November /
2008
This month, we invite you to
participate in the Jonas Software Challenge for an opportunity to
win $500 for
your company and a Nintendo Wii for yourself right before the holiday season.
Year-end is fast approaching with much to do, both to close out the prior year
and set the stage for the new year’s operations. Are you prepared for 2009?
Inside, two common areas for consideration at year end are discussed; US and
Canadian Payroll.
Join us for our final 2008 User Group in Banff Springs on Nov 27th, 2008. Hear
what our clients have to say about our success with this year's User Groups.
Don't miss your opportunity to network and learn how to use your system more
efficiently.
With year-end just around the corner, it is important to make sure that all your
procedures are clearly defined and implemented. Register for one of our useful
Year end webinars - Housekeeping, U.S Payroll and/or Canadian Payroll. Our
experienced Jonas trainers and payroll experts will ensure you are fully
prepared.
Are you a Jonas Expert? Test your knowledge using our frequently asked
questions. We have information about the types of purchase orders available in
Jonas Software and helpful hints to save you keystrokes.
This month the Product Enhancement section includes valuable information on your
data maintenance and protection. Manual back-up processes may provide a false
sense of security. Take a look inside to see how you can make sure you are
protected.
Your opinion matters!! We’d like to know what you think of our newsletter and
how we can improve it to make it the best information tool possible. Please
forward us your feedback and comments via
e-mail.
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This Contest is all about shifting business focus to what
businesses can actually do to survive and thrive in 2009.
Today’s challenging business climate calls for innovative problem solving. Have
you solved a tough business challenge?
Tell us about it for a chance to win $500 for your
company and a Nintendo Wii console for yourself -
just in time for Christmas!
HOW does the contest work?
Simply submit a short description (150-350 words) of a challenge your business
has faced and describe how you have used Jonas Software to help solve this
issue. It's that simple! A panel of judges in our office will narrow down the
submissions and select one grand prize winner. The winner’s submission will be
displayed in an upcoming Jonas Insider newsletter and will also win two prizes;
one for the company and one for the individual who submitted the story.
WHO can enter?
All Jonas clients, new or experienced, are eligible to win. It doesn’t matter if
your issue was resolved through the initial purchase of Jonas Software or
resolved using an add-on to Jonas. Submit your answers to
Kevin
Sharma by Dec.5, 2008 for your chance to win. Help your company, help
yourself and help other organizations struggling to find business solutions that
work!
WHAT are the prizes?
One company will win $500 that can be used towards training or the purchase of a
new Jonas module and the individual that writes and submits the story will win a
Nintendo Wii just in time for the Holiday Season! The winner will also be
featured in an upcoming Jonas Insider newsletter and will have an opportunity to
create a Jonas “For the Record” to get free publicity for your Company!
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In mid-December, as soon as the changes are available,
you will be able to download the January 2009 U.S. and Canadian Payroll
Update through the Support section of the Jonas
website.
Downloading the Payroll Update ensures that your company has the latest
published government payroll changes when you need them. Installation
Instructions and the “What’s New in Payroll for January 1, 2009”
document will be posted on the Jonas website.
To access the Jonas Support section of the website, you must have an
assigned User Name and Password for your company. If you need one,
please contact Jonas Software at 1-800-352-6647or 905-886-0544.
We recommend that you start looking for the update mid-December and when
it’s available, load the update immediately. For tax purposes (both
in the U.S. and Canada), the Jonas system is date sensitive; thus it
will process your payroll using the appropriate tax tables. There is
no need to wait in this case until you have completed your final December
payroll.
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U.S. Payroll Year-End Checklist |
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- Order forms and guides for year-end filing
(W2’s, 1009-MISC., etc.)
| Note: For
W2’s, Jonas will line up with the standard laser 2 or 4 per
page format. We suggest if using 4 per page, you print one
off from Jonas prior to ordering to ensure it matches
(option #4 under Forms dropdown.) |
- For 1099 forms (MISC, INT, B, and R),
Jonas prints in a standard laser format.
