To prepare for Quarter-End/Year-End, you must be sure to verify information in the system to avoid any errors, such as "fake" or "place-holder" social security numbers, outdated delivery addresses, missing tax IDs, and missing wages to reflect in the current quarter. Please follow the guide below and have all tasks completed before the end of the quarter.  After data is verified, be sure to follow the full guide on the steps to "Close" and "Sign Off" on the Quarter. If you choose not to sign off on the Quarter End, Green Leaf will assume all data to be correct as of the deadline of 1/5/24 2PM PST and process as is. If any corrections are needed after the deadline, Amendment and Amendment fees may apply. 

If you have any questions, please reach out to your assigned Payroll Specialist.

Step 1: Confirm Company Information

Company Contacts:

To check on the company contacts Green Leaf has on file, please navigate to the Hamburger Menu > Gear Icon > Global Set Up > Company Set Up > look for the Company Info Tab. Below the "Company Contact" widget will reflect current contacts on file.

To update the contacts on file, please choose the "double people" icon and select the proper user. Once the user is chosen, the primary phone and email will reflect. If a number or email address is missing, please navigate to the user's account under employee info to update under "Personal Information".

Company Tax Codes & Rates:

All tax codes must be on file, along with any missing rates, for the agency to accept any year-end filing. Any missing tax IDs and/or Unemployment Rates will result in late payments and filings, in which case would be your company's responsibility to pay due to the missing data.

To check on the codes on file, please navigate to the Hamburger Menu > Gear Icon > Payroll Set Up > Company Taxes

Once there, choose "select columns", then add "Tax EIN" and "Current Rate % ER" and choose "Select Columns.

Now that you can see the tax EIN# and the rate, you can see the rate and number on file as seen below.

Note: to update your view for easy viewing, you can also "group" the report by EIN for Multi-EIN users, or by "Tax State/Province" by choosing the arrow to the right of any header of the report. Below we used "Tax/State Agency" to see each state in a group.

To filter even further to only see agencies missing data, choose the box "Show Only Missing Or Applied For Tax EIN" as seen below. This will narrow down the missing data.

Once you have identified missing tax IDs, please start your application process with the state agency by searching the state you are missing HERE. If you'd prefer to have Green Leaf apply for you for a fee, please complete the State Tax Application Form. If you are already working with the Tax Department and have a ticket in process, please send any information obtained to your existing ticket.

 If you find that rates are missing, please reach out to the tax department with any state agency correspondents received reflecting your State Unemployment Rate for the current Tax Year and for the future Tax Year as well. You can do so by submitting a Tax Ticket. If Green Leaf has access to your tax ID and the agency, we will automatically update the rate for 2024. 

Confirm Social Security Numbers

From time to time, you may have added a "fake" or "placeholder" Social Security Number for a new hire, which we do not recommend, but if you do, this is a great way to catch the wrong SSN before the quarter end if filed with the Social Security Administration.

To check on Social Security Numbers on file, navigate to Hamburger Menu > Team Icon > Payroll > Forms > W2's

Once there, ensure the current quarter is reflected in the "Blue Pill" icon in the upper right.  Then choose the "Ellipses" > Add/Remove Columns > then add "SS#". Once SS# is on the right, you can arrow up to move SS# under the employee's name and hit "apply".

Now that the SS# has a column, choose the drop-down under SS# and change from "=" to "starts with". Then start to check all of the "starts" that should not apply to ensure you have no "fake" SSN.

Here are examples of SSNs that would be "fake".

• Starts with 900-999

• Starts with 000

• Starts with 666

• 123-45-6789

• 111-11-1111 (or any other number that is all the same)

• has zeros in the middle of the numbers such as ###-00-####

• ends with zeros, such as ###-##-0000

Once you determine which SS#'s seem to be "placeholders" for real employees, reach out to the employee to obtain the accurate SSN and update the employee's profile under "Personal Information".

BEST PRACTICE: Once a month or at the very least, once a quarter, have your employee's spot check their data, including name, social security number, address, earnings, taxes, and deductions.

If you find a "fake" social security number that is true for a user that is not an employee and is meant to be fake, be sure the user "Account Status" is set to "Not In Payroll" in order to avoid any W2's to be filed for this user.

Step 2: Confirm All Payroll Data

Ensure all Manual Checks and Wages for the Quarter are processed:

Manual Checks - In order to ensure wages reflect the current quarter, the pay statement or check date must fall within the quarter. Wages are strictly based on the check date and not the pay period when speaking in tax terms.

If any manual checks need to be processed prior to quarter-end, please process a manual check with a check dated within the quarter. Please alert your payroll specialist of the manual if you have no additional check dates processing in the quarter. In order for the taxes and check date to be processed, an unscheduled payroll must be processed and will need to be in the system no later than the last Wednesday of the calendar year (12/27/23) before 2 PM PST. Any manuals processed after the deadline may be subject to fall into the following year's W2.

Here's an article on how to process a manual check. If you need a new payroll created dated in the current calendar year, please reach out to your payroll specialist. Any manuals in a payroll dated the next year will fall on within that year's W2's. 

Shareholder pay such as 2% Shareholder amounts, 3rd Party Sick, etc. must also be processed no later than 12/27/2023 before 2 PM PST. If you need assistance adding the earning codes or processing the payment, please reach out to your payroll specialist.

Step 4: Sign off on Quarter End per EIN - 1/5/2024 by 2 PM PST

Note: This step should not be done until ALL payrolls for the quarter are processed, including fixes. Any quarters NOT processed by the deadline Green Leaf will assume the data to be accurate and true and will process as is. Any corrections needed after 1/5 may result in an amendment fee. 

At the end of each quarter, the best practice is to process the quarter ended in the system in order to validate the information on file as well as lock out the payrolls from being opened, etc. The deadline to process the quarter-end is 1/5/2024 by 2 PM PST. Any Quarter not finalized, will be assumed to be approved by the client and processed as is. Any changes needed after the fact may result in amendments and potential amendment fees.

To finalize the quarter, navigate to Hamburger Menu > Team Icon > Payroll > Quarter/ Year End Process > Company Tax Quarters

Find the closing quarter for the year, Q4, 2023, and choose the "Pay Prep" Icon.

Once in the Quarter, there will be four steps to work through.

QE Step 1 - Verify Payrolls

Click on the words "Verify Payrolls"

When the payrolls open, only finalized payrolls should be present. Be sure to delete or process any payrolls that are not in a "Finalized" status.

To process payroll in not "Finalized" status, simply click on the "Pay Prep" icon next to the payroll and follow normal payroll steps.

Note - all payrolls are subject to normal processing windows of 2 business days prior to the check date finalized before 2 PM PST.

To "Delete" payrolls, choose the "Ellipses" in the View Payroll Screen and "Add/Remove Columns" to add "Checkbox Select Row" - apply

Then choose the payrolls to Delete by clicking the box next to the row.

Note - once deleted all data will be removed. Any payrolls with CLOSED pay statements present will not be allowed to delete.

Once all payrolls are selected, choose the top ellipses and choose "Delete". You will then be prompted to enter your password to accept.

If you do not have privileges to delete payrolls, reach out to your payroll specialist to assist.

Once only Finalized payrolls are present, choose the back arrow to mark this step complete.

QE Step 2- Reconciliation Payrolls

Reconciliation Payrolls are used to "Fix" any payrolls that were out of balance or overstated. This step allows you to sign off on the recon.

If "No Reconciliation Payrolls" reads, then mark this step complete.

If any "Reconciliation Payrolls" are present, click into the words and process similar to the Process Payroll Steps.

Once all are in "Finalized" status, choose the back arrow and mark this step as complete.

QE Step 3 - Close Tax Quarter

Once all data and payrolls are confirmed, choose "Close Tax Quarter". This step will close the quarter and prohibit any further changes. If you have any more data to add, please do not close the quarter.

Once closed - mark this step as complete.

QE Step 4 - Sign Off

After the quarter has been closed, choose "Sign Off". The pop-up to confirm your selection will appear. Hit "OK".

After signing off, mark this step as complete.

The Quarter has now been closed and signed off.

Please note: failure to close by the deadline will result in Green Leaf assuming accuracy and moving forward with closing on your behalf.