Payroll: Preprocess Register

IMPORTANT: Checkwriters' new Payroll experience is currently in beta testing.

Checklist
How to Run the Preprocess Register
Configurations
- Review Type
How to Read the Preprocess Register
- Employee Info
- Earnings
- Taxes
- Deductions
- Check Summary
Report Totals

Checklist

Follow this checklist when reviewing your Preprocess Register Report to ensure all information is accurate.

Have I checked the company totals at the end of the report? Totals should be about the same each pay period so if a total suddenly looks very different, it may indicate that you need to go back and fix something before submitting payroll.
Are the Rates correct? Hours? Amounts? One typo could make a big difference in your bottom line. Double-check that the values in the Rate, Hours, and Amounts columns are correct.
Are taxes being withheld? If taxes are not being withheld when they normally are, you may need to go back and edit payroll before submitting.
Are deductions being taken out? Like taxes, if no deductions are being taken out when they normally should be, you may need to edit payroll before submitting.

How to Run the Preprocess Register

Note: Running the Preprocess Register is the most important step before submitting payroll, as it allows you to fully review your payroll details before submitting.

Run the Preprocess Register by navigating to Payroll (module) → Dashboard → Get Started/Enter & Review → Review & Submit (tab).

You will be brought straight to the Review Payroll pop-up dialog. Set the report configurations and select Run Review.
1. If you exit out of the pop-up, select the Review Payroll button to return to it.
Select Download Report to view the completed report.
You can also select Rerun Review to start a new review.

Configurations

Change the fields in the Run Reports pop-up dialog to configure your report. Take a look at how each field affects the report output.

More Info: Learn more about Reviewing your Payroll and other report types.

Review Type

Full Review (Generate Report): This review type will create a downloadable report, configured in the Report Options section of the pop-up.
Review Only (No Report): If you select this review type, the Report Options will be disabled, and you will get a review without a downloadable report.

Best Practice: To get the most accurate and thorough review of your payroll, we suggest running a Full Review.

Report Type

This field defaults to “Preprocess Register.”

Batch

Select which batch will be displayed. The Batch field defaults to “All Batches” but you may select individual batches as needed.

View

Detail: View all payroll totals as well as individual information for each employee.
Summary: View payroll totals only. Summary view will not display individual employee details.

Best Practice: To get the most accurate and thorough review of your payroll, we suggest viewing the Preprocess Register Report in Detail.

Sort Order

Name: Sorts all employees alphabetically. If an employee has multiple checks, each check will be its own row in the report.
ID: Sorts all employees numerically by their Employee ID.
Department / Name: Sorts all Departments by Code, then sorts all employees alphabetically within their Home Department.
Department / ID: Sorts all Departments by Code, then sorts all employees numerically by employee ID within their Home Department.

Note: Employees holding positions in multiple departments will be displayed within their Home Department. You can view an employee’s Home Department by navigating to Employee Center → select employee → Information (tab) → Departments (tab). Learn more about Employee Center: Departments.

Best Practice: The default report settings (Preprocess Register, Detail, Name, and All Batches) may be the easiest to read if you are new to using Checkwriters.

How to Read the Preprocess Register

The Preprocess Register is set up in five main sections: Employee Information, Earnings, Taxes, Deductions, and Check Summary.

Each whole row of information displays the details of one check. An employee with multiple checks will have multiple rows, representing each check.

Employee Info

The employee info section lists the employee’s name, ID, Salary/Rate, and pay Frequency.

Emp Id: Displays the employee’s ID number.
Salary/Rate: Displays the employee’s base salary or rate as of the date the Preprocess Register was run.
Freq: Indicates the employee’s Pay Frequency.

Note: The Salary is not necessarily the amount the employee is paid.

Earnings

The Earnings section lists Earning Code, Earning Code Description, and Hours, Rate, and Amount values. Each line is matched to a line in the employee’s Check Detail.

Code: This column lists each Earning Code associated with the employee’s check.
Earning: This column lists the corresponding Earning Code Description for the listed Earning Code. The description supplements your understanding of the Code.
Hours, Rate, and Amount: These columns reflect the values entered into the respective fields during the Detail Entry process.
Total Earnings: This line calculates the total earnings for the check.

Taxes

The Taxes section lists Tax Code, Tax Code Description, Taxable Amount, and Amount withheld. This includes any taxes being withheld from the employee’s check. This does NOT include employer taxes.

Code: This column lists each Tax Code associated with the employee’s check.
Tax: This column lists the corresponding Tax Code Description.
Taxable: This column shows the Taxable Amount.
Amount: This column displays the total Amount Withheld.
Total Taxes: This line calculates the total taxes for the entire check.

Note: Federal and State income taxes are calculated based on the employee’s withholding status and taxable amount.

Deductions

The Deductions section lists Deduction Code, Deduction Code Description, and Amount deducted. This includes any voluntary deductions being withheld from the employee’s check.

Code: This column lists each Deduction Code associated with the employee’s check.
Deduction: This column lists the corresponding Deduction Code Description for the listed Deduction Code.
Amount: This column displays the total Amount deducted.
Total Deductions: This line calculates the total Deductions for the entire check.

Check Summary

The Check Summary section gives a brief recap of the check.

Type: Displays the check type (Regular, Bonus, Manual, etc.)
Date: The date the check is to be dispersed.
Batch: The abbreviation for the batch the check belongs to.
Net: The total net pay of the check. After Earnings, Taxes, and Deductions have been calculated, this is the amount that your employee will be paid.
Dir Dep: The amount that will be dispersed via Direct Deposit.
Check: The amount that will be dispersed via a physical check.

Note: Manual check types are used for YTD reporting purposes and do not produce a physical check.

Report Totals

There is a full list of company totals at the end of the Preprocess Register. This final section includes employee counts, earnings, taxes, and deductions totals, as well as a summary of the entire payroll. These totals are some of the most important to review before submitting payroll.

Note: The Report Totals section does not reflect employer taxes; it only reflects employee taxes. Employer taxes will be populated in the payroll summary report after the payroll processes.

Remember: You can run the Preprocess Register as many times as needed before submitting payroll.

Payroll: Preprocess Register – BETA

Running the Preprocess Register is the most important step before submitting payroll. This is the best way to review your Payroll and allows you to make any final changes before submitting.