tugtalk boards everyone’s still talking about this and ... · nquiring minds want to know: how do...

September 2009

Everyone’s Still Talking About This and That on TUG Talk Boards

Everyone’s Still Talking About This and That on TUG Talk Boards ................. 1There’s No Rhyme or Reason To Miss the Sage Summit .............................. 2Getting Field Reports to the Office Made Simple with Web-based hh2 ......... 3How to Get What You Want in Your Inquiries ................................................. 4Estimating Guru .......................................................................................... 7Here’s a Whole Solution to Curing Quarterly Payroll Reporting Headaches ... 8TUG ONLINE WEBEX TRAINING & OPEN FORUMS ........................................ 10Connect Yourself to TUG’s ODBC Webinar To See the

Software Links You Can Make ............................................................ 12Calling All Project Management Users To Oct. 20 Roundtable on Setup ........ 12

o Continued on page 13

In the last is-sue of The TUG Pulse,

we gave you examples of

the kind of back-and-forth help that TUG members provide each other. Here are more topics from the TUG Talk Board on a variety of issues in several modules and features.

Job Cost – compiled by Julie Brown

Job Cost Totals by CategoryKristine Carr uses job, pay

items, cost codes, and cat-egories. She wanted to know if anyone has a report that sum-marizes by category and can be ranged by accounting date. She’d like a report that can run for a specific accounting range by job while giving a total for each category.

Martha Ward offered her “billing report” that shows all detail for a job by category and summarizes each category amount. Date range can be entered or left blank. The entire job detail can be seen.

Carl Senn also suggested a report found in Reports, Cost Control, Category Summary (as of date).

Accounts Payable– compiled by Julie Brown

AP Invoice Change Posted to Close Period

Grace Burghardt had an open invoice that was originally posted in March 2009, a closed period. She made a change to this invoice in August 2009 and incorrectly allowed it to post to the original accounting date rather than to the August ac-counting date. Grace wanted to know how to move the change transaction from March (rejected entry in GL) to August.

Sharon Bailey recommend-ed opening the closed period, then going under Tasks, Change entries to change the accounting date to the current period, mak-ing sure to go back and close the period that was opened.

Removing RetainageGeorge Schneider had a

paid invoice that had retention remaining. However, the project manager wanted the retainage removed.

Bonnie Jackson recom-mended posting a credit invoice into the AP system, then print-ing a zero check to clear both entries. Hope this helps!

ODBC– compiled by Michael Suhovecky

Cut-off DatesBecky Thompson asked if

cut-off dates could be used with an ODBC report.

Dan Kartman noted that when using ODBC with Micro-soft® Excel, cut-off dates could be added by using the Micro-soft® Query Wizard.

Michael Suhovecky added

TUGTalk Boards

TUG Pulse 2 September 2009

the TUG PulsePublished by the

Timberline Users Group, Inc.and sent to all members.

Board of DirectorsRobin Peterson, President

Natalie Allen, Vice President

Tom Moore, SecretaryJulie Brown, Treasurer

Patrick HughesMatt WeaverBrent Cato

Sharon HessongMike SuhoveckyDennis StejskalCharlie AugerGary Simpson

Publications CommitteeTom MooreEire StewartJulie BrownTom Love

Carolyn Boettner, EditorMaureen Connolly,

Consultant

National AdministratorBoettner Business

ProfessionalsP.O. Box 697

Sylvania, OH 43560Phone: 419.885.9004

Fax: 419.885.9007

Toll Free: 800.884.4630

Web Site

There’s No Rhyme or ReasonTo Miss the Sage Summit

The Sage Summit is scheduled for November 9–12, 2009, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. The Summit is a conference for all Sage Software product users. Timberline Office is among Sage software products, so there will be classes specifically designed for Timberline Office users. The class formats vary, depending on the type of class be-ing offered. There will be hands-on labs, lectures and demonstrations of features from all Timberline Office modules.

In addition to the training classes offered, Sage has a Support Center staffed by Sage representatives during the entire conference. These ex-perts will take your specific questions or problems and provide you with one-on-one support so that you can utilize the software better.

Visit www.sagesummit.com to view the course agenda and to register to attend this year’s Sage Summit in Atlanta.

The time is fast upcomingTo keep your skills a-humming,To use the software as a tool, soDon’t miss the Summit like a fool.

This year Atlanta is the place.Get there to learn and keep the pace.To learn and help you hone your skill,Sage Summit always fits the bill.

Get on the web and click the link,It’s just as easy as you think.Sign up for classes that you needThere are plenty there, yes, indeed.

You’ll meet other users just like youWho want to improve their job skills, too.You’ll get to learn from Sage’s bestIn a virtual software fest.

Got a problem that can’t be solved?No matter how simple or involved,Support Center folk at the SummitWill make all software woes just plummet.

So don’t delay, get signed up soon.Sage Summit can be your learning boon.No need for Pepto or Mylanta,Hope to see you in Atlanta

September 2009 3 TUG Pulse

Consider these circumstances:

A subcontractor refused to pay for unauthorized use of a dumpster on a jobsite until the general contractor produced a photograph of that dumpster filled with the subcontrac-tor’s identifiable product packaging.

A supplier wouldn’t accept his materials that had arrived damaged until photos were e-mailed showing the damaged goods still on the delivery truck.

Even after warning the owners and the architects about the possibility that a key architectural feature would fail—and it did—a contractor was dragged into litigation to defend the quality of work.

Construction projects rarely, if ever, go as planned. Much of an ef-fective project management process involves documenting what was done. But questions can arise on whether something was done at all or was done properly. If you’ve ever found yourself involved in litigation, you’ll appreciate the need for daily

documentation of what happens on your jobsite. Many times unexpected problems can be resolved peaceably. But often a dispute requires an ag-gressive defense of what happened. And, in conflicting circumstances, the party that produces the most evidence will usually win.

Many companies today rely on three-ring binders stored on the jobsite. The jobsite supervisor fills the binders with paper logs of the day’s events. Although still helpful, this method has many shortcomings. If the jobsite trailer catches fire, the logbooks go up in flames, too. And if the fire doesn’t get the records, water from the fire hoses will. (Don’t laugh. This really happened to one of our customers.) Log books can get lost, damaged or stolen, too. Handwriting legibility and the fact that the log books are only available

on-site, undermine their usefulness. And finally, even if log books are kept consistently, proving that they haven’t been altered or added to after the fact can be difficult.