Jonas handles electronic submission of W2’s for Social Security
Administration, 1099-MISC and 1099-INT for submission to the
Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
- Identify your last payrolls for 2008 and
first payrolls of the New Year.
Important: If you have a pay-ending date in December and your
check / payment date is in January 2009, this pay must be
considered part of the 2009 tax year not 2008. If you leave it
as part of 2008, your quarterly 941 reports will not tie out to
your W2 totals.
- Employees must be notified by December
1st to verify their W-4 status.
Note: Those employees claiming exempt status must file a
new W-1 in order to maintain this status.
- Notify employees receiving an advanced
earned income credit that their W 5 expires on January 1st, 2009
and a new form must be filed to continue receiving credit on an
advance basis.
- Verify that employee information (social
security numbers, address, etc.) is correct. To assist with
verification, run an F9 Report from “Maintain Employee Records”.
- Make required year-end adjustments prior
to the last payroll to ensure proper taxation.
- Prepare an Annual Reconciliation
Worksheet – Print a W2 summary and compare the amounts for
Federal income tax withheld, Social Security wages, Social
Security tips, Medicare wages and tips, Social Security taxes
and Medicare taxes. The amounts should agree with the totals
from your four quarterly 941 tax reports.
Other items to note when verifying the numbers include:
1. Ensure the Social Security wage base limit is correct. For
2008 the wage base is $102,000. For 2009 it’s $106,800.
Note: The wage base limit is hard-coded into the program.
If your wage base limits do not match the above amounts, please
run a Product Update from the Support section of our Jonas
website.
2. Ensure each employee’s Medicare wages are equal to the Social
Security wages and tips. Investigate and correct any
discrepancies. These wages should always match unless an
employee has reached the maximum for Social Security, in which
case, the Medicare wages will be higher.
-Ensure the W2 screen has been updated with any new deductions
added during the year prior to printing your W2’s.
Note: There is a “Help” button on the W2 screen where you
can print out what is required for any field.
-Download the current tax year’s ACCUWAGE software from Social
Security Administration at
www.ssa.gov.
- This software will assist in validating
the electronic W2 file created by Jonas. It is suggested that
you still perform this step even if you are not submitting W2’s
electronically. It will assist you when checking for possible
errors on the W2’s.
- The due date for submitting W2’s to
Social Security Administration is Feb 28th and if
submitting electronically it is March 31st. We strongly
recommend you do not submit your W2’s to Social Security
Administration immediately after distribution. This will allow
you a grace period if any errors are discovered and allow you to
redo the necessary employee’s W2’s. Otherwise, once submitted,
you will be required to file a W2 C to Social Security Administration for these
employees.
- Print some W2’s and 1099’s on the actual
forms prior to year-end to ensure they line up correctly. (You
can print W2’s and 1099’s as many times as required, if desired
you can also print them on blank paper initially).
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Canadian PR Year-End Checklist |
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- Order forms and guides required for
year-end filing.
| Note:
Jonas can print T4’s on blank paper - filling in all
the lines and boxes including T4 information. Select
option F (Jonas Custom Pre-Printed Laser Form) from
the Form field dropdown box on the Print T4’s screen
to print the complete form. |
If you are downloading forms from
Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) website, when the printer screen
comes up ensure you set the prompts to no scaling and do not
auto rotate or centre.
- Verify that employee information
(Social Insurance Numbers, date of birth, address, etc.)
is correct. To assist with verification, run an F9
Report from “Maintain Employee Records”.
- Have employees complete new
Federal and Provincial TD-1 forms.
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Note: This
is not necessary for employees claiming basic
deductions. |
- Review taxable benefits to
ensure you are compliant.
- Verify CPP/EI calculations to
avoid PIER audits
- Make required year-end
adjustments prior to the last payroll to ensure
proper taxation.
- If you report Union Dues on
employees’ T4’s, ensure you have statements signed
by the unions that they will not be issuing
receipts.
- Notify appropriate staff of
the deadline for submitting final payment
information
- Identify your last payrolls
for 2008 and first payrolls of the New Year.
Important: If you have a pay-ending date in
December and your cheque / payment date is in
January 2009, this pay must be considered part of
the 2009 tax year not 2008.
Year-End Payroll e-training
e-Training allows you to offer your staff the most
up-to-date information without having to leave the
office. It’s ideal as a refresher or training new
staff. In December, Jonas is offering e-training
courses on US and Canadian Year-End Payroll
Processing and What's New. Please view the schedule
in our “News & Events” section of the Jonas Insider.
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Join us for our final 2008 User
Group in Banff Springs on Nov 27th, 2008. It's a great way for you
and your employees to learn how you can use Jonas Software more
efficiently, discover what's new in V11.8 and V11.9, network with
other Jonas users and maybe even enjoy a day of skiing at one of the
most beautiful places in Canada.
Here is what our clients had to say about the recent User Groups. |
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“The 08' Jonas User Group was a productive use of my
time, it offered me an opportunity to see how other similar users utilize
the software in ways that could help my business be more productive.
Overall, the conference provided me large amounts of information across the
board on how to get more out of my Jonas investment and further solidified
my commitment to partner with Jonas for my companies long term software
needs.”
-Sean Schmidt from RM Schmidt
"I've used the Jonas for many years and often felt intimidated. It was a
great review as well as new tips along the way. I would recommend Jonas
User Group Sessions to the Ontario General Contractors Association's
Annual Symposium in Collingwood and to the Canadian Construction
Association Conference this year in Arizona. You have so much to offer!"
-Helen Postma from TRP Construction
”It was nice to associate names and faces.”
--Steve from Pleune Service
”Great Day all around. Presenters were very energetic and informative.”
--Kelly from Campbell and Kennedy Electric
”Informative, well organized, relaxed.”
--Raquel from Van Horne Construction
“Great Job. The best one yet.”
--Marty from Art Plumbing
“A great all-around discussion session that provided all of us with time
to learn from the Jonas Team and from each other”
--Dollie from Beaver Brothers Inc.
Regardless of your Jonas Software knowledge or experience, you will
come away with new tools and contacts to help you take full
advantage of Jonas Software.
Please
click
here for the information
package. |
CLICK
HERE TO MAKE A SUGGESTION FOR AN UPCOMING WEBINAR
JONAS is offering Webinar sessions led by well-known and experienced team
members of Jonas. The upcoming Webinars are designed to help your business learn
more about the Jonas modules, focusing on trouble-shooting procedures,
common questions and tips and tricks to help you get the most out of your Jonas
software. Your specific questions about features and functionality are welcomed
and always answered as part of the presentation. These courses offer valuable
insight for experienced Jonas users as well as those who are new to Jonas.
Be sure to check back often, as new courses and dates are constantly being
added.
HELPING YOU GET
EVERYTHING YOU CAN
OUT OF ALL YOU HAVE
Date & Location:
Thursday Nov. 20th, 2008
Session Length: 2 to 2 1/2 hours
Session Time:
1:00pm EST
Location: Webex
Fee: $200 per connection
Trainer:
TBD |
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Course Description: As
we rapidly approach the end of another year, it is important to ensure that
your your-end procedures are clearly defined and implemented. This course
will review housekeeping procedures such as archiving, completing work
orders and purchase orders, closing out jobs, resolving receivables that
will never get paid, checking suspense accounts, reviewing outstanding
deposits, physical inventory counts and adjustments. Balancing accounts and
ensuring financial reports are in balance will be key. Spots
are limited so register
now.
Learn quick tips &
tricks on how you can use the system more effectively.
