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Prepare forms 940, 941, 943, 944, and 945

Enter data for Form 941

During Form 941 data entry, you can refer to the following list, which includes each field on Form 941 and then specifies where you can find and enter the data in Accounting CS. Use this list to help you troubleshoot each form line.
Form 941 field or line
Calculated?
Data location in Accounting CS
Field in Accounting CS
Notes
Employer identification number (EIN)
No
Go to
Setup
,
Clients
, then
Main
 tab.
EIN/SSN
N/A
Name (not your trade name)
No
Go to
Setup
,
Clients
, then
Main
 tab.
Payroll name
N/A
Trade name (if any)
No
Go to
Setup
,
Clients
, then
Main
 tab.
DBA nameIf you leave this field blank, you'll get a critical diagnostic message and you won't be able to process the form.
N/A
Firm Name Control
No
Select
Actions
,
Process Electronic Forms
, then the
Transmission Information
 window. Select the staff member from the dropdown in the
File Contact
 field. Enter the
Firm Name Control
.
Firm Name Control
If you leave this field blank, you'll get a critical diagnostic message and you won't be able to process the form.
Address
No
Go to
Setup
,
Clients
, then
Main
 tab.
Business address line 1
If the client has separate mailing and taxing addresses, enter the address that should appear on this form as the Business address.
Address
No
Go to
Setup
,
Clients
, then
Main
 tab.
Business address line 2
N/A
Address
No
Go to
Setup
,
Clients
, then
Main
 tab.
Business address City, State, ZIP
N/A
Address, Foreign country name
No
Go to
Setup
,
Clients
,
Main
 tab,
Business address State
.
Country
If this is a foreign state or country not available in the dropdown list, go to
Actions
, then
Edit Payroll Tax Forms
 screen to override this information.
Address, Foreign province/county
No
Setup
,
Clients
,
Main
 tab,
Business address State
.
City
If this is a foreign state or country not available in the dropdown list, go to
Actions
, then
Edit Payroll Tax Forms
 screen to override this information.
Address, Foreign postal code
No
Setup
,
Clients
,
Main
 tab,
Business address State
.
Zip
If this is a foreign state or country not available in the dropdown list, go to
Actions
, then
Edit Payroll Tax Forms
 screen to override this information.
Report for this Quarter of 20xx
No
Actions
,
Edit Payroll Tax Forms
 or
Actions
, then
Process Payroll Tax Form
 screen.
Quarter
Indicates the quarter selected from the dropdown list in the
Actions
,
Edit Payroll Tax Forms
 screen or
Actions
,
Process Payroll Tax Forms
 screen.
Line 1. Number of employees who received wages, tips, or other compensation
Yes
N/A
N/A
Based on payroll check period beginning and ending dates, the application determines the total number of employees on your payroll for the pay period including March 12, June 12, September 12, or December 12, for the quarter indicated on Form 941. The total number of employees doesn't include:
  • Household employees
  • Employees in non-pay status for the pay period
  • Farm employees
  • Pensioners
  • Active members of the Armed Forces
You can choose to have the application calculate the total number of employees based on employee status rather than payroll check period end dates. Go to
Setup
,
Clients
,
Payroll Information
 tab of your client and select the
Calculate month 1-3 employee count on payroll tax forms based on active employee status
 checkbox.
Line 2. Wages, tips, and other compensation
Yes
N/A
N/A
The application calculates the wages subject to withholding tax as follows:
  • Gross pay minus:
    • FIT exempt pay items
    • FIT
    • Pretax deduction items
  • Includes Third-Party Sick Pay
Line 3. Federal Income tax withheld from wages, tips, and other compensation
Yes
N/A
N/A
Calculates the Federal Income Tax amount withheld on payroll checks. Third-Party Sick Pay (TPSP) withholding is not included.
Line 4. If no wages, tips, and other compensation are subject to social security or Medicare tax
Yes
N/A
N/A
This checkbox is selected automatically if Lines 5a – 5d are $0.00 (blank).
Line 5a. Taxable social security wages
Yes
N/A
N/A
Calculates the taxable social security wages as follows:
  • FICA-SS taxable payroll items minus:
    • Reported Tips special type pay items
    • FICA-SS pretax deduction items
  • Includes Third-Party Sick Pay
Line 5b. Taxable social security tips
Yes
N/A
N/A
Includes any payroll items set up as special type Reported Tips and Indirect Tips.
If an employee goes over the FICA-SS taxable wage limit, the application uses the reported tips first on the check where the limit was reached.
Line 5c. Taxable Medicare wages & tips
Yes
N/A
N/A
Calculates the Taxable Medicare wages & tips as follows:
  • Gross pay minus:
    • FICA-MED exempt pay items
    • FICA-MED pretax deduction items
  • Includes Third-Party Sick Pay
Line 5d. Taxable wages & tips subject to extra Medicare Tax withholding
Yes
N/A
N/A
Wages or tips in excess of $200,000 for any employee.
Line 5e. Add Column from Lines 5a, 5b, 5c, and 5d
Yes
N/A
N/A
Combines Lines 5a through 5d.
Line 5f. Section 3121(a) Notice and Demand--Tax due on unreported tips
No
Go to
Actions
, then
Edit Payroll Tax Forms
.
N/A
Enter the tax due from your IRS Section 3121(q) Notice and Demand.
Line 6. Total taxes before adjustments
Yes
N/A
N/A
Combines Lines 3, 5e, and 5f.
Line 7. Current quarter's adjustment for fractions of cents
No
Go to
Setup
,
Clients
,
Payroll Taxes
 tab, Federal 94X Additional Information window.
Fractions of cents limit
Calculates to enable the rounding of fractions of cents so that Line 10 can more accurately match the total liability for the quarter amount calculated on Line 16 (for monthly depositors) or Schedule B (for semiweekly depositors).
Line 8. Current quarter's adjustment for sick pay
Yes
N/A
N/A
Subtracts the employees’ portion of Third-Party Sick Pay for FICA-SS and FICA-MED.
Line 9. Current quarter's adjustments for tips and group-term life insurance
No
Go to
Actions
, then
Edit Payroll Tax Forms
.
N/A
Enter adjustments for:
  • Any uncollected employee share of social security and Medicare taxes on tips.
  • The uncollected employee share of social security and Medicare taxes on group-term life insurance premiums paid for former employees.
Line 10. Total taxes after adjustments
Yes
N/A
N/A
Combines Lines 6 through 9.
Line 11. Qualified small business payroll tax credit for increasing research activities
No
N/A
N/A
If you have completed form 8974, enter the amount of the small business research credit that you're using.
If you enter an amount in Line 11, you won't be able to file Form 941 electronically, and you'll need to file a paper copy.
Line 12. Total taxes after adjustments and credits
Yes
N/A
N/A
Subtract line 11 from line 10
Line 13. Total deposits for this quarter
Yes
N/A
N/A
Reflects all payments made for the quarter by the printing of payroll liabilities/impound payments, and liabilities generated as “closed” for historical payroll checks via the Generate Liabilities window.
Line 14. Balance due
Yes
N/A
N/A
Displays the difference when Line 12 is greater than Line 13.
Line 15. Overpayment
No
Go to
Setup
,
Clients
,
Payroll Taxes
 tab, Federal 94X Additional Information window.
N/A
Displays the difference when Line 13 is more than Line 12. The
Apply to next return
 or
Send a refund
 checkbox is selected automatically based on the selection made in the Federal 94X Additional Information window.
Line 16. Select one of the checkboxes.
No
Go to
Setup
,
Clients
, then
Payroll Taxes
 tab.
Ignore deposit threshold when calculating line 16
The checkbox selection is based on the deposit threshold and the federal deposit schedule selected in the
Payroll Taxes
 tab of the
Setup
,
Clients
 screen. Only the 1st checkbox is selected (Line 12 on this return is less than $2,500) if it applies, and if the Ignore deposit threshold when calculating line 16 checkbox is not selected in the 94X Additional Information window.
Line 17. If your business has closed or you stopped paying wages
No
Go to
Setup
,
Clients
, then
Main
 tab.
Inactive date
Select the checkbox and enter the date if an
Inactive date
 is entered within the selected quarter, and
Inactive
 reason of “Business closed” is selected.
Line 18. If you are a seasonal employer
No
Go to
Setup
,
Clients
, then
Payroll Taxes
 tab.
Seasonal employer
N/A
Part 4. May we speak with your third-party designee?
No
Go to
Setup
,
Clients
, then
Payroll Taxes
 tab, Federal 94X Additional Information window.
Third-party designee
If yes, select the third-party designee from the dropdown list in the Federal 94X Additional Information window. The list includes staff members who are specified as a payroll form preparer and who have a third-party designee PIN entered in the Staff screen. If no, the third-party designee should be None (default).
Part 4. May we speak with your third-party designee?
No
Go to
Setup
,
Firm Information
, then
Staff
.
Business phone number
The application uses the business phone number and third-party designee PIN entered in the Staff screen for the staff member selected as the third-party designee in the Federal 94X Additional Information window. If not, the third-party designee should be None (default).
Part 4. May we speak with your third-party designee?
No
Go to
Setup
,
Firm Information
, then
Staff
.
Third-party designee PIN
The application uses the business phone number and third-party designee PIN entered in the Staff screen for the staff member selected as the third-party designee in the Federal 94X Additional Information window. If not, the third-party designee should be None (default).
Part 5. Sign here, image
No
Go to
Setup
,
Clients
, then
Payroll Taxes
 tab, Federal 94X Additional Information window.
Taxpayer signature image
N/A
Part 5. Sign here, date
No
Current System Date
N/A
The taxpayer and preparer signature dates always default to the current system date unless you select the
Suppress date
 checkbox in the Federal 94X Additional Information window. To use a different signature date, enter it in the
Actions
,
Edit Payroll Tax Forms
 screen.
Part 5. Sign here, Print your name here
No
Go to
Setup
,
Clients
, then
Payroll Taxes
 tab, Federal 94X Additional Information window.
Taxpayer
The names available in the Taxpayer dropdown list in the Federal 94X Additional Information window are:
  • Client additional contacts specified as a Payroll form signer in the
    Main
     tab of the
    Setup
    ,
    Clients
     screen.
  • Firm additional contacts specified as a Reporting Agent in the
    Main
     tab of the
    Setup
    ,
    Firm Information
    ,
    Firm
     screen.
Part 5. Sign here, Print your title here
No
Go to
Setup
,
Clients
,
Main tab
,
Additional Contacts
 or go to
Setup
,
Firm Information
,
Firm
,
Main
 tab.
Title
N/A
Part 5. Sign here, Best daytime phone
No
Go to
Setup
,
Clients
,
Main
 tab,
Additional Contacts
 or go to
Setup
,
Firm Information
,
Firm
,
Main
 tab,
Additional Contacts
.
Business phone number
N/A
Paid Preparer Use only, Check if you are self-employed
No
Go to
Setup
,
Firm Information
,
Firm
.
Social Security number
The self-employed checkbox is not market when an EIN is entered in the Main tab of the
Setup
,
Firm
 screen.
Paid Preparer Use only, Preparer's name
No
Go to
Setup
,
Clients
,
Payroll Taxes
 tab, Federal 94X Additional Information window.
Preparer
The names available in the Preparer dropdown list in the Federal 94X Additional Information window are staff members that have the
Payroll form preparer
 checkbox selected in the
Main
 tab of the
Setup
,
Firm Information
,
Staff
 screen.
Paid Preparer Use only, Preparer's signature
N/A
N/A
N/A
This field can't be populated by the application per IRS specifications.
Paid Preparer Use only, Firm's name (or yours if self-employed)
No
Go to
Setup
,
Firm Information
, then
Firm
.
N/A
The application uses the alternate firm name if the firm is using the Alternative Preparer Block license and the client is set up for live payroll processing. It uses the primary firm name if the firm is using the Alternate Preparer Block license and the client is set up for after-the-fact payroll.
Paid Preparer Use only, EIN
No
Go to
Setup
,
Firm Information
, then
Firm
.
EIN/SSN
The EIN field is blank if a Social Security number is entered.
Paid Preparer Use only, Address, City, State, ZIP
No
Go to
Setup
,
Firm Information
,
Firm
, then
Address
.
Business, City, State, ZIP
The application uses the alternate firm address if the firm is using the Alternative Preparer Block license and the client is set up for live payroll processing. It uses the primary firm address if the firm is using the Alternate Preparer Block license and the client is set up for after-the-fact payroll.
Paid Preparer Use only, PTIN
No
Go
Setup
,
Firm Information
, then
Staff
.
PTIN
The application uses the PTIN from the staff member selected as preparer for the client.
Paid Preparer Use only, Phone
No
Go to
Setup
,
Firm Information
, then
Staff
.
Business phone number
The application uses the business phone number for the staff member selected as preparer for the client.
Paid Preparer Use only, Date
No
Current System Date
N/A
The taxpayer and preparer signature dates always default to the current system date unless the
Suppress date
 checkbox is selected in the Federal 94X Additional Information window. To use a different signature date, enter it in the
Actions
,
Edit Payroll Tax Forms
 screen.

This article applies to:

  • Product: Accounting CS
  • Subject: Payroll tax forms

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