How to Initiate Form BA-11 Report
To initiate a Form BA-11, Gross Earnings Report a user should click on the BA-11 icon located under the Forms area of the ERS menu. The “Form BA-11: Report of Gross Earnings” screen will then appear. If the employer information is accurate, select the appropriate earnings year from the drop down menu and press the “Submit” button to access the ERS filing option screen.
Form BA-11 ERS Filing Options
The following filing options are available to users (Note: you can only select one option per year for your organization):
- Pre-Fill Option: allows user to enter gross earnings data for all employees in the reporting year. The system automatically pre-fills the social security number and name for all employees from the BA-3 report filed on ERS for the reporting year whose SSN ends in “30”. The system will allow you to add or delete additional employees as needed with this option.
- Blank Form (with no pre-fills): allows user to enter an employee's social security number, name, and gross earnings information on an empty BA-11 detail screen.
- Upload File Option: allows users to upload a completed BA-11 Gross Earnings Report to the Employer Reporting System for their organization.
- Zero Report Form (No Employees): allows user to file a zero report of gross earnings for their organization because they have no employees. (Note: This option is only available to users with Approval access).
- Zero Report Form (No Employee's Ending in “30”): allows user to file a zero report of gross earnings for their organization indicating that they have no employee's with an SSN ending in “30”. (Note: This option is only available to users with Approval access).
Form BA-11 Report Breakdown Type
In addition to selecting a filing option users are required to select a report breakdown type. The following is a list of report options:
- Monthly: A monthly or quarterly breakdown of gross earnings is required from employers with 5,000 or more employees.
- Quarterly: A monthly or quarterly breakdown of gross earnings is required from employers with 5,000 or more employees.
- Annual: Employers with fewer than 5,000 employees may submit only an annual amount, although a monthly or quarterly breakdown is preferable.
How to Complete Form BA-11 Based on Filing Options
Take the below action(s) to file a Form BA-11 report using the ERS:
NOTE: For users who approved their Form BA-3 prior to entering Form BA-11, the Form BA-11: Report of Gross Earnings screen may only show the Report Breakdown Type selection and none of the following options. If you want to upload a file or submit a Zero report instead of using pre-fill, please take the following actions:
- Select a report breakdown type and click the “Submit” button.
- On the Form BA-11: Report of Gross Earnings screen click “Delete”
- When prompted “Are you sure you want to delete this report?” click “OK”
- You will be returned to a Form BA-11: Report of Gross Earnings screen with all of the options.
Pre-filled Option: Select the pre-fill option, then select a breakdown type (annual, quarterly, or monthly) and click the “Submit” button. Remember that only one breakdown type can be used for each employer. The resulting screen shows a listing of the user's employees by the last four digits of their social security numbers (i.e. *****1230), then last name, first name, and middle initial. Click the “SSN” link from those listed to access the BA-11 details screen. Review and verify the pre-filled data contents (full SSN and name) of the details screen for accuracy. Then enter the gross earnings. Once all gross earnings have been entered click the “Save & Return” button. You will then be returned to the grand total screen where the total number of records reported, the total gross amount reported, and the report type (annual, quarterly, or monthly) will be displayed. The totals are updated when data is entered or modified for each employee.
Blank Form Option: Select the blank screen with no pre-fills option, then select a breakdown type (annual, quarterly, or monthly), and click the “Submit” button. Remember that only one breakdown type can be used for each employer. Click the “Enter New Record” button from the grand totals screen to access a blank form. Once you access a blank form, enter all appropriate data including the employees SSN, name, and gross earnings. After completing the entries click the “Save & Return” button. You will then be returned to the grand total screen where the total number of records reported, the total gross amount reported, and the report type (annual, quarterly, or monthly) will be displayed. The totals are updated when data is entered or modified for each employee.
Upload Option: Select the upload a completed BA-11 report screen option, then select a breakdown type (annual, quarterly, or monthly), and click the “Submit” button. Remember that only one breakdown type can be used for each employer. Click the “Browse” button from the employer upload screen and select the appropriate file to attach. Only files with “.txt” formatting can be uploaded onto ERS and only one railroad BA number can be included in each file uploaded. All subsidiary railroads must be uploaded separately with each having their own individual login access on ERS. Once selected, click the “Upload File” button to upload. Users that successfully upload a file will be transferred to the grand total screen where the total number of records reported, the total gross amount reported, and the report type (annual, quarterly, or monthly) will be displayed. Note: if only part of the upload worked due to an error in the uploaded data then the user must delete the partial upload before resubmitting the entire corrected file. See deletion instructions in the beginning of the section.
Zero Report Option(s): On the options screen, select not submitting a BA-11 report because no employees or select not submitting a BA-11 report because no social security numbers ending in “30”. If a user selects either of these options no gross earnings data will need to be entered. The system will automatically pre-fill the grand total screen with zero records and amounts. The user does not need to enter a report breakdown type in the dropdown menu when selecting either of the zero report options. Note: these options are only available to users with Approval access.
Note: A user can only access each individual employee account from the SSN link. However, they can sort the individual employee accounts via the SSN or Last Name, but after sorting they must use the SSN link to access the record and enter the appropriate gross earnings for each employee.
Form BA-11 Grand Total Screen Process Button
There are several process buttons on the Form BA-11 Grand Total Screen and they are as follows:
- Enter New Record: Click this button to enter gross earnings data for a new employee.
- Approve All Records: Click this button to certify and file the annual BA-11 with the RRB.
- Return to Menu: Click this button to exit the grand total screen and return back to the initial main menu for the BA-11.
- Delete: Click this button to delete the entire BA-11form from the system. If the report is deleted, no record of this activity will exist.
- Summary Report: Click this button to generate a summary report of activity entered and/or approved for the BA-11form.
Form BA-11 Grand Total Gross Amount
The ERS.Net system will calculate a grand total and display the amount under “Grand Total Gross Amount Reported” field for all records that are data entered or upload to the system with a social security number ending in the digits “30”. The grand total will be based on the “total record” count listed on the grand total screen.
Form BA-11 Data Entry Screen Process Buttons
There are several process buttons on the individual data entry screen of the Form BA-11. They are as follows:
- Save and Return: Click this button to save all data entered on the screen and return back to the grand total/ employee list screen.
- Reset Record: Click this button to reset all items on the data entry screen to blank.
- Delete Record: Click this button to delete the BA-11 form from the system. If a form is deleted, no record of it exits. The SSN for this form cannot be recalled or re-instated. Users will have to re-enter the SSN and Name to initiate a record.
- Exit/No Action: Click this button to exit the Form BA-11 data entry screen and return back to the grand total/employee list screen.
Upload Screen Processing Buttons
There are several process buttons on the Form BA-3 employer upload screen and they are as follows:
- Browse: Click this button to select and attach the appropriate BA-11 file to the ERS.Net system.
- Upload File: Click this button to edit check and upload the BA-11 file. The Form BA-11 upload results screen will display a message to indicate whether the file is acceptable or unacceptable for processing by the system. Only users with approval access can upload files to the ERS.Net system. If the file is acceptable you will be taken to the Grand Total screen where you may print a summary report.
- Cancel: Click this button to exit the upload process without filing a BA-11.
BA-11 Zero Summary Report Screen
There are two process buttons on the zero upload screen and they are as follows:
- Return to Menu: Click this button to exit the BA-11 Summary Report screen and return back to the initial main menu for the BA-11 form.
- Print: Click this button to print the BA-11 Summary Report Screen information for your records.