2019 Review of AMS Payroll 1099 Forms Filer/Payroll

800-536-1099

From the 2019 review of professional payroll systems.

1099 Forms Filer/Payroll (AMS Payroll) from Advanced Micro Solutions is an add-on module that is designed to be used with W-2/1099 Forms Filer. The product can also be used with other AMS applications, but cannot be used as a stand-alone payroll application.    

AMS applications are well-suited for small to mid-sized businesses.  The application supports up to 1,999 payers and up to 9,999 employees per payer, making AMS Payroll a good option for accounting firms that provide payroll services to clients. The product can be purchased and downloaded from the AMS website, and is installed on desktop computers or workstations. A cloud version of AMS Payroll is not available, and the product does not currently offer mobile apps.

Mentioned earlier, AMS Payroll offers both live and after-the-fact payroll processing, and supports all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

Upon accessing AMS Payroll, users will need to set up a payer. Payer information is detailed, with tabs available to enter general information such as federal deposit information, pay rate factors, and information on who is authorized to sign documents. Additional tabs are available for preferences, state and local tax information, and user defined fields. AMS Payroll supports up to six pay rates and three miscellaneous rates per employee, and users can add a photo of each employee to their payroll file if desired. Once a payer is selected, a general menu will be displayed that offers access to program features such as Module, Payer, Deposits, Reports, and other options.

AMS Payroll tracks standard options such as overtime, holiday pay, vacation time, and sick pay, and a variety of user-defined fields. Users can track standard deductions in AMS Payroll as well. Some of the nice features available is the ability to suppress hours worked, pay rates and social security numbers on checks.

AMS offers multi-state capability with users able to assign employees to multiple states, though the quarterly return will only be printed for the state specified, which is typically the employee’s home state, but users can choose the state return that they wish to print.

AMS Payroll offers standard reporting options and also offers certified payroll reports along with standard reporting options such as an Employee Detail List, and a Payer/Tax Summary report. The product also supports federal payroll forms such as 941, 940, 943, 944 and 1040 Schedule H as well as SUI forms for all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. AMS Payroll can file Form 941, 944, and 940 forms electronically and will also electronically file quarterly state tax returns for 29 states.

AMS Payroll can import data from QuickBooks, Sage 50, and Microsoft Excel, along with other applications using a tab delimited text file. AMS Payroll does not currently integrate with any timekeeping applications.  

AMS Payroll is considered an add-on module and W-2/1099 Forms Filer will need to be purchased and installed on a computer before AMS Payroll can be used. The product also integrates with other AMS modules which include 1042-Filer, ACA Filer, e-Filer, Direct, Forms Filer Plus and Software Generated Forms.  The product can import data directly from third party applications such as QuickBooks, Sage 50, and Microsoft Excel, and can also import from other applications by converting data into a readable format.  

AMS Payroll is designed to track both current and after-the-fact payroll and does not offer any HR tools or resources.  

AMS Payroll offers a complete electronic manual for all of its applications, which can be accessed online or downloaded and printed if desired. Current users can download utility updates and product updates directly from the website as well. Form help instructions are provided, and an FAQ page is available as well. Product support is available via telephone or by filling out a form on the AMS website. 

AMS Payroll is an add-on module that is designed to integrate with W-2/1099 Forms Filer, as well as with other AMS modules. AMS Payroll is best suited for smaller businesses, and is currently available for $129, with the required W2/1099 Forms Filer running $129 as well. Any software purchased can be downloaded directly from Advanced Micro Solutions website, and a free demo is available to download by submitting business details on an information sheet.

2019 Overall Rating: 4.25 Stars