Contact Balance Consulting customer service at 734-668-1099.
How do I register the application?
From the main menu, select Administration > Registration.
The Manchester Registration dialog box will appear.
Enter you company name and registration code (provided
in your Welcome letter). Click Close.
How do I move Manchester from one machine to another?
Contact Manchester tech support at 734-668-2219.
User Maintenance
I lost/forgot my password what do I do?
If it's the default Manchester "login" or
if you are using Manchester Pro then you will need to
contact Manchester tech support. Otherwise, a Manchester
user who has administrative rights can reset your password.
Can you replace the user "Login" to a new name
after you've set up your office codes for "Login"?
No. "Login" is the default user account.
You can create a new user.
Importing
Can I import more than one return at a time?
Yes, as long as they are all the same return type
(for example, 1099-MISC).
Can I import an Excel file into Manchester?
Yes.
How do I remove an import?
From the main menu, choose Administration > Database
Management > Remove Import. For step-by-step instructions,
see "Removing an Import" in the User Guide
or Help.
How do I do an import?
From the main menu, click Import and follow the Import
wizard instructions.
Does Manchester take data from SAP, Orcel, Great Plains,
etc.?
Yes. You can import data in several formats: ASCII
(fixed field or delimited field) text files from your
accounting software, files created in the IRS file format,
and from previous years' Manchester data files.
What's the difference between an import error and validation
warning?
Import errors are problems that Manchester finds
with your data - alphabetic digits in the TIN, for instance.
An import error must be corrected in order to import
the record. The Validation process runs after a record
is imported and points out problems that the IRS will
have with your data - a TIN that starts with zeros,
for instance. A record with a validation warning can
be fixed or ignored.
What is consolidation and thresholding?
Manchester consolidates multiple transactions (payments)
for a single payee. Duplicate payee or payor records
are consolidated if they have identical values in specific
fields. Thresholding marks individual accounts as being
above or below the reporting threshold amount set by
the IRS. Various payments have different thresholds:
on Form 1099-MISC, the rent threshold is $600, while
the royalty threshold is $10.
What happens to a record with an import error?
On the Fix Import Errors screen (click Fix from the
main menu), Manchester displays the record and the reason
for the error. You have the option to correct the error
and attempt to import it again.
On the consolidation, if the same vendor was imported
twice, but there were 2 different values in the MISC7 field,
would the values be combined?
Yes, it would add values in the same field, if the
consolidation criteria at the return level is met.
If you have made errors in your consolidation, can you
recombine the information?
No, you have to either restore the database (recommended)
or you have to remove the import.
What if I don't have TIN Type code on my import files?
If no code value is entered or if the TIN Type field
is not mapped, Manchester will enter the default code
of "4: None."
Add/Edit Record
Can I combine payees?
Yes, Manchester automatically consolidates duplicate
payees when you import a file. You can also manually
merge payees from the Add/Edit Record screen.
How do I change a payment made to a vendor?
How you revise or correct the record in Manchester
depends on whether or not you have reported to the IRS.
1. If you haven't created statements, you just
make the change on the Payee detail tab, and then click
Save. . 2. If you have printed the statement but not
reported to the IRS, revise and save the record, and
then print the statement to send to the payee. 3. If you have printed the statement and reported
to the IRS, the change is considered a correction, and
how you handle them depends on the nature of the change.
If the change is a correction to the payee address or
payee name (but not both), to the payment amount, to
the payment amount code, distribution code, or payee
indicator (such as the direct sales indicator) follow
the "Correcting a Return - Error Type 1" procedure
in the Manchester Help or User Guide. If the change
is to payee TIN, payee name and address, or if the wrong
return was filed, follow the "Correcting a Return
- Error Type 2" procedure.
Will Manchester communicate with (my account software
system) and update payee information?
No, you need to export information from Manchester,
and then import it into your source system. For specific
instructions, consult with the IT administrator for
your accounting software.
