Payroll Frequently Asked Questions

The University Payroll Office is located in the Dowdy Administration Building, Suite 305. Regular office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.

• Meet the Payroll Team >

 

Request for confidential payroll information will not be shared over the telephone, fax machine or via email. Conversations by telephone may be limited when related to sharing employee direct deposit and/or pay-related information. Many inquiries require research for discussion. You may request an appointment directly with your assigned payroll specialist.

 

Current employees may view and/or print payroll documents through the Aggie Access Employee Dashboard. If you are a separated employee, submit a fully completed Payroll Document Request Form and upload to SecureShare. All payroll document requests are processed within 48 business hours from the form receipt date. You will be asked to disclose specific information to safeguard employee sensitive and confidential records.

 

You can change your address and telephone number online through Aggie Access Employee Dashboard with update to Personal Information. It is important to maintain your current mailing address (MA) for year-end W-2 mailing process and so that important payroll-related information can be mailed to you personally. Updating other address types does not automatically update your payroll address.

 

Employee name changes are managed by the Division of Human Resources. Please contact their office at 336.334.7862 or by email hr@ncat.edu for requirements.

 

Employees should be able to access the Aggie Access Employee Dashboard once the hiring paperwork is processed with the Division of Human Resources and you have a University ID number. For more information on the employee dashboard, visit the Banner HR webpage. If you continue to experience issues accessing the employee dashboard, you must contact the ITS Help Desk for further review.

 

Please submit a Payroll Document Request Form and upload to SecureShare. All payroll document requests are processed within 48 business hours from the form receipt date. You will be asked to disclose specific information to safeguard employee sensitive and confidential records.

 

Salaried employees are paid the last business day of the month. If the last business day of the month falls on a weekend or holiday, payday is the last working day prior to the last business day of the month. The month of December is an exception.

All hourly student and temporary employees are paid every other Friday. If the Friday falls on a holiday, payday is typically the business day before the holiday.

• Calendars and Pay Dates >

 

No. We do not offer advances on paychecks. All pay is distributed for direct deposit or via paper check on the scheduled pay date. If your financial institution practices early release of direct deposited funds it is external to the business of the university.

 

Employees electing to update direct deposit and/or tax information via the Aggie Access Employee Dashboard must do so at least five (5) business days before the scheduled payroll process. If you are submitting paper direct deposit and/or tax forms, for salaried employees by the 10th of the pay month, and for bi-weekly student and temporary employees at least five (5) business days before the end of the current pay cycle. The Payroll Quick Reference Guide provides instructions for online processing.

 

Yes. Effective July 1, 2007, and as a condition of employment, Payroll Direct Deposit is required for all NC A&T employees (including all students and temporary employees). This mandate includes employees who are receiving a one-time payment. Direct deposit is the most efficient, quickest and safest way for you to receive your pay. The distribution option provides you with the convenience of having your paycheck electronically deposited directly into your bank account. You can view and/or print a copy of your earnings statement online via Aggie Access Employee Dashboard.

You may sign up online at Aggie Access Employee Dashboard:
Under Pay Information

• Select “Direct Deposit Information”.
• Click Add New under “Proposed Pay Distribution”.
• Enter your bank information and click “Submit”.
• Read and check the Direct Deposit Certification box.
• Click “Save Changes”.

 

Yes. Under extenuating circumstances where an employee does not have system access to complete direct deposit enrollment or make changes in the online employee dashboard, a paper Direct Deposit Enrollment and Change Form will be accepted in person, along with a voided check or official bank letter with pre-printed name and banking information. Be prepared to present a valid photo ID (i.e., state-issued driver’s license or identification card or AggieOne card). We do not accept personal financial bank statements, starter checks with no pre-printed name or address information, or account deposit slips.

 

Yes. Your direct deposit net pay can be allocated to one primary or up to three different banking accounts. Each account must function as a checking or savings.

• Payroll Single or Multiple Account Guides >

 

At least two days prior to payday, employees signed up for payroll direct deposit will receive a secure email directly to their ncat.edu or aggies.ncat.edu address from depnote@ncat.edu . This email will have an attached .PDF file titled Receipt.

For your protection the direct deposit notice file is encrypted with a password. You must enter the first four letters of your last name (all lower-case letters) and the last four digits of your Banner ID number. If your last name only has two or three letters, you will click the computer “space” key to account for a total of four letters. Example: Last name “Su” will be entered as “su(space)(space).”

 

Manual paper checks are processed to issue payment to employees when enrollment was entered or submitted too late to be included in the regular monthly or bi-weekly payroll processing or you did not set up direct deposit under the Proposed Pay Distribution section online.

