Free Checklist Templates for Payroll

Payroll

OR

Driver Payroll & Settlement Processing

Pre-Payroll Data Collection

Close the pay period in the TMS

Pull ELD logs and HOS exceptions

Collect driver-submitted trip documents

Chase missing paperwork with dispatch

Update driver master file changes

Company Driver Pay Calculation

Calculate mileage pay by driver

Apply accessorial and stop pay

Calculate bonus and incentive pay

Apply tax withholding and benefit deductions

Owner-Operator Settlements

Calculate percentage-of-revenue or mileage pay

Apply settlement deductions

Process lumper and escrow activity

Verification and Approval

Reconcile the payroll register

Confirm wage and hour compliance

Issue minimum-wage make-up pay

Obtain controller approval to release

Disbursement and Distribution

Fund the payroll account

Submit the ACH/direct deposit file

Distribute settlement statements

Tax Filing and Record Retention

Remit federal payroll tax deposits

Remit state and local withholdings

Archive payroll records for retention

Update the quarterly 941 and SUTA workpapers

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New Employee Payroll Setup Checklist

Employee Information Intake

Verify legal name against the Social Security card

Capture residential address and contact details

Record emergency contact and beneficiaries

Federal and State Tax Withholding

Collect the signed Form W-4

Determine the employee's work and resident state

Collect the state withholding certificate

Complete Section 2 of Form I-9

Submit the E-Verify case if required

Payroll System Setup

Add the employee in Gusto, ADP, or QuickBooks Payroll

Classify FLSA exempt vs. non-exempt status

Set the pay schedule and first check date

Enter wage rate and pre-tax deductions

Configure overtime and timekeeping rules

Direct Deposit Arrangements

Collect a voided check or bank verification letter

Capture the signed direct deposit authorization

Run a prenote test before the first live payroll

Benefits Enrollment

Walk through medical, dental, and vision plans

Capture the 401(k) deferral election

Process 401(k) deferral and beneficiary forms

Process HSA, FSA, and dependent-care elections

Enter benefit deductions in the payroll system

Compliance and Recordkeeping

File the state new-hire report

Store the I-9 separately from the personnel file

Confirm WISP-compliant storage of tax forms

Schedule the 30-day payroll audit for the new hire

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Payroll Onboarding Checklist

Pre-Hire Data Collection

Collect legal name and SSN

Capture address and emergency contacts

Confirm hire date and pay rate

I-9 Employment Eligibility

Complete Form I-9 Section 1

Inspect List A or List B+C documents

File I-9 in the compliance binder

Tax Withholding Setup

Collect the federal Form W-4

Determine state withholding requirement

Collect the state withholding form

Enter withholding elections in payroll

Payroll System Enrollment

Create the employee profile in payroll

Capture pay-method election

Record direct-deposit banking details

Walk through the pay schedule

Benefits and Deductions Enrollment

Present the benefits package

Record 401(k) deferral election

Configure garnishment withholding orders

First Payroll Verification

Run a parallel paycheck calculation

Reconcile the first live paycheck

Sign off on payroll onboarding

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Payroll Processing Checklist

Pre-Payroll Preparation

Pull approved timesheets from the timekeeping system

Confirm leasing commissions and renewal bonuses

Reconcile on-call and after-hours overtime

Apply PTO, leave, and termination entries

Flag special-case employees for the period

Payroll Calculation

Calculate gross pay for W-2 staff

Apply federal, state, and local withholdings

Process active garnishments and support orders

Deduct 401(k), health, and pre-tax benefits

Approve the preview register before locking

Post-Payroll Processing

Submit the ACH file to the bank

Release pay stubs through the employee portal

Remit federal payroll taxes via EFTPS

File state withholding and SUTA deposits

File reciprocal and non-resident state returns

Record Keeping and Compliance

Allocate labor cost to properties in the GL

Retain timecards and pay registers per FLSA

Reconcile workers' comp class codes against hours

Tie the register to the ACH and tax debits

Payroll System Maintenance

Apply current federal and state tax tables

Audit user access in the payroll module

Run a backup and verify restore

Reconcile Form 941 against quarterly registers

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Payroll Processing Checklist

