Table of Contents

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about OnePayroll configuration, processing, and operations.

Setup and configuration

Q: How do I get started with OnePayroll?

A: Follow these steps:

  1. Set up Pay Groups and Pay Cycle Schedules
  2. Create Pay Types (regular, overtime, bonuses, deductions)
  3. Configure Benefit Types (if offering benefits)
  4. Set up GL accounts and Payroll Setup
  5. Configure Tax Settings (federal, state, local)
  6. Create employees with compensation and tax information
  7. Test with sample payroll before production

See Getting started guide for detailed steps.

Q: Can I have multiple pay cycles in my company?

A: Yes. OnePayroll supports multiple pay groups/cycles:

  • Weekly (52 periods)
  • Biweekly (26 periods)
  • Semi-monthly (24 periods)
  • Monthly (12 periods)
  • Custom frequencies

Each employee assigned to a pay group determines their payroll frequency.

Q: Do I need to set up GL accounts?

A: Yes. OnePayroll requires GL account mapping for:

  • Expense accounts (where wages post)
  • Payable accounts (taxes, deductions)
  • Cash account (net pay)

This ensures payroll integrates with accounting.

Q: Can multiple companies share payroll data?

A: No. OnePayroll is company-specific. Each company maintains separate:

  • Employees
  • Payroll runs
  • GL accounts
  • Tax setups

Multi-entity companies need separate OnePayroll configuration per company.

Payroll processing

Q: How often do I need to run payroll?

A: Depends on your pay frequency:

  • Weekly - Every 7 days (52 times/year)
  • Biweekly - Every 14 days (26 times/year)
  • Semi-monthly - Twice per month (24 times/year)
  • Monthly - Once per month (12 times/year)

Payroll automatically calculates based on pay cycle schedule.

Q: Can I process payroll for partial periods?

A: Yes. Use OnePayroll's partial period processing for:

  • New hire first partial period
  • Terminated employee final partial period
  • Special situations (leave of absence, etc.)

Specify period dates when creating payroll run.

Q: What if I make a mistake in a posted payroll?

A: Options:

  1. Before posting: Delete payroll run, correct, reprocess
  2. After posting: Reverse and reprocess
    • Create reversal journal entry
    • Process corrected payroll
    • Net effect: Correct payroll

Reversals affect GL and tax records accordingly.

Q: Can I process payroll retroactively?

A: Yes, but with care:

  • Specify historical pay period dates
  • Process as normal
  • Be aware of tax/benefit implications
  • Edit GL entries if needed for proper period assignment

Document reason for retroactive processing.

Q: Do I need to approve payroll before posting?

A: Yes (recommended best practice):

  1. Payroll created and calculated
  2. Management reviews paychecks
  3. Manager approves if correct
  4. GL entries generated upon approval
  5. Final GL posting to ledger

This provides controls and audit trail.

Employees and compensation

Q: How do I convert an employee's compensation method?

A: Change the employee's employee type:

  1. Open the employee card
  2. Change the Employee Type to one that uses the desired compensation method
  3. Update the compensation rate accordingly
  4. Changes take effect in the next payroll

Employee types are user-defined codes that specify a Compensation Method (Regular or Work-Based) and a Pay Unit. You can create new employee types on the Employee Types page.

Q: Can an employee have multiple pay methods?

A: Yes. OnePayroll supports split payments:

  • Method 1: Direct deposit to checking
  • Method 2: Direct deposit to savings
  • Method 3: Check payment (partial amount)

Allocate each method by fixed amount or percentage.

Q: How do I add a mid-year bonus?

A: Create bonus pay type or entry:

  1. Define Bonus Pay Type (if new)
  2. Create Payroll Entry for employee
    • Pay Type = Bonus
    • Amount = Bonus amount
  3. Process in next payroll
  4. Bonus included in gross, taxed normally

Q: What if an employee has two jobs at my company?

A: OnePayroll typically assumes one position per employee. For multiple positions:

  • Create separate employee records (if independent)
  • Or track positions/pay rates separately within single employee
  • Consult with support for complex scenarios

Q: Can I track years of service?

A: Yes. OnePayroll tracks:

  • Hire Date - When employee started
  • Termination Date - When employee left (if applicable)
  • Service History - Snapshots capture tenure at each period

Use for benefits eligibility, vesting, reporting.

Deductions and benefits

Q: How do I set up employee health insurance deductions?

