Generating Multiple Resolutions Using Accumulator Drivers
|
Page Name |
Definition Name |
Usage |
|---|---|---|
|
User Fields Page |
GP_PIN_USR_FLD_SEC |
Use to:
|
|
Accumulator Name Page |
GP_PIN |
Name the driver accumulator. |
|
Level Page |
GP_ACCUMULATOR_1 |
Define the user keys of the driver accumulator. |
|
Definition Page |
GP_ACCUMULATOR_2 |
Define the period of the driver accumulator (for example, Segment or Custom Period. |
|
Members Page |
GP_ACCUMULATOR_3 |
Define the members (earnings or deductions) that contribute to the driver accumulator. |
In Global Payroll you can define an accumulator driver to cause multiple resolutions of an earning or deduction. For each instance of the accumulator, there is a corresponding resolution of the earning/deduction element that it drives.
To set up an accumulator to drive multiple resolutions of another element, you must define:
The elements to accumulate in the driver.
The driver accumulator itself.
The elements (earnings or deductions) that are driven by the accumulator.
The user fields to generate separate accumulator instances of the elements that feed the accumulator driver.
Follow these steps to generate multiple resolutions using accumulator drivers:
Note: The steps outlined in this topic represent one possible approach to defining an earning or deduction that uses an accumulator driver. Your setup may differ from the one described here.
Define the earning or deduction element to accumulate in the accumulator driver.
For example, define an earning called SALARY.
Click the User Fields link on the Element Name page for the earning or deduction to access the User Fields page.
For example, select the User Fields link on the Earnings Name page for the SALARY element.
Associate the earning or deduction with user fields on the User Fields page to generate unique accumulator instances by user field for the different resolutions of the element.
This field can be a variable or a system element.
For example, if you are defining a taxable earning (SALARY) that needs to be kept separate by state or location, define a user field called State or Location.
Note: If you define the user field as a variable, you must have previously defined the variable on the variable definition pages.
Define a segment accumulator to store the earning or deduction. The user keys of the accumulator should match the user fields defined for the earning or deduction.
For example, define an accumulator called State Taxable Gross and use State as an accumulator key to separate taxable earnings by state.
Note: If you use State as the user key of the accumulator, when the SALARY element resolves for different states, the system will generate unique accumulator instances by state.
If the accumulator defined in step 4 drives the resolution of an earning or deduction, identify the accumulator as the driver of that element using the Driver Accumulator field on the Element Name page.
For example, if you define a tax deduction that should be resolved for each state with taxable earnings, define the State Taxable Gross accumulator as the driver accumulator for the deduction.
Note: Earnings and deductions automatically inherit the user keys of the driver accumulator to which they are linked. These user keys become the user fields of the earning or deduction element.
Example: Using Accumulator Drivers to Cause Multiple Resolutions
This table lists the instances of a driver accumulator for a state tax deduction:
|
Driver (Accumulator Name) |
User Key (State) |
Result Value |
|---|---|---|
|
State Taxable Gross |
State A |
6000 |
|
State Taxable Gross |
State B |
5500 |
|
State Taxable Gross |
State C |
7000 |
This accumulator stores earnings, such as salary and overtime, that are taxed at the state level, and has the user key State.
The earnings it accumulates are also associated with the user field State.
The State Taxable Gross accumulator drives multiple resolutions of the State Income Tax deduction.
This deduction is defined as 20% of State Taxable Gross.
There are three resolutions of the state income tax corresponding to the three driver accumulator instances:
|
Deduction (20% of State Taxable Gross) |
User Field (State) |
Result Value |
|---|---|---|
|
State Income Tax (Instance 1) |
State A |
1200 |
|
State Income Tax (Instance 2) |
State B |
1100 |
|
State Income Tax (Instance 3) |
State C |
1400 |
In this example:
Because the user field State is associated with each taxable earning element (for example, salary and overtime earnings), the earnings automatically populate the correct instance of the State Taxable Gross accumulator.
The State Taxable Gross accumulator is defined as the driver of the State Income Tax deduction.
The State Income Tax deduction automatically inherits the user keys of the driver accumulator.
For each occurrence of the driver accumulator, there is a separate resolution of the state income tax deduction.
This topic discusses basic rules for:
Earnings and deductions that use accumulator drivers.
Accumulators used as accumulator drivers.
Earnings and Deductions That Use Accumulator Drivers
Earnings and deductions using accumulator drivers must conform to these rules:
The earning or deduction elements must have the same user fields as the user keys of the driver accumulator.
Note: Earnings and deductions automatically inherit their user fields from the user keys of the driver accumulator.
The user fields of the earning or deduction must be in the same order as the user keys of the driver accumulator.
You cannot define an earning or deduction with a driver and no user key.
There must be at least one user field (corresponding to a user key on the accumulator) associated with the earning or deduction.
The only elements that can be resolved multiple times using a driver accumulator are earnings and deductions.
Earning and deductions driven by an accumulator cannot use their own auto-generated accumulators as drivers.
Note: As a general rule, an accumulator used as a driver cannot include the element it is driving, because this would create a circular reference.
Note: The prompt view for the Driver Accumulator field on the earning and deduction Name page automatically excludes auto-generated accumulators.
An earning or deduction element can have only one driver.
Accumulators Used as Driver Accumulators
Accumulators used as drivers must conform to these rules:
The only element type that can be used as a driver is an accumulator.
Only segment accumulators can be used as drivers.
A segment accumulator used as a driver must be an As Contributing type accumulator.
There must be at least one user key defined for an accumulator used as a driver.
Note: On the earning and deduction Name page, the prompt for valid driver accumulators displays only accumulators that are defined as segment and as contributing, and that have at least one user key defined.
The user keys of the driver accumulator automatically become the user fields of the earning or deduction.
The system automatically defaults the user keys of the driver to the arrears accumulator.
You cannot alter the key structure of the arrears accumulator. However, the system does not automatically default the key structure of the driver to other auto-generated accumulators. You can define a different set of keys for these accumulators, or use the same keys.
Note: If you want to use the same set of keys for all of the auto-generated accumulators, click theCopy User Fields button on the Auto Generated Accumulators page. If you do this, the system generates separate accumulator instances of the driven element based on the key values.
The system does not prevent you from changing the accumulator keys of a driver after it is associated with an earning or deduction.
If you do change the user keys, Global Payroll updates the user fields of the earning/deduction to match the accumulator keys. If the driven element is a deduction, the auto-generated arrears accumulators automatically inherit the new key structure. However, you must click the Copy User Fields button to update other auto-generated accumulators, and after an earning or deduction is processed, no additional changes can be made to the driver's user keys (the user keys become unavailable for data entry).