 

When an employee or one of the Comptroller units (e.g., Payroll or Accounting) amends direct deposit information, the system will automatically send email notification to the employees ncat.edu or aggies.ncat.edu account alerting of a change. If you receive a direct deposit change email, and you did not personally make the change online or submit a paper direct deposit form to amend banking information, you should immediately contact your assigned payroll specialist for further inquiry.

 

You should contact the University Payroll Office at 336.334.7888 to speak with the Payroll Accountant. Please be prepared to provide your full name, full Banner ID number, and name and routing number for your banking institution.

 

It is the employee’s responsibility to maintain their bank account information for accurate direct deposit pay. If you do not have an outstanding debt with your financial institution, the funds will be returned as an ACH return usually within 3 to 5 business days as "account closed." Upon receipt of the returned funds, we will inactivate the direct deposit account and initiate the process to reissue the payment. This process can take up to 7 to 10 business days to reissue a paper check.

If you had an outstanding debt with your financial institution at the time pay was direct deposited, there are no actions the University can take to recover deposited funds nor can we reissue the deposited payment. You will need to contact your financial institution for further guidance.

 

Upon hire, the federal tax (W-4) withholding and state tax (NC-4) withholding for all new employees are set to the default withholding status of “Single” (federal) and “Single” with “0” allowances (NC state) in accordance with tax regulations. If you want your tax withholding to be set otherwise, please amend the applicable Form W-4 or Form NC-4 via Aggie Access Employee Dashboard prior to the scheduled payroll. In accordance with tax regulations, withholding adjustments cannot be made retroactive.

Non-citizens of the U.S. withholding deductions for federal tax (W-4) and state tax (NC-4 NRA) are automatically set to the default status at the non-resident alien (NRA) tax rate until it is established you are otherwise a resident alien for tax purposes. All employees that are non-citizens must complete a required tax assessment with the University Payroll Office. Please contact payroll@ncat.edu for further assistance.

 

The University Payroll Office cannot provide tax advice with the completion of the federal and/or North Carolina state tax forms. If you have questions about the number of exemptions, claiming dependents or any relatable information required to complete either form, you must speak with a professional tax advisor/tax accountant. You may also refer to the following website resources:

• Internal Revenue Service (IRS) >
• North Carolina Department of Revenue (NCDOR) >

 

When you claim exemption from federal and/or state tax withholdings, there will be no taxes withheld from earnings for either. Keep in mind that claiming the “exempt” status is your attestation that you have no tax liability for the previous year and must expect to have no tax liability for the current year. If you do not meet both conditions, you may be subject to penalty and/or owe back taxes to the Internal Revenue Services and/or the North Carolina Department of Revenue. Note: Employees that are considered a nonresident for tax purposes cannot claim exemption from federal and state tax withholdings.

Your exemption from withholdings for federal and/or North Carolina state tax is only for the current calendar year in which you filed the form. If you desire to maintain exemption for federal and/or North Carolina state tax, you are required to submit a new form (W-4 or NC-4EZ) by February 10th in the next calendar year.

 

You can make changes online through Aggie Access Employee Dashboard by logging in and selecting the Employee Menu option. Changes must be submitted by the 10th of the current month for salaried paid employees, and at least five (5) business days before the end of the current pay cycle for student and temporary employees paid bi-weekly.

• Payroll Quick Reference Guide >

 

All remote out-of-state employment must be approved by the Division of Human Resources before the employee is allowed to begin work. This includes part-time instructors and student employees. Remote employees who work out-of-the-state are subject to North Carolina tax withholdings and responsible for tax reporting via a tax return in both your state of residence and North Carolina.

 

The amount of taxes taken out of your earnings is determined by the filing status and total number of allowances you claim. By placing a “0” on the form, you are indicating that you want the most amount of tax taken out of your pay each pay period. If you claim “1,” then less tax is taken out of your pay each pay period. The higher the number of allowances, the less tax is taken out of your pay each pay period.

 

FICA exemptions under the student rule are based on enrollment status (half time or more) and scheduled hours worked of 20 or less/FTE 50% or less. Exemptions are reviewed and updated at the start of and throughout each semester.

FICA exemptions under the non-resident alien (NRA) are managed through the tax assessment process. Please contact payroll@ncat.edu for further assistance.

 

Each year the W-2 form is mailed by January 31st. Your W-2 tax statement form is mailed to the current mailing address listed in Banner. The address must be updated by the first week in January to be effective on the current W-2 form. We will accept reprint requests for individuals who no longer have access to the employee online system beginning February 15th (or the next weekday, if February 15 falls on a weekend).