What is the definition of a record in Manchester?
A record is the data file about a payee, payor, or
return. For instance, a payee record has the payee name,
TIN, address, verification status, etc. The record may
have been imported or manually entered into Manchester.
What would happen if a vendor sent you a second W9 and
said that the original information was incorrect?
You would change the verification status to 'Unverified,'
update the payee information, and then reset the verification
status.
If you manually merge an item by mistake, how do you correct?
You need to delete the item and re-enter the records
manually.
I'm waiting for this year's software, Do I have to wait
until it comes to input data for this tax year?
You do not need to wait for the software for the tax
year. You can enter data all year into Manchester, and
migrate your data into the new software when you receive
it. You do need to indicate the tax year when you migrate
the data.
Is the TIN/Name frozen by entering W-9 received or just
TIN Matching?
All verification status (other than 'Unverified')
freeze the ability to update the name fields.
How much space does it take if we were to hold the W-9
image in the database itself? Does it substantially increase
its size?
The size of the database increases the same as the
size of the image. We recommend using the FILE PATH
option, which stores only the file path in the database.
The image files, which can be large, are stored separately.
How does Manchester know which P-card payments are reportable
and which are non-reportable?
Manchester uses the IRS Merchant Category Codes (MCC)
to determine which P-Card payments are reportable.
Backup Withholding
When I mark a payee for backup withholding what exactly
does Manchester do with that?
From Manchester, create a report to send to your Accounting
department. They do the backup withholding when issuing
a payment.
Validation
Do I need to correct validation warnings?
Validation warnings in Manchester do not need to be
corrected for the returns to be included in printing
and IRS filing. The Validation process points out potential
problems that the IRS may have - a TIN that starts with
zeros, for instance. You can fix the error, ignore the
warning, or mark the record as validated.
Statements
What kind of paper do I need to print my statements on?
You can print statements on plain paper or, if you
choose, pressure seal paper can be used for Forms 1098-T,
1099-B (standard and descriptive), -C, -INT (standard
and response), -LTC, -MISC (standard and response),
-S, and 1042-S.
What kind of envelope do I need?
You can use #10 window envelopes or #10 envelopes
with Avery labels #5160 or 5162. If you plan to use
labels, print labels immediately after printing statements
so that the label order matches your statement printouts.
Can I print multiple copies of the same 1099?
Yes.
Reports
How can I create a custom report?
Custom reports are created through the Technical Support
> Ad Hoc Query option. If you are unable to write
the query for the report, contact Manchester Technical
Support.
IRS Filing
Can I use Manchester to file 1099 paper returns with the
IRS?
Manchester supports electronic filing as recommended
by the IRS. To report on paper (for less than 250 of
any return type), see "Paper Document Reporting"
in the General Instructions for Forms 1099, 1098, 5498,
and W-2G.
Does Manchester do IRS filing?
Manchester creates the IRS-format file. You send the
file to the IRS. For TY2007, you can transmit the file
to the IRS via the FIRE system (recommended) or send
it on one of the approved tape cartridges. For tax years
after 2007, you must file electronically via the FIRE
system.
How do I do a correction?
Changes made to the data before reporting to the IRS
are considered revisions, and don't require special
handling. Just look up the affected record, change the
information, and save. If you've already printed statements,
you can print a single statement to replace the original.
Changes after reporting to the IRS are corrections,
and how you handle them depends on the nature of the
change. If the change is a correction to the payee address
or payee name (but not both), to the payment amount,
to the payment amount code, distribution code, or payee
indicator (such as the direct sales indicator) follow
the "Correcting a Return - Error Type 1" procedure
in the Manchester Help or User Guide. If the change
is to payee TIN, payee name and address, or if the wrong
return was filed, follow the "Correcting a Return
- Error Type 2" procedure.
If your request for information isn't received from the
vendors by the filing due date, to keep from receiving a
huge penalty, can you send the good 1099s to the IRS and
fix the remaining ones later?
