Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Students will prepare a business payroll in both a manual and computer format.  Fundamentals of payroll accounting will be
 learned.  Major topics include: record keeping, wage calculation, federal and state regulations and how they impact business, and
 payroll journalizing.  A manual and a computer based payroll project are assigned.  This course is a requirement for the
 Associate of Applied Science in Accounting.
 

Upon successful completion of Payroll accounting, the student will be able to:

ý Demonstrate an understanding of the basic payroll accounting function and tasks.

ý Prepare payroll reports containing gross taxable compensations, common withholdings, net pay amounts, and do the related accounting for an unsophisticated employer.

ý Prepare many routine reports and forms.

ý For an unsophisticated payroll system, be able to determine the employer’s taxes to be paid and understand how payments are made.

    The materials in this course will be presented in lecture format.
    Other strategies such as discussion, guest lectures, research
    papers and group work may also be used.
   
    The lecture time will be used to explain federal and state laws and
    procedures that are used in payroll accounting.  Time will also be
    devoted to explaining the procedures to be used in completing the
    manual and computer payroll projects.
   
    The student is expected to do the homework assigned for each
    chapter, a manual payroll project, and a computer payroll project.
 

    At the beginning of the course, the instructor will detail the
    methods used to evaluate student progress and the criteria for
    assigning the course grade.  Grades will be determined by the
    student's demonstration of understanding by applying course
    material in the manual and computer payroll projects, the assigned
    homework, and tests and/or quizzes.  Policies with regard to late
    homework and make-up tests should be established in the first class
    meeting.
   
    EXPECTED STUDENT COMPETENCIES:
    The learning outcome will be demonstrated by achievement of
    proficiency in these three performance tasks. 
   
     1.  Payroll and personnel record keeping.
     2.  Calculation of pay.
     3.  Payroll journalizing.
   
    Performance tasks will demonstrate proficiency in these skills and
    abilities:
   
     *Calculation of gross pay and net pay for an individual
     *Journalizing of all payroll transactions
     *Calculation of the the employer's unemployment taxes 
     *Recording of a payroll in a payroll register and 
             journalizing from it
     *Recording in an individual employee's earnings record
     *Application of federal and state regulations to a payroll