Sage Timberline Office Field Reports

With the release of Sage Timberline Office 9.5, a new feature called Field Reports was added to the Project Manage-ment module. The Field Reports feature makes it possible for daily logs to be kept safe and secure in Project Management. Since logs are stored digitally in the office, there’s no need to worry about physical dam-age or handwriting legibility. Because these digital logs have user stamps and date stamps

applied, there can be no disputing the authenticity. And now that the log is available to Project Management, these logs can be used for more than just documentation. You can now use them to keep tabs on the daily progress of the project.

The following is a list of the types of data tracked in Sage Timberline Office’s Field Reports:

Weather: Basic area conditions and site-specific conditions.

Labor: Employees, their

“Many companies today rely on three-ring binders stored on the jobsite. The jobsite supervisor fills the binders with paper logs of the day’s events.”


Getting Field Reports to the OfficeMade Simple with Web-based hh2

by: hh2


Inquiring minds want to know: How do you get what you want into your inquiries? Sage Timberline

Office gives us great tools to obtain user-specific information, and Inquiry Designer is one of the best of those tools. The canned inquiry designs are fabulous, but have you ever had an inquiry that every time you ran it, you had to add a column or condition it? Not anymore.

Through Inquiry Designer (ID), you can design or custom-ize the inquiries you use most often. ID enables you to save those inquiries that you use daily, weekly, even monthly. Most us-ers find that they can get by with just one ID license since it is not likely to be used by more than one user at a time. Just as in Report Designer, in ID, you add your favorite inquiries through Inquiry Manager.

The steps to editing an existing inquiry are:1. Open Inquiry Designer

and click on Inquiry, In-quiry Manager.

2. Click on the module that con-tains the specific inquiries you want to customize. For this example, we’ll customize the GL Entries Inquiry to add the Jour-nal Number. However the basic steps are the same in any inquiry. Click on Gen-eral Ledger, Entries and select Change. (Note: if you choose to

How to Get What You Want in Your Inquiries

it will be at the bottom of the list. Select the copy you just created and select Change.)

3. The Change Inquiry window will open up. (Figure 1) The canned inquiries have been defaulted so that “on-the-fly” modifications aren’t saved. To save the modifications we are about to make, click on Options

and select the fourth option under View Options, (Figure 2) Allow modified view to be saved. You will undo this step when you have completed all your changes. There are a couple of other options you may want to explore. Options exist that protect changes of Start Levels, viewing of attachments, and Access Keys. (Note: This screen will

also tell you if the inquiry has been modified previously. When we go back to reset the checkbox Allow modified view to be saved, the text in the box on the far right will have disappeared, showing that it has been modified. Click OK.4. The Change Inquiry window will reappear. (Figure 3) Click on Define Levels and select files in the same manner you would if you were opening the inquiry in the GL mod-ule. Now locate the column

where you want to insert or create a copy, the system will ask you to name it and ask you where you want to store that inquiry. Once you rename it,

Inquiry Designer:

By Toni Sykora, Koontz McCombsand

Eire Stewart, JP DINAPOLI COMPANIES, Inc.

o Continues …

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4


change the data. Since we are adding the Journal Number, we’ll place it after the Trans-action Description. Click on the Reference 1 column. The Column Options window will open. Click on Insert column before this column. Click OK.

5. A list of GL Transaction fields will pop up. (Figure 4) Slide down and click on Journal. The Journal field header information will prefill, along with the field width, based on your company settings. Click OK. The Journal Number will now appear on the inquiry.

6. Once you make your changes to the Start Level screen, the next step is to define new “jumps” or to customize the canned “jumps.” Jumps are the way you create your drill down information path. You can have up to three jumps, and you have the flexibility to change, condition, add, or remove a column at each jump level.

7. Once you’ve created your jumps, the system will ask you at each “jump” level if you want to save your work. After you save, you can either test your inquiries through Inquiry Designer or go straight into the module which holds your new design. Select your design and see if it doesn’t make your life a whole lot easier.

8. Once you have your custom-ized inquiry set the way you

want it, you’ll want to preserve it so that another user doesn’t undo your changes or make other alterations. To preserve it, we have to repeat the steps in Step 3 above. (Figure 5)Select the Entries Inquiry from the Inquiry Manager window and click on Change. The Change Inquiry window will open. Click on Options and un-select the fourth option under

View options (Allow modified view to be saved). Notice that the box in the far right corner that originally appeared in Step 3 above is gone, indicating that original Sage Timberline Office inquiry has been modi-fied. This inquiry has now been saved in your company’s User Inquiries so that it will not be written over during installation of enhancements, upgrades and later versions of STO.

Now that you have these basic steps down, you’ll never have to con-dition or add columns to any of your standard inquiries. And, you have the tools to customize inquiries for each user just the way he or she wants to see them. You’ll be an Inquiry hero.

Ten Simple Ideas For Customizing

Inquiries:1. Customize delinquency ag-

ings by setting conditions that show each project man-ager or property manager only their clients or tenants. Set the condition on the Project Manager field at the Job or the Property Manager at the Property.

2. Change the settings for the PM Lease Inquiry from the default of Usable to Rent-able..

3. Add Job Size to the Cost Spreadsheet Inquiry.

4. Add Joint Payee to the Check Register Inquiry.

5. Add Last Check Date or Last Year Amount to the Invoice Register Inquiry.

6. Add Custom Fields to the GL Account Inquiry.

7. Add Last Reconciled Date to the Bank Register Inquiry.

8. Add a Property Detail jump to the Property Inquiry to allow for easy retrieval of building-specific informa-tion.

9. Add the Journal Number or the Operator ID and Date Stamp to the GL Entries Inquiry.

10. Condition the Invoice Reg-ister Inquiry to show just those invoices in the last 90 or 120 days.

Figure 5


hours, and a brief description of what they’re working on.

Subcontractor: Subs, a headcount, and a brief de-scription of sub activities.

Equipment: Equipment onsite, rented or owned, and if it was being used or was idle.

Materials: Mate-rial deliveries.

Activities: Activities worked on, job cost percent complete and unit production.

Change Orders: Change orders, change requests, and work order descriptions.

Events: No-table events on the jobsite.

Visitors: Visitors to the jobsite.

Journal: Extended categorized notes.

That’s all important, useful information. But how do you easily get those logs from the field to the office?

The Answer: hh2 Field Reportshh2 Field Reports is a web-based

solution that allows your field staff to enter their daily logs securely online. We fully host the solution so all you have to do is set up an account and we do the rest. We set up a synchro-nization tool that will automatically push any report keyed into our sys-tem into Sage Timberline Office. And

we’ll train your office and field staff to use and administer the system.

Our software is streamlined for field use, meaning we’ve added many pre-fill options and made the interface as graphical, intuitive, and mouse-driven as possible, minimizing the amount of typing.

AttachmentsIn addition to supporting all fields

in Timberline’s Field Reports, we sup-port adding attachments of virtually any kind. Photos can be added, and our system automatically generates thumbnails that make it easy to download the full-size photo. Digital voice recorders can also be used throughout the day to capture notable events. Many recorders support mp3 format for fast and efficient uploading to the hh2 Field Reports. Microsoft® Word documents, Excel documents,

e - m a i l s , and faxes can all be a t t ached directly to a field report.

Customized Data TrackingWe also recognize that not all

businesses track the same types of data. Spe-cialty contractors often track varied amounts of highly proprietary data in their logs. To help these companies, hh2 Field Reports enables you to create your own custom data forms to track pro-prietary data. This way, your field reports contain all the data you require.

SearchingSo you have the in-

formation, but how do you find it? Our system comes with extensive searching capabilities. No more sifting through mountains of paperwork to find something you

need. Just type in a few keywords and let our system get you the reports you need.

Exporting to .pdf, ExcelIn addition to sending the field re-

port directly to Sage Timberline Office, we also support exporting field re-ports to a printer-friendly .pdf format or to Excel. This can be done either one report at a time or in batch mode. With a single click, weeks or months are exported. We also provide the op-tion to choose which types of data you

Getting Field Reports to the Officeo Continued from page 3

o Continues …


want to ex-port so that y o u c a n customize

the report to the needs at hand.

PM and JC ReportsNot only does management need

reports from the field, the field also needs reports from the office. hh2 Field Reports has the option for field personnel to run reports from Project Management, such as RFI reports and submittal logs, and from Job Cost so that field supervisors can be kept up to speed on this critical information.

Web ServicesWhy are web-based solutions

the way of the future? Web-based solutions have the advantage of be-ing accessible anytime, from virtually any Internet-connected computer. This means if the employee is out of town and gets a phone call, he or she can document and send the

details in a field report, perhaps from a hotel business center or an airport terminal. No software installation is required to access the program—just a web browser.

Hosted web services also have the added benefit of being constantly kept up to date, without you having to maintain the network or server hardware, or installing upgrades or

service packs. A l s o , i s s u e s such as security, backups, and high availability (meaning there are always ad-ditional servers online if one goes down) are all is-sues handled by the service pro-vider. And finally, hosted web ser-vices are not lim-ited to upgrad-ing or bug-fixing on strict release schedules, based

on version upgrades. New features and bug fixes are out as soon as they’re ready.

ConclusionDaily logs are an essential part

of managing your jobs and protect-ing your company from liability. With the addition of Field Reports, you can now have an effective way to moni-tor the daily activities as well. Going digital will save you time and money and could make the difference in the event you’re called into a court battle.

For more information or for a customized demonstration, visit us online at www.hh2.com, or call us at 1-877-442-9327.

TO: O Mighty and Benevolent GuruI’ve been given the task of as-

signing job cost phases (cost codes) to all of the items in the estimating database. Is there a way to speed up this dreary task?

JC Phased to Death

TO: Phased to DeathOnce again I, THE GURU, am

speeding to the aid of another poor unfortunate.

When you’re ready to assign cost codes to the items, it might be worth looking at the Inherit Job Cost Phase feature in Database Editor. Inherit Job Cost Phase assigns the job cost phase that is assigned to the estimating phase to the items under that estimating phase.

For instance, in Estimating Phase 6200, you have items 2x4x8, x10, x12, etc.—all of which need to go to JC Phase 25-00-01.

In Database Editor (DBE) on Esti-mating Phase 6200, enter JC Phase 25-00-01. Then go to the item view in DBE, highlight the items in Phase 6200, right click, and select Inherit Job Cost Phase. This will assign JC Phase 25-00-01 to all the highlighted items.

You can actually do this to all the items in your database; just assign the JC code to all the estimating phases and highlight all the items before you use Inherit JC Phase. This process can save you considerable time, but only if you’re going to use the same JC phase on all categories. That’s because it will assign the same JC phase to all categories on the item.

The (Never Under-estimate Me) Guru

ASK THE ESTIMATING GURU


I have yet to meet anyone who looks forward to reconciling and prepar-

ing quarterly payroll tax returns. You and I know it’s not fun. However, with three quarterly tax reports that our company has created for use with the Sage Timberline Office Payroll module, the process can be made easier. These reports streamline the reconciliation and recordkeeping necessary for federal payroll tax reporting by creating clean, concise and easily auditable written backup.

Federal Reporting The Federal Form 941 is filed

quarterly with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It’s due on the last day of the month following the end of the quarter. The return incorporates a variety of detailed information: o The total number of employees

on the payroll on the 12th day of the last month of the quarter.

o Total wages paid dur-ing the quarter.

o Federal income tax (FIT) withheld.

o Taxable Social Security wages.o Taxable Medicare wages.o Social Security taxes.o Medicare taxes.o Deposits made for taxes appli-

cable to payrolls in the quarter. o Net balance due to the IRS.

After the end of the year, Form W-2s are printed for each employee on the payroll. Copies of W-2s are sent to each employee. (2009 W-2s will be due January 31, 2010.) In ad-

by: Bob LifsetSigma Accounting Solutions

dition, a copy of the W-2, along with a covering page known as a W-3, is sent to the Social Security Adminis-

tration. The W-3 contains totals for all employees for the year. The IRS reconciles the totals of the 941s for

Here’s a Whole Solution to CuringQuarterly Payroll Reporting Headaches

Federal Form 941 Preparation Report

Time 10:24:42AM

Page 31 of 32

1st Quarter

Beginning Quarter Date

Ending Quarter Date

01/01/2008

03/31/2008

Date 9/4/2009Report Scope

Show Check Detail

1st Quarter

Yes

D1-NY Construction Company

5c. Taxable

Medicare

Wages

5a. Taxable

Social Security

Wages

Medicare

Withheld By

Employer

Medicare

Withheld

From

Employee

03.Income Tax

Withheld

From Wages

5d.Total SSN

And Medicare

Taxes

02. Wages

Tips & Other

Compensation

Social Security

Withheld From

Employee

Social Security

Withheld By

Employer

6. Total Taxes

Before

Adjustments

2/28/2008 46412 607.37 25.62 607.37 37.65 37.65 607.37 8.81 8.81 92.92 118.54

3/6/2008 46462 944.79 76.24 944.79 58.58 58.58 944.79 13.70 13.70 144.56 220.80

3/13/2008 46517 1,214.73 139.24 1,214.73 75.31 75.31 1,214.73 17.61 17.61 185.84 325.08

3/20/2008 46576 1,372.20 178.61 1,372.20 85.08 85.08 1,372.20 19.90 19.90 209.96 388.57

Totals For 1903Warren;Frederick 5,083.88 495.95 5,083.88 315.20 315.20 5,083.88 73.72 73.72 777.84 1,273.79

2/7/2008 46277 314.93 0.00 314.93 19.53 19.53 314.93 4.57 4.57 48.20 48.20

3/21/2008 44857 539.88 4.95 539.88 33.47 33.47 539.88 7.82 7.82 82.58 87.53

Totals For 680Williams;Jon 854.81 4.95 854.81 53.00 53.00 854.81 12.39 12.39 130.78 135.73

1/3/2008 46033 1,237.23 137.46 1,237.23 76.71 76.71 1,237.23 17.94 17.94 189.30 326.76

1/11/2008 44851 1,484.67 126.45 1,484.67 92.05 92.05 1,484.67 21.53 21.53 227.16 353.61

2/28/2008 46397 629.86 46.35 629.86 39.05 39.05 629.86 9.13 9.13 96.36 142.71

3/6/2008 46444 944.79 93.59 944.79 58.58 58.58 944.79 13.70 13.70 144.56 238.15

3/13/2008 46498 1,507.17 183.19 1,507.17 93.44 93.44 1,507.17 21.85 21.85 230.58 413.77

3/20/2008 46556 1,574.65 200.06 1,574.65 97.63 97.63 1,574.65 22.84 22.84 240.94 441.00

3/27/2008 46615 1,574.65 200.06 1,574.65 97.63 97.63 1,574.65 22.83 22.83 240.92 440.98

Totals For 1379Workman;John 8,953.02 987.16 8,953.02 555.09 555.09 8,953.02 129.82 129.82 1,369.82 2,356.98

Figure 1


Time 10:24:42AM

Page 32 of 32

1st Quarter


Ending Quarter Date

01/01/2008

03/31/2008


Show Check Detail

1st Quarter

Yes


5c. Taxable

Medicare

Wages

5a. Taxable

Social Security

Wages

Medicare

Withheld By

Employer

Medicare

Withheld

From

Employee

03.Income Tax

Withheld

From Wages

5d.Total SSN

And Medicare

Taxes

02. Wages

Tips & Other

Compensation

Social Security

Withheld From

Employee

Social Security

Withheld By

Employer

6. Total Taxes

Before

Adjustments

226,655.76 120,935.42 11,461.24 11,461.24 790,427.64 49,006.47 49,006.47 790,427.64 105,720.34 781,771.791st Quarter Totals

Income tax wtihheld from wages

Wages, tips and other compensation

Number of employees who received wages, tips, or other compensation for the pay period

including Mar.12 (Quarter 1), June 12 (Quarter 2), Sept. 12 (Quarter 3), Dec.12 (Quarter 4)

Federal Form 941 Amounts For Quarter

01

02

Taxable social sercurity and medicare wages and tips

Column 2Column 1

Taxable social security wages

Taxable medicare wages & tips

Total social security & medicare taxes

Total taxes before adjustments

05

03

5a

5c

5d

06

781,771.79

105,720.34

790,427.64

790,427.64

.124

.029

98,013.03

22,922.40

120,935.43

226,655.77

56.00

Figure 2

Federal Form 941/W-3 Reconciliation Report

Time 10:27:55AM

Page 5 of 5

4th Quarter


Ending Quarter Date

10/01/2008

12/31/2008


Show Check Detail

Full Year

Not Applicable


5c. Taxable

Medicare

Wages

5a. Taxable

Social Security

Wages

Medicare

Withheld By

Employer

Medicare

Withheld

From

Employee

03.Income Tax

Withheld

From Wages

5d.Total SSN

And Medicare

Taxes

02. Wages

Tips & Other

Compensation

Social Security

Withheld From

Employee

Social Security

Withheld By

Employer

6. Total Taxes

Before

Adjustments

W-3 Transmittal of Wage and Tax Statements

5,836,612.48 791,625.56

5,758,492.48 357,026.54

5,874,554.94 85,181.02

1. Wages, tips, other compensation 2. Federal income tax withheld

3. Social security wages 4. Social security tax withheld

5. Medicare wages and tips 6. Medicare tax withheld

Report Totals 5,836,612.48 791,625.56 5,758,492.48 357,026.54 357,060.02 5,874,554.94 85,181.02 85,181.02 884,448.60 1,676,074.16

Figure 3


Form 941 Report (see Figure 1) for the selected quarter. At the end of the report is a table entitled “Federal Form 941 Amounts for Quarter” (see Figure 2). This table shows what should appear on the 941. This may be used to prepare the 941.

all four quarters of the year with the W-3 totals. Specifically, the following are reconciled: Federal income tax withheld and taxable Social Security wages and taxable Medicare wages. In addition, Social Security and Medi-care tax amounts are compared. (The 941 tax amounts should be double the W-3 tax amounts because the 941 includes employer as well as employee taxes.) If these totals don’t reconcile, you’re required to explain the discrepancy.

