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Greetings!
We want to help you get the most out of FormSprint. That's why we've
put together this email newsletter. We hope you will find the
information it contains useful. Furthermore, if there is some topic you
would like to see us cover, please let us know. And if you have a tip
or cool application of your own, we would like to hear about it so we
can share it with our other users.
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| The Tax Man Cometh |
Maybe you are already using FormSprint to print your tax forms so you already know how easy it makes that onerous task. If you aren't using FormSprint for tax forms, then we need to talk. FormSprint will format the spool file data for W2s, 1099s and other tax forms to fit any format you choose. And it is surprising how many different formats there are! Go to www.formsprint.com, expand Applications on the menu bar and click on tax forms, or follow this link. You will see a number of variations of the basic tax forms. Any of these forms can be ordered from ICS at $300 if we map your spool file to the form or $200 if you do the mapping. As you can imagine, January gets pretty hectic around ICS as we work with our customers to set up their tax forms. If you haven't used FormSprint to print tax forms before but plan to this January, now is the time to get started. Read below for more detailed information. |
| W2 Printing Made Easy |
FormSprint produces a clean, readable set of W2s your employees will appreciate if they are accustomed to the old hard-to-read forms from an impact printer. Furthermore, FormSprint makes it easy to switch to a better format: 3-up; 4-up; pressure seal, whatever. And of course that is without making any programming changes to the application producing the W2s.
Another BIG plus: FormSprint's built-in archiver database system makes it easy to retrieve a W2 and reprint it or even email it if you have the PDF conversion module. Rather than printing an extra copy to shove in a filing cabinet or save the spool file for a reprint, the archiver database system makes it easy to search for the W2 when someone says they never received theirs. Once found, you simply press a function key to reprint it or convert it to a PDF file.
The first step in implementing FormSprint W2 printing is to decide what format you want. In the panel above I gave you a link to templates we already have but you (or we) can always follow some other format, if required. Once they have selected the format they want, most of our customers will purchase special paper stock that is perfed to fit the format they have chosen and often has instructions to the filer on the back. It's important to have lined all this up well ahead of January, especially if you want ICS to produce a new format for you. We may need a sample of the paper stock you have chosen if it is something we aren't used to seeing.
One other thing: If you have ICS map your spool file data to the W2, we'll need a sample of your 2007 W2 spool file. Often last minute changes are made to the spool file so they aren't the same from one year to the next and spool file mapping based on a 2006 W2 spool file may not be correct.
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Printing 1099s
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 FormSprint makes printing 1099s simple as well. Generally we will set up the form to produce both the Copy B (for recipient) and Copy C (for payer or state copy) on the same page, one recipient per page. The copy you keep is printed two or three to a page to reduce paper.
If not filing electronically with the IRS, you should use preprinted forms printed in red. The IRS web site says payers are subject to fine if IRS can't read the page with their optical scanning equipment. FormSprint can still be used to format the data so it fits correctly and you could even use a color printer to print the form in red and the data in black.
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A New Day
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 Just as this sunrise portends a great day ahead, we're including this little teaser about the ICS GUI Designer. Development is continuing, but we are very close to releasing our own Windows(TM) based designer that will be fully and seamlessly integrated with the iSeries forms designer, with drag and drop flash and spool mapping capability. Watch for more information in the next newsletter. |
Other Stuff
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- The VR function - The VR function lets you print variable data RELATIVE to another data line, rather than at an absolute millimeter position. So, for example, if you want a total to print one line down from the last detail line, you would print your details, then print the total at 4 millimeters from the top and use the Special Function VR to make the 4 millimeters a RELATIVE position.
- The VRM function is used when you are processing multiple lines. We often use this function when we have an address field with imbedded blank lines. When you load these address lines to a buffer using the VRM function, all blank lines are removed. You may see this being used on one of your tax forms where we want to compress the data to fit into some of the smaller formats. Please read up on other possible uses under Functions in the Instruction Manual.
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We hope you've found something useful here and please forward this to other System i users you think might benefit from FormSprint. We're always on the lookout for new customers.
Sincerely,
Betsy Andrews
Integrated Custom Software, Inc.
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From The Help Desk
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Happy Halloween! We thought this was an appropriate picture when talking about tax forms! Seriouly, please read on for information about how FormSprint can ease the burden of printing tax forms. We've included a column from one of our partners, CTP Solutions to give you a source for the special papers and envelopes that will complete the process. Note that you can get a 10% discount from CTP by mentioning you saw their ad in this newsletter.
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The 2007 Tax Form Season is here...CTP Solutions has been providing Tax Forms to Businesses, School Districts and City Government for 15 years. Customer requests for forms begin in early September and continue through January. Order now for discounted pricing. The majority of customers order in October so they can feel secure that their tax forms are received and ready for the end of year printing. For 2007 few forms will require reprogramming. However, the most common tax form, the W2, will require programming changes. Sample forms and 2007 Tax Form Catalogs are available upon request at no charge. You may also view this year's forms on the CTP Solutions Web Site: www.checkseal.com
/ tax_forms.htmCTP Solutions offers formats for all tax forms: laser, continuous and pressure seal. CTP Solutions is a national provider of check stock, MICR printers, MICR toner, pressure seal equipment, mailing inserting equipment and business forms. CTP Solutions is also a leading provider of outsource services for printing and mailing of checks, statements and tax forms. For additional information or price quotations contact Steven Keats at 888-624-5786. Mention the FormsPrint Newsletter and receive a 10% discount.
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