Wednesday, December 28, 2011

2012 Tax tables re-released!

Round 1 of the 2012 tax tables have been re-released to reflect the changes made by congress to extend the 2% tax holiday.  Make sure you have the new tables or you will be buying yourself a lot of heartache.

Get the new tax tables from PartnerSource: 2012 Tax Tables from PartnerSource

Until next post!

Leslie

Federal W-2 electronic file couldn’t be created

If you have ever been lucky enough to receive this error, it can be difficult to track down a solution. Fortunately, one solution is easy – an ‘additional information’ button would have been nice though.

W-2 File creation error

In my world this error message is presented because the path indicated in the File Name field does not exist, or you do not have ‘write’ permission to it.

W-2 Electronic Filing window

Some of the newer operating systems, like Windows 7, will not let you create files in what they deem to be ‘protected folders’. So what worked last year might not work this year.

Good luck with year-end!

Until next post!

Leslie

Beware the 2012 Tax Tables!

The first batch of 2012 tax tables issued by GP are WRONG.

DO NOT USE THEM!

The FICA withholding is set to 6.2% instead of 4.2%. I know how much fun we had last year with this problem, let's not do it again. GP will be issuing new tables this week - those should be correct.

If you have imported the 2012 tables, you can simply change the FICAS tax table to reflect the correct 4.2% rate.

Here's how to change the percentage:


Microsoft Dynamics GP > Setup > System > Payroll Tax

1. Tax Code = FICAS

2. Select the 'Filing Status' button


Payroll Tax Setup window

On next window:

3. Filing Status = NA

4. Select the 'Tables' button
Payroll Tax Setup window

Type in the new Tax Rate where indicated. You can also update the limit. In the window below, the FICA limit is 106,800. The limit goes up for the 2012 tax year to $110,100.

Payroll Tax Tables window

We are all rushing to the finish line this time of year - don't forget to have fun!  I hope this will help someone.

Until next post!

Leslie

Friday, December 16, 2011

Internal Error 2738

Have you ever started to install a product, think it’s about to install, and then been greeted with:
image
This happened to me recently (today) while installing the GP2010 version of AvaTax. Specifically AvaTax 11.0.0.0.1.05.

Well, I’ve seen this error many times and have solved it by registering the vbscript.dll. To register the DLL, do the following:
For a 32-bit machine

  1. First, be sure to close the Windows installer.
  2. Click Start > All Programs > Accessories
  3. Right-click on Command Prompt and select Run as Administrator.
  4. Type cd C:\Windows\System32 and then press Enter.
  5. Type regsvr32 C:\Windows\System32\vbscript.dll and then press Enter.
  6. You will hopefully receive the following dialog:image
    Click OK
  7. Close the command prompt window.
  8. Restart your computer.
For a 64-bit machine
  1. First, be sure to close the Windows installer.
  2. Click Start > All Programs > Accessories
  3. Right-click on Command Prompt and select Run as Administrator.
  4. Type cd C:\Windows\SysWOW64 and then press Enter.
  5. Type regsvr32 C:\Windows\SysWOW64\vbscript.dll and then press Enter.
  6. You will hopefully receive the following dialog:image
    Click OK
  7. Close the command prompt window.
  8. Restart your computer.
Normally, that’s all you need to do. But what if things go wrong???

If Things Go Wrong:
If this doesn’t work, you’ll need to take more aggressive action. After searching the MSDN site and blogs, I found the solution. If you want to read the original article, go to: article on 2738 errors.  As it turns out, script-based custom action failures are behind many 2738 (and 2739) errors. If you are a programmer (are you listening Avalara?) it would be best not to use script-based custom actions in an MSI. If you do, you are opening up your users to problems.
The problem is that re-registering the DLL from a regular command prompt writes the registration to  HKEY_CURRENT_USER instead of HKEY_CURRENT_MACHINE. Starting with Vista, the Windows Installer will not load and use scripting engines if the registration is written to HKEY_CURRENT_USER. Consequently, re-registering the DLL from a normal user cmd prompt, will not help fix this type of error.
To see if you have this problem – MAKE A BACKUP OF YOUR REGISTRY-  and then check for the existence of the key below, and unregister it if it exists in HKEY_CURRENT_USER.
  • For a 32-bit machine: HKCU\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{ B54F3741-5B07-11CF-A4B0-00AA004A55E8}
  • For a 64-bit machine: HKCU\SOFTWARE\Classes\Wow6432Node\CLSID\{B54F3741-5B07-11CF-A4B0-00AA004A55E8}
To unregister the vbscript.dll from HKEY_CURRENT_USER:
  1. First, be sure to close the Windows installer, and then MAKE A BACKUP OF YOUR REGISTRY. After the backup is complete, continue the listed steps.
  2. Click Start > All Programs > Accessories
  3. Right-click on Command Prompt and select Run as Administrator.
  4. For a 32-bit machine type in the following command:
    reg delete "HKCU\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{B54F3741-5B07-11CF-A4B0-00AA004A55E8}" /f
  5. For a 64-bit machine type in the following command:
    reg delete "HKCU\SOFTWARE\Classes\Wow6432Node\CLSID\{B54F3741-5B07-11CF-A4B0-00AA004A55E8}" /f
After removing the HKCU key, my software – Avalara’s AvaTax – installed perfectly.
I hope this helps someone with this delightful dialog:
image
Until next post!
Leslie

