Consulting and Upgrades
Sage previously announced that as of December 31, 2012, they will no longer support updates, including the Tax Table Update (TTU), to version 4.3.
However, due to the new 2013 Medicare requirements, Sage will provide Medicare changes for 2013 in January and 941 updates in March 2013, so you can comply with the 2013-Q1 filing requirements. This will be particularly important to you, as TTUs will no longer be provided for this version.
Did you know that Sage publishes a semi-regular email newsletter for Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200 customers? You can read this from within your MAS 90 or MAS 200 launcher – or if you prefer you can follow the link below to view the newsletter online.
It appears that the newsletter for September/October 2011 has yet to be published however this August issue has a good overview of the features to be expected in Sage EPR MAS 90 and 200 v4.5 which was released to new customers on September 8, 2011 and will ship shortly to existing customers and partners.
Want to stay updated on all the latest MAS90 news? Subscribe to the Schulz Consulting email newsletter and every Tuesday we’ll send a summary of all the newest items on our web site. Click here to subscribe to the Schulz Consulting newsletter.
Sage July / August 2011 MAS 90 and 200 Customer Newsletter
As of August 1, 2011 Connecticut has new tax withholding rules which require some modification to the standard MAS0/MAS200 payroll module.
The new CT withholding rules can be reviewed here on the Connecticut Department of Revenue Services site. Be sure you consult your tax advisor on the best way to apply these rules. As a reminder Schulz Consulting does not provide tax or accounting advisory services. We recommend you consult your tax advisor with specific questions on the new tax rules. This update is not meant as a substitute for such discussions.
Because these Connecticut withholding tax changes required new computation steps in the MAS90 and MAS 200 payroll – Sage released an updated tax calculation program for those users on Sage ERP MAS 90 or 200 v4.2.0.26+, 4.3.0.17+, 4.4.0.0+.
IMPORTANT: Please be sure to read the instructions for the respective update. There may be several steps including some manual computations due to the complexity of the new Connecticut rules.
At a minimum you will need to:
A. Install the modified tax calculation program for your version of MAS 90 or MAS 200
B. Install the Payroll Tax Table Update
C. Assign the appropriate new employee filing status for each employee that earned Connecticut income in 2011 prior to August 1 (see the instructions for the modified tax calculation program).
We recommend you manually verify the computed payroll taxes for at least the first payroll run which includes the new CT updates. You are responsible for verifying the accuracy of tax information withheld and compliance with regulations – not Sage. Compare the withheld amounts against what the tables provided by CT indicate should be withheld.
You can access the tax calculation updates and view more information at the following link.
Here’s a quick review of the steps you’ll need to complete for version 4.4.0.1 to 4.4.0.6
Sage have updated their payroll tax tables for 2011 to include the latest state tax information for Missouri as well as Puerto Rico.
You can look at what’s new in the latest Sage EPR MAS 90 or 200 payroll tax update for 2011 and consult with your tax advisor or Sage Business Partner as to whether you need to update your payroll tax tables (as well as the timing of when that should happen).
This payroll tax table update, dated 1/11/11, is available only via download and it’s only for those with a Sage Basic Maintenance plan. We strongly recommend you consult with your Sage Business Partner and Tax Professional on the application of these updates and for any required assistance with checking the tax table updates have been installed properly and taken affect.
In most cases you may want to visit the IRS site and download the latest version of their official 2011 payroll tax table guide (Publication 15 aka IRS Circular E) which is useful for verifying that your computerized payroll tax calculations match against the IRS guidelines for 2011 payroll tax withholding.
Several people have asked when they should load the 2011 tax table update for MAS 90 and MAS 200 payroll.
As you may know one of the hidden gotcha’s of printing W2 forms via MAS 90 and MAS 200 payroll is the system uses the current FICA/MEDICARE maximum limits for determining how much goes into each FICA/MEDICARE box. For employees over the maximum limit at which tax is assessed MAS 90 simply supplies the current maximum rate from the FED tax table.
Update 1-11-2011: New Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200 2011 Tax Tables
At first glance since there is no limit change for the FICA/MEDICARE this year many users determined that it didn’t matter when they loaded the tables (ie – Before or after preparing quarterlies and W2 forms).
Turns out according to Jim Woodhead over at DSD Business Systems that if you load the tax tables early your 941 form will show an incorrect overpaid status due to the 941 form using the NEW rate for employee FICA (4.2% for 2011). the solution is to manually change the FICA rate back to 6.2% while printing your 941 forms.
PS – Don’t forget to change it back to 4.2% when you’re done printing.
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