The "Sunburst" Website | QuickBooks for Contractors blog

04Aug 2010 by Nancy Smyth

Windows Vista & 7 Tip – User Accounts

General QuickBooks News, New Technology, QuickBooks Add-Ons, QuickBooks Setup & Cleanup, The "Sunburst" Website

This tip also applies to Windows 8 and 8.1 A user account is a collection of information that tells Windows what files and folders you can access, what changes you can make to the computer, and your personal preferences, such as your desktop background or color theme. User accounts make it so that you can share a computer with several people, but still have your own files and settings. Each person accesses their own account with a user name and password. There are three different kinds of accounts: Standard Administrator Guest Each account type gives the user a different level of control over the computer. The standard account is the account to use for everyday computing. The administrator account provides the most control over the computer, and should only be…

29Jul 2010 by Nancy Smyth

An Introduction to Progress Invoicing

Customers & Accounts Receivable, The "Sunburst" Website

Progress Invoicing (also called progress billing, percentage of completion billing, or partial billing) involves billing from an estimate (or Schedule of Values) over the course of time and could be considered a type of installment billing. Progress billing is commonly associated with the construction industry; however, it is common in other industries as well. QuickBooks® Pro, Premier, and Enterprise editions all offer several options for invoicing and a Progress Invoicing function is also available. Some projects or jobs will require only a single invoice, others will require two invoices, others may require three invoices (one at the start of the job, one when you are 50% done, and the other when you are finished), other projects might require that you submit monthly progress invoices over the course of months or…

28Jul 2010 by Nancy Smyth

Certified Payroll & AIA Billing Updates

Certified Payroll/Prevailing Wage, Customers & Accounts Receivable, The "Sunburst" Website

We've been testing, debugging, and documenting numerous certified payroll and AIA billing updates for the last few weeks - I've posted some of the information behind the changes here in our blog. Today, I just send out a newsletter to over 2,000 construction companies (in all 50 states) who use our software - Glad I use Constant Contact to keep everyone up to date, otherwise they would get me for spamming :-) Below are highlights from the newsletter. Certified Payroll Solution Updates: There are several new enhancements, changes, and requirements available for Certified Payroll Solution; some at the State level for certified payroll reporting and others at the Federal level for EEOC Reporting - each item has a link to our website where you will find complete instructions. Be sure…

27Jul 2010 by Nancy Smyth

New FHWA-1391 & 1392 Annual EEO Forms For Highway Contractors

Certified Payroll/Prevailing Wage, Construction News, The "Sunburst" Website

New FHWA-1391 & FHWA-1392 Federal-Aid Highway Construction Contractor's Annual EEO Reports were released by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) in June 2010. Purpose of Forms FHWA-1391 & FHWA 1392 The purpose of the Contractors Annual EEO Reports are to collect employment data (including a breakdown of all racial/ethnic minorities and women employed) from ALL highway construction contractors who are working on a Federal-Aid Contract of $10,000.00 or more during a specific “annual” reporting period. Form FHWA-1391 is filed for individual jobs while form FHWA-1392 is a total of all jobs being submitted. The information included on these forms provides valuable information that is used by both Federal and State Governments in evaluating the status and effectiveness of the Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Program. It is extremely important that accurate data…

26Jul 2010 by Nancy Smyth

Texas Department of Transportation Requires Electronic Certified Payrolls (E-Payrolls)

Certified Payroll/Prevailing Wage, Construction News, QuickBooks Add-Ons, The "Sunburst" Website

The Texas Department of Transportation, like many other state agencies, is requiring electronic submission of certified payroll reports, through its Electronic Project Records System (EPRS). TxDOT EPRS provides contractors with multiple functions which they can utilize; however, one of the primary functions of the EPRS is that of collecting Electronic Certified Payrolls (E-Payrolls), instead of requiring contractors to submit paper certified payroll report forms for review. E-Payrolls may be uploaded into the EPRS from a contractor’s computer IF they have the proper information, in a specific data order, and it is a .CSV file format – otherwise the contractor will have to take his printed paper certified payroll report and manually input it in the EPRS System. Some software companies are updating their payroll systems to provide their construction clients…

