PowerChurch Software Newsletter - Year End 2011

We've got another special edition newsletter here at the end of 2011 to announce an important new service that has been integrated into Version 11.5 in a recent Maintenance Release. We are now able to offer Federal and State e-filing of W2s! This service is integrated with PowerChurch Plus and PowerChurch Online using a third-party provider, who also offers the printing and mailing of employee copies of the W2s. More information is detailed in the article below.

As a reminder, we published a very in-depth year end newsletter last year, which you can read again for some refreshers about the year-end processes in PowerChurch Plus: www.powerchurch.com/support/227/5/powerchurch-software-newsletter-year-end-2010

January/February Technical Support Information

The beginning of the year is always a busy time for everyone; sending out contribution statements/tax receipts, filing payroll taxes, and there are always many new users just getting PowerChurch set up for the first time. Historically, we have experienced around 400% increase in Technical Support traffic by phone and e-mail in January and February. With Version 11.5 only being a couple of months old, we expect this year to be no different!

Throughout the rest of the year, when you call in to speak with someone in Technical Support, you can expect to connect with someone directly, or receive a call back in just a few minutes. During January and February, the call back times are usually more like an hour or two. Support e-mails are normally answered within one business day, but in January and February, you can more realistically expect a turnaround time of two business days.

There are many support resources on our web site that may help you find an answer on your own at no charge, 24/7. We are still here to help and never discourage anyone from asking for assistance. For those who may not know these resources are available, you might be able to save yourself an hour or two of waiting. That can make the difference in whether you have a productive day or not.

Bookmark the pages below in your browser for quicker answers in a hectic time of year!

• Knowledge Base. There are articles, videos, and archives of these newsletters available in the Knowledge Base on our web site. Many of these articles and videos have been written because of questions that frequently come up in Technical Support.
• Support Forum. There is a message board/forum on our web site which is very active each day with new questions and answers being posted by PowerChurch users, developers, and support technicians alike. Here you can search through thousands of posts over the last few years, or register an account and post your own questions or answers.

Contribution Statements

This article was moved to Running Contribution Statements and Tax Receipts

Announcing PowerChurch E-File!

PowerChurch Software has integrated state and federal e-filing of W2s in Version 11.5. The printing and mailing of the employees' copies is also available. Certain states now require that you e-file, so it was imperative to roll out this functionality before the end of the year.

If this turns out to be a popular feature, it is possible that we could integrate the 1099-MISC and 941 e-filing services as well, but currently, only the W2 e-file is available for PowerChurch Software users. Since this service is processed by a third party, it will require that you create an account on their site. The W2 data is transferred automatically from PowerChurch Plus for a seamless e-filing process.

With PowerChurch E-File, the pricing is very straight-forward and is documented on the page linked below. You only pay for the services you use.

powerchurch.nelcoportal.com/Content/Filing_Information

You will find this new option under Accounting > Payroll > Tax Reporting > W2s. Process the W2s as you normally would. On the last step, you will see buttons to align and print W2s and W3s, then the new option to File Electronically.

Forum Q & A

The Support Forum on our web site is a very active online community of our users and Tech Support staff members. There you can browse through thousands of questions and answers, or post your own.

From Membership:
Q. When I open the Fast Data Entry screen in Attendance, there are no activities in the list to choose from.
A. There is a "Record Attendance" setting on the Maintain Activity/Skill Descriptions screen. Check that option for each activity where you will be recording attendance.

From Accounting:
Q. The wrong amounts are being reported on my 941 Deposit Report. It does not include employer amounts.
A. It sounds like the employer liability items in Payroll are not set up as tax items. Take a look at the Maintain Item Descriptions screen and uncheck the "Non-tax item" check box.

From Contributions:
Q. Some people pledge for 2012 by submitting their checks now because they want the tax credit this year. How do I reflect this in PowerChurch?
A. Look up the 2012 pledge on the Enter Contributions form using the Pledge Lookup function. The system will show contribution applied to the 2012 pledge, but the year-end statement in 2011 will show the check.