Do’s, Don’ts & Frequent Questions QuickBooks Tip – Child Support Garnishments How To Turn On and Use Manual Payroll in…
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Sunburst’s Weekly Wrap-Up of Popular Posts 11/24 – 12/1/2013

Sunburst’s Weekly Wrap-Up of Popular Posts 11/24 – 12/1/2013

News You Can Use
Here at Sunburst, we specialize in QuickBooks for the construction industry – and we have an incredible amount of information between our three QuickBooks related websites; so much so that sometimes people are overwhelmed – I know I am in trying to keep it all straight! Below is a list of the most popular posts and pages from the Sunburst Software Solutions, Inc. family of QuickBooks related websites according to AddThis tracking stats. From the QuickBooks for Contractors blog: QuickBooks at Year-End: Getting Ready for 1099?s QuickBooks Tip – Job Costing Starts With A Simple Item Searching For the Right Time Tracking Add-On for QuickBooks? Cleaning Up Your QuickBooks File at Year End Using Account Numbers in Your QuickBooks Chart of Accounts QuickBooks 2013 Upgrade Do’s, Don’ts & Frequent Questions…
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Searching For the Right Time Tracking Add-On for QuickBooks?

Searching For the Right Time Tracking Add-On for QuickBooks?

Payroll Tips, QuickBooks Add-Ons
Are you totally overwhelmed & confused in your search for “just the right” time tracking add-on for QuickBooks? If you are, it’s not surprising. When you go to the Intuit Marketplace (https://marketplace.intuit.com/ ) and click on the option to Search by Business Need and then click on Time Tracking, you’ll find yourself with 51 different time tracking add-on programs to choose from!  Little wonder you are overwhelmed and confused.  I get that way too. You’ll find terms and icons indicating: And they all seem to be saying the exact same thing or slight variations: Track your time quickly and easily online! Track time fast and easy with the market leader in QuickBooks integration. Time tracking software your employees (and you{ will actually love The fastest way to track, manage and…
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QuickBooks at Year-End:  Getting Ready for 1099’s

QuickBooks at Year-End: Getting Ready for 1099’s

1099"s, Payroll Tips, Reports, Vendors & Accounts Payable
Here we are almost at year end and one of the tasks that we will soon be faced with in QuickBooks is getting ready to issue 1099's. According to the IRS, business owners must file Form 1099-MISC for each person to whom you have paid at least $10.00 in royalties or broker payments in lieu of dividends or tax-exempt interest; at least $600 in rents, services (including parts and materials), prizes and awards, other income payments, medical and health care payments, crop insurance proceeds, cash payments for fish (or other aquatic life) you purchase from anyone engaged in the trade or business of catching fish, or, generally, the cash paid from a notional principal contract to an individual, partnership, or estate; any fishing boat proceeds, or gross proceeds of $600,…
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