Email template
Payroll records request email
A payroll provider cannot run the first payroll from a headcount alone. It needs the prior registers, the payroll tax returns, the W-2s, the state accounts and the benefit deductions. This email collects the records in one request and sends the sensitive documents through the secure link.
When to use it
Send this after a payroll engagement is signed and before the first payroll run, or when the firm takes over payroll mid-year.
Payroll records for {{client_name}}
Hi {{client_name}},
To take over payroll for {{business_name}}, we need the records from the current or prior payroll provider.
Please upload them here: {{checklist_link}}
The list includes the last payroll register, the quarterly payroll tax returns, the annual federal and state returns, the W-2s and W-3, the state withholding and unemployment account numbers, the worker's compensation policy and the benefit deductions.
Please send everything by {{due_date}}, and tell us the date of the first payroll you want us to run. If a record does not exist, say so in the note.
Do not type employee Social Security numbers or bank account numbers in the email. Upload the documents through the secure link.
Thank you, {{firm_name}}
Replace the placeholders in braces with the client's details. Keep the client's tax ID or account number out of the email.
Notes before you send
- Ask for the last three months of payroll registers, not only the most recent one.
- Ask for the state withholding and unemployment account numbers so the first filing is not delayed.
- Ask for the worker's compensation policy and the experience modifier.
- Ask for the benefit deduction setup and the remittance schedule.
- Confirm the first payroll date before the records arrive so the cutoff is clear.
Questions about this template
What records does a new payroll client need to send?
The prior payroll registers, the quarterly and annual payroll tax returns, the W-2s and W-3, the state account details, the worker's compensation policy and the benefit deductions. The prior register is the source for the employee setup.
Can the client send payroll records by email?
The client can send a message, but the records should go through the secure link. Payroll records include Social Security numbers, bank accounts and pay rates, which should not travel as email attachments.
What if the prior provider will not release the records?
The client usually owns the payroll records and can request them. If the provider delays, the firm can start from the employee forms and the prior tax returns, but the first run may take longer.