 

Current employees may view and print your W-2 tax statement by signing up for electronic consent through Aggies Access Employee Dashboard. You may also revoke consent via the employee dashboard. Refer to the Payroll Quick Reference Guide for detailed instructions.

Separated employees who did not receive the mailed paper W-2 form must request a reprint by submitting a Payroll Document Request Form. Your W-2 form was mailed to the mailing address listed in Banner at the time forms were generated. Please direct any further questions to payroll@ncat.edu.

 

Your W-2 form will be issued by the provider who issues your paychecks. All related questions should be directed to your supervisor or designated employer representative. If you worked for both Sodexo food service provider and N.C. A&T within the same year, you will receive a W-2 from each employer.

 

Gross year-to-date wages on your pay notice includes all compensation paid to you. Your gross wages are reduced by certain tax-sheltered deductions to determine taxable wages. Some of these tax-sheltered deductions are sheltered only for FICA wages or only for federal and state income tax wages.

 

Wages paid to foreign employees are subject to federal (Form W-4) and state income tax (NC-4 NRA) unless exempted by special Internal Revenue Service (IRS) regulations or a tax treaty between the United States and the specific resident country of the employee.

Foreign National employees are required to complete a tax assessment with the University Payroll Office. The purpose of this assessment is to review your tax status, which will determine if you are non-resident aalien (NRA) or resident alien for tax purposes and to finalize the completion of required tax documents. Please send an email to payroll@ncat.edu  to obtain a list of documents that must be submitted for this assessment; as well as instructions on how to submit this information.

All employees are subject Social Security (OSADI) and Medicare (FICA tax) unless otherwise eligible for exemption under an IRS regulation. As an NRA you may be exempt from the FICA tax for a time period dependent upon the VISA type you used to enter the United States. The status of this FICA tax exemption will be determined during the assessment completed by the Payroll Office and thereafter, for each subsequent tax year.

 

No. Your visa type determines when you are exempt and when you are taxed for FICA.

Visa Types	Fica Tax
F-1 Based on Student Enrollment	Exempt for the first 5 years form the date of entry; may be exempt. Substantial Presence Test required
J-1 Student Enrollment	Exempt for the first 5 years from the date of entry; may be exemptt. Substantial Presence Test required
J-1 Scholars, Research	Exempt for either the first 2 years in the U.S., or 2 out of the first 6 years in the U.S. regardless of visa status.
F-2, J-2, H-1B, O-1, TN	Must pay FICA (Medicare)

 

U.S. tax law categorizes people as resident aliens or nonresident aliens for tax purposes only, which is not necessarily the same as residency according to immigration law. Resident aliens for tax purposes follow the same rules as U.S. citizens for taxation. For a nonresident alien for tax purposes there are special taxation rules that apply. There are also special rules that apply specifically to F-1 students, J-1 students and scholars and H-1 employees who are nonresident aliens for tax purposes. These tax statuses are significant because filing under the incorrect tax designation may result in taxes owed back to the government. So, it is important to know your status to file correctly. Nonresident aliens for tax purposes are taxed on U.S. source income.

The U.S. Department of Treasury Internal Revenue Service Publication 519 explains the rules used to determine tax residency for those who are not U.S. citizens.

 

No. The United States has tax treaties with a number of foreign countries. Under these treaties, residents of foreign countries are taxed at a reduced rate, or are exempt from U.S. federal and state taxes on certain types of income and/or fellowship payments they receive from sources within the United States.

You can visit the Internal Revenue website for countries with an income tax treaty. If the treaty does not cover a particular type, or if there is no treaty between your country and the United States, you must pay tax on that earned income. For additional information you may also reference IRS Publication 901.

 

Form 1042-S tax statements are mailed by March 15th to the current mailing address in Banner. 

 

Any of your earnings in the United States are subject to applicable federal, state, and local taxes. Filing tax paperwork, such as a tax return, is a reconciliation that compares what you actually paid in taxes throughout the year to what you should have paid in taxes.

Employers and schools are required by law to withhold taxes from your paychecks or taxable stipend payments. If the taxes that were withheld from your payment are higher than what you should have paid, you will get a refund after filing your tax return ("tax refund"). If taxes were not withheld, or insufficient tax was withheld, then you will owe money at the time of filing your taxes. You declare your income and account for the taxes owed on a form or set of forms called a “tax return”.

 

Yes. Foreign students, scholars, teachers, researchers and exchange visitors must file an income tax return each year by the IRS submission deadline.

 

Yes. Even if you had no taxes withheld on your income because you were exempt from withholding due to the treaty benefit, you are required to submit a tax return to describe the treaty claim to the IRS.

 

The requirement to file a tax return is based on receiving income from U.S. sources – not on receiving “money.” Income can include, but is not limited to: wages, salary, free housing, travel to/from a conference, scholarship, stipend, per diem, prize, award, gambling winnings – income does not have to be paid to you as a check or cash. Generally, if you did not receive any income from U.S. sources, you are not required to file a U.S. tax return; however, if you are a nonresident Alien who is present in the U.S. under an F, J, M or Q immigration status, you are required to file Form 8843, regardless of whether or not you have received any income. If you are an F or J visitor and did not work in the reporting calendar year, you still have a filing requirement – Form 8843.

 

Yes.  If you were in the U.S. even 1 day, you must file Form 8843. 

 

Nonresident aliens are not required to report or pay tax on money that they received from sources outside the U.S. If you remain in the U.S. long enough to become a Resident Alien for Tax purposes, then income from all sources (both U.S. and foreign) must be reported on the U.S. tax return.

 

You are still required to file your taxes by the IRS deadline, even if you are not in the U.S. Make sure to download the appropriate forms and instructions from the IRS website before you depart the U.S. and file your taxes from abroad. Save copies of all forms submitted for your tax records. Make sure you have updated your mailing address so that your Form W-2 and/or Form 1042-S can be mailed to you when processed.

 

You may view information about foreign taxpayers at an IRS web page. You may also view and print IRS Publication 519.  

 

Paper checks are distributed between the hours of 8:00 am until 12:00 noon on payday. Checks not picked up by 12 noon are postmarked and mailed through regular postal mail service to the mailing address listed in the Banner at the time the payroll processed.

 

You should contact your assigned payroll specialist to inquire if your paper check was returned in the mail to University Payroll Office. If we have not received the paper check, you must complete a notarized Stop-Payment Affidavit before a replacement check can be issued. Payroll direct deposit is a requirement of employment and will provide the quickest way to receive your pay. Complete your online enrollment now!

 

Total compensation is your base pay plus overtime, paid holidays, paid medical leave, paid vacation time, and other extra compensation included on your paycheck.

 

Generally, no. However, if Payroll receives notification that you were overpaid, not due pay processed or failed to return University property (i.e., computer, equipment and/or uniforms), we can reverse the incorrect deposit payment within five business days of making the payment.

 

Please contact the University Payroll Office at 336.334.7888 to speak with the Payroll Accountant for further assistance. Payroll will verify the check’s status and re-issue as appropriate. You will be required to complete a notarized Stop-Payment Affidavit before a replacement check can be issued. Payroll Direct Deposit is a requirement of employment and will provide the quickest way to receive your pay. Complete your online enrollment now! 

 

Please contact the University Payroll Office at 336.334.7888 to speak with the Payroll Accountant for further assistance. 

 

This generally means that your department has not completed your hire with the Division of Human Resources. Contact your supervisor to make sure that your personnel action is completed. You must maintain a hard copy of hours worked for each bi-weekly pay cycle. Once your job is established in the system, your supervisor must complete the Late Paper Timesheet procedures to ensure all missed hours are processed in the next available payroll.

If you are an undergraduate or graduate flat pay student employee paid monthly, you will follow the same guidance by contacting your supervisor to confirm when your personnel action was submitted to the Division of Human Resources. Your pay will process in the next available payroll from the date your job is established in the system.

 

You are encouraged to carefully examine your pay notice before contacting the University Payroll Office. Compare it to your prior pay notice and consider any changes that you are aware of that would impact the current month’s payroll, such as health benefits or NC Flex deductions, employee amending tax withholding forms, or signing up for a campus voluntary payroll deduction benefit. Your questions related to health or NC flex benefits should be addressed with the Benefits Office in the Division of Human Resources.

If you are not able to determine or agree with the change reflected in your pay notice, please contact your assigned payroll specialist for further review and consultation.

 

You must contact the agency or campus department that manages the voluntary deduction to request a cancellation of the benefit. The agency or campus department will send the termination request directly to the University Payroll Office. If you are seeking a refund, you will need inquire with the agency or campus department at the time you request cancellation. 

 

Please contact your assigned payroll specialist in the University Payroll Office. If we are unable to answer your questions regarding the garnishment order, you will be advised to contact the agency directly that submitted the order.

 

You should have received a notification from the court or agency who issued the garnishment order. If you did not receive it, you can request a copy from the University Payroll Office by sending an email to payroll@ncat.edu.  A copy of the garnishment order will be mailed to the current mailing address listed in Banner.  Due to privacy restrictions, we cannot email the paperwork to you.

 

Yes. Each pay will be garnished until we receive a release notice from the court or agency. 