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Demystify Monthly Maintenance Routines Transcript

Today was GP day at the Decisions Fall 2011 virtual Conference! My session was ‘Demystify Monthly Maintenance Routines’. After the presentation we all had some time in the chat room to exchange questions.We had some great questions in the session, but it was hard to match the question with the answer due to my below average typing skills.

I took a copy of the transcript and matched up the questions with the answers the best I could.
If you weren’t able to attend the session ‘live’, I hope you can listen to the recorded session that will be available next week.

It’s a great conference with some very fun and informative sessions!

Enjoy!

Sheila Jefferson-Ross (12/06/2011 12:43:33 PM):Why should you wait to move transactions to History in Receivables? Is there a benefit?
Leslie Vail (12/06/2011 1:13:08 PM):Sheila: why wait to move transaction to history. For AR, you cannot get them back to open if you need to void or modify, or bounce a check. added info: When you move trx to history, you will also clean up the Apply window. The Apply window lists transactions in the Open table only. If you don't archive, this list can become quite unwieldy.

Stephanie Cole (12/06/2011 12:45:03 PM):What can you do if you have moved an accounts receivable transaction to history and need to change the application?
Leslie Vail (12/06/2011 1:13:44 PM):Stephanie: There is a tool called Unapply RM that you can buy. it's part of the PSTL tools

Barb Schroth (12/06/2011 1:04:21 PM):Will these slides be available anywhere?
Leslie Vail (12/06/2011 1:14:01 PM):Barb: yes, the slides are available

Hal Steinkopf (12/06/2011 1:06:48 PM):A "print only" option to preview what will happen seems so logical for all routines/utilities. Is there some operational reason that it is not available for all of them?
Leslie Vail (12/06/2011 1:14:31 PM):Hal: I agree 1000%. Different programmers are about all that I can come up with.

Sheila Jefferson-Ross (12/06/2011 1:08:33 PM):Can any user access PSTL once installed or do they have to login as 'sa'?
Leslie Vail (12/06/2011 1:15:02 PM):Sheila: you have to log in as ‘sa’ to run any PSTL tool. Of course, normal security also applies

Laura O'Loughlin (12/06/2011 1:09:23 PM):did you say the gl year end utility deletes active, but unused accounts orjust inactive
Leslie Vail (12/06/2011 1:15:24 PM):Laura: it deletes inactive accounts that have never been used

Beat Bucher (12/06/2011 1:12:27 PM):My current users have kept 3 years worth of POP transactions in the work tables...
Leslie Vail (12/06/2011 1:15:48 PM):Beat: Boy, their lookups and reports must be slow. Why?

Hal Steinkopf (12/06/2011 1:13:00 PM):Leslie, are you chatting with us or are we chatting among ourselves?
Leslie Vail (12/06/2011 1:16:10 PM):Hal: I'm here, just moving through the quesitons

Ladd Sustar (12/06/2011 1:13:03 PM):Good job. thank you for the information.
Sheila Jefferson-Ross (12/06/2011 1:13:08 PM):Moving PO's to history can be done more often than 3 years. They are only moved to history and can viewed at any time.
Mariano Arias (12/06/2011 1:13:13 PM):Thank you Leslie ... Regards from Mexico!!!
Brenda Haynes (12/06/2011 1:13:32 PM):Hi Leslie: Is it only on Receivables that checklinks should be run over and over until it clears?
Leslie Vail (12/06/2011 1:16:45 PM):Brenda: no, all of them should run until clear

Ladd Sustar (12/06/2011 1:14:09 PM):i have done this on other modules as well - rerun of checklinks
Hal Steinkopf (12/06/2011 1:15:46 PM):Different programmers is a mighty poor excuse for inconsistencies in a product. I will put heat on microsoft to clean that up and encourage others to do same.
Leslie Vail (12/06/2011 1:17:03 PM):Hal: Here here!

Tom Johnson (12/06/2011 1:16:12 PM):Similar to Beat's question, is there a recommended interval for running Paid Trx Removal on RM? Is there any issue with never moving open trx to history?
Leslie Vail (12/06/2011 1:17:32 PM):Tom: never moving to history is a problem if you print statements.

