Home/ Troubleshooting/ Prior Year YTD Did Not Clear

Prior Year YTD Did Not Clear

Problem

Prior year's paychecks were not purged after transferring the client for the new year. Year-to-date (YTD) totals still include data from the previous year.

Cause

This typically occurs when the year-end transfer process was interrupted or not completed properly. The transfer process should:

  1. Copy the client to the previous year's folder
  2. Clear the current year's YTD totals
  3. Delete prior year's paycheck history from the current year

If any of these steps fail to complete, you may have prior year data remaining in your current year files.

Solution

Step 1: Verify the problem

Before attempting a fix, confirm that prior year data is still present.

  1. Go to the Reports menu on the Payroll Main Menu.
  2. Display the Check Register.
  3. Set the date range from 01/01/[Prior Year] through 12/31/[Current Year].
  4. Review the check register.

If you see paychecks dated in the prior year, the problem exists. Proceed to Step 2.

If you only see current year paychecks, the transfer was successful. No action needed.

Step 2: Re-run the year-end transfer

  1. Go to Client Functions > Setup.
  2. Select Add Client from Previous Year.
  3. Select the affected client(s).
  4. Complete the transfer process.

This will:

  • Re-verify the prior year backup
  • Properly clear YTD totals for the current year
  • Remove prior year paycheck history from current year files

Step 3: Verify the correction

  1. Go to the Reports menu on the Payroll Main Menu.
  2. Display the Check Register.
  3. Set the date range from 01/01/[Current Year] through 12/31/[Current Year].
  4. Verify that only current year paychecks appear.
  5. Print the YTD Summary Report.
  6. Verify that YTD totals reflect only current year activity.

Understanding Year-end Transfer

What does the year-end transfer do?

The year-end transfer process:

  1. Creates a complete backup of the current year data in a separate prior year folder
  2. Clears YTD totals in the current year to start fresh
  3. Removes paycheck history from the prior year (while keeping it in the prior year backup)
  4. Preserves employee information (names, rates, deductions, tax settings) for the new year
  5. Maintains client setup (company information, tax rates, bank accounts)

What is preserved vs. cleared?

Information Type Status After Transfer
Employee names and addresses Preserved
Pay rates and deductions Preserved
W-4 information Preserved
Company setup Preserved
Bank account information Preserved
YTD totals Cleared to zero
Prior year paychecks Moved to prior year backup
Quarterly totals Cleared to zero

Prevention

To ensure a smooth year-end transfer:

  1. Backup before transfer - Create a complete backup of all data
  2. Close all programs - Exit ProPay on all workstations
  3. Complete all prior year payrolls - Process final paychecks before transfer
  4. Verify completion - Check the success message after transfer
  5. Test with one client - Transfer one client first, verify it worked, then transfer others
  6. Don't interrupt the process - Let the transfer complete without canceling or shutting down

Accessing Prior Year Data

After a successful transfer, prior year data is still accessible:

  1. Go to Client Functions > Setup.
  2. Select Change PROPAY default year and Path.
  3. Select the prior year folder.
  4. You can now access all prior year data for reports, corrections, or reference.

To return to current year:

  1. Go to Client Functions > Setup.
  2. Select Change PROPAY default year and Path.
  3. Select the current year folder.

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