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Membership Services
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APA membership grew to 22,568 by December 31, 2006, with a retention rate of 84%. More than 4,000 payroll professionals have been APA members for over ten years.
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APA celebrates 25-year history of service to the payroll profession.
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The Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) designation was obtained by 1,099 individuals during 2006. Approximately 1,400 payroll professionals recertified through continuing education. Currently, more than 9,000 payroll professionals hold the CPP designation.
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APA's Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC) exam was successfully completed by 801 payroll practitioners. An additional 120 recertified through continuing education. Currently, more than 2,300 individuals hold the FPC designation.
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An Authorized Provider Program was implemented for pre-approved recertification credit hours. This will further ensure the integrity of the CPP and FPC designations. All APA chapters and more than 40 other organizations have obtained the Authorized Provider designation for Recertification Credit Hours.
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APA Chapters number 141 to date, which represents a 5% increase since 2005. Six new chapters were established in 2006 and two in early 2007.
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APA chapters facilitated a total of 156 CPP and FPC study groups in 2006, a 9% increase from 2005. Fifty study groups registered for the spring 2006 exams, and 106 study groups registered for the fall 2006 exams.
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A new addition to APA's Web site is the Payroll Hall of Fame, which every year will honor individuals who have contributed to the association's success. It premiered with 195 inductees from 1983 through 2007.
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Over 7,500 members receive the daily APA Payroll ListServ, representing 33% of the total APA membership and a 10% increase over last year.
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APA's revolutionary, Web-based Payroll Knowledge Assessment Calculator (KAC) generated purchases of 3,594 assessments in 2006, an increase of about 22% over 2005. The KAC has been an extremely successful tool among payroll certification candidates and is used by approximately 55% of Chapter Study Groups.
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APA members began receiving immediate e-mail confirmations of their product purchases, instead of letters, saving APA $50,000 in postage, stationery and labor costs.
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Similarly, APA saved $20,000 in postage, stationery and labor costs by e-mailing confirmations to those who register for complimentary events such as Chapter Leadership seminars, and NPW and Certification audio seminars.
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APA implemented the newly revised content outlines with the fall 2006 administration of the CPP and FPC exams, ensuring that the exams test the current core competencies required in the payroll industry.
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120 out of 141 local chapters had Web sites by early 2007, which is a 4% increase since 2005 and indicates nearly 90% of all APA chapters now have Web sites.
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The 2006 Chapter Leadership Seminars were held at the San Antonio Learning Center on March 25, June 24, and October 7, 2006. A total of 112 chapter presidents and officers attended. The participants represented 73 local chapters, with over 52% of all chapters sending at least one chapter officer to the seminar.
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71 chapters hosted a total of 36 statewide or regional conferences in 2006. Increasingly, chapters are joining other chapters to hold a statewide meeting. Attendance at several of the meetings grew significantly over the previous year.
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To date, 98 of the 141 chapters now have their Chapter Online Profiles completed, which is a 25% increase since this time last year.
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The CHAMPS Mentor program has grown to 74 volunteers, a 23% increase over 2005. The Chapter Relations department has received more than 230 requests for referrals, a 229% increase since last year. CHAMPS was established as an APA Committee in 2006.
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CHAMPS Online went live on February 15, 2007 for members-only access on APA's Web site. The CHAMPS online referral service allows chapter members to submit their questions via e-mail to volunteers through the Internet, and provides access for volunteers to sign up for the service and make changes to their categories or change their availability status via the Internet.
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Payroll Education
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APA educational offerings in 2006 totaled 381 learning and training opportunities covering 679 training days, encompassing 25 different programs, and enrolling 19,900 participants, up 13% over 2005 registration.
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In addition to conducting APA's nationwide course offerings, APA instructors presented 103 additional educational programs, including 10 chapter meetings, 26 statewide meetings, and 11 user-group meetings. APA also presented 56 in-house programs of customized training, including 3 hosted by local chapters and one for the U.S. House of Representatives' payroll department.
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APA's most popular training course, Preparing for Year-End and 2007, was offered in more than 75 one-day classes attended by nearly 5,400 participants. This fall will be APA's 24th consecutive year offering the Preparing for Year-End program.
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APA presented in-depth payroll training to nearly 800 payroll professionals at the Payroll Learning Centers in Las Vegas and San Antonio through Payroll 101: The Standard Foundation of Payroll Administration, Payroll 201: The Payroll Administration Course, Payroll 250: Payroll Administration in Canada, Payroll 260: Payroll Administration in the United Kingdom, Payroll 270: Implementing Payroll Best Practices, and Payroll 280: Payroll System Selection and Implementation.
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APA continued the government presence at our classes by arranging for IRS and SSA personnel to make a brief presentation and answer questions at our Payroll Tax Forum and Preparing for Year-End classes.
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The 2006 Congress, featuring 138 workshops and 154 exhibitors in the Exhibit Hall, continued to deliver unprecedented value as payroll's premier educational and networking event.
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In fall 2006, APA launched its first Webcast seminar, the Preparing for Year-End and 2007 Webcast. In April 2007, APA added Webcasts of its popular Calculating Paychecks and Wage and Hour Summit one-day classes to its seminar options.
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APA has developed and added two new two-day courses, Intermediate Payroll Concepts and Advanced Payroll Concepts, to its educational curriculum.
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APA enhanced Paytrain™'s educational format and migrated its delivery to the Web for the added convenience of payroll professionals.
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APA enhanced the educational content of the Web-based Fundamentals of Payroll course.
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Paytrain™ content is being used as the basis for the new Paytrain™ College and University Fundamentals and Mastery courses, which have taken the place of the Payroll Professional Learning Series at colleges across the U.S.
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The Capital Summit was expanded to 1½ days to meet the demand from previous attendees for more topics to be covered by federal agency speakers.
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Finance & Administration
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Membership revenue was 16% of total APA revenue during 2006.
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APA's operating revenue increased 11.2% during 2006.
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APA's net assets increased by 17.34% over 2005, which has enabled the organization to make investments in additional educational programs.
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APA's annual Congress revenue increased by 7.9% in 2006 and represents 15.7% of total revenues.
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APA's investment income increased by 75.7% over 2005 and recognized $1.17 million in the sale of investment assets.
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Vendor Relations achieved all-time record sales in 2006, with a 7% increase over 2005. APA continues to be the most cost-effective vehicle for reaching the payroll industry as a whole. These vendor investments allow the Association to continue to offer enhanced services and products to members.
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During 2006, Vendor Relations created new relationships with 51 companies that were not previously APA advertisers, sponsors, or supporters.
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APA hired two payroll professionals to serve as Directors of Payroll Training to further enhance the delivery of educational programs.
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The APA promoted a staff payroll professional to become the Director of Administration to oversee the administrative operations of the association.
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APA has 18 employees out of 89 who have been employed with the association for 10 or more years.
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APA has one employee who has been employed since the organization's inception, and has been Executive Director for 15 years.
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In its 25th year, APA owns its facilities in the four cities in which it has operations. This provides cost control and financial stability, while allowing APA to increase its investment in future programs and services for the payroll profession.
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Government Relations
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APA successfully lobbied IRS to create preferential tax treatment for leave-sharing programs, under which employees may donate unused leave to a "bank" to help other employees who are hit by a major disaster necessitating time off from work.
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APA's representative on the IRS Advisory Council, Margaret Roark, CPP, was selected to serve as Vice Chair of the council, while still serving as Chair of its Wage and Investment Subgroup.
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An article provided by APA appeared in each issue of the SSA/IRS Reporter, a quarterly newsletter written for the 6.5 million U.S. employers that file Form 941, Employer's Quarterly Federal Tax Return. Topics covered in the past year include disaster recovery in the payroll department, collecting taxable benefit information, dealing with an IRS audit, and the employer's tax responsibilities when the payroll is outsourced.
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In November 2006, APA and local chapters in Pennsylvania convinced Gov. Rendell to veto burdensome legislation that would have affected how employers withhold and remit the Emergency and Municipal Services Tax. APA and local chapters continue to work on local tax reform in Pennsylvania.
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The Child Support Subcommittee of the Government Affairs Task Force (GATF) has expanded its scope to include all types of garnishments. The subcommittee now holds semimonthly conference calls, one for child support withholding and one for other garnishments.
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APA launched a new GATF Subcommittee on Immigration to monitor and comment on issues such as a potential requirement that employers electronically verify the work eligibility status of all new hires against a database maintained by the Department of Homeland Security.
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The GATF Subcommittee on Government Forms and Publications met with IRS, and many of our recommendations have been or will be incorporated into 2007 and 2008 IRS products. For example, employers do not need to report in Box 12, under Code J, the amount of third-party sick pay provided by a state under its disability plan.
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APA's GATF Paycard Subcommittee continues to lobby state legislatures and regulatory agencies to allow employers to use paycards to pay unbanked employees. In the past year, the subcommittee has had important successes in many states and is awaiting the outcome in several others.
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Publications
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Many payroll departments face the problem of ensuring that they withhold, deposit, and report local payroll taxes accurately and in compliance with local laws. The APA responded to the payroll community's need for guidance in this complex and difficult area by publishing the first edition of APA's Guide to Local Payroll Taxes.
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Charts covering state treatment of wage assignments and miscellaneous payroll taxes were added to enhance the 2007 edition of APA's Guide to State Payroll Laws.
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For the second year in a row, APA Today, the annual Congress daily newspaper, garnered first place for outstanding quality from the International Association for Exhibition Management's "Art of Show" competition.
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PAYTECH's Special Outsourcing Section from the July 2005 issue took fourth place in the prestigious 2006 Trade Association Business Publications International Contest (Tabbies).
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APA projects were named finalists in two categories of the Press Club of Dallas' Katie Awards. The 2006 Invitation to Sponsor for Congress was named a finalist in the "Best Brochure" category, and the article "Meet APA's New PresidentVickie B. Majors, CPP" from the May 2006 PAYTECH was named a finalist in the "Best Personal Profile/Interview" category.
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The PAYTECH sample was createda 16-page sample version of PAYTECH magazine that is distributed to prospective members, replacing a full version of PAYTECH. This innovative move brings in new advertising revenue, saves money, and helps attract new members to APA.
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PAYTECH was officially qualified by BPA Worldwide in 2006, and will continue to maintain this certification in 2007 and beyond. BPA membership provides added credibility among media buyers, many of whom advertise only in publications that are audited externally.
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APA added 4 international payroll books from Windstar Publishing to its catalog of payroll publications.
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PayState Update, the only biweekly newsletter dedicated exclusively to state and local payroll compliance news and issues, completed its eighth year.
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PayState Update is now marketed by e-mail instead of printed marketing pieces, thus reducing costs significantly. Revenue increased by $34,645 from 2005 to 2006, with a gain of 159 new subscribers.
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Public Relations
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During the period from June 1 to October 31, 2006, the APA message was delivered to a total potential audience of more than 274.9 million people. Coverage appeared in myriad media such as: USA TODAY, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Forbes magazine, Yahoo!, MSN.com, ADP Advisor, SSA/IRS Reporter, and Business Finance. (NOTE that this does not include NPW-related coverage; see below).
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Total media exposure for NPW was extremely strong. The NPW message reached an estimated audience of 369.5 million people through print, television, radio, and the Internet, a 39% increase from the 265.1 million people reached in 2005.
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National Payroll Week (NPW) was observed on Capitol Hill. The U.S. House of Representatives' payroll department held an NPW celebration attended by more than 30 people, including congressional staffers. Additionally, NPW received acknowledgement from the White House in the form of a letter from President George Bush to the House of Representatives' payroll department wishing them a happy National Payroll Week.
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As part of NPW, the first-ever "Money Matters" National Education Day (MMNED) was held September 8, 2006 and was hugely successful. The coordinated national effort to teach teens about their paychecks attracted more than 335 APA members as volunteer instructors. VIP volunteers included a Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Treasury teaching a class in Washington, D.C. MMNED was named to the American Society of Association Executives' (ASAE) Associations Advance America Awards' honor roll as an innovative educational project.
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In support of NPW, APA developed the NPW Supporter program, which garnered new NPW partners from myriad industries. Organizations agreed to recognize their payroll professionals and spread the NPW message among their employees to earn the NPW Supporter designation. A total of 80 organizations signed on as Supporters, including business icons like Microsoft, Wal-Mart, and Aetna, Inc.
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The 4th annual "Getting Paid In America" online survey, the cornerstone of the NPW media effort, received 33,128 responses, a 10.6% increase over 2005. The survey gathered feedback on key payroll-related issues; the results form the basis of APA's post-NPW media outreach.
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NPW and the APA were covered by the Associated Press twice in August. The AP ran a column by Eileen Alt Powell titled "Pay stubs are important tools," which provided a summary of NPW's goals and consumer tips, including mention of the NPW Web site. The story ran in more than 56 print publications and on 50 Web sites across the country, reaching a potential readership of 57 million. AP also mentioned NPW in an earlier column, titled "Pay deductions, senior health."
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APA ran its first TV ad for NPW on CNBC's "The Suze Orman Show." The 30-second promotional spot was shown a total of eight times over the two weekends leading up to National Payroll Week, on August 26 and September 2.
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The NPW Web site received 2,084,158 hits from September 4-8, representing a 51.5% increase from the 2005 total of 1,375,502 for the week. For the entire campaign, which began in May 2006, www.nationalpayrollweek.com received 7,890,635 hits, an 81% increase over the same period in 2005.
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Two video news releases (VNRs) were distributed to support NPW. The first, released in July, was broadcast 161 times in 36 different states to an audience of 9 million. The second, released in August and produced in cooperation with ADP, aired 307 times, reaching a potential viewing audience of 3.6 million.
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Three NPW-related audio news releases were distributed during July and August, airing more than 1,200 times and reaching a potential audience of 74 million listeners. The releases promoted the 2006 NPW online survey and educated new workers about the benefits of pre-tax and tax advantaged payroll deductions.
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A total of 108 state, city, and county NPW proclamations were obtained by APA chapters, members, and staff.
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APA's Congress electronic invitation (e-vite) won first place in the International Association for Exhibition Management's "Art of Show 2006."
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APA's logo was redesigned for a fresh new look to coincide with the association's 25th anniversary celebration.
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Trade Show Week Las Vegas Magazine online featured the White House Learning Center and the new MEET facility. It went out to over 10,000 meeting planners in the Convention/Hospitality industry.
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The White House was featured on the cover of the Unique Venues Directory distributed in September 2006.
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The White House was featured in the October issue of Meeting and Convention Magazine's special Nevada supplement, reaching over 70,000 meeting planners and others in the convention/hospitality industry.
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The White House/MEET was featured in the September issue of Smart Meetings Magazine, reaching over 15,000 meeting planners and show managers.
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APA's 2005 electronic holiday card won 3rd place in the flash animation category of the American Design Awards.
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81
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APA's Annual W-2 release, "Put Your W-2 to Work for You When Filing Taxes," generated 118 newspaper articles in 13 states for a total reach of 8.3 million.
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USA Today featured a snapshot of an NPW survey finding on whether employers adequately protect their employees' personal information. The publication has a total reach of nearly 2.3 million.
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An article in The Wall Street Journal Weekend Edition (circulation over 1.9 million) featured information from APA's 2005 Survey of Salaries and the Payroll Profession.
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APA's Paycard Subcommittee Chair, Cathy Beda, Esq., appeared in the December 2006 issue of Fortune Small Business in an article on the adoption of paycards among small businesses. The story reached a potential audience of over 1 million.
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APA's Executive Director Dan Maddux was interviewed for paycheck management tips by Sky Radio, the American Airlines in-flight radio network. The interview was also mentioned in American Airlines' in-flight magazine, American Attractions. The potential reach of the show and magazine is 4.5 million business and leisure travelers.
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Results from the NPW 2006 "Getting Paid In America" survey appeared in two Washington Post columns, reaching a total of 34 million readers. Information from the survey also appeared in Money magazine's January 2007 issue as well as on the MSN Money and Yahoo! Finance Web sites, reaching a total potential audience of 15,074,555.
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The 2006 Winter edition of the ADP Advisor featured information from APA's 2006 "Getting Paid In America" survey. The publication has a total reach of 400,000 per issue.
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LeaderNetwork.org honored APA Executive Director Dan Maddux as "Leader of the Month" during May 2006. The Web site receives 30,000 hits per month.
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Partnerships
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Forbes magazine was an NPW Media Partner, providing coverage of NPW in the mass media consumer magazine for the second year in a row through a special payroll section that appeared on newsstands during National Payroll Week.
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APA renewed the partnership with Robert Half International to create the Online Career Center on the APA Web site.
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91
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APA reached an agreement with Intuit Corporation to provide payroll content for inclusion in the "help" area of Intuit's Quickbooks Payroll product, making APA content available to hundreds of thousands of Quickbooks Payroll's small business and accountant users.
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APA signed an agreement with Books24X7 to make four APA titles available to businesses that purchase a subscription to Books24X7's Finance Pro group of online business resources. Those APA titles are Payroll Practice Fundamentals, The Guide to Successful Direct Deposit, Guide to Global Payroll Management, and Your Paycheck.
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APA developed a partnership with another government agency, the U.S. Census Bureau. Their promotional materials for the 2007 Economic Census will include a quote from APA Executive Director Dan Maddux.
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Executive Director Dan Maddux and APA President Vickie Majors, CPP, attended the Canadian Payroll Association's 24th annual conference in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, June 6-9, 2006.
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Executive Director Dan Maddux and APA President Vickie Majors, CPP, attended the Institute of Payroll Professionals' 22nd annual conference in Birmingham, England, October 31-November 2, 2006.
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Executive Director Dan Maddux attended The Association for Payroll Specialists' (TAPS) annual conference in Sydney, Australia, August 24-25, 2006.
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Executive Director Dan Maddux and several APA staff members attended and exhibited at the International Accounts Payable Professionals' (IAPP) annual conference in Orlando, FL, May 7-11, 2006.
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Senior Director of Publications and Government Relations Michael O'Toole, Esq., attended the World Industrial and Commercial Organizations (WICO) forum in Beijing, China, October 30-November 1, 2006.
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Since 2001, APA has partnered with the Canadian Payroll Association (CPA) to present U.S. payroll-training courses in Canada. In 2006, the APA presented 19 in-house programs with the CPA.
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The APA and the Institute of Payroll Professionals (IPP) partnered to present Payroll 260: Payroll Administration in the U.K. In 2006, the IPP's Alison Ward instructed a total of 3 classes at APA Learning Centers in Las Vegas and San Antonio, with a total of 51 students attending.
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