We’ve developed two reports that make the task of reconciling the 941 totals to the W-3 totals easier: a 941 Preparation Report and a 941 to W-2 Reconciliation.


This multi-page report begins by asking you for the year and quarter (report scope) you want to run. Unlike the Sage Timberline Office report that prints totals by check date, this report will print every check, along with the check date and check number, as well as the detail needed for the Federal

W-2 PreparationAt the end of the year, after the

fourth quarter 941 is filed, you will run your W-2 forms and prepare the W-2s and the summary W-3 for filing with Social Security. The 941 Preparation Report assists in this effort as well.

The report scope has a “full year” entry. When running for the full year, you obtain the table “Federal Form 941 Amounts for Quarter” for each of the four quarters in the year. The amounts in each quarter’s table should be compared to the actual Form 941 that was filed. This will en-sure that no changes occurred after

the 941 was filed. (For example, if you voided a check us-ing original dates after the 941 was filed, the totals in the table will be slightly different from the actual 941 filed. In this case, the easiest way to correct the differ-ence is to book an adjustment to the fourth quarter 941.

On the las t page of the 941 Preparation Report is a table entitled “W-3 Transmittal of Wage and Tax Statements” (see Figure 3 ) . Th is

shows the totals for all four quarters of the year, which are essentially your correct W-3 totals. These totals should be filed with your W-3 form.

Federal Form 941/W-2 Reconciliation Report

Time 10:30:03AM

Page 48 of 49

Beginning Year Date

Ending Year Date

Date 9/4/2009Report Scope Full Year


01/01/2008

12/31/2008

Select Checks Based On

Year Is Prior Year

Period End Date

5c. Taxable

Medicare

Wages

5a. Taxable

Social Security

Wages

Medicare

Withheld By

Employer

Medicare

Withheld

From

Employee

03.Income Tax

Withheld

From Wages

5d.Total SSN

And Medicare

Taxes

02. Wages

Tips & Other

Compensation

Social Security

Withheld From

Employee

Social Security

Withheld By

Employer

6. Total Taxes

Before

Adjustments

980.28 96.85 980.28 60.78 60.78 980.28 14.21 14.21 149.98 246.83Williams; Everton

672

941 Totals

980.28

0.00

980.28

0.00

W-2 Totals

Difference

980.28

0.00

96.85 60.78 14.21

0.00 0.00 0.00

52,881.76 5,075.73 52,881.76 3,278.67 3,278.67 52,881.76 766.79 766.79 8,090.92 13,166.65Williams;Jon

680

941 Totals

52,881.76

0.00

52,881.76

0.00

W-2 Totals

Difference

52,881.76

0.00

5,075.73 3,278.67 766.79

0.00 0.00 0.00

7,898.18 1,159.43 7,898.18 489.69 489.69 7,898.18 114.52 114.52 1,208.42 2,367.85Wilson;Arthur

1226

941 Totals

7,898.18

0.00

7,898.18

0.00

W-2 Totals

Difference

7,898.18

0.00

1,159.43 489.69 114.52

0.00 0.00 0.00

643.44 4.15 643.44 39.89 39.89 643.44 9.33 9.33 98.44 102.59Wilson;Peter

1919

941 Totals

643.44

0.00

643.44

0.00

W-2 Totals

Difference

643.44

0.00

4.15 39.89 9.33

0.00 0.00 0.00

629.86 36.26 629.86 39.05 39.05 629.86 9.13 9.13 96.36 132.62Wilson;Richard

1921

941 Totals

629.86

0.00

629.86

0.00

W-2 Totals

Difference

629.86

0.00

36.26 39.05 9.13

0.00 0.00 0.00

67,414.20 8,212.48 67,414.20 4,179.68 4,179.68 67,414.20 977.51 977.51 10,314.38 18,526.86Workman;John

1379

941 Totals

67,414.20

0.00

67,414.20

0.00

W-2 Totals

Difference

67,414.20

0.00

8,212.48 4,179.68 977.51

0.00 0.00 0.00

259.70 23.96 259.70 16.10 16.10 259.70 3.77 3.77 39.74 63.70Young;Will

2050

941 Totals

259.70

0.00

259.70

0.00

W-2 Totals

Difference

259.70

0.00

23.96 16.10 3.77

0.00 0.00 0.00

Figure 4


Federal Form 940 FUTA Worksheet

Time 10:35:13AM

Page 15 of 18

1st Quarter


Ending Quarter Date

01/01/2008

03/31/2008


Show Check Detail

1st Quarter

Yes


Select Checks Based On Period End Date

05. Total

Payments Made

In Excess Of

7,000

04. Payments

Exempt From

FUTA Tax

03. Total

Payments To

All Employees

07. Taxable

FUTA Wages

06. Subtotal

(4 + 5)