A: Configure benefit deduction:

  1. Create Benefit Type (e.g., "Health Insurance")
  2. Define deduction:
    • Pre-tax or post-tax
    • Amount (fixed or percentage)
    • Calculation basis
  3. Enroll employees in benefit
  4. Deduction withheld from paycheck

See Benefits setup for details.

Q: Can deductions exceed net pay?

A: Validation rules prevent this by default. If a deduction would exceed net pay:

  • Payroll processing stops with error
  • Correct employee deduction amount
  • Retry processing

This protects against erroneous large deductions.

Q: How do I handle garnishments?

A: Garnishments are managed through garnishment types and garnishment lines:

  1. Create a Garnishment Type (defines the type of garnishment and its rules)
  2. On the employee, add a Wage Garnishment line:
    • Select the garnishment type
    • Set the Calculation Method (Percentage or Fixed Amount)
    • Set the Processing Order (1–99) for priority
    • Enter the Agency No. (the vendor to remit payment to)
  3. Garnishments are withheld from each paycheck in processing order
  4. Track lifetime limits and remittance

See Garnishments for complete details.

Taxes

Q: How do I verify federal tax withholding is correct?

A: Validate tax setup:

  1. Verify W-4 information on employee (filing status, credits)
  2. Run Tax Calculation report
  3. Compare to expected withholding (IRS tables or calculator)
  4. If discrepancy, adjust W-4 credits or extra withholding

Reconcile quarterly with IRS Form 941.

Q: What if an employee moves to a different state?

A: Update employee's state residency:

  1. Open employee
  2. Change State = New state
  3. Obtain new State W-4
  4. Enter state tax information
  5. Change effective next payroll

MultiState taxes processed automatically per new state.

Q: Are tax deposits automatic?

A: No. OnePayroll calculates amounts owed, but you must:

  1. Review tax deposits calculated in reports
  2. Deposit via:
    • EFTPS (Electronic Federal Tax Payment System)
    • Bank ACH
    • Mail check with 941-V voucher
  3. Verify deposit posted to IRS account

Schedule deposits per IRS requirements (usually monthly).

Q: How do I file quarterly Form 941?

A: Use OnePayroll's quarterly reporting:

  1. Run Quarterly Report (Form 941) after final payroll of quarter
  2. Review totals:
    • Number of employees
    • Total wages
    • Total withholding
  3. File with IRS (paper or e-file)
  4. Keep copies for records

See Tax reports for details.

Reporting

Q: What reports should I run monthly?

A: Standard monthly reports:

  1. Payroll Summary - Overview of payroll costs
  2. GL Reconciliation - Match payroll to GL posting
  3. Tax Deposit Tracking - Verify taxes deposited
  4. Payable Reconciliation - Track outstanding liabilities

Automate to run end-of-month.

Q: How do I export payroll data?

A: OnePayroll supports multiple export formats:

  • Excel - For spreadsheet analysis
  • CSV - For third-party system import
  • PDF - For printing/archiving
  • GL export - Direct to GL import

Q: Can I compare payroll across periods?

A: Yes. Most reports include:

  • Period filters - Choose date range
  • Comparison columns - Prior year, budget variance
  • Trend analysis - Multiple periods side-by-side
  • Export for analysis - Use Excel/tools

Department and pay type breakdowns available.

Troubleshooting

Q: Paycheck amount doesn't match my calculation

A: Verify:

  1. Employee pay rate and pay unit correct
  2. Hours worked entered correctly (for work-based employees)
  3. Deductions and taxes calculated properly
  4. Tax setup matches employee W-4 (US localization)
  5. No manual adjustments in payroll

Review the payroll entries to trace each component.

Q: GL posting shows wrong account

A: Check:

  1. Account No. and Balance Account No. on the pay type
  2. Default accounts in Payroll Setup
  3. Gen. Journal Template and Gen. Journal Batch on the pay group
  4. Verify account numbers are correct

Best practices

  • Process payroll on schedule - Consistent timing builds compliance
  • Review before posting - Always review before finalizing
  • Reconcile monthly - Payroll to GL reconciliation
  • Archive records - Minimum 7 years
  • Update info annually - W-4s, tax status, benefits
  • Test changes before production - New pay types, rates, etc.
  • Document procedures - Written payroll procedures
  • Secure data - Payroll data is sensitive; control access

Getting additional help

  • Documentation — Read specific topic guides in this documentation set
  • Built-in Help — Use the Help menu in Business Central
  • Training — Contact your partner or administrator for training resources
  • Support — Contact your Business Central partner or visit SwissSalary support

What's next

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