2014 Review of Advanced Micro Solutions 1099-Etc

The system is designed to process payroll live or after-the-fact. Each payroll client may include up to 9,999 employees and support for up to 40 user defined fields may be added for various earning, deduction and benefit codes. Default employee information may be saved through use of templates and shared between payroll client files when setting up new employees.

Data is saved automatically as fields are populated within the system and does not require any user intervention. Payroll data from previous years is easily transferred to the current year to help prevent unnecessary rekeying of data. Social Security Numbers and Taxpayer Identification Numbers may be verified in bulk through integration with the respective verification services to help ensure the most accurate payroll processing. Multiple state processing capabilities are provided through an available module. Payroll checks may be printed with MICR encoding or direct deposited through the use of an ACH file which can be submitted directly to the financial institution or an affiliation with National Payment Corporation.

Reporting & Monitoring: 4.25 Stars

1099-Etc. includes all tax tables for federal and state payroll processing. Forms are available for all states as well as Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico.   Some forms will require users to enter some data that is not collected as part of the payroll processing. Electronic filing is supported for federal and most state quarterly returns. Direct deposit information for employee and contract workers is available through the use of an ACH file which can be submitted directly to the financial institution or an affiliation with National Payment Corporation.

New for the current release, is the use of reminders for each payroll client. As users access the payroll client files, reminders prompt users for upcoming tasks and due dates that are set up by the user.

For users that prefer to skip processing payroll or need to quickly fill out a form, an available   module with access to over 300 user fillable forms can be used. Each form may be printed on pre-printed forms or on plain paper. Batch printing features are provided so users can process multiple payroll client print jobs simultaneously. In addition to forms, a variety of reports are provided with the system but currently no custom reports may be created. In addition to paper form, all forms and reports may be natively saved PDF files.

Integration/Import/Export: 4 Stars

1099-Etc. is a modular based system and as such each module tightly integrates with each other. As information is entered for each payroll client the data is shared throughout each module. Payroll related information from QuickBooks Pro and Sage 50 – US (formerly Peachtree) may be imported through a bridge utility. A data mapping utility is provided to assist users in importing Excel and text files. New for the current release is the ability to import time information from text files exported from third party timekeeping software solutions.

Help/Support: 5 Stars

Access to all help and support options are available through the dedicated help menu in 1099-Etc. Through this menu, users gain access to phone and fax numbers operated by skilled payroll support staff. Also provided are links to dedicated areas on the Advanced Micro Solutions website for email and chat support.

An electronic PDF manual is provided to users that details all areas of the system. Tutorials are also accessible that cover most of the program’s features by module. All updates to the program as well as federal and state tax table updates are available through the website.

Client Self-Service Features: NA

1099-Etc. is currently only offered as a desktop and server based solution. No web-based interfaces are in progress for clients or employees. Due to this, ratings were not considered for this section.

Best Firm Fit

• AMS 1099 Etc. is designed for small to medium sized accounting firms doing payroll or after-the-fact payroll, particularly when used as an add-on to their payroll software

Strengths

The strength of this package is the updates that come every few weeks, whether for a change in reporting requirements by a state or federal government, a technical improvement or just an easier way to use the software.  The blog, with its friendly and easy to follow tone, alerts users to changes in rates as well as answering common employee questions and warning about how to protect yourself from fraud.

• Supports all 50 states plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico
• Up to 1,999 payers and 9,999 employees supported per payer
• Easy payer and employee setup
• Network and multiple PC installation included (site license applies)
• State and Federal tax tables are included and updated as needed
• Up to 40 user defined fields can be set up for deductions/additions such as 401K or Health Insurance
• Processes employee direct deposit payroll information
• Prints MICR checks – Software Generated Forms required
• Checks can be printed individually, or by a date range
• Over 30 different check types supported
• Supports Federal payroll forms such as the 941, 940, 943, 944 and 1040 Schedule H 

Potential Limitations

• This package works best as part of the overall suite of software as opposed to being used as a standalone system.

Summary & Pricing

AMS Payroll is an add-on module to the W-2/1099 Forms Filer. This allows payroll and non-employee compensation and certain other 1099 information to be entered by check throughout the year. The program supports either “Live” or After-The-Fact Payroll. You can transfer this data to the state/federal quarterly unemployment forms along with the year-end W-2s and 1099s.

2014 Overall Rating: 4.5 Stars