08. FUTA

Tax

01/29/2008 46197 0.00 0.00 1,259.72 10.08 1,259.72 0.00

02/05/2008 46239 535.83 535.83 948.84 7.58 1,484.67 0.00

02/12/2008 46284 944.79 944.79 0.00 0.00 944.79 0.00

02/19/2008 46332 944.79 944.79 0.00 0.00 944.79 0.00

02/26/2008 46376 629.86 629.86 0.00 0.00 629.86 0.00

03/04/2008 46419 1,259.72 1,259.72 0.00 0.00 1,259.72 0.00

03/11/2008 46471 1,574.65 1,574.65 0.00 0.00 1,574.65 0.00

03/18/2008 46528 1,574.65 1,574.65 0.00 0.00 1,574.65 0.00

03/25/2008 46587 1,574.65 1,574.65 0.00 0.00 1,574.65 0.00

Totals For 163Schwartz;Ray 9,038.94 7,000.00 9,038.94 56.00 16,038.94 0.00

01/01/2008 46009 0.00 0.00 1,259.72 10.08 1,259.72 0.00

01/08/2008 46057 0.00 0.00 1,259.72 10.08 1,259.72 0.00

01/15/2008 46105 0.00 0.00 1,574.65 12.60 1,574.65 0.00

01/22/2008 46149 0.00 0.00 1,259.72 10.08 1,259.72 0.00

01/29/2008 46194 0.00 0.00 1,574.65 12.60 1,574.65 0.00

02/05/2008 46236 1,503.11 1,503.11 71.54 0.56 1,574.65 0.00

02/12/2008 46281 1,574.65 1,574.65 0.00 0.00 1,574.65 0.00

02/19/2008 46329 1,259.72 1,259.72 0.00 0.00 1,259.72 0.00

02/26/2008 46373 1,874.65 1,874.65 0.00 0.00 1,874.65 0.00

03/04/2008 46416 1,124.79 1,124.79 0.00 0.00 1,124.79 0.00

03/11/2008 46469 1,874.65 1,874.65 0.00 0.00 1,874.65 0.00

03/18/2008 46525 1,874.65 1,874.65 0.00 0.00 1,874.65 0.00

03/25/2008 46584 1,499.72 1,499.72 0.00 0.00 1,499.72 0.00

Totals For 45Sebastian;Phillip 12,585.94 7,000.00 12,585.94 56.00 19,585.94 0.00

02/05/2008 46276 0.00 0.00 314.93 2.52 314.93 0.00

02/12/2008 46322 0.00 0.00 944.79 7.56 944.79 0.00

02/19/2008 44846 0.00 0.00 697.35 5.58 697.35 0.00

Totals For 1901Simpson;Hervin 0.00 1,957.07 0.00 15.66 1,957.07 0.00

01/01/2008 46048 0.00 0.00 812.50 6.50 812.50 0.00

Totals For 1808Walken;Jerome 0.00 812.50 0.00 6.50 812.50 0.00

03/25/2008 46598 0.00 0.00 1,391.25 11.13 1,391.25 0.00

Totals For 827Wallace;Joseph 0.00 1,391.25 0.00 11.13 1,391.25 0.00

02/12/2008 46325 0.00 0.00 944.79 7.56 944.79 0.00

02/26/2008 46412 0.00 0.00 607.37 4.86 607.37 0.00

03/04/2008 46462 0.00 0.00 944.79 7.56 944.79 0.00

03/11/2008 46517 0.00 0.00 1,214.73 9.72 1,214.73 0.00

03/18/2008 46576 0.00 0.00 1,372.20 10.98 1,372.20 0.00

Totals For 1903Warren;Frederick 0.00 5,083.88 0.00 40.68 5,083.88 0.00

02/05/2008 46277 0.00 0.00 314.93 2.52 314.93 0.00

03/25/2008 44857 0.00 0.00 539.88 4.32 539.88 0.00

Totals For 680Williams;Jon 0.00 854.81 0.00 6.84 854.81 0.00

01/01/2008 46033 0.00 0.00 1,237.23 9.90 1,237.23 0.00

01/08/2008 46083 0.00 0.00 854.81 6.84 854.81 0.00

01/15/2008 44851 0.00 0.00 629.86 5.04 629.86 0.00

02/26/2008 46397 0.00 0.00 629.86 5.04 629.86 0.00

Figure 5


DATE TOPIC

September 25, 2009TUG Houston

Local Chapter [email protected]

September 30, 2009TUG Nebraska/Iowa


[email protected]

November 10-12, 2009Sage Summit

Atlanta, Georgia

December 10, 2009TUG Kansas City


May 18-21, 20102010 TUG National Users Conference & Workshops

Orlando, Florida

April 26 - 29, 20112011 TUG National Users Conference & Workshops

Grapevine, Texas

May 15-18, 20122012 TUG National Users Conference & Workshops

Orlando, Florida

Mon 9/28/2009 IT COMMITTEE & FORUM

Tue 9/29/2009 PJ COMMITTEE & FORUM

Wed 9/23/2009 ESTIMATING COMMITTEE & FORUM – 11:00 EST

Thurs 10/1/2009 A/R Setup and Workflow

Fri 10/2/2009 Basic Construction Assemblies

Mon 10/5/2009 Outlook

Tues 10/6/2009 Desktop

Thurs 10/8/2009 Billing Setup Workflow

Thurs10/8/2009 REAL ESTATE COMMITTEE & FORUM

Tues 10/13/2009 Job Overview Report

Thurs10/15/2009 CONSTRUCTION COMMITTEE & FORUM

Mon 10/19/2009 Intermediate Excel

Tues 10/20/2009 SERVICE MGMT COMMITTEE & FORUM

Tues 10/20/2009 Implementation Strategy

Thurs10/22/2009 A/P Setup




Thurs10/29/2009 A/P Workflow

Mon 11/2/2009 Upgrade 9.6

Tues 11/3/2009 Submittals

Thurs 11/5/2009 Preparing for the Year-End

Tues 11/10/2009 Drawing Log

Thurs11/12/2009 REAL ESTATE COMMITTEE & FORUM

Mon 11/16/2009 Beginning ODBC 1 : An in t roduct ion to ODBC cover ing basic concepts and setup, using ODBC and mail merge to create letters, contracts and forms in Microsoft Word

Tues 11/17/2009 Custom Logs

Tues 11/17/2009 SERVICE MGMT COMMITTEE & FORUM

Thurs11/19/2009 CONSTRUCTION COMMITTEE & FORUM

Mon 11/23/2009 Beginning ODBC 2: Setting up and using ODBC with Microsoft Excel, swapping data sources in Excel 2003 and using Microsoft Access to update Sage Timberline data.




All training sessions take place at 1:00 EST (unless otherwise stated) and last approximately one hour. To register, email [email protected]. Just let her know which class(es) you would like to participate in. We’ll get you registered and email a confirmation along with connection information. These classes are free

of charge and open to members only – one more benefit of belonging to the Timberline Users Group!

We are adding more sessions every day. Check the Training Calendar at www.TUGweb.com for an updated list. If you have any suggestions on sessions you would like to see, please email [email protected].

