News From GMS - April 2017Current and back issues are provided in Adobe Acrobat format. (Requires the free Adobe Acrobat reader.)
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March 2017 Revisions Released
The latest accounting revisions were posted to our website www.gmsactg.com on March 31, 2017. You should have received an email from GMS on March 31 that included instructions for downloading and installing these revisions. It is VERY important that all revisions be installed in a timely manner. It is also important that all staff using the GMS Accounting System read through the List of Changes included under Help within your software (and also available in your Help Manual) to familiarize themselves with the new features or changed items. A few of the more significant changes are listed below.
Please Note:
This revision includes the 2017 format for the preparation of the Federal Form 941.
Payroll
Supplement #517 Retirement Report
Please Note:
This revision includes the 2017 format for the preparation of the Federal Form 941.
Payroll
Supplement #517 Retirement Report
- The new electronic file reporting format has been added for the Massachusetts Retire-ment Information System (MARIS).
- This supplement has been updated with the 2017 file specifications.
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Microsoft Ending Support for Windows Vista & Office 2007
After April 11, 2017, Microsoft is ending support for the Windows Vista operating system and some Office 2007 products. Support will end for the remainder of the Office 2007 products on October 10. Vista and Office 2007 products will no longer receive security updates, non-security hotfixes, free or paid assisted support options, or online technical content updates from Microsoft once the support period ends.
Using unsupported software may increase the risks of viruses and other security threats. If you are using these products, we encourage you to upgrade your software before the support period ends. For more information regarding Vista, go to: https://www.us-cert.gov/ncas/current-activity/2017/03/17/Microsoft-Ending-Support-Windows-Vista. For more information regarding Office 2007, go to: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/3198497/office-2007-approaching-end-of-extended-support. |
A Thank You to Our Clients
We are pleased to announce that we remain on schedule for the release of our new software this fall. Details about the release schedule will be available as the time gets closer.
The software is in the hands of our beta testing agencies now and we’d like to thank those agencies for being part of our beta testing team. It is no small task they have taken on and we cannot express our gratitude enough. Additionally, we are just as grateful for all of our clients who offered to be beta testing agencies. Each and every offer we received was considered and very much appreciated. Should you belong to an agency that was not chosen, please be aware that in order to make sure our testing procedures are as complete as possible, we chose a variety of organizations. We needed to include a variety of types of agencies and services provided, as well as from the very small to the very large. We truly appreciate every client that reached out to help us with this endeavor. |
Catamaran Resort Hotel & Spa
The 32nd annual GMS conference is being held at the Catamaran Resort Hotel & Spa. In our February newsletter we told you about lots of fun and free things to do in San Diego. This month we are letting you know about things to do right from the hotel. We’re sure with all of these great ideas, you and your family are certain to find things to do when not attending the conference sessions.
Cruise Mission Bay - Enjoy a San Diego Sunset on the Bahia Belle, then Dance the Night Away
The resort’s classic sternwheeler, the Bahia Belle, provides complimentary family-hour and cocktail cruises on Mission Bay for their valued guests. The 74-foot, 3-story sternwheeler offers an observation deck to view the beautiful sites of the 4,200-acre aquatic park, and is the perfect venue to relax and unwind at the end of the day.
Enjoy a picturesque sunset, drinks, snacks, and family activities until 9:00 p.m., after which the Bahia Belle transforms into the entertainment hub of Mission Bay with music and dancing late into the night. Priority boarding is given to resort guests. Non-resort guests can purchase tickets at the door.
The resort’s classic sternwheeler, the Bahia Belle, provides complimentary family-hour and cocktail cruises on Mission Bay for their valued guests. The 74-foot, 3-story sternwheeler offers an observation deck to view the beautiful sites of the 4,200-acre aquatic park, and is the perfect venue to relax and unwind at the end of the day.
Enjoy a picturesque sunset, drinks, snacks, and family activities until 9:00 p.m., after which the Bahia Belle transforms into the entertainment hub of Mission Bay with music and dancing late into the night. Priority boarding is given to resort guests. Non-resort guests can purchase tickets at the door.
More Activities than any other Resort on Mission Bay
Mission Bay is the country’s largest manmade aquatic park and it’s right in the resort’s backyard. There is no shortage of activities to fill each and every day you spend here, whether you feel like taking a leisurely bike ride on the boardwalk or being more extreme and wake surfing off the back of a power-boat. We have something for everyone.
There are endless activities for you to enjoy without having to leave the re-sort, including an interactive show with their talking macaws, sunset luaus complete with roasted pig and fiery torch dancers, and movies projected on a 16-foot-wide screen right on the beach. Action Sport Rentals allows you to venture out onto the water on a paddleboard, sailboat, kayak, or fun cat. Boogie boards and surf boards are also available for those looking to ride the waves at Pacific Beach just across the street. Ultimately, there is no better location in San Diego than the Catamaran Resort for this much fun!
