On December 19, year-end updates will be posted to the Sage Customer Portal for customers to download. These updates will include the 2018 Interim Release Download (IRD) for Sage 100 Versions 2016, 2017, and 2018 as well as the 2019 Payroll Tax Table Update for Sage 100 versions 2017 and 2016. These updates will be available for Sage 100 clients who have a current Business Care Plan or Sage 100cloud Subscription.
Below is new and additional information about these updates so that you can be prepared in advance to either download them yourself or schedule an appointment for Bennett/Porter to install the updates for you.
Interim Release Download
The IRD update will contain program changes for the 1099-DIV and W-2 tax forms and should be installed prior to doing your year-end processing. The IRD will be available for the following Sage 100 versions:
- 2018, PU2 or higher
- 2017, PU1 or higher
- 2016, PU5
Please note that there is a Product Update (PU) prerequisite for each version. Also, clients on version 2018 must update the Payroll module to version 2.18.5 prior to doing year-end processing.
Installing the IRD
For clients who feel comfortable installing the IRD on their own, we have provided a list of steps below that need to be taken before the installation. Please note that if you need to have a Product Update installed and/or if you have third-party enhancements or modifications, we recommend that you contact us for assistance.
- Check to see whether you have any third-party enhancements installed by reviewing your Installed Modules Listing (Library Master > Reports > Installed Modules Listing). If the 'Developer' column lists only "Sage Software", then there should be no issues downloading and installing a Product Update, IRD, and Tax Table Update. However, if any other developer is listed, that developer should be contacted to confirm compatibility with the IRD (and PU, if applicable) prior to installing the updates.
- Verify whether last year’s IRD was installed on your system by going to Library Master > Reports > Activity Log and looking for "Installed 2017 End of Year Change". IRD updates are not cumulative, so you must have either installed last year’s IRD (from December of 2017) or have upgraded to 2018 before the 2018 IRD can be installed.
- Make sure you have a good, verified backup of the MAS90 folder.
- Have Sage 100 users update data entry transactions and exit the software before installing the IRD.
- If you need a Product Update before the IRD can be installed, log onto the Sage Software Customer Portal and download the correct Product Update for your version of Sage 100.
- Please email Bennett/Porter at support@benpor.com to let us know when you have installed specific Product Updates so that we can keep our records up to date for our technicians who provide you with support.
For more specific instructions and additional information on installing the IRD, please review the Year End Processing Resources for Sage 100 on the Sage Customer Portal. As always, we’re here to help. If you would like us to install the IRDs, just give us a call and we’ll help you with the installation for the cost of a support call.
2019 Payroll Tax Table Update
The 2019 Payroll Tax Table Update will be available for Sage 100 versions 2016 and 2017. Clients on version 2018 can update the tax tables from within the software by running a Payroll Tax Update from the Payroll Utilities menu. A few notes in regard to updating the Payroll tax tables in Sage 100:
- If you are using Sage 100 version 2017 or lower, then we recommend that you close the year prior to installing the Tax Table Update – otherwise the FICA limits will not be correct on your Quarterly Reports when you print them.
- If you are using Sage 100 version 2018, then it is not necessary to close the year in Payroll prior to installing Tax Table Updates.
- For Sage 100 versions 2016 and 2017, both the IRD and Tax Table Update can be installed at the same time. However, please be aware that that there is only one set of tax tables across all companies (live and backup). If you plan on processing your W-2s from a backup company and have closed the year in your main Payroll company, remember to manually change the FICA limit back to the 2018 amount before printing your Quarterly Reports or processing your 2018 W-2s, and then change it back again to the 2019 limit after completing the W-2 processing. For the Quarterly Report printing, you will also want to change your SUTA limit back to the 2018 limit to print the Quarterly Report and change it back to the 2019 limit afterwards.
- Remember to update your 2019 Unemployment Tax Rate entered in Tax Table Maintenance for each of the states you process payroll in.
- If you’re using Sage 100 version 2015 or lower, or if your Sage Business Care Plan has expired, your tax tables must be updated manually.
Please contact us if you would like to schedule assistance with installing the 2019 Tax Table Update.
ACA Reporting Reminder
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires employers with at least 50 full-time workers to offer their employees health insurance. Employers report that information to the IRS by way of Form 1095-C, which includes all employees eligible for coverage.
All employees eligible for coverage should get a 1095-C, regardless of whether they actually participate in the employer’s health plan. Employees who are covered by their spouse's or domestic partner’s healthcare plan would still receive a 1095-C Form because they were offered coverage – they just chose not to enroll in that coverage.
Employers send the 1095-C Forms they have provided to their employees to the IRS as well, accompanied by a Form 1094-C. The 1094-C form gives the IRS the employer's information about how many employees it has, how many 1095-C Forms are being sent with the 1094-C forms, and the name of a contact person.
Companies that are required to offer insurance but don’t may have to pay a penalty. We’ve heard of clients who have received thousands of dollars of penalties because they did not check the box on the 1094-C Form that says they offered healthcare coverage to all employees all year long. Previously, the IRS offered waivers for employers who had not yet offered coverage to all of their employees, but those waivers have expired and are no longer offered. The 1095-C Form allows the IRS to track who is and isn't making coverage available to workers.
Employers must provide employees their 1095-C forms by the end of January, while information must be sent to the IRS by the end of February, if paper filed, or by the end of March, if the forms are filed electronically.
Employers with fewer than 250 forms to send to the IRS can file paper 1095-C forms accompanied by a paper 1094-C. They can also file electronically. Employers with 250 or more forms must transmit the information electronically.
Aatrix eFiling Web Class
For clients who are new to Federal and State eFiling and Reporting through Sage 100 (a.k.a. Aatrix) or who need a refresher on the e-filing process, we are offering our Aatrix eFiling web class in December and January.
Aatrix is Sage’s answer to the required form filing – whether you actually use the software to electronically file your 1099s, State Quarterlies, 941s, or W-2s or just use the forms to print and still manually send the forms in. Whether you have to use the electronic filing option really depends on the number of employee and/or 1099’s you have. Aatrix has been included with Sage 100 since the release of version 4.3 for both W-2 and 1099 processing.
Web Class Dates:
- December 11, 10:00am - 11:00am PST
- January 16, 2:00pm - 3:00pm PST
Cost: $99.00 / Register online at benpor.com/webinars.
W-2 and 1099 Processing Service
For clients who would like to have their W-2 and/or 1099 forms e-filed with the IRS, e-filed with the state of Oregon, printed and mailed to employees or vendors – or all of the above, Bennett/Porter offers a W-2 and 1099 Processing Service.
This service works well for clients who aren’t on a supported version of Sage 100, who don’t have a current Sage 100 Business Care Plan or Sage 100cloud Subscription, or who simply dislike the process of tax reporting. We would just bill you for the cost of filing the forms through Aatrix (and mailing, if applicable) – plus our time to process the forms, billed at the rate of $150/hour. To sign up for this service, please contact our office to request an order form.