Beat Bucher (12/06/2011 1:16:22 PM):I really have no idea... I told them to keep at max the current year worth of POP documents..
Sheila Jefferson-Ross (12/06/2011 1:16:58 PM):If you don't move your paid transactions to history in AR you will have incredibly slow reports - trial balance, statements etc...
Sonny Pawchuk (12/06/2011 1:17:01 PM):Do you have any hints with Analytical Accounting, Running the Check links on that module always provides interesting errors/results and running a year end with the module still intimidates me (because there always seems to be a possibility of loosing AA data). Trying to run any AA process in a test company never seems to work.
Beat Bucher (12/06/2011 1:17:09 PM):I think the move to history should be part of the month end activities, but purchasing doens't really have one..
Leslie Vail (12/06/2011 1:18:43 PM):All: I don't know what the reluctance is to moving to history. Back many years ago you couldn't reprint a PO in history. But today that is not a problem

Sheila Jefferson-Ross (12/06/2011 1:19:21 PM):Leslie - can you copy a PO that has been moved to history?
Leslie Vail (12/06/2011 1:24:26 PM):Sheila: you can copy open or history POs

Beat Bucher (12/06/2011 1:19:28 PM):I think it's a remaining of 'old' business processes that were never challenged... :-)
Hal Steinkopf (12/06/2011 1:19:53 PM):...and records in history will really speed up processing of SmartLists, NavigationLists, inquiries, etc when done on "Current"/open records
Tom Johnson (12/06/2011 1:20:00 PM):I personally don't have a problem with moving data to history....it's all the other people. Isn't that always the case?
Leslie Vail (12/06/2011 1:20:21 PM):Tom: darned all of those other people :)

Hal Steinkopf (12/06/2011 1:22:01 PM):Thank you Leslie - a very informative session! ...and with just enough detail (and not too much) to keep my interest.
Leslie Vail (12/06/2011 1:22:28 PM):Hal: thank you very much.

Sheila Jefferson-Ross (12/06/2011 1:22:26 PM):On the topic of Mass Deleting of Vendors - I just ran a SQL script that changed the vendor status to Temporary if they had not had any checks cut since 2006 and their current balance was zero. This saved a huge amount of time in changing all those vendor cards manually and now they can review their list of Temp vendors before using the Mass Delete.
Beat Bucher (12/06/2011 1:22:40 PM):Hey Leslie, thanks anyway for the presentation... didn't got everything because I was distracted by some urgent user calls :-(.. will recope with the recorded sessions.
Leslie Vail (12/06/2011 1:23:04 PM):Nice to see you again Beat!

Beat Bucher (12/06/2011 1:23:17 PM):Sheila, would you mind to share the quick script ?
Gabriel Vegas (12/06/2011 1:23:27 PM):Gracias por la sesion , bastante interesante
Beat Bucher (12/06/2011 1:23:48 PM):Me too :-p
Sheila Jefferson-Ross (12/06/2011 1:23:53 PM):How about I send it to Leslie and she can post it on her blog for all to see. Would that be something you would like Leslie?
Laura Vance (12/06/2011 1:24:03 PM):Yes, it was very helpful. Thanks for the info
Beat Bucher (12/06/2011 1:24:04 PM):YES !!
Brenda Haynes (12/06/2011 1:24:33 PM):That script would be great. Thanks.
Leslie Vail (12/06/2011 1:24:42 PM):Sheila: sure, bring it on

Sheila Jefferson-Ross (12/06/2011 1:25:17 PM):I'll put it together for you. Has everyone seen Leslie's blog? Can you share your blog address Leslie?
Beat Bucher (12/06/2011 1:25:20 PM):See you in Houston :-) and have a great time in the mean.
Leslie Vail (12/06/2011 1:25:50 PM):if you search for the Dynamics Confessor (corny I know) it will come up

Hal Steinkopf (12/06/2011 1:25:52 PM):and you can then convert the concept in that script to a view in your company database and then create a smartlist (with possible reminder) of all those vendors who qualify (obviously without the update effect).
Beat Bucher (12/06/2011 1:26:11 PM):http://dynamicsconfessions.blogspot.com/
Leslie Vail (12/06/2011 1:26:22 PM):Thanks Beat!

Beat Bucher (12/06/2011 1:26:27 PM):no Pb
Sheila Jefferson-Ross (12/06/2011 1:27:00 PM):You're the best Leslie. Talk soon!
Leslie Vail (12/06/2011 1:27:18 PM):Thank you thank you!!!!

Maryana Estrada (12/06/2011 1:27:38 PM):Thanks a lot Leslie! :D
Leslie Vail (12/06/2011 1:29:32 PM):You are all very welcome. I am so glad you came!