2010 Year End Tools and Resources

The  next  2  pages  contain  tools,  tips  and  resources  to help  you  get  a  jump  start  on  closing  the  year  out smoothly.  As always, please don’t hesitate to contact us  directly  with  specific  questions  or  to  request  assistance with your Sage Accpac system.

Sage will provide more information as we get closer to the  release  date,  but  here  are  a  couple  of  things  to keep in mind.

• You don’t have to close the year.
• We  recommended  that  you  install  the  tax  update as soon as possible and preferably prior to the end of 2010.
• You  have  to  install  AND  activate  the  tax  update.
• Before activating, be sure to make a backup.

General Recommendations & Tips

Check  Data  Retention  Settings ? The number of years that  Sage  Accpac  retains  in  historical  data  will  vary based on the edition you are running.  Plus, each company can be configured to retain fewer years than the maximum allowed.  So it’s a good idea to double check the  settings  for  all  company  databases  so  you  don’t lose important data when creating a new fiscal year.

Create  a  New  Fiscal  Calendar ?  Remember,  Accpac allows  you  to  begin  entering  transactions  for  the  new year without having to close the current year. But you must  first  create  a  new  fiscal  calendar  in  Common Services  before  you  can  begin  entering  transactions.   Since you can create a new fiscal calendar at any time, it’s a good idea to set it up early so you’re ready to go when it’s time to enter transactions in the new year.

Data Management ? Year end is a good opportunity to “clean  house”  and  determine  whether  it  makes  sense to  purge  old  data  you  no  longer  need,  create  archive databases,  or  expand  your  storage  capacity.    And  be sure to contact us if you’d like assistance in creating a data maintenance plan.

When will the next Sage ERP Accpac Payroll Update be released?

The  January  tax  update  is  usually  released  in  mid-December  and  will  include  the  updated  tax  tables you’ll need for next year, as well as everything you will need for filing your taxes this year.

TIP: Regardless of your fiscal year, you’ll still need to close out payroll for this Calendar year.

Back Up Your Data

The  first  thing    you  should  do  before  beginning  any year end processing task is to execute a complete back up of your Sage Accpac data.  This point cannot be emphasized enough.  You should also test the back up to ensure  it  was  successful  and  the  data  is  readable.  Without a reliable back up, there is no way to restore your  system  to  its  original  state  should  you  need  to undo  a  significant  year  end  processing  mistake.    It’s also  a  good  idea  to  make  another  back  up  after  you successfully complete the year end close.

New Customer Support Portal

Earlier this year, Sage completely revamped their online support  website  for  Accpac  customers  which  is  now  located  at https://customers.sagenorthamerica.com.  The customer portal is your one?stop?shop for product updates, a support knowledgebase, and detailed documents to assist you in closing out the year.  You  should  have  also  received  a  new  login  and  password for the site.  If you didn’t get the new login, you
can  reach  the  Portal  Support  Team  by  phone  at  (877) 828?6372 or by email to customer.portal@sage.com.

Sage Accpac Online Community

The Sage Accpac Online Community allows you to connect online with Sage support experts, developers, and other Accpac customers just like you.  You also get access  to  a  wealth  of  information  to  guide  you  through the  year  end  closing  process  including  User  Guides,  Technical  Documents,  Product  Updates,  and  training videos. Go to http://community.sageaccpac.com to sign up and participate in the conversation!

Important Deadlines and Tax Info (U.S.)

January  31,  2011  ?  Deadline  to  issue  W?2,  1098,  and 1099 forms to employees and independent contractors AND deadline for filing quarterly payroll & annual sales tax returns.

Notice for Accpac Version 5.4 Customers

January 2011 Will be the final tax update Earlier  this  year,  Sage  notified  all  Payroll  Update  Plan (PUP) subscribers that after the 2010 tax year, Sage ERP Accpac Version 5.4 will no longer be supported. This is particularly  important  because  it  means  no  additional tax updates will be made available after 2010.  The  last  Accpac  5.4  Payroll  Tax  Update  for  Canadian Payroll and US Payroll will be January 1st, 2011.  Based on recent customer feedback, this will be a full update that  includes  updated  forms  as  well  as  tax  table changes provided for 2010 tax filing.  Due to “last minute” updates issued from certain US tax authorities towards the end of the 2010 calendar year, there is a possibility for a January 31st, 2011 Tax Update or hot fix for
the 5.4 US Payroll Tax Update only.

Contact  us  if  you’d  like  to  discuss  an  upgrade  to  Sage Accpac  Version  5.5  or  higher  in  order  to  continue receiving  full  support  and  product  updates  for  your system.