Rail Employer Reporting Instructions

Part VIII - Employer Reporting System (ERS) Internet User Instructions

Chapter 3c: How to Initiate Service and Compensation Reports

 Form BA-3, Annual Report of Creditable Compensation

1

How to Initiate Form BA-3 Report

To initiate an annual report of creditable compensation a user should click the BA-3 icon from the 

forms menu area in the navigation section. This brings up the Form BA-3 “Select Report Year” 

screen. If the employer information is accurate from the drop down menu select the appropriate 

earnings year you wish to report service and compensation for and press the “submit” button to 

access the ERS filing option screen. 

Form BA-3 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 service and compensation data for all employees 

reported in the prior year. The system automatically pre-fills the social security number, 

name and payroll identification number for all employees from the prior year. The system 

will allow you to add or delete additional employees as needed with this option.

• Blank Form – allows user to enter service and compensation data for an employee as an 

entry on the Form BA-3 annual report.

• Zero Report Form – allows user to file a zero report of service and compensation for their 

organization.

• Upload File Option – allows users to upload a service and compensation file to the 

Employer Reporting System for their organization. 

Remember each entry on the Form BA-3 is counted as part of a single report. Once all data is 

entered or uploaded the user will be returned to a screen with the company's reported employee 

count and grand total amount. Subtotal amounts are not required nor are they acceptable for 

uploaded files. Grand total amounts are required for all reports. Once a filing option has been 

selected the user will be required to enter data or upload service & compensation data on the report 

for each employee of their company.

How to Enter Service & Compensation Based on Filing Options

Select ONLY one of the following action(s) to file an annual report with the RRB: 

• Pre-Filled Option: Click the “SSN” link from the list on the grand totals screen. Once you 

access the record review and verify the pre-filled data contents (full SSN, name, payrollid) for accuracy. Enter all appropriate service & compensation data and click “Save & 

Return” button. 
Rail Employer Reporting Instructions

Part VIII - Employer Reporting System (ERS) Internet User Instructions

Chapter 3c: How to Initiate Service and Compensation Reports

 Form BA-3, Annual Report of Creditable Compensation

2

• Blank Form Option: 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, payroll id and service & compensation and click “Save & Return” 

button. 

• Zero Report Option: If a user selects this option no service and compensation data is 

entered. The system will automatically pre-fill a text data file with the employer's 

appropriate information forward it to the Railroad Retirement Board for on-line 

certification. 

• Upload Option: Click the “Browse” button from the employer upload screen and select the 

appropriate file to attach. Once selected click the “Upload File” button to edit and upload. 

Users that successfully upload a file will be transferred to the grand total screen where their 

total employee count and service & compensation amount will be displayed. 

Note: a user can only access each individual employee account from the SSN link. 

However, you can sort the individual employee accounts via the SSN, Last Name or Payroll 

ID, but after sorting you must use the SSN link to access the record and enter the 

appropriate service and compensation for each employee. 

Form BA-3 Grand Total Process Button

There are several process buttons on the Form BA-3 Grand Total Screen and they are as follows: 

• Enter New Record: Click this button to enter service and compensation data for a new 

employee.

• Approve All BA-3's: Click this button to certify and file the annual BA-3 with the RRB. 

Important note: Please do not approve the Form BA-3 until after the Form BA-11 is 

complete for full Form BA-11 screen functionality.

• Return to Menu: Click this button to exit the grand total screen and return back to the initial 

main menu for the BA-3.

• Delete: Click this button to delete the entire BA-3 form 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-3 form. 
Rail Employer Reporting Instructions

Part VIII - Employer Reporting System (ERS) Internet User Instructions

Chapter 3c: How to Initiate Service and Compensation Reports

 Form BA-3, Annual Report of Creditable Compensation

3

Form BA-3 Grand Total Amounts

The ERS.Net system will calculate a new total and display the amount under each component's 

(RUIA 1, RUIA 2, Tier 1, Tier 2, Miscellaneous Compensation, and/or Sick Pay) grand total field 

for all records that are data entered or uploaded to the system. Each component will display the 

grand total based on the number of items submitted to the system.

Checkbox for Canadian Records

Generally, this box will be blank. It is designated for non-resident citizens who worked for covered 

U.S. employers but perform occasional service in the United States for compensation. If the 

information being entered is for an employee who is NOT a United States citizens (i.e. Canadian 

citizens) and who does not have a valid U.S. SSN, enter the employee's non-SSN (i.e. Canadian 

Social Insurance Number, SIN) and check this box. If the information being entered is for an 

employee who does have a valid U.S. SSN but still is not a U.S. citizen enter the valid U.S. SSN 

and DO NOT check this box.

Form BA-3 Data Entry Screen Process Buttons

There are several process buttons on the individual data entry screen of the Form BA-3. They are 

as follows: 

• All Months Worked: Click this button to report all 12 service months for the reporting 

earning year.

• Monthly Service Month Pattern: Click the arrow from the drop down list for each month. 

The required codes for months worked or months not worked are “1” or “0” respectively. 

Optional codes “8” or “9” should be used if the employee's relationship status for all 

months NOT worked is known by the employer. Read the section entitled “Optional 

Service Month Codes” in the attached link 

http://www.rrb.gov/AandT/ERI/Part5/chapter3.asp for additional information.

• Set All Compensation Amounts: Click this button to report the maximum compensation for 

RUIA1, RUIA2, Tier 1, Tier 2 and Daily Pay Rate for the reporting earning year.

• Compensation Amounts: Enter the applicable compensation amounts in the appropriate 

boxes up to the annual maximum.

• Daily Pay Rate: Enter the applicable daily pay rate in the appropriate box up to the 

maximum.

• Update Address: Click this button to enter an employee's new address to the Railroad 

Retirement Board. Once clicked additional data entry boxes will be displayed for the 
Rail Employer Reporting Instructions

Part VIII - Employer Reporting System (ERS) Internet User Instructions

Chapter 3c: How to Initiate Service and Compensation Reports

 Form BA-3, Annual Report of Creditable Compensation

4

following fields: street address, city, and state, zip code and effective date. The address is 

an optional field.

• 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. Note: 

once the “Save and Return” button has been clicked the reset button will not reset a record.

• Delete Record: Click this button to delete an employee from the BA-3 form. If an item is 

deleted, no record of it will exit on the report. 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-3 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-3 file to the ERS.Net 

system.

• Upload File: Click this button to edit check and upload the BA-3 file. The Form BA-3 

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.

• Cancel: Click this button to exit the upload process without filing a BA-3.

 

There are two additional process buttons on the Form BA-3 Upload Results screen and they are as 

follows:

• Return to Menu: Click this button to exit the Upload Results screen and return back to the 

Employer Upload Screen.

• Print Result: Click this button to print the message for an acceptable or unacceptable BA3 file. 

Zero Upload Screen

There are two process buttons on the zero upload screen and they are as follows:
Rail Employer Reporting Instructions

Part VIII - Employer Reporting System (ERS) Internet User Instructions

Chapter 3c: How to Initiate Service and Compensation Reports

 Form BA-3, Annual Report of Creditable Compensation

5

• Return to Menu: Click this button to exit the BA-3 Summary Report screen and return back 

to the initial main menu for the BA-3 form.

• Print: Click this button to print the BA-3 Summary Report Screen information for your 

records.