23Jul 2010 by Nancy Smyth

Frequently Asked Questions – California Prevailing Wage

Certified Payroll/Prevailing Wage, Construction News, The "Sunburst" Website

California prevailing wage laws and certified payroll reporting requirements are quite complex and can be mandated by any of the following agencies or organizations, each with their own unique set of reporting requirements. The California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) and the filing of Form A-1-131. The California Department of Transportation (CALTRANS) and the filing of a modified WH-347 form. The U.S. Department of Labor and the filing of a standard WH-347 Form. Electronic filing requirements on specific construction projects through the use of LCPtracker, TRS Consultants, and/or Elation Systems, Inc. D-BAS Labor Compliance Software. Additional "paper filing requirements" by Labor Compliance Organizations, such as, Golden State Labor Compliance, LLC or CalLCP. Electronic filing requirements being introduced on August 1, 2010 through the California Department of Industrial Relations Compliance Monitoring…

22Jul 2010 by Nancy Smyth

California DIR – New Prevailing Wage Compliance Requirements for Contractors

Certified Payroll/Prevailing Wage, Construction News, QuickBooks Add-Ons, The "Sunburst" Website

Beginning August 1, 2010 contractors working on public works construction projects in California will find that they are subject to the regulations of the Public Works Compliance Monitoring Unit (CMU) – part of the California Department of Industrial Relations - in accordance with State Senate Bill X2-9, that was signed into law in February 2009. The CMU will conduct the required monitoring and enforcement of the states public works prevailing wage laws on specific state bond funded and/or design-build procurement construction projects undertaken by public entities in California and awarded on or after the effect date of the regulations – August 1, 2010. The California Department of Industrial Relations Compliance Monitoring Unit’s mission is to ensure that workers on state bond funded and/or design-build procurement construction projects are being paid…

12Jul 2010 by Nancy Smyth

Calculating & Displaying Fringe Benefits on a Certified Payroll Report

Certified Payroll/Prevailing Wage, QuickBooks 2010 - What's New?, The "Sunburst" Website

One of the biggest causes of confusion for contractors working on government funded construction projects is “how to calculate and display fringe benefits” on a certified payroll report. In recent months, I have repeatedly seen posts from QuickBooks users on the Intuit Community Forums asking how the fringe benefit rate is calculated and then displayed on the Certified Payroll Report in Excel, which is now a standard function of QuickBooks Premier and Enterprise when used in conjunction with Enhanced Payroll, and I really haven’t seen any good responses. Hence today’s blog post. Background: Contractors who work on government funded construction projects are required to pay their employees a “prevailing” rate of pay; based on where the project is located and the type of work they are performing. This “prevailing rate…

09Jul 2010 by Nancy Smyth

QuickBooks Tip – Handling Retainage

Customers & Accounts Receivable, The "Sunburst" Website

Retention or retainage is usually a specific percentage, for example 10%, of the total contract that is held back by the project owner in reserve to protect the owners interest. Retention is not held in a lump sum, but rather held at the stated percentage for the amount requested on each application for payment. Your contract should set the terms, including the percentage and when the hold-back will be paid. Contractors using QuickBooks often run into difficulties when handling retainage/retention; simply because the software doesn't have a means to automatically deal with it. Because QuickBooks doesn't have a built-in retention function, like many of the more expensive construction specific software program, QuickBooks users must initiate work-arounds and make QuickBooks track retainage that is held on each progress invoice. Over the…

08Jul 2010 by Nancy Smyth

QuickBooks Payroll Tip – Changing Hourly Wage Mid-Week

Payroll Tips, QuickBooks Add-Ons, The "Sunburst" Website

A reader wrote to ask the following QuickBooks payroll question. How can I change the hourly wage for employees (and their OT rates) in the middle of a pay week when using QuickBooks? I have 54 union employees that I have to do this for due to an hourly wage pay scale increase. Oh, and I will also need to change some of the company paid union fringe benefit amounts as well. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Answer: There are a couple of ways that you can accomplish this when using QuickBooks, however, because you are dealing with union hourly wage rates, it really depends on: Are you still working on contracts that will use the existing hourly rates of pay and fringe benefit amounts? Are the new hourly wage rates for contracts that…

02Jul 2010 by Nancy Smyth

The History of Prevailing Wage

Certified Payroll/Prevailing Wage, The "Sunburst" Website

The act is named after its sponsors, James J. Davis, a Republican Senator from Pennsylvania and a former Secretary of Labor under three presidents, and Representative Robert L. Bacon another Republican from Long Island, New York. The Davis-Bacon act was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Herbert Hoover on March 3, 1931. Prevailing wage laws have been the focus of public policy debate at the federal and state levels for decades. They are intended to protect workers and communities by ensuring that contractors compete on the ability to perform work competently and efficiently while maintaining community compensation standards. Prevailing wage laws require that construction workers on public projects be paid the wages and benefits that are found to be “prevailing” for similar work in or near…

01Jul 2010 by Nancy Smyth

QuickBooks Question – Tracking Prevailing Wage Fringe Benefits

Certified Payroll/Prevailing Wage, Questions from our readers, The "Sunburst" Website

A reader wrote to ask the following question: We were just awarded a contract with the Department of Defense and have to pay our employees "prevailing wage" and submit certified payroll reports. I called Intuit Support to ask them about prevailing wage, certified payroll, and how to track the fringe benefits; they weren't very helpful - they just told me that QuickBooks can produce the certified payroll report.......can you help me understand all this? Answer: Ok, let's start with some basics: The Davis-Bacon Act of 1931 (a Federal Law) set wage rate requirements on government funded construction projects. All contractors & subcontractors who perform work on these public works projects, that have a value of $2,000.00 or more, are required to submit a certified payroll report on a weekly basis.…

23Jun 2010 by Nancy Smyth

QuickBooks Tip – Employees With Multiple Rates of Pay

Payroll Tips, Questions from our readers, The "Sunburst" Website

A customer called with the following question: We have 25 employees on the payroll at all times - more in the summer when things are busier. My employees can earn multiple rates of pay in one week (sometimes even in the same day) on the same or multiple jobs. How do I handle this in QuickBooks without always having to manually change the pay rate when I create their paychecks? To be more specific, let's talk about "Joe". Joe can work as: a laborer making $12.00 per hour a dozer trax operator making $17.00 per hour a skid steer operator making $18.00 per hour a supervisor making $25.00 per hour _____________________________________________________________________ Answer: This is indeed a complex situation, as well as a very common one, and having to manually change…

16Jun 2010 by Nancy Smyth

QuickBooks for Contractors Newsletter – June 2010 Edition

The "Sunburst" Website

The June 2010 edition of the QuickBooks for Contractors Newsletter, published on a quarterly basis by Sunburst Software Solutions, Inc. is now available. This quarters newsletter is all about job costing equipment in QuickBooks: Determining Equipment Costs per Hour - explains how equipment costs-per-hour is determined by adding together three (3) distinct pieces of information. Equipment Cost Calculator - an Excel spreadsheet designed to calculate the ACTUAL hour rate it costs you to have a specific piece of equipment on the jobsite. The spreadsheet has formulas, based on the calculations in the article above. QuickBooks Tips & Techniques - Advanced Job Costing - Getting Equipment Costs into Job Costing Reports - a FREE 17-page eBook which guides you step-by-step in getting your equipment costs into your job costing reports. Get…

03Jun 2010 by Nancy Smyth

Join our “QuickBooks for Contractors” Group on LinkedIn

Be A Better Bookkeeper, The "Sunburst" Website

Using QuickBooks in the construction industry can be a daunting task. There is not a lot of construction specific help available for QuickBooks users and the accounting professionals who support them. That's one of the reasons that we've decided to start a "QuickBooks for Contractors" Group on LinkedIn - please feel free to join us - https://www.linkedin.com/e/vgh/3105723/ You can also follow Sunburst on: FaceBook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sunburst-Software-Solutions-Inc/301555289895 Twitter at https://twitter.com/SunburstSftware

Category: The “Sunburst” Website