 

The amount deducted can vary depending on the type of garnishment and/or amount listed on the order. You may contact your assigned payroll specialist to confirm the anticipated amount to be withheld.

 

The amount is set by the court or agency governing the garnishment order. The University Payroll Office does not have the authority or autonomy to reduce the withholding amount of the garnishment order. You would need to contact the court or agency to discuss arrangements to reduce your payment amount. 

 

The paperwork can be faxed to 336.256.0801 or you may drop it off in-person to our office located in the Dowdy Administration Building, Suite 305. Please do not send your personal and confidential records by email.

 

The garnishment order for child support remains active until a release notice to term the withholdings is received from the agency. You must contact your case worker to inquire on the date your child support garnishment will end.

 

Your garnishment remains active until the University Payroll Office receives a release notice from the court/agency who issued the garnishment.

 

No. In most cases, you will experience a delay in pay until a late paper timesheet is submitted for missed hours worked to process in the next available bi-weekly payroll.

• You are ultimately responsible for getting paid by entering hours in Banner Self-Service according to the published Bi-Weekly Payroll Calendar.
• You should view your timesheet to see if your supervisor has approved your time. If your supervisor has not approved your time, you are responsible for notifying your supervisor that you have an outstanding timesheet that requires approval before the payroll deadline.

 

Late paper timesheets for student and/or temporary employees can be found on the Division of Human Resources website under Talent Solutions.

All sections of the late paper timesheet must be populated documenting employee and department information, along with the specific hours worked by nearest quarter hour entries. The late paper timesheet must be signed by the supervisor or a designated department administrator, to include a department letter of justification outlining why the online timesheet was not approved by the deadline, as well as what the department has put in place to avoid future incidents.

 

A supervisor approved late paper timesheet must be submitted directly to the University Payroll Office for the student or temporary employee who missed a pay period by the close of business on the Monday before the scheduled bi-weekly payroll. Submissions received after the established deadline will pay in the next bi-weekly payroll processed.

 

There can be several reasons you have not received pay for the late paper timesheet submitted. Your department may have missed the established submission deadline, your job termed before the late paper sheet was submitted and requires your department to reestablish an active job through Human Resources, or the paper timesheet was missing relevant information for processing.

 

If you feel you have been overpaid, please send a formal inquiry to the University Payroll at overpayments@ncat.edu with your name, Banner ID number, state the pay period the overpayment occurred and the overpaid dollar amount. We will review your payroll details. If the overpayment occurred, someone from the payroll team will contact you with further instructions for repayment and the various methods for repayment.

 

Although the error was not yours, as an employee you receive a report of earnings and deductions for each paycheck. It is your responsibility to review the deposit notice for any inconsistencies such as pay for items not worked or pay at a higher rate than my correct pay rate. We are required to recoup the overpaid salary you were not due.

 

Salary overpayments should be repaid upon receipt of immediate notification to avoid further collection efforts. However, under extenuating circumstances, the University Payroll Office may enter a repayment plan with you for a period of three (3) months. To stop collection efforts, we must have a signed repayment plan with you and you maintain repayment according to the establish date schedule.

 

The budget was charged for salary and related benefits expense at the time the employee was overpaid. These expenses will remain on the department’s budget for the applicable fiscal year unless repayment is made. If the employee repays part or all of the overpayment, credit will be received for the repaid salary. Credit may also be received for related benefits expense if repayment was made within the same tax year and in time for the Payroll Office to process the repayment through the adjustment payroll.

 

A labor distribution is the percentage allocation of authorized salary as established in the personnel action form. A salary labor redistribution is a funding change that needs to be applied to a completed pay event from one fund/account to another. Noting, that a change to the salary distribution for a current or future period is not a labor redistribution, and should be managed through a Funding Change ePAF.

 

The University Payroll Office is responsible for processing labor redistributions for salary expenses in the Banner Finance accounting record. A labor redistribution is needed when a labor distribution error in a “past period” has been discovered. The department budget administrator can submit a labor redistribution request to payroll@ncat.edu for a past period at the time of discovery for review and response. There are some limitations to the timeline for processing a labor redistribution, especially if it impacts a period within a prior fiscal year. A payroll team member will provide more information, upon receipt of the request.

Labor redistributions involving grant funds must be submitted by your assigned grant accountant in the Office of Contracts and Grants. If labor is related to an overpayment and grant funds were involved, communicate with the grant account responsible for your fund. The grant accountant will prepare the forms to submit the overpayment to the Payroll Office.

Labor redistributions should not be submitted in an attempt to resolve a salary underpayment and/or overpayment issue.