Log in at https://portal.springbrooksoftware.com/. 

If this is your first time logging in:

1.  There are technical requirements for your workstation. Please see our Hardware & Software Requirements for more information.
2. The  username for login is your email address.
3. You will establish a password using the 'Forgot Password' option presented in the login flow.
4. You will be required to use Multi Factor Authentication for login. Your options for the second factor include a FIDO Security Key, Authenticator App, Voice Call, and Text message.

Please refer to our User Login Guide for step by step instructions for logging in the first time.

Once you are successfully logged in you will see your environment and your options for application interface - Cirrus & Springbrook Enterprise. You can process ACA from either. Enhancements to improve the user experience for processing ACA have been implemented in Cirrus. We recommend you try it out.

Springbrook Cirrus is a fully browser based application and can be launched in modern browsers like Safari, Chrome, Mozilla, and Edge.

Springbrook Enterprise uses click-once technology which is natively supported in the Edge browser. To use other browsers you will need to go to the marketplace for a click-once extension.

• If you encounter issues launching the Springbrook Enterprise application on your workstation please go through our troubleshooting guide. If you are unable to resolve by following these steps please contact the Support team for assistance.

Once you launch the application you should see Payroll and the Affordable Care Act batch Process.

• This is not required but can help you with processing.
• At the top of the window click on User Settings then Preferences.

• The defaults will work but clicking on “Show text on toolbar” button will make it easier to know what the buttons do in various windows.
• Just click in the box “Show text on toolbar buttons”.
• Save the changes.

• After saving there will be descriptions next to most button (icon) in the various windows.
• The Affordable Care Act Edit Employee window contains many buttons so it helps to have them defined.

• All jobs (Import, Proof List, Export) will display in the job viewer. You will also see them in Tasks or Reports but everything (even reports run previously) can easily be found in Scheduled.
• Click on the Scheduled button at the top of the palate.
• Check the toggle on the right to “Show jobs that didn’t complete due to an error. This will help you when importing and will display any jobs that need to be reviewed.

• This box toggled will help you when importing files.
• This window auto-saves so no save button will appear but the change will be saved.
• Window will default to today’s date but any jobs run can be reviewed by changing the dates.

• Use the data extraction tool available in Community in the Affordable Care Act Playbook./
• Tools exist for Springbrook, KVS and SoftRight
• In Springbrook you can also use Payroll Query by Example.  

• Use the Data Extraction Utility for your software (Springbrook, KVS or SoftRight)
• If using Springbrook, review the document on Community to walk you through the process.
• Review data to remove disallowed characters.
• Open file in Notepad.
• Use the Replace option under Edit to search for disallowed characters.
• Type in what you want to replace with. If removing a period or similar character, leave the Replace With field BLANK. Don’t add extra spaces.

Characters the IRS does not allow in their electronic filing are not allowed in the Affordable Care Act process.

/ (common in address ½)

‘ apostrophe

.  Period

# (common in address – replace with No)

“  double quotes

<  less than

>  Greater than

&  Ampersand

Disallowed characters will import but create a Review in the Job Viewer.  

If you are filing on paper (have less than 250 forms) you may be able to file with the disallowed characters but electronic filings will be rejected.

Springbrook recommends not using disallowed characters in any filings.

• In Springbrook, many processes are done in batches.  The Affordable Care Act process is a batch process.  
• Click the down arrows to open the Affordable Care Act process.  

• Click on the (New) button twice to set up a new batch.  If the New Batch window does NOT open use the enter key on your keyboard.  
• A new window will open.
• Type in a name for your batch (not required but helpful).

• Click on the Generate button to create a batch.  The window will close when you save.
• You are now ready to process the individual batch steps.
• You can have multiple batches open at the same time.

• Each step in the batch works separately.  The next step cannot be accessed until the step before it is completed.
• Import – Will allow external data to be imported into the batch.
• Generate – NEVER used for provisioned databases.
• Edit Employees – This is where most of your work will be done.
• Edit Employer – Contains employer information required in the export.

• Proof List – Required to run but may not be very useful to you.
• Forms – This step generates the forms and adds required information to the export step.
• Export – Creates the file to upload to the IRS AIR system..
• Commit – NEVER used for provisioned databases.  All this does is delete the batch information.

• File formats are at the top of the Import window.

• All columns must have data or space.  Must have 12 columns.
• The last column (Self Insured) must be true if reporting dependents and false if you are not reporting dependents.

• Only used if your agency is considered self-insured and must report dependents.
• If importing Dependents make sure the “Self-Insured” field in the Employee file is marked true.
• Employee number must match the Employee file.
• Must have 18 columns/fields.
• Must have all the covered months marked either true or false. Yes/No will not import.

• Coverages can be added directly into the application so this is not commonly used.
• If you decide to import the Month must be spelled out.
• Coverage amount is the amount the employee pays (per IRS instructions).
• These records must be a separate line for each month.  

• Forms print in the order selected during the Import or Generate process.  
• We have also added the third page to print for employees that have more than 6 dependents.  
• NOTE FOR CLOUD CLIENTS ON FORMS: If you still have open Affordable Care Act batches from a prior year the forms will not print properly for those batches.  Current batch information will print properly.

• Tabs for Aggregated Entity information will not display if Aggregated Entity is not selected on the General tab.
  • There are only a few clients that use this functionality.
  • This change was made to avoid confusion completing this complex window.
• Signature PIN’s and dates are still not used for electronic filing for 2021.
• Authoritative is required for all filing (unless you are an Aggregated Entiry and not the primar reporter).  If you are filing on paper you can select only “Authoritative” and move forward.  That will not work for electronic reporting.