📝 Overview
If you've already paid workers this calendar year with a payroll provider not listed in our other migration guides, or through a CPA, we still need your payroll history before your first run with us. This guide covers how to share that data regardless of your current provider.
⏱️ Before You Begin
Keep your current payroll account active while your data is being transferred. Maintaining access allows you to:
Download additional reports if needed
Run additional payrolls if necessary
Do not close or cancel your account until we confirm it's safe to do so.
🧠 Why We Need Your Payroll Data
Migrating your historical payroll data ensures that worker tax payments and reporting are accurate. Without it, tax filings and year-end forms could be incorrect, which affects both you and your workers.
This applies to both active and terminated workers who were paid during the current calendar year.
📊 Data Requirements by Worker Type
Here is what we need from you, broken down by worker type:
W-2 Employees
Wages broken down by type (hourly, salary, commissions, etc.)
Both employee and employer taxes broken down by type
Deductions broken down by type
Employer contributions broken down by type
Pay period for each check date
A year-to-date report for all payrolls run in the calendar year
⚠️ Pay stubs don't always show employer taxes, so they may not be usable for migration purposes. Make sure your reports include employer tax data.
1099 Contractors Only
If there are no W-2 employee wages to report, provide the following:
Check dates and associated pay periods
Payment amounts by type (service, commission, tips, etc.)
Download contractor reports as a CSV or PDF.
⚠️ Reports must include both state and federal tax amounts for employees. Terminated employees and contractors paid during this calendar year must also be included.
🔑 Option 1: Grant Us Admin Access (Recommended)
Many payroll systems allow you to add an admin user with full access. If your provider supports this, add us using the steps below. This is the easiest option and lets our team download the correct reports directly.
In most systems, you'll want to:
Navigate to your account settings or user management section
Add a new user with full admin or payroll access
Use the following details:
First name: Payroll
Last name: Admin
Email: [INSERT EMAIL HERE]
💡If you can't find where to add a user in your system, email us at [INSERT EMAIL HERE] and we'll help you work through it.
🛠️ Option 2: Download Reports Yourself
If admin access isn't available, you can download your payroll reports and send them directly to us. The reports you need depend on where you are in the calendar year.
What Reports Are Needed
Current quarter: One report per individual payroll run, with a check date that falls within the current quarter
Prior quarters: One report showing year-to-date totals for each closed quarter
🧠 Example: Your first payroll with us is planned for 8/30. You've processed payroll in Q3 with check dates of 7/15, 7/31, and 8/15. You'll need a report for each of those dates, plus summary reports for Q1 totals and Q2 totals.
What the Report Might Be Called
Depending on your provider, the report you need may be listed under different names. Look for any of the following:
Payroll Details Report
Employee Earnings Records
Payroll Summary Report
Check History Detail
Payroll Registry Report
The report should be a detailed payroll journal, broken down by pay date and by each worker. Download it as a CSV or PDF, then email it to [INSERT EMAIL HERE].
📆 Weekly Payroll Employers
If your business runs payroll on a weekly schedule, follow this two-step process:
Submit initial data: Send us all payroll data accumulated so far for the calendar year. This lets us start the migration on our end right away.
Submit final payroll data: After your last weekly payroll with your current provider, send us that final payroll report as soon as possible.
🧠 Example: You run payroll every Monday for a Friday check date. Send us all payroll data except for the current week's run. We'll get started on the migration. Once your final weekly payroll has been run, send us that payroll report no later than Friday so we can complete the migration and have you ready to run your first payroll the following week.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Find answers to common questions or additional details that may not be covered in the main instructions.
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Do I need to cancel my current account before starting with you?
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No. Keep your current payroll account active until we confirm the migration is complete and it's safe to close. Closing early can prevent us from accessing the reports we need.
My payroll is managed by a CPA. What do I do?
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Ask your CPA to provide a detailed payroll journal report that covers the data fields listed in the Data Requirements section of this article. The report should be broken down by pay date and by each worker, and can be delivered as a CSV or PDF. Once you have it, email it to [INSERT EMAIL HERE].
I can't find the right report in my system. What should I look for?
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The report you need is typically a payroll detail or journal report. It may be called a Payroll Details Report, Employee Earnings Records, Payroll Summary Report, Check History Detail, or Payroll Registry Report, depending on your provider. If you're still stuck, contact DaySmart Support at [INSERT EMAIL HERE] and we'll help you identify the right one.
What if I only have 1099 contractors and no W-2 employees?
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If there are no W-2 employee wages to report, just provide the contractor data: check dates, associated pay periods, and payment amounts by type. Download these as a CSV or PDF and email them to [INSERT EMAIL HERE].
Do terminated employees need to be included in the reports?
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Yes. Any employee or contractor who was paid during the current calendar year should be included, even if they are no longer active.
My provider isn't listed anywhere. Can I still migrate?
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Yes. As long as you can provide the data fields outlined in the Data Requirements section, we can work with it regardless of which system it comes from. If you're unsure whether your reports contain everything we need, email us at [INSERT EMAIL HERE] and we can review them together.