Pre-Payroll Verification

Confirm new hire paperwork is on file

Process status changes since last run

Verify active garnishment orders

Calculate garnishment withholdings

Timekeeping and Attendance

Import time data from the timekeeping system

Verify overtime and premium pay calculations

Reconcile PTO, sick, and holiday accruals

Flag time discrepancies for resolution

Resolve outstanding time discrepancies

Earnings and Deductions

Calculate gross wages by pay type

Apply Section 125 and pre-tax deductions

Withhold federal, state, and local taxes

Apply post-tax deductions and Roth contributions

Payroll Run and Review

Generate the preliminary payroll register

Review variance against prior pay period

Obtain owner or controller approval

Apply requested corrections and rerun preview

Submit payroll and fund direct deposits

Tax Deposits and Filings

Confirm federal deposit schedule

Submit next-day federal tax deposit via EFTPS

Remit state withholding and SUI deposits

Disburse garnishment payments to creditors

Post-Payroll Reconciliation

Post the payroll journal entry to the GL

Reconcile the payroll clearing account

File the run in the WISP-compliant document store

Respond to employee paycheck questions

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Payroll Processing Checklist

Pre-Payroll Data Verification

Confirm new-hire I-9 and W-4 forms are on file

Verify direct deposit prenotes have cleared

Apply approved pay-rate and title changes

Capture status changes for terminations and leaves

Time and Attendance Reconciliation

Lock the time-tracking system for the period

Approve timesheets and PTO usage

Verify overtime against FLSA exempt status

Variable Compensation and Adjustments

Reconcile advisor commissions from custodian reports

Apply approved bonus and incentive payouts

Process garnishments and child-support orders

Issue final paychecks per state final-pay law

Calculation and CFO Review

Run gross-to-net in the payroll system

Verify federal, state, and local withholdings

Confirm 401(k) and HSA deferrals against IRS limits

Obtain CFO sign-off on the preliminary register

Investigate and correct register exceptions

Disbursement and Tax Remittance

Submit the ACH file before the bank cut-off

Fund 401(k) contributions to the recordkeeper

Remit federal tax deposit via EFTPS

Reconcile the payroll GL to the bank clearing account

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Payroll Processing Checklist

Pre-Payroll Preparation

Lock the timekeeping system for the pay period

Reconcile punches against the posted schedule

Timecard Review

Review meal and rest break compliance

Flag overtime and double-time hours

Audit predictive-scheduling premium pay

Confirm approved PTO and unpaid leave

Manager signs off on store timecards

Earnings and Deductions

Import approved hours into the payroll system

Add commission and SPIFF earnings

Apply benefit and 401(k) deductions

Process garnishments and child-support orders

Verify final-paycheck rules for terminations

Pre-Funding Review

Run the pre-process payroll register

Compare gross-to-net against prior period

District manager approves the payroll register

Confirm payroll funding account balance

Submission and Pay Delivery

Submit the ACH file to the bank

Print live checks for unbanked employees

Confirm pay-stub posting in the employee portal

Tax Filing and Compliance

Remit federal 941 tax deposit via EFTPS

File state withholding and SUTA deposits

Submit new-hire reporting to state agency

Reconcile YTD wages to the GL

Close-Out and Post-Run Review

Confirm whether any pay disputes were filed

Issue an off-cycle correction check

Archive payroll register and backup files

Sign off on the completed payroll run

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Payroll Services Checklist

Pre-Payroll Setup

Confirm new hires and terminations

Collect new-hire W-4, I-9, and direct deposit forms

Update deductions, garnishments, and benefit elections

Verify state and local tax registrations are current

Payroll Processing

Import time and attendance data

Review timesheets for missing punches and overtime

Run the payroll preview in Gusto or ADP

Compare gross pay against the prior period

Investigate flagged variances with department managers

Submit the approved payroll batch

Tax Deposits and Filings

Make the federal 941 deposit via EFTPS

Remit state withholding and SUTA deposits

File quarterly 941 and state UI returns

Year-End Reporting

Reconcile Q4 941 totals to the W-3

Generate W-2s and 1099-NECs in the payroll system

Distribute W-2s to employees by January 31

Audit and Compliance

Reconcile payroll register to the general ledger

Post AJEs for unreconciled GL variances

Document garnishment and child-support remittances

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Payroll Tax Filing Checklist

Employee Data Verification

Audit W-4s and state withholding forms

Reconcile new hires against I-9 and E-Verify

Confirm SSN and address accuracy

Verify terminations and final-pay handling

Payroll Data Validation

Reconcile gross wages to the GL

Validate FICA, FIT, SIT, and SUI totals

Review pretax deductions and imputed income

Identify discrepancies for controller review

Resolve discrepancies with the controller

Federal and State Form Preparation

Prepare Form 941 for the quarter

Prepare state withholding and SUI returns

Prepare local tax filings

Partner reviews and signs off on returns

Correct returns flagged in review

Deposit Execution and Filing

Confirm federal deposit schedule

Submit federal deposit through EFTPS

Submit state and local deposits

E-file Form 941 and state returns

Capture acknowledgments and store workpapers

Investigate and refile rejected returns

Year-End and Recordkeeping

Reconcile 941s to W-3 totals

Distribute W-2s and file with SSA

Issue 1099-NECs to contractors

Archive workpapers per WISP retention

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Payroll Year-End Checklist

Pre-Year-End Employee Verification

Audit SSN and address records

Reconfirm W-4 and state withholding elections

Confirm terminated employees and final pay

Confirm forwarding addresses for terminated employees

Verify W-9s on file for 1099 vendors

Year-End Reconciliation

Tie quarterly 941s to YTD payroll register

Reconcile manual and voided checks

Confirm fringe benefits and imputed income

Reconcile 401(k) deferrals to recordkeeper

W-2 and 1099 Preparation

Generate draft W-2s and W-3 transmittal

Review Box 12 and Box 14 codes

Generate 1099-NEC and 1099-MISC forms

Apply third-party sick pay adjustments

Year-End Tax Filings

File Form 940 with the IRS

File Q4 Form 941 with the IRS

File state UI and withholding reconciliations

Submit W-2 and W-3 to SSA via BSO

Submit 1099-NEC to IRS via IRIS or FIRE

New-Year Payroll System Setup

Load new federal wage bases and limits

Update state UI rates and wage bases

Refresh pay calendar and holiday schedule

Reset YTD accumulators and contribution caps

Employee Communication and Sign-Off

Publish W-2 and 1099 access instructions

Send the new-year W-4 reminder

Announce benefit and 401(k) limit changes

Sign off on year-end payroll close

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Quarterly Payroll Tax Compliance Checklist

Worker and Wage Verification

Pull the quarterly wage register

Verify W-4 and state withholding forms

Review 1099 versus W-2 classification

File worker reclassification corrections

Payroll System Reconciliation

Reconcile gross wages to GL payroll expense

Tie payroll clearing to bank activity

Confirm fringe and imputed income postings

Federal Deposit Compliance Review

Pull the EFTPS deposit history

Calculate failure-to-deposit penalty exposure

Confirm next-period deposit schedule

Form 941 and State Return Preparation

Draft Form 941 for the quarter

Reconcile 941 wages to the register

Prepare state withholding return

Prepare state unemployment (SUTA) return

Filing and Payment Submission

Submit Form 941 via MeF or paper

Remit balance due through EFTPS

File state returns through state portals

Post-Filing Documentation and Sign-Off

Archive workpapers in document management

Sign off on the quarterly compliance review

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Restaurant Payroll Processing Checklist

Pre-Payroll Preparation

Pull and approve timecards in 7shifts

Reconcile declared tips against POS credit-card tips

Sync new hires and terminations to payroll

Confirm tip-credit notice on file for new tipped staff

Flag overtime and 80/20 side-work exceptions

Tip & Wage Calculation

Calculate gross wages by pay rate and hours

Apply state tip credit where allowed

Run tip pool distribution per house policy

Verify tipped employees clear minimum wage

Apply taxes, garnishments, and benefit deductions

Manager Review and Approval

Review the pre-process payroll register

Compare labor cost percentage to weekly target

GM sign-off on the payroll run

Document any wage corrections needed

Payroll Submission

Submit payroll to Toast Payroll or Gusto

Confirm direct deposit ACH file transmitted

Distribute pay stubs to staff via the employee portal

Cut paper checks for non-direct-deposit staff

Tax Filings and Record Keeping

File 941 deposit through EFTPS

Submit state withholding and SUTA deposits

Post payroll journal entry to R365

Archive payroll register for the four-year retention window

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