No. All reportable payments must be filed. If you
receive updated payee information after filing, you
can file a correction.
TIN Compliance/ B-Notices
Would you please explain how the B-Notice auto-match process
works behind the scenes?
When entering the Match and Resolve screen, the auto-match
process runs if there are newly imported B-Notice items.
The auto-match loops through each new B-Notice item
and compares it to existing payees. The auto-match logic
looks for matching payees in the following order: 1. Account Number/Name1/TIN 2. Account Number/TIN 3. Account Number 4. TIN (if TIN is non-bogus)
If a match is found with any of the above criteria,
the B-Notice item is matched with the payee so that
when that B-Notice item is viewed, the payee record
will be shown beside it. The user is still free to choose
a different payee if the auto-match is not correct.
Will a TIN without dashes impact how the match performs?
For instance, the payee record has dashes, but the B-notice
doesn't.
No, TINs are stored and compared internally without
dashes.
When we print the B-notices, do W-9s print as well?
When you print a First B-Notice package, four pages
are generated for each B-Notice payee: cover letter,
instructions, W-9, and W-9 instructions. For Second
B-Notice solicitations, the recipient cannot use a W-9
to respond, so the package contains only a cover letter
and an instructions page.
Is it possible to run the Match and Resolve on a company-by-company
basis? Or does it run all B-notice information against all
payee info, regardless of company?
The Match and Resolve screen is set up to show all
B-Notice items regardless of TCC or office code.
During the setup of our system, we created payors and
office codes. However, when we imported our B-notice information,
it was based on TCC number. Is there a way to relate each
TCC number to the office codes we created?
After talking with the IRS, our understanding is that
they want one TCC per transmitter. Use of multiple TCCs
for each payor in an organization is discouraged so
Manchester has been designed to use office codes, not
the TCC, to distinguish groups of records. For example,
Balance Consulting transmits many companies' data to
the IRS as part of our Statement Services offerings
and, as the IRS has instructed, we use one TCC for all
of them.
If you use a different office code for each B-Notice
import, then you are able to select only that office
code when you print the B-Notice packages.
If we use Balance for TIN Matching, will Balance update
the records? Or would we?
Balance will receive the response from the IRS, then
set up a webex session with you and input the results
into your Manchester database. Balance will generate
solicitations to your non-matching Name/TIN combinations
at a rate of $1.01 per solicitation.
Does the Bulk request file (in TIN Matching) need to be
the IRS prescribed format or does Manchester format the
request for us?
The Bulk request file (in TIN Matching) does need
to be in a IRS prescribed format. However, Manchester
will generate the file in the correct format for you.
If we use Manchester do we still need a principal of our
company to sign up for the IRS TIN Matching service?
A principal for your organization needs to register
to use IRS e-services and apply to use the TIN Matching
program. Alternatively, you can have Balance Consulting
process your TIN Matching files through the IRS TIN
Matching system. For more information, contact Balance
Consulting at www.balanceconsult.com.
How do I bring payees into the B-Notice area in Manchester?
If you regularly update your payee data in Manchester,
you don't need to import them. However, if your most
current payee information is in your accounting system,
you need to import those payee files just as you would
your year-end payee files (from the main menu, click
Import and follow the Import wizard).
How do I get the B-Notice list into Manchester?
If you received your B-Notice electronically you can
import that IRS file directly into Manchester. This
will bring all of the payees in the Manchester Database
over to the B-Notice area. If you receive your B-Notices
on paper, click TIN Compliance from the main menu of
Manchester, then select B-Notices. From there, choose
Add/Edit and enter your B-Notice data from the IRS.
How does Manchester handle it if the total number of records
chosen for bulk TIN Matching exceeds the maximum number
of records allowed by the IRS (100,000 records)?
You have to manually edit the file. Contact Manchester
technical support if you encounter this issue.
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