[PR] Understanding the Federal Form 941

Created by Crystal Ann Harvey, Modified on Fri, 24 Oct at 4:03 PM by Crystal Ann Harvey

This guide explains where the figures on Federal Form 941 originate within Vista, how they are calculated, and how to generate the form through Aatrix.

Before You Begin

Ensure Final Ledger Updates have been completed for all payroll periods within the quarter.
Go to PR Pay Period Control and verify that the Final Update flag is checked for all periods.
The 941 pulls data from PR Employee Accumulations, so incomplete updates will cause inaccurate totals.

Step 1: Identify Data Sources

The PR Employee Accumulations report provides the primary data used to populate the 941.

Form 941 Line Data Source (PR Employee Accumulations) Notes

Line 2 Federal Deduction – Subject Represents taxable wages

Line 3 Federal Deduction – Amount Represents total federal tax withheld

Line 5a (Col. 1) FICA-SS Deduction – Eligible Amount Uses deduction side only

Line 5c (Col. 1) FICA-MED Deduction – Eligible Amount Uses deduction side only

Line 5d (Col. 1) Additional Medicare – Eligible Amount No liability equivalent

Lines 5a, 5c, 5d (Col. 2) Calculated by system Column 1 × applicable tax rate

Tip: Column 2 values are calculated within Aatrix and are not pulled directly from accumulations.

Step 2: Generate the 941 in Aatrix

Navigate to PR Aatrix Report Selection.

In the Aatrix Launcher:

Select “2022 941/Schedule B/941-V” (or applicable year).

Choose the Tax Year and Quarter.

Click Continue.

Aatrix will automatically generate the 941 using your Vista payroll data.

Step 3: Review and Edit as Needed

Review calculated fields for accuracy.

If adjustments or corrections are needed, the form is editable directly within Aatrix before filing.

For additional guidance, refer to the IRS Instructions for Form 941