TUG ONLINE WEBEXTRAINING & OPEN FORUMS


o Continued from page 9

941 to W-2 Reconciliation The 941 form uses the Check

and Check Tax records to develop the needed totals. These records are created each time a payroll is

run. The W-2 form uses the Employee Tax record which contains posted to-tals. It is updated every time you post in Payroll. This re-port shows, for each employee, the 941 totals and the W-2 totals (see Figure 4). It then shows the difference, if any. Report totals are also shown.

Should there be a difference, the variance can be iso-lated by compar-ing the totals of the quarterly reports and the quarterly totals on the “Full Year” report. Then the appropriate correc-tion should be made so that the W-2

totals agree with the total of all four quarterly 941s. This report should be run before W-2s are printed.

Federal Form 940 ReportingThe Form 940 is entitled “Em-

ployer’s Annual Federal Unemploy-

ment (FUTA) Tax Return.” Federal unemployment tax is an employer-paid tax, paid in addition to the state

Here’s a Whole Solution…

unemployment tax. If your FUTA tax amount is more

than $500, the FUTA tax must be deposited quarterly, in the month following the end of the quarter. In addition, the Form 940 must be filed by early February 2010.

The report entitled “Federal Form 940 FUTA Worksheet” is used to prepare the 940 return. It shows the information needed for the form, by check date and check number (see Figure 5). At the end is a table entitled “Federal Form 940 FUTA Amounts for Quarter.” This is a worksheet that can be used to determine the payment amount for the quarter. In the second through fourth quarters, a cumulative amounts table appears as well.

At the end of the year, the report is run with a report scope of “Full Year.” In this mode, the report begins with the Federal Form 940 FUTA Cumulative Amounts table (see Figure 6). Following that is the actual Federal Form 940 (Figure 7).

Using these reports may not make the task of filing federal forms fun, but it can make tax reporting easier. You may even find yourself looking forward to the process. If you’re interested in acquiring any of these three reports, please contact me at 201-926-6833 or at [email protected].

About the Author: Bob Lifset is a Timberline Certified Consul-tant and a CPA. He has worked with Sage Timberline Office for

15 years.

Form 940 for 2008: Employers Annual Federal Unemployment (FUTA) Tax ReturnD1-NY Construction Company

Beginning Year Date

Ending Year Date

01/01/2008

12/31/2008

Report Scope Full Year Date

Time

9/4/2009

10:36:36AMSelect Checks Based On Period End Date

Federal Form 940 FUTA Cummulative Amounts

Total payments to all employees

Payments exempt from FUTA tax

Total of payments made to each employee in excess of $7,000

Sub-Total (line 4+5)

Total taxable FUTA wages

5,874,987.33

4,460,768.03

1,414,219.30

85,187.28

FUTA tax

Cummulative Payments

Cummulative Balance

0.0080

11,313.75

11,313.75

0.00

03

04

05

06

07

08

09

10

0.00

4,460,768.03

Figure 6

Form 940 for 2008: Employer's Annual Federal Unemployment (FUTA) Tax ReturnDepartment of the Treasury - Internal Revenue Service

(EIN)

Employer identification number1 0 - 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Name (not your trade name)

Trade Name (if any)

Address


123 Main Street

East Hills NY 11777

Type of Return

(Check all that apply)

a. Amended

b. Successor employer

c. No payments to employees

in 2008

d. Final. Business closed or

stopped paying wages

Read the separate instructions before you fill out this form. Please type or print within the boxes.

Part 1: Tell us about your return. If any line does NOT apply, leave it blank.

1. If you were required to pay your state unemployment tax in...

1a. One state only, write the state abbreviation1a. NJ - OR -

1b. More than one state (You are a multi-state employer)

1b Check here. Fill out Schedule A Skip line 2 for 2008 and go to line 3

Part 2: Determine your FUTA tax before adjustments for 2008. If any line does NOT apply, leave it blank.

3. Total payments to all employees 5,874,987.33

4. Payments exempt from FUTA tax 0.00

Check all that apply: 4a

4b

Fringe benefits

Group-term life insurance

4c

4d

Retirement/Pension

Dependent care

4e Other

Total of payments made to each employee in excess

of $7,000

5. 4,460,768.03

6. Subtotal (line 4 + Line 5 = line 6) 4,460,768.03

7. Total taxable FUTA wages (line 3 - line 6 = line 7) 1,414,219.30

8. FUTA tax before adjustments (line 7 x .008 = line 8) 11,313.75

Part 3: Determine your adjustments. If any line does NOT apply, leave it blank.

9. If ALL of the taxable FUTA wages you paid were excluded from state unemployment tax,

multiply line 7 by .054 (line 7x .054 = line 9) Then go to line 12.

10.If SOME of the taxable FUTA wages you paid were excluded from state unemployment tax, OR

you paid ANY state unemployment tax late (after then due date for filing Form 940), fill out the

worksheet in the instructions. Enter the amount from line 7 of the worksheet onto line 10.

0.00

0.00

Skip line 11 for 2008 and go to line 12.

Part 4: Determine your FUTA tax and balance due or overpayment for 2008. If any line does NOT apply, leave it blank.

12. Total FUTA tax after adjustments (lines 8 + 9 + 10 + 11 = line 12 11,313.75

13. FUTA tax deposited for the year, including any payment applied from a prior quarter 0.00

14. Balance due (if line 12 is more than line 13, enter the difference on line 14)

o If line 14 is more than $500, you must deposit your tax.

o If line 14 is $500 or less, you may pay with this return. For more information on how to pay,

see the separate instructions.

11,313.75

15. Overpayment (If line 13 is more than line 12, enter the difference on line 15 and check a box

below.)

0.00

You MUST fill out both pages of this form and SIGN it.

Check one: Apply to next return.

Send a refund.

Next=>

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

12

13

14

15

Figure 7


o Continues…

You have Project Management, but are you getting the best return on your investment?

Ensuring that everyone in your orga-nization uses and feels comfortable with PJ can be an overwhelming task. Keep in mind that there are many resources out there to help you successfully implement various aspects of Project Management: the Sage Knowledgebase and TUG are two excellent resources to help with your Project Management setup.