Mission Bay is the country’s largest manmade aquatic park and it’s right in the resort’s backyard. There is no shortage of activities to fill each and every day you spend here, whether you feel like taking a leisurely bike ride on the boardwalk or being more extreme and wake surfing off the back of a power-boat. We have something for everyone.
There are endless activities for you to enjoy without having to leave the re-sort, including an interactive show with their talking macaws, sunset luaus complete with roasted pig and fiery torch dancers, and movies projected on a 16-foot-wide screen right on the beach. Action Sport Rentals allows you to venture out onto the water on a paddleboard, sailboat, kayak, or fun cat. Boogie boards and surf boards are also available for those looking to ride the waves at Pacific Beach just across the street. Ultimately, there is no better location in San Diego than the Catamaran Resort for this much fun!
*Some activities are seasonal. For an up to date listing of resort activities, please visit the hotel activities page at: https://www.catamaranresort.com/san-diego-resorts/water-sports-rental-activities
Participation in the GMS Summit 2017 counts for up to 17.5 CPE Credits! Each regular conference session is worth 1.5 hours. At the conclusion of the summit, please email Robin Berseth, GMS Event Director at robin@gmsactg.com to receive your CPE Credit Letter.
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Time and Attendance
Looking for an easier way for your employees to submit timesheets? Are you wanting to save time with timesheet data entry? Are you tired of locating copies of misplaced paystubs for employees? Idris Johnson, GHG Corporation’s Lead of Sales and Marketing, will explain how GHG’s Clockwise timekeeping solutions will help you manage employees and grant funding quicker and more accurately. GHG offers time and attendance software solutions to assist in the grant tracking, leave management and employee self-services such as access to online pay stubs and W-2s. Learn how Clockwise can help you at the Time and Attendance session on Tuesday, May 23 at 3:15-4:45pm.
About Idris
Idris has been an experienced and dynamic implementation manager and consultant at Clockwise for 7 years. Now as Sales and Marketing Lead, he has established himself as a thought leader in the branding, marketing and knowledge base of the Clockwise solution. Idris has two degrees in Business Administration and Political Science and a Master’s of Science in Political Science along with 10 years of experience in software support, product implementation, and the Clockwise solution end-user experience and training. Idris’ educational background has enabled him to optimize GHG’s Clockwise as an effective solution for organizations’ governance and compliancy needs.
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Cost Allocation Series Article Seven
Supplement #389 Cost Allocation Locks
Do you have grants and contracts that end at various times during your fiscal year? Are you required to submit final financial reports for these programs prior to your fiscal year ending? Do you use actual rates determined by using a year-to-date base for any of the allocation pools such as leave, fringe benefits, indirect costs and/or special allocations?
If the answer to these questions is “Yes” and your grantor will not accept a revised final financial report once your fiscal year has end-ed, then you may want to consider using the Cost Allocation Locks supplement.
As you are aware, when using a year-to-date base to allocate your pools, the allocation rates will fluctuate on a month to month basis. If you have a program that ends during your fiscal year and you prepare the final report to the funding source based on that month’s Revenue & Expenditure report, chances are in the subsequent months the allocation rate(s) will fluctuate in either direction.
As the rates fluctuate you will see the result of this fluctuation as small amounts charged to the programs that you have already “closed”. By the end of your organization’s fiscal year, these amounts are going to have to be dealt with. The Cost Allocation Locks supplement is an excellent way to accomplish this!
When a program ends and you finalize the allocation amounts, you can move the subsequent amounts caused by the rate(s) fluctuation to another program. Typically, you would move these amounts to the following grant or contract for the same program. This is done very simply by identifying the “final” allocated amounts, locking them at those amounts, and specifying the program element to which the fluctuation amounts are to be transferred. GMS highly recommends that you send a letter to your grantor agency informing them of this accounting practice prior to finalizing each of the grants/contracts.
This is a great way to deal with one of the characteristics of a year-to-date base for pools when your programs have differing years than your organization’s fiscal year and your grantor agencies will not accept a revised final financial report.
Please see the GMS Help Manual for more details on this supplement and its methodology.
Orders for this supplement may be placed on the GMS website at https://www.gmsactg.com/order-supplements.html. The supplement price is:
If the answer to these questions is “Yes” and your grantor will not accept a revised final financial report once your fiscal year has end-ed, then you may want to consider using the Cost Allocation Locks supplement.
As you are aware, when using a year-to-date base to allocate your pools, the allocation rates will fluctuate on a month to month basis. If you have a program that ends during your fiscal year and you prepare the final report to the funding source based on that month’s Revenue & Expenditure report, chances are in the subsequent months the allocation rate(s) will fluctuate in either direction.
As the rates fluctuate you will see the result of this fluctuation as small amounts charged to the programs that you have already “closed”. By the end of your organization’s fiscal year, these amounts are going to have to be dealt with. The Cost Allocation Locks supplement is an excellent way to accomplish this!
