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Enter Previous Payroll Information During Account Setup

Learn how to enter previous payrolls during account setup to ensure accurate tax filings and W-2s for current and dismissed employees.

Account Management avatar
Written by Account Management
Updated today

Providing accurate previous payroll information is a critical step when setting up your CleanCloud Payroll account. Gusto uses this data to ensure tax filings and W-2 forms are accurate, because each employer can only issue one W-2 per employee per year.


Overview of Reporting Previous Payrolls

During setup, you’ll need to gather the following:

  • For the current quarter:
    Collect individual paystubs for each active and dismