Sage 50 Payroll Professional error in year end advice

Sage 50 Payroll Professional error in year end...

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https://my.sage.co.uk/public/help/payroll/pye/50payroll.aspx#tabs-5

This takes you to a page with a section headed:

Set up your software before processing in the new tax year

Using Sage 50 Payroll, this is quick and easy to do using Global Changes. Read more >>

It then takes you to another page headed:

Sage 50 Payroll - Tax code changes for the 2015/2016 tax year

On this page it says:

Tip: If you use Sage 50 Payroll Professional, you can update employees' tax codes for a number of different companies at the same time.

If you follow the link it takes you to a page headed:

How to use Multi-Company Tasks to help process your year end

Select the tab headed “steps” and then select “To make changes to payroll information using Multi-Company Tasks” you are presented with the following:

“To update tax codes

Note: With effect from 6 April 2014, L suffix tax codes increase by 56. For example, tax code 944L becomes 1000L. You may receive tax code changes for individual employees on form P9(T) from HMRC, either in an electronic format or on a paper list. If you receive any such notification, you should amend the tax code for the relevant employee in their employee record. If you receive the notification electronically through the HMRC Mailbox, you can apply the changes automatically. For further information, please refer to article 11803 .

Company > Multi-Company Tasks.

To confirm that you've taken a backup and to open the Multi-Company Tasks window > OK.

Note: If you have not taken a backup, click OK, then to exit the Multi-Company Tasks window click Close. You should now take a backup of each company's data and then continue with the Multi-Company Tasks routine.

From the drop-down lists > PAYE/NI > Apply Tax Code Change Where Code has Suffix.

From the list of available companies > select the companies you require > ensure the Apply actions only to box is set to All Employees > Run Task.

Tip: If no companies are selected a message appears prompting you to include all companies.

Enter L in the first box > 56 in the second box > OK.

To print the summary > File > Print.

Check your printer details are correct > Print.

To return to the Multi-Company Tasks window > File > Exit.

To close the Multi-Company Tasks window > Close.”

Now there is a clue by the date and the number to be added but I am sure plenty of people will just blindly follow what they are told. They are telling you what you should have done after 2013-2014 year end instead of after 2014-2015 year end.

Replies (9)

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By martinscutt
15th Apr 2015 20:31

Seems OK now

When I follow that link it is showing the correct year.

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Replying to sdc-oml:
By petersaxton
15th Apr 2015 20:41

What link?

martinscutt wrote:

When I follow that link it is showing the correct year.

The first two or three links are correct but when they show you the steps it is wrong. I just checked.

To make it clear. It's where they say that you change the code on the multi-company tasks by 56 when it should be 60

I'm not talking about them saying it relates to 2015-2016

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By martinscutt
16th Apr 2015 00:04

What can I say

You had to go through 3 different screens all saying the correct details for 6/4/15 before you found the one they missed updating, poor proof reading perhaps. However, if people didn't take the hint by then or notice that it was the previous years date and tax codes then I have little sympathy and they should probably get (pay) someone competent to do the critical tasks if they do not truly understand what they are trying to do.

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By petersaxton
16th Apr 2015 03:33

Martin, I don't agree

I suppose multi-company users are more likely to be accountants and I have to admit I didn't notice the date when I was skimming through first time. It was only when I saw that the change was 56 instead of 60 that I realised their error. How do payroll people know what the update number should be? I know it from doing personal tax but I don't think HMRC tell employers or even accountants in a formal way nowadays despite telling employers in the past.

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By petersaxton
16th Apr 2015 14:49

I phoned Sage today

First I told them about another error in their year end guide:

"Tip: If your software was already set up to claim small employers' relief in 2014/2015, it's already set to claim it in the new tax year."

It's not! You have to tick it again. This is another serious error.

I also explained their error I found regarding the OP.

If I was Sage I would be sending emails to every user explaining the problem but my feeling is that they don't want to let people know anybody has made a mistake.

It reminds me of FL Memo. I got one of their books and the contents pages didn't tally with the rest of the pages. I phoned them and eventually I got put through to the editor of the book and he admitted that they totally redesigned the books contents but they bound it with the old contents pages! The editor said I was the only person to raise it with them.

 

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Replying to Grayson Moore:
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By andy.partridge
16th Apr 2015 15:42

Old trick

petersaxton wrote:

The editor said I was the only person to raise it with them.

 


I bet he said that to everyone!

I agree with you. I know a bookkeeper who operates a 3-company multi-company system and I think it highly likely that he would do just as the screen tells him. Typical Sage, top heavy in marketing.

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Replying to Grayson Moore:
By ShirleyM
16th Apr 2015 15:48

They always say that!!!!!

petersaxton wrote:

The editor said I was the only person to raise it with them.

 

I've lost count of the times I've been told that, and it is patently untrue. I have to conclude that  ... if they are being truthful ... then people don't use the software/books that they buy, or haven't a clue how to use it!

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By Moonbeam
16th Apr 2015 15:29

I never use multi company tasks on Sage payroll

As this is their worst software I am very wary about doing anything to more than one company at a time. I think it's actually saved me time and money because they are so lazy in updating everything properly each year.

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By petersaxton
17th Apr 2015 06:22

I had a client

who had a standard letter he would send out about a dozen times a month:

"In over 20 years of business this is the first complaint we have ever received ...."

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