When a program ends and you finalize the allocation amounts, you can move the subsequent amounts caused by the rate(s) fluctuation to another program. Typically, you would move these amounts to the following grant or contract for the same program. This is done very simply by identifying the “final” allocated amounts, locking them at those amounts, and specifying the program element to which the fluctuation amounts are to be transferred. GMS highly recommends that you send a letter to your grantor agency informing them of this accounting practice prior to finalizing each of the grants/contracts.
This is a great way to deal with one of the characteristics of a year-to-date base for pools when your programs have differing years than your organization’s fiscal year and your grantor agencies will not accept a revised final financial report.
Please see the GMS Help Manual for more details on this supplement and its methodology.
Orders for this supplement may be placed on the GMS website at https://www.gmsactg.com/order-supplements.html. The supplement price is:
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Annual License/Maintenance
$24.00
$30.00 $37.50 |
Note: This is the final article on the Cost Allocation Series. We hope you found them helpful!!
Wellness at Work - Practical Tips to Find Your Fit at Work
Do you feel you don’t have enough hours in the day to stay healthy? Would you like some tangible solutions for real-world results? Dr. Karen has spent 20 years helping people create health in a practical and easy to implement way. You will learn how to reduce stress to enhance concentration, inspire movement at work, support better sleep, make healthier food choices and even achieve your ideal weight - without adding hours to the workday! This will be a journey for you to be inspired to clear the clutter of health information overload and gain clarity. With passion, power and a pioneering spirit, Karen will take you on a journey you will never forget. Be inspired to get fit at work during this session to be held on Tuesday, May 23 from 9:00-10:30am.
About Dr. Karen Wolfe
Dr. Karen Wolfe is an Australian physician, entrepreneur, Healthy Lifestyle Coach, author and international speaker. Dr. Karen was born in Sydney, Australia and graduated from Sydney University with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery and completed a Master’s Degree in Psychology from National University in California.
Dr. Karen worked initially in Australia as a family physician. She spoke on many panels regarding health care reform and was selected to attend the Executive Management School with the Australian Government. She later spent eight years in the administration of national health care, wellness and senior programs in her role as the Medical Director of the Australian Government Health Service.
Dr. Karen moved to the United States in 1991 and began her wellness career in corporate wellness. She assisted companies and school districts to reduce health care costs by customizing wellness programs to improve the health and well-being of employees. She later became certified as a Mindful Coach and went on to become the National Mindful Coaching Instructor. In 2016 The National Wellness Institute (NWI) awarded Dr. Karen the Lifetime Achievement Award, presented to individuals who have an outstanding history of service to the wellness industry. She is a graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and is a long-time faculty member of the National Institute for the Clinical Application of Behavioral Medicine. Her greatest professional passion is to impact the personal health of individuals and move them toward positive lifestyle choices.
Dr. Karen is the author of seven books which include Is Your Lifestyle Killing You? From Stress to Strength, Medicine from the Inside Out and Create the Body Your Soul Desires. She is an international speaker on stress management, wellness and nutrition. She has been a speaker for high profile groups such as Young Presidents’ Organization, Philippine International Physician Symposium, PIMCO, Allianz Global Investors and The National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO).
Dr. Karen cares that her audience understand and apply the principles she teaches and her presentations often include demonstrations and participation that bring personal meaning to her audience members.
Dr. Karen worked initially in Australia as a family physician. She spoke on many panels regarding health care reform and was selected to attend the Executive Management School with the Australian Government. She later spent eight years in the administration of national health care, wellness and senior programs in her role as the Medical Director of the Australian Government Health Service.
Dr. Karen moved to the United States in 1991 and began her wellness career in corporate wellness. She assisted companies and school districts to reduce health care costs by customizing wellness programs to improve the health and well-being of employees. She later became certified as a Mindful Coach and went on to become the National Mindful Coaching Instructor. In 2016 The National Wellness Institute (NWI) awarded Dr. Karen the Lifetime Achievement Award, presented to individuals who have an outstanding history of service to the wellness industry. She is a graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and is a long-time faculty member of the National Institute for the Clinical Application of Behavioral Medicine. Her greatest professional passion is to impact the personal health of individuals and move them toward positive lifestyle choices.
Dr. Karen is the author of seven books which include Is Your Lifestyle Killing You? From Stress to Strength, Medicine from the Inside Out and Create the Body Your Soul Desires. She is an international speaker on stress management, wellness and nutrition. She has been a speaker for high profile groups such as Young Presidents’ Organization, Philippine International Physician Symposium, PIMCO, Allianz Global Investors and The National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO).
Dr. Karen cares that her audience understand and apply the principles she teaches and her presentations often include demonstrations and participation that bring personal meaning to her audience members.
"Some minds are like concrete, thoroughly mixed and permanently set." ~Anonymous