To get a host of PJ tips and tricks—without leaving your desk—sign up for TUG’s PJ Forum Round-table on Tuesday, October 20.

In this online forum, users will share their successful implementa-tions of Project Management. We’ll talk about standard procedures, flow of information, reporting, etc. You’ll find new ways that your organiza-tion’s management, project man-agers, accounting staff, and more can use and benefit from Project Management.

It’s important to keep in mind that the software doesn’t need to change how you currently run your business. With Project Management, you can customize the software so that it aligns with and enhances your current workflow and other systems. Custom fields, custom logs, and custom reports can help you maintain

Calling All Project

Management Users to

October 20 Roundtable on Setupby: Matt Weaver

The Timber-l ine ODBC (Open Da-

tabase Connec-tivity) driver is a powerful and often overlooked feature of Sage Timberline Office. With ODBC, users can directly access Timberline Office data from other compliant programs, including Microsoft® Word, Excel and Access. Unlike data exports and imports, ODBC links are “live.” That means changes made to data in Tim-berline are also reflected in the linked application, either automatically or by using a simple refresh. In addition, select applications such as Access or OfficeConnector Write can use ODBC to add or update select data back into Timberline. In a nutshell, ODBC is a great tool for minimizing or eliminat-ing duplicate data entry, creating specialized reports, and streamlining data updates.

In response to feedback from TUG webinar participants and conference attendees, TUG is currently expand-ing the number and scope of ODBC webinars available for those of you who want to learn about this versatile feature of Sage Timberline Office. The following is a list of TUG’s upcoming ODBC webinars, as well as a brief description of the topics covered in each session:

Beginning ODBC 1: An introduc-tion to ODBC, covering basic concepts and setup, and using ODBC and mail merge to create letters, contracts and

Connect Yourself to TUG’s ODBC Webinar To See the Software Links

You Can Makeby: Mike Suhovecky

forms in Microsoft Word.

B e g i n n i n g ODBC 2: Setting up and using ODBC with Microsoft Ex-cel, swapping data sources in Excel 2003, and using

Microsoft Access to update Sage Timberline data.

Intermediate ODBC 1: Working with Microsoft® Query, using param-eters to automatically filter retrieved data and using common Excel 2003 functions to summarize and manipu-late job cost data.

Intermediate ODBC 2: Tips and tricks for creating dashboards using Microsoft Excel.

Advanced ODBC for Finan-cials 1: Understanding GL account data storage and using ODBC and Excel to roll up and consolidate fi-nancial statement data.

Advanced ODBC for Fi-nancials 2: Working with GL budget data, replicating Financial Statement Designer functions, and creating date-sensitive financials.

If you’re interested in attending one of the ODBC webinars, check for current class dates and times listed at TUGweb.com. To attend a session, please e-mail your name and your e-mail address to [email protected]. You’ll receive an e-mail confirmation along with connection instructions.

If you’ve ever wanted to start us-ing ODBC or to bolster your existing skills, these webinars will get you moving.


Everyone’s Still Talkingo Continued from page 1

that dates, along with other condi-tions, can either be “hard coded” in the Query Wizard or can come from parameters defined using the MS Query program. Parameters, which have the advantage of letting the user change the condition(s) on the fly, are taught as part of TUG’s Intermediate ODBC webinar.

Real Estate– compiled by Patrick Hughes

PM Accumulators IncorrectColleen Wallace was setting up a

new entity with its related properties. During the set-up process, transac-tions were posted to the leases. However, it was determined later that these charges should not have been posted. Since this was a new data folder, someone decided that rather than voiding the entries, the current.pmt and lease.pml files could be deleted and the process restarted. Unfortunately, this method did not clear out the accumulator totals, creating a variance.

Erie Stewart offered two sugges-tions. The first was to create a “fake” lease and enter miscellaneous entries to offset those already posted to the accumulator and then terminate the “fake” lease and move it to history. Eire also provided Colleen with in-formation from Timberline Help. The Help option suggests doing an entry

directly to the accumulator, using a miscellaneous charge type of ACC. That’s a default charge type built into the software for this very purpose.

Colleen was able to resolve her issue with entries directly to the ac-cumulator.

PM Closing PeriodsBridget Smeltzer had not been

using the Close Periods function and questioned its purpose. She also questioned whether this was responsible for the clearing of tenant transactions from the Change Entries function.

Erie Stewart explained that Close Periods is used in maintaining oc-cupancy tracking and for updating accumulators.

The second response came from Eva Kahn of Sage Software. Eva ex-plained that the cleared tenant trans-actions were a result of the Clear Paid Items task and not directly related to the Close Periods function. Clear Paid Items is more of a housekeeping task while the Close Current Period task is instrumental in maintaining accurate accounting records.

Crystal Reports– compiled by Tom Moore

Costs Grouped by ExtrasJohn Williams is using extras

on a job for the first time and asked if anyone had a job cost report that would group and subtotal costs by each extra.

Michael Ericksen has a report he’s willing to share.

Custom Reports for Purchasing Module

Marcia Krebs was receiving a login failed error when running her custom report in the Purchasing module. However, she didn’t have that problem when running the same report in the Job Cost module.

Randee Young had a similar problem in the past and solved it by placing the custom report in the main Timberline Report folder.

Jenny Evans confirmed that this is the correct solution and that all custom reports for Purchasing must be in the main report folder and not in a separate folder.

Force a Field to Display 20 Charac-ters with Filler Spaces

Deb Towslee wanted to print only the first 20 characters of a field and to add filler spaces if the field is shorter than 20 characters. The formula “{Field}[1 to 20]” displays only the first 20 characters of the field.

Ken Rizzo provided the solution: use an if/then statement plus the “replicatestring” formula to add filler spaces.

your processes and procedures and give you access to a wide range of reports and inquiries.

If you’re just gearing up with Project Management, have encoun-tered roadblocks, or simply want to improve how you use PJ, sign up for this webinar.

Can’t participate in the forum? Watch future issues of The TUG Pulse for a summary of the discussion.

TUG NEEDS YOUR INVOLVEMENT!

We have much to offer our members. Take advantage of our online services. Write articles for the Pulse monthly newsletter. Volunteer at events.

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