April 2025
Letter from the President
From the Desk of the President
A
I would
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Marilyn Kelland
Marilyn Kelland
President
C/F Data Systems
News from the Office
Celebrating 2025 Milestones
Thanks
We’re
Upcoming Holidays
The C/F Data Systems offices will be closed on:
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Wednesday, January 1st - New Year's Day
The Support Team will not be available on this day.
Holiday Luncheon Surprise
The C/F Data Holiday Luncheon turned into a heartfelt surprise retirement celebration for Eric.
The event featured a touching video highlighting his remarkable years with the company.
Eric was presented with a custom bobblehead in his likeness, a nod to his famed collection of Red Sox bobbleheads often seen in the background during Zoom meetings throughout the pandemic.
Marilyn gifted him one of her beautifully crafted quilts, showcasing her skill and thoughtfulness.
The team showered Eric with gifts, including a golf bag and golf cart, as a tribute to his love for golf.
Adding to the surprise, his wife and three sons traveled from Boston, New York, and California to celebrate alongside him.
Dennis and Ann Coleman, C/F Data’s retired founders, made a special trip from Naples, Florida, to join the festivities.
The event was filled with heartfelt speeches.
Vic, who Eric hired 13 years ago as a telemarketer and mentored into his current role as Vice President, gave an emotional tribute. He thanked Eric for his patience, guidance, and friendship, crediting him as a pivotal mentor in his career.
Jena, the Director of Support, expressed her gratitude for Eric’s leadership and support over the years.
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Kenny, the current chief operating officer who Eric hired as marketing manager and mentored into his current role, thanked Eric for his service.
Marilyn, the incoming president, also extended her thanks for his dedication and guidance during the company’s transition.
The luncheon was a fitting send-off for a beloved colleague, mentor, and friend, leaving a lasting impression on all who attended.
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While Eric will still remain a part of the team as a consultant to our success, his daily charm and antics will be missed.
Dennis Coleman, who founded C/F Data in 1979 and hired Eric as a salesman in 1984, shared his gratitude for Eric’s decades of service and his critical role in growing the company.
He lightened the mood with humorous stories from their cross-country trips and business adventures, adding a personal and nostalgic touch to the celebration.
Eric received a custom bobblehead at his retirement party to add to his Red Sox collection.
How To: Set Up 401K Limits
There are two deduction codes available for 401K.
These exact codes must be used for the system to recognize the 401K deductions:
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Use an upper-case Z for a traditional 401K.
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Use a lower-case z for Roth.
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NOTE: To start a Roth plan, you must call C/F Data Systems Support first to change a hidden Control File Question.
On the second screen of EMT (Employee Maintenance), in the deduction grid enter the Z or z code, frequency, type (flat or %), the amount, and the limit.
If an employee has both a Traditional and a Roth 401K, enter the same limit on both the Z and z lines. The system will know that this is the combined limit for both.
If the employee has both Z and z, then the full 401k limit must be on both lines.
How To: Set 401K Limits for the New Year
Important Note: Wait until after all Payroll Year End steps
have been completed and EYU has been run.
From the Year End and W2’s menu, select ES4 - Set 401K Limits for New Year.
The ES4 screen will appear.
Enter the 401K limit for the new year. The 2025 limit is $23,500.
The limit will update on both the Z and z (Roth) deduction codes in EMT.
After the ES4 is done, change the limit for employees over age 50 in EMT to $31,000 for the catch-up contribution.
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​Under a change made in Secure 2.0, employees aged 60, 61, 62 and 63 have a higher catch-up contribution limit of $34,750.
Click to print 401k instructions:
Trouble Emailing from the Report Viewer?
If you're emailing from report riewer in STRUCTURE and the program closes when attempting to send an email, you may need to adjust your settings.
Specifically, ensure your email settings in the viewer are set to "Use Outlook."
To do this, open the report viewer, click the "i" icon in the top-left corner of the screen, navigate to the Email tab, and confirm that "Use Outlook" is selected.
Mastering STRUCTURE:
Exit Strategies, Cloud Etiquette, and Update Success
How to Properly Exit STRUCTURE
There are two correct ways to exit STRUCTURE:
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The Red “X” in the top right corner of the screen.
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The Red Power Button on the left side of the tool bar.
Please make sure to use one of these buttons to exit STRUCTURE at the end of each day.
For those using a remote desktop connection to access STRUCTURE (whether it’s STRUCTURE Cloud or your own remote desktop) make sure you are exiting STRUCTURE properly before disconnecting from the remote desktop session.
We recommend using the Red Power Button on the left so you don’t close the remote session by mistake if you click on the wrong “X”.
Attention STRUCTURECloud Users
To avoid potential issues, please refrain from leaving STRUCTURE screens open when you’re not actively working.
Inactivity in the cloud environment will result in being automatically dropped after a certain period. If you are dropped while a program is open, it may cause complications when attempting to reconnect.
To prevent these issues:
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When inactive, remain at a STRUCTURE Menu screen.
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If stepping away for an extended period (e.g., going to lunch or attending a meeting), make sure to Exit STRUCTURE completely.
Following these guidelines ensures a smoother experience and prevents unnecessary disruptions.
Tips for Running a Successful Update
Choose the Right Time:
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Schedule the update for a time when both C/F Support and your IT personnel (if not on the Cloud) are available to assist, especially if you need help connecting to the server.
Run from the Server:
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Whenever possible, initiate the update directly from the server for optimal performance.
Ensure All Users Are Logged Out:
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Before starting the update, check the WHO and [Show In-Use Licenses] screens within STRUCTURE to confirm all users are logged out. Refer to the instructions on how to properly exit STRUCTURE above if needed.
Coordinate with Support in Advance:
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If you often encounter issues during updates or would like support available while running the update, contact C/F Support in advance to schedule assistance.
After-Hours Assistance:
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For updates outside regular hours, Erin is available on Thursdays from 5 PM to 7 PM EST to provide support.
Following these tips ensures a smooth and successful update process.
Fiscal Year End
Summary Checklist
​Preparing for Fiscal Year End
A closed year cannot be reopened! Please prepare.
Before closing month 12 (GMC-Month End Close) please check the following:
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Adjusted journal entries have been received and entered from the accountant.
Note: Journal entries should not be made to the Accounts Payable (2020-000) or the Accounts Receivable accounts, (1210-000). Please consult a C/F support rep if asked to do so.
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Checkbook reconciliation has been done through period 12.
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All vouchers have been updated for the month/year. (check batches) (PRU, VRU)
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All billings have been updated for the month/year. (check batches) (JIU, JBU, WIU, WBU)
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Accounts Payable and Receivables agings (VAA/AGE) have been cleaned up.
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Bad debts cleared.
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Positive and negative offsetting entries applied.
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Miscellaneous pennies cleared off.
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VAA - Verify AP aging matches General Ledger.
_________________Open AP Amount ___________________Retainage Amount
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AGE - Verify AR aging matches General Ledger.
_________________Open AR Amount ___________________Retainage Amount
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All stock slips have been updated. (check batches) (JSU)
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Inventory counts have been entered and updated.
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Run General Ledger reports for period 12
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GTR – Trial Balance
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GRB – G/L vs Budget Report
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GPF – Financial Reports
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GPC – Monthly Distribution Reports
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Soft close the month while verifying figures. (GFM – Block Open Posting Months)
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JAS - Verify Job Cost matches General Ledger. (verify direct cost accounts to job cost)
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VJI by specific GL accounts, you may need detail for in case of an audit. (Subcontractors)
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JPY – Move cost to prior year for JMG reporting.​
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When all your preparation has been completed, you will follow the normal month-end procedures.
See the full How-To on closing the month on the support website.
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Run GMC – Month End Close​
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Run GFR – Current Month Financial Reports – Save all reports
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Trial Balance
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Supporting Schedule
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Income Statement
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Balance Sheet
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Run GPU-Period Update – will close the year and move all date to Prior Year Inquiries and Reports.
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See additional How-To PDF’s and videos on the supportwebsite:
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How to prepare for year-end (Detail)
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How to tie out GL to AP and AR
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How to clean up payables aging
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How to clean up your receivables aging
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How to write off bad debt
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How to do a physical inventory
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How to determine which jobs to close
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How to tie out GL to job cost (JAS)
Print this checklist:
Support Contact Information
Phone: 800.370.4357 | 781.337.7200 | Email: support@cfdatasystems.com
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The phone lines are open from 8:30am to 5:00pm Monday through Friday (ET). Email support is available Monday through Friday 8:30am to 7:00pm.
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Support may be unavailable Monday (9:00am-9:30am) and Thursday (8:45am-9:45am) for staff meetings.
2025 Tax Changes
Tax changes go out the second week of January. Admin users should be getting a notification to run an upgrade upon logging into STRUCTURE. If you have not received this message by the second week of January please contact support.
Please do not make any changes yourself to the tax tables, especially the description. Doing so can void the changes we send you. Correcting these errors will be billable.
After the tax changes are made, the description field for any state that had a change will include a January 2025 date.
Unemployment
The tax upgrade will update the State Unemployment Limits in the system. If you have a change to your percentage, you need to enter that in field 13 of EQS - Company State Info for EQU.
EQF
FICA limit will change to $176,100.
401K
The 401K limit is $23,500. You must enter the amount in ES4. This will update the 401K limit for both 401K and Roth. Employees 50 years of age or older are eligible to make additional catchup contributions. The 401K catch-up contribution for 2025 is $7,500. Enter $31,000 in EMT in the limit field for qualified employees with a “Z” or “z” code. A change was made allowing a higher catch-up contribution limit for employees aged 60, 61, 62 and 63. The catch-up limit for employees of these ages is $11,250 instead of $7,500.
If an employee has both regular 401K and Roth, put the same limit on both deduction lines in EMT.
Federal Tax Changes
Important: FUTA - Go into EQF and verify that field 8 states 00.6000.
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The Federal tax tables have been updated.
The Social Security tax rate remains at 6.2% and the Medicare tax rate remains at 1.45% for employee and employer. An extra 0.9% in Medicare is withheld on an employee whose wages are in excess of $200,000.
Make Sure You Read the Release Notes
Read the release notes that accompany the upgrade for a list of states with changes.
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Print these changes: