Patent ID: 8320656

Claim:
A method for creating an after-the-fact (ATF) payroll journal, comprising: identifying a payroll check cashed at a financial institution, wherein the payroll check is issued to an employee during a payroll period for payment via a financial institution; determining whether payroll check information is available from a computer file comprising an entry corresponding to the payroll check; extracting the payroll check information from the computer file when the payroll check information is available from the computer file; obtaining, by a processor of a computer system and when the payroll check information is not available from the computer file, an electronic image associated with the payroll check; extracting, by the processor and when the payroll check information is not available from the computer file, the payroll check information from the electronic image; validating, using the processor, the payroll check information based on a pre-determined criterion, wherein the payroll check information comprises a payee name, a check date, and a check amount; and generating, using the processor, an entry of the ATF payroll journal from the payroll check information based on a pre-determined payroll rule, wherein the entry comprises an amount of tax withholding of the employee for the payroll period.