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Canadian Payroll - Year End Procedures & What's New! |
Date & Location:
Wednesday Dec. 3rd, 2008 & Thursday Dec 11th, 2008
Session Length:
3 hours
Session Time:
1:00pm EST
Location: Webex
Fee: $200 per connection
Trainer:
Mike Lasanowski |
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Course Description: There
are a number of tasks to consider when wrapping up your business activities
at year-end especially in payroll. This course will review Important
numbers (E.I, CPP,WCB) and federal and provincial tax changes, key reports
for employees, year-end reports and PIER reports. Reconciliation, payroll
setup, T4 Summary and federal remittances will be covered. The session will
end with printing T4's, key forms and online reporting.
Spots
are limited so register
now.
Learn quick tips &
tricks on how you can use the system more effectively.
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U.S Payroll - Year End Procedures & What's New! |
Date & Location:
Thursday Dec 4th, 2008 & Wednesday Dec 10th, 2008
Session Length:
3 hours
Session Time:
1:00pm EST
Location: Webex
Fee: $200 per connection
Trainer:
Mike Lasanowski |
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Course Description: There
are a number of tasks to consider when wrapping up your business activities
at year-end, especially in Payroll. This course will review Important
numbers (Social Security Rate and Max, Medicare Rate, Tax Changes
(Federal), 401 K Limits). We will take a look at reports for employees,
year-end and W2 summaries. Reconciling, payroll set-up and 941, W2 and
1099's will be covered.
Spots
are limited so register
now.
Learn quick tips &
tricks on how you can use the system more effectively.
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What type of Purchase Orders are available?
I. SINGLE TYPE P.O.
Receiving a Single Type P.O.
When you receive parts against a Single PO, the program will only update
the quantities received and NOT post an entry to the G/L. As such, there
may be timing issue when receiving and invoicing the purchase order if
they fall in two
different periods.
Invoicing a Single P.O.
When you post A/P against a Single P.O., your A/P
distribution will update your G/L inventory account, your Job, your Work
Order, etc. Normally, you would follow the distribution as set-up on the
P.O.
II. MULTI TYPE P.O.
Receiving a Multi Type P.O.
When you set-up a Multiple P.O. the Receive Parts
program will post a debit to the account distribution you have set-up on
your P.O. The credit will go to the Accrual Account that you have
selected on the main screen of the P.O. system profile.
Invoicing a Multi Type P.O.
When you post A/P against a Multiple P.O., the distribution must go to
the Accrual Account. If your invoice amount does not match the accrual
amount posted you will be required to distribute the difference.
COMMITMENT ADJUSTMENT
When a P.O. is created, a commitment is posted to the Job and Work order
to which the P.O. is attached.
Posting a Commitment Adjustment
If the AP Invoice amount is greater than or less than the PO amount,
there would be a commitment remaining (commitment-actual). Completing
the P.O. will automatically post a commitment adjustment to the job and
for work orders, you would need to turn ON the “Adjust $$ on completed
W/O P.O.’s” option in the PO system Profile.
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Tip for the Day
SAVE KEYSTROKES!! |
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When entering the date in any area of Jonas, you can save keystrokes by only
typing in the day. You will notice that the month and year will automatically
default to what is current.
For example:
If you want the date to be October 6th, 2008, you would simply key in the number
6 and press enter.
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Notice, it will pre-fill the correct date of October 6th, 2008. This tip can
be applied in all areas of Jonas where the date field is available.
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Simple, Secure and Reliable
Online Backup and Recovery
New eBack-up!! Have Jonas Software protect your data. This is an
automated, highly secure, online data backup solution. Your files
will be safely transmitted and stored at an off-site location in a secure
vault in an encrypted format.
If you need to restore data, simply click a button and your data is
back in the same format you sent it. It will automatically back-up
your data and send it electronically to a secure site. It saves you
time and gives you peace of mind.
Is backing up online more secure
than manual, on-site data backup?
