You will find that you need to process the first period of the new 2020/2021 tax year and then return to perform the year-end reports for the previous year. In order to prepare the live data to process the new tax year, which involves zeroing the employee year-to-date totals. As a result, it is important that you take a copy of the current data to process the year end returns before the totals are zeroed. This document explains how to do this within Flexipay. Before you do this, however, you should make a back up of all of your data directories.

Backing up your Data

How to back up your Data Directory

First, you need to locate where your backup directory is located. This can be done by: 

1. clicking System in the Flexipay toolbar 
   

2. then clicking Modify miscellaneous parameters 
   

3. the Preferences window will then open 
   

4. Finally, navigate to the Processing tab (along the series of tabs at the top) and make a note of what is written in the Directory for backups box. This is where Flexipay will save your backup. You may modify this by clicking the ‘…’ button.
   

Before making the backup, make sure that all users have logged out of your Flexipay system. Once they have, open up your Flexipay application as an Administrator (right click on the application and click Run as administrator). Navigate to the File menu (in the top left of the Flexipay window) then click Back up data. 

The back up data menu will then open in Flexipay. This menu will prompt you to name the backup you are about to create. It is advisable to include the date of the backup within the name. This will then save your data to the location specified in the Reporting tab within the Flexipay Preferences.

Copy Year-end Instructions

Note: Whichever of the following methods you use to copy your data, each dataset should be tested by following the instructions later on in this document.

Copying a small number of data folders

If you are using a single data folder, or a small number of folders, the easiest way to do this is to use Flexipay’s built-in tool. This is located under File (in the top left of the Flexipay application), then there is an option called Copy year 2019/20 data.

Once that option is selected, a message box will appear asking you to confirm. Click OK to continue. Flexipay will then create a folder called year1920 in the location specified in your settings.

Note: You can find where this saved is by looking at the folder location in the title bar of Flexipay. 

This process should be repeated for each of your live data folders. To do this, you will need to change the live data directory, which is explained later in this document.

Copying a large number of data folders

If you have a large number of data folders, then copying each one individually would be inconvenient and take a long time. Instead, Flexipay has a built-in tool called CopyData which will do this for you automatically. It is a separate application to Flexipay, and will be located in your Winpay folder.

This program will search for all of the data folders it can find on your system, and will list them. Once it has finished searching, click OK and it will copy them all in a manner similar to the one described above.

Changing the Data Directory

Note: You can check which data set you currently have loaded into Flexipay by looking at the titlebar of Flexipay.

Multi-directory setup

If you have a multi-directory Flexipay licence then you can use the Change data directory feature found in Flexipay’s File menu:

Click the ‘…’ button and then navigate to the desired data directory. This will be a folder, such as the year1920 folder that was created earlier. Click OK to confirm your selection, and then the directory will be changed.

Single directory setup

If you do not have this feature, then you will need to use the LOCALCFG application to change this. You may be able to access this application through the start menu by navigating to Programs -> Mitrefinch -> Flexipay. Otherwise, you will find the application in your Winpay folder. Double click on it to open it.

Once you have opened this, you will be shown the Local configuration screen. Click on the ‘…’ button highlighted below to change the data directory:

Performing the Year end Procedure 

Once that you have made sure you have a working backup of your 2019/20 data, you will need to perform the tasks described in ‘RTI Year-end procedure’. You should do this on your live data, which you can switch back to by following the instructions in this document. 

Note: While performing the year-end procedures, you should use the live data set, and the year-end data set when producing end of year reports. 

Should you require any assistance the contact Mitrefinch Support by emailing support@mitrefinch.co.uk or by phoning 0030 726 0090.