Questions and Answers

Q: This knowledgebase article explains possible reasons for 941 values to be incorrect.

A: When voiding checks that were entered in a previous quarter, the amounts for the 941 report will not change. Instead, the changes will be recorded in the 941 Exception Report. For example if the current quarter is the quarter two and the check voided is in the quarter one, the values on the Employer 941 Report for the quarter one will not change. In this case, the 941 Exception Report for the quarter one must be printed. Verify that the values add up correctly with the information from the 941 Exception Report and the Employer 941 Report.

 

Example One

The values in the quarter two’s Employer 941 Report are incorrect. Refer to the steps below to see how to trace the values:

1. Print the 941 Exception Report and record the check numbers.
2. Cross-reference the check numbers with the Payroll Register and Payroll Tax Register to gather the relevant information that is needed on the 941 report.
3. Compare the taxable wages, income tax, social security wages, tips and taxable Medicare wages associated with a check number. This is not a comprehensive list; please refer to the Employer 941 Report for complete list of wages and taxes.
4. Add the values that were gathered in step three to the values from the Employer 941 Report. This value should be the correct 941 values for the current quarter.

For any check printed within the current quarter, the amounts for the Employer 941 Report will be calculated within that quarter. It disregards whether the pay period was set to previous quarters or future quarters. Sage Pro ERP will place the 941 amounts in the current quarter as long as the check date is in the current quarter. If the check date is set to previous or future quarters, the 941 values will be allocated to the 941 Exception Report for the quarter for which the check was dated.

Example Two

The current quarter is quarter three. If a check date is April, the 941 values will be allocated to the quarter two 941 Exception Report. It will not go to quarter two or quarter three Employer 941 Report.

Important
The best way to ensure that the 941 amounts are accurate on the Employer 941 Report is to ensure that all postings for that quarter are done within the quarter.

In the event of a system failure during the Payroll process, partially updated tables may occur. This may lead to incorrect values be displayed in the Employer 941 Reports. If this occurs during a quarter or year close, restore to a full backup.

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