Payroll Help

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Adding, Editing and Exporting Contractors in Payroll

In this article:

If you have Patriot’s Accounting Software, you can also manage your contractors as vendors and pay them as a payable invoice.  See Adding and Editing Vendors.

Background:

A 1099 Contractor is an individual that you pay for providing their services to you, and they will be issued a Form 1099 at the end of the year. You should give this person a Form W-9 to complete with their individual Taxpayer Identification Number or Social Security Number.  For more details, see our blog article What is Form W-9?   

A contractor is different than an employee.  For more details comparing the two, see our blog article Independent Contractor vs. Employee Classification.

How to Add a Contractor in Payroll

If you have a large number of contractors to add to the software, you can add them through a bulk import. Please read our help article, Importing 1099 Contractors in Payroll, for more information.

To add a contractor in payroll, go to Payroll > 1099 Contractors > Add Contractor.

  • Enter the 1099 contractor contact information in the top section.
  • If you also have Patriot’s Accounting software, you can set an optional Default Expense Account for this contractor.  This expense account will be prefilled each time you pay the contractor.
  • If you have both Accounting and Payroll, the “Create 1099 at Year End” box will remain checked so that you can issue a 1099.  This is required to include contractors in the payroll.
  • Enter the Contractor’s legal name in the W-9 section, if different from the Contractor Name.
  • Select the 1099 Type from the dropdown list.  This determines which box on Form 1099 the money will be reported.  If you’re not sure, see the IRS Instructions for Form 1099-MISC.  This is required to pay this contractor in payroll. If you don’t check this box, you will not be able to pay your contractor in payroll or with direct deposit.
  • Select the type of business from the dropdown list, as indicated on the W-9.
  • Enter the Contractor’s Federal Employer Identification Number or Social Security Number, whichever they reported on the W-9.  This is required to pay this contractor in payroll.
  • Invite your contractor to set up a contractor portal for payment information when you add an email address.
  • The Default Check Memo field is available if you would like the same information to print on the check each time you pay the contractor, for example, an account number. Please note, if the Default Check Memo is used, it will replace the contractor address on the printed check and you will not be able to print the vendor address on the check.
  • Notes are for your records only and will not print on a check.
  • Click Save.

How to View Your Contractor List in Payroll

Payroll > 1099 Contractors > Contractor List

  • You will see the list of contractors in your account as well as their status, and whether or not they are indicated they will have a 1099 created at the end of the year.
  • You can search by contractor name.
  • Use the toggle to “Show/Hide Inactives”
  • Click on the name to view information about specific contractors.
  • Trash cans at the end of a contractor record indicate the contractor can be deleted. Otherwise you will need to inactivate the contractor if you have any payments associated with the contractor at all.

You can now view the contractor record. You will see links across the top of each contractor record: Contractor Info, Payments, Attachments, and 1099 Reports. 

  • “Contractor Info” shows the contractor’s contact information.
  • “Payments” shows the  Contractor Payment History Report, just for this contractor.
  • “Attachments” shows a list of files you have attached to this contractor’s record, such as receipts or invoices from the contractor. For more info, see Adding Attachments to Contractors.
  • “Bank Account” will appear if you have direct deposit active in your software account and have checked the “Pay 1099?” box. This is where you will enter the contractor’s bank account information.  For more details, see Adding Contractor Direct Deposit Info in Patriot Software.
  • “1099 Reports” shows the 1099 Summary Report just for this contractor.  This is a preview of the dollar amounts that will appear when you create Form 1099 for this contractor.
  • Contractor Portal invite and view the status of your 1099 contractor’s portal. See Contractor Portal Registration Access for more information.

How to Edit a Contractor

  • Payroll > 1099 Contractors > Contractor List 
  • Click the Contractor name.  You are now on the “Contractor Info” page.
  • Click Edit. You can now make changes in the fields.
  • Click Save.

How to Export Your Contractor List

  • Click the Download Spreadsheet link to get a CSV of the contractors displayed on your screen.
  • Payroll> 1099 Contractors > Contractor List.

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