Bonus payable from last fiscal year

SOLVED

I have a client for whom his accountant processed a bonus payable from the last fiscal year (ending Oct 1st 2015).  His entry was to CR bonus payable and DB wages and salaries.   This ends up showing the wages in last fiscal year.  However, the bonus is not payable until Mar 2016.  The accountant said this will be part of his 2016 T4.  When I process this through the payroll module I assume I should link the bonus income to the payable account rather than the wages & salaries account, however, it does not allow me to link to anything but an expense account.  Is there not an easier way to process this than having to go through multiple steps?  I assume if I can't link to the payable account I'll have to do a GJ entry to manually clear the payable account (CR wages DB bonus payable) after processing the payroll entry through the payroll module.

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    swissmrs59 said:
    I assume if I can't link to the payable account I'll have to do a GJ entry to manually clear the payable account (CR wages DB bonus payable) after processing the payroll entry through the payroll module.

    I would think so too.   The Bonus Payable would likely not have included an estimate for benefits so the numbers won't be an exact match.

    I've heard of this strategy before - declare a bonus in one corporate fiscal year that straddles the calendar year, so as to get a corporate tax deduction without having to come up with the cash, then delay the remittance by paying the recipient in the following calendar year (but within 6 months of the corporate year end?)

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    swissmrs59

    I would also confirm with the accountant that the intent is to pay out the money as extra payroll for this year. Many bonuses are set up to move the expense to the previous year, from regular payroll paid in the current year. No extra money is paid the employee, the amount in the liability account is usually split and credited to the expense account each month as long as the amount of payroll for that person is paid.
  • 0 in reply to Richard S. Ridings
    verified answer
    Randy, that is what he did. Fiscal year end is Oct 1st, but the bonus has to be taken by Mar 28th and the source deductions paid by Apr 15th.
    Richard, The client is still receiving a monthly paycheque subject to deductions. This bonus is to be paid in addition to his monthly pay.
    So I assume the only way I can process this is to do the 2 step entry I mentioned above in order to clear the payable and reverse the DB the payroll entry creates to the wages account.