2020.3 Cannot delete a payroll transaction - System.ArgumentNull Exception

[JoyceYou]

HI

We have the same issue with payroll in MOYB (2020.3), it doesn't allow me to delete a pay (haven't sent it ATO yet). i can not do reverse pay either (not showing on meau).

Can anyone advise me what to do. 

thanks,

Joyce

[EJY]

Hi @JoyceYou

Not sure if anyone from MYOB has responded to you but here is what I have found;

If I run the payroll but select not to declare it to the ATO via STP I can then still delete a pay record if needed as long as I haven't created the bank payment ABA file.

Once you create the bank file you cannot delete the pay (I think that has always been the case) - although from my own experience (this may not be text book advice!) if you have only 'created' the bank ABA file but haven't actioned it i.e. it hasn't actually been sent to the bank for payment then you can still delete the payment which in turn will allow you to go into the pay record and delete it.  You can then re-do the pay record and once its all correct create a new bank ABA file and process that as normal - send it to the bank, etc.

Once you report to STP you can no longer delete the pay record.

Since this latest MYOB update is now stopping any payroll deletions once you report your payroll to STP (which it didn't do previously in my experience) I am not declaring my payroll when prompted.  I am selecting the option to continue without declaring then I print all of my payroll records and check everything, then send the payslips and give employees time to check their pay slips.  Once all ok I send the file to the bank and once the payment is processed then I go back to the payroll declaration screen and declare the payroll via STP.  This is just my preference for processing as I'd rather delete and fix any errors and correct everything before it is sent to the bank and this allows me to keep doing this.

As I say this is just my take on how I am finding it at the moment - hope it helps you.

[ang2017]

That sounds like a plan!  Thanks @JoyceYou 

I'm about to start processing the monthly pays, so I'll give that a go.  The only difference is we process payments manually ie not via ABA file.  I didn't realise/think of not declaring to ATO immediately - thought that's what you just had to do.  But I'll delay, check, etc like you do, then when satisfied all is OK will declare to ATO.

So glad you responded as manually reversing pays is a nightmare!!

[EJY]

Happy to help - just hope it works ok for you too @JoyceYou   

I couldn't agree more about reversing pays - I'd much rather fix them before its all finalised and have it all sorted up front.

Good luck!

[DianaMao]

We can only reverse the pay. It makes quite messy, as the reversal transaction shows when processing EFT, and sending payslips. It is too messy~~

We definitely need delete funciton back

[Jesh_D]

Hi @JoyceYou , @EJY and @ang2017 

Since my previous post it has been investigated that when deleting or reversing a pay using the Server Edition on offline files a user may encounter the following error: System.ArgumentNullException. If you're using AccountRight Server edition and your file is offline, recording a negative pay,  as opposed to reversing the existing pay will let you achieve the desired result. 

If recording a negative pay doesn't resolve the issue, then you will need to either stop the services on the server and then reverse the pay or move the file to the local computer and stop services on the local machine and reverse the pay. Once completed start the services again.

To stop services on Windows

1. Simultaneously press the Windows and R key on your keyboard (the Windows key is between the Ctrl and Alt keys). The Run window appears.

2. In the Open field, type services.msc then click OK.

3. In the list of services, look for all services starting with MYOB

Note that you may have different services starting with MYOB depending on the versions you have installed.

4. Right-click on each of the services and choose Stop.

5. The service will now no longer show "Started"

You can now open AccountRight to reverse the pay. 

To start services on Windows

1. Simultaneously press the Windows and R key on your keyboard (the Windows key is between the Ctrl and Alt keys). The Run window appears.

2. In the Open field, type services.msc then click OK.

3.In the list of services, look for all services starting with MYOB

Note that you  may  have  different services  starting  with  MYOB  depending on  the  versions you have installed.

4. Right-click on each of the services and choose Start.

5. The service will now show "Started" 

This is something that has been raised with the product development teams already and the above method is a workaround till we have a permanent fix for the issue.

[EJY]

@Jesh_D 

Hi Jesh

Are they still investigating the issue affecting online files as per my earlier posts as that is a different issue from what you have reported here?

[Jesh_D]

Hi @EJY 

I can confirm that your matter is still being investigated. To furthe help us in this investigation can you please get check for me, if the Transactions CAN'T be Changed, They Must be Reversed preference is selected (go to the Setup menu > Preferences > Security tab).

[TLS571]

Jesh, that has never been the case in my experience.  I've alway set ours to allow delete transaction as we only have two people working in the file.  Even up until last week I was able to delete transactions.  The payroll work around isn't to much of a hassle, but reversing a sale then applying a credit and then re entering a sale just so that I can enter the order number that was just received is a nightmare, but is now unavoidable due to having to set a tick in 'transactions must be reversed - system wide' in the security tab.

So rediculous.  I've never had an issue deleting payroll that has been reported to ato via STP and resending a corrected version as the systems are smart enough to look at the year to date figures. 

Hope this gets fixed very very soon. 

[EJY]

Hi @Jesh_D 

I can confirm we do not have our system set up to prevent deletions and we never have.  I was able to delete a payroll last week as per my earlier post - as I had not reported it to STP.  The issue is that when you cannot delete the payroll and the system tells you you have to reverse it the reverse option isn't available so you end up in a loop that cannot be resolved.