The loss of data can be very costly for your company in lost time and
revenue. Even if you are currently backing up your data manually, you may be
experiencing a false sense of security. Your files are still at risk from
the following:
- Hardware or software crash
- Failed backup tapes
- Electrical outages and power surges
- Viruses which attack your computer
- Damage to your facility due to fire, floods, acts of
nature
- Theft and vandalism
Your data is an integral part of your daily operations and should be
protected as such. From billing to client services, this information
is critical and would cause extreme difficulties for both you and
your customers if compromised or lost. Until recently, many companies
have relied upon an antiquated tape backup system which required
manual off-site delivery and storage.
At Jonas we feel that you
should enjoy peace of mind knowing that in the event of localized
data loss your valuable business data is 100% safe and secure –
Jonas E-Backup Services
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Find out how you can Jonas E-Backup,
e-mail
us today
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IS IT TIME FOR YOUR NEXT
UPDATE???
It is important for Jonas users to perform Product Updates on a regular
basis to ensure that you keep your Jonas Software current and problem-free.
Check the website weekly as a new download is available every Tuesday. It
is advisable to
install it immediately.
CURRENT VERSION
The current version for Jonas Software is 11.8.
HOW TO UPDATE??
There are two procedures to choose from to obtain the latest Release.
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Downloading from the Website.
- Installing the Product Update from a CD.
Before You Begin:
Determine the version of Jonas that you are
currently running. If you are unsure, open Jonas and check the version number
located in the bottom right hand corner of the screen. Ex. Version 11.6.034 (the
release .034 indicates the release level).
Downloading the Product Update from the Website
-
Click on the Product Update that matches the version of Jonas software you are
currently running. (Ex. 11.4 or 11.6) You cannot change versions via the
website, only by loading a CD. Note that you might have to be above a specific
Release level to be able to run a Product Update from the website. Notes at the
side of the Product Update will tell you this.
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Choose the Save option. You will be presented with the SAVE AS screen
display below. Save the Product Update in the X:\GJCWIN\CUSTOM directory
(where the X: is the logical drive letter that contains the Jonas programs -
usually J:). Note: This is just a suggested directory, but not a mandatory
location to save the Product Update. Then you can open and run it. After
successful installation, log off Jonas and log back in order for the changes to
take place.
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Installing the Product Update from a CD
Advanced Release versions do require all users
to be out of Jonas for the introduction of new data structures. Loading an
update from a CD sent by Jonas will always require all users to be out of the
system regardless of the version.
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Jonas recommends that if you are installing on
a network that the Product Update be installed from a workstation. However, if
installing the Jonas Product Update via Citrix or Terminal Server, it must be
installed at the server console.
Note: Some operating systems, for example
Windows 2000, may require you to log onto the server with full administrator /
supervisor privileges.
- Locate the Product Update using any technique (e.g. Windows Explorer or
via the Run command on the Start button). Double click on the saved PUxxx.exe
file.
- Wait 5 – 20 seconds and a window will
appear. Step your way through the Welcome screens by clicking on Next.
- Choose the Destination Directory. If
the drive is not correct, please select browse and indicate the correct
location. When the correct path is shown, click on Next.
- The Installation Complete screen will appear upon completion of the
installation.
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Click on the Jonas for Windows icon. The program will automatically start
rebuilding the screens and data files.
Version 11.8
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We are
currently releasing CD's to our clients for Version 11.8.
This general release will help you grow and benefit from
greater functionality with your Jonas Software by providing
a seamless migration path. We anticipate a dispatch of 11.8
to all clients by the end of June 2008.
Your Jonas Software system update may include modifications,
new or revised settings, key features and other items which
will change your current system. We encourage you to check
the release and enhancement notes from time to time for
software updates and to always maintain your system to use
the latest release of the software. (Administration>Release
Enhancements)
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Please visit the “Product Updates” section in the Jonas
Insider for detailed instructions on installing a c.d.
If you experience any
difficulties, please contact customer support immediately.
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