Payroll FAQs

Please refer to the payroll calendar.

It depends on the timing, as new payment elections run through the prenote process, which tests the accuracy of the entered routing and bank account numbers and account type. Prenotes are processed twice per week.

In order to meet ACH and tax processing deadlines, payroll is processed or completed three to four days ahead of the scheduled pay date. Following the deadlines on the payroll calendar can help to ensure your transactions and changes are included in the payroll run, especially if they require approval in GMS.

Payroll checks are valid for 90 days. If you have a check that is more than 90 days old, please complete a stale dated check form and return it to Payroll Services (payrollservices@georgetown.edu); the check will be reissued.

Please complete and return a stop check request form to Payroll Services (payrollservices@georgetown.edu). The check will be stopped at the bank and reissued to you. In the event you find the missing or lost check, please write VOID, and destroy the check or return it to Payroll Services.

Sometimes, routing or account numbers/types are miskeyed in GMS. Sometimes, banks change details that need to be updated in GMS. In all cases, the Payroll Services team monitors for returned ACHs and will reissue pay to you, typically in the form of a paper check.

The Form W-4 was significantly modified for 2020 to better align with the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. As such, exemptions and allowances were removed from the form.

The IRS has helpful information about the redesigned form, both as an FAQ  and a withholding estimator .

State taxes are calculated based on a combination of your primary home address and work address. Depending on reciprocal agreements between states, withholdings may be taken for one or both states.

The university cannot provide tax advice to employees, including guidance on what forms to complete. However, the District of Columbia has a non-resident tax form called the D-4A. See here for additional information about the D-4A.

This could be due to one of two reasons: 1) You live in a state that does not have an income tax withholding, or 2) you live in a state where the university is not registered to withhold. Please review policy FA 623 and its corresponding procedure FA 623.

FICA exemptions under the student rule are based on enrollment status (half-time or more) and scheduled hours of 20 or fewer/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 by the Tax Department. Please contact taxdepartment@georgetown.edu if you have additional questions.

Yes, the university is obligated to pay employees for their time worked. In addition to the regular bi-weekly and monthly payrolls, a weekly payroll is processed to pay retroactive transactions, including retroactively submitted and approved time entries. Depending on the timing, you will likely receive an off-cycle payment before the next scheduled pay period.

The system is designed to pull retroactive transactions through to the current pay period. The details within the earnings section of the payslip will reference the retroactive periods that are being paid to you.

Payroll Services is always happy to answer questions about your pay. Please contact us at payrollservices@georgetown.edu, and we will review your payroll details.

If an overpayment occurred, we will provide you with a calculation of the net pay due and the various repayment methods.

If the overpayment can be corrected by a reduction of future pay within 30 days of the payroll department becoming aware of the overpayment, the Payroll Department will correct the overpayment by reducing future pay. Otherwise, the employee must make payment through the online repayment site, paying the correct amount via electronic check (ACH) and providing their name, NetID, email address and pay period(s) when submitting payment.

• This payment will automatically credit Ledger Account 20130, Cost Center CC5000, Fund 1701 and Program PG999999.

• The Payroll Department will create a correction to the prior pay periods without impacting future pay. 
• Monthly, the Receivables & Payment Systems team will run a report of payments received and deliver it to the Payroll Department and the Financial Accounting Department.
• The Financial Accounting Department will reconcile the employee-submitted payment to the Payroll Department’s corrections.

Short payments happen for a variety of reasons, such as an actual end date on your compensation, late time entry or time off submissions and approvals.

A member of the Payroll Services team can review your pay and record in GMS to determine what happened and the next steps to correct.

We run a weekly off-cycle payroll, so you are never more than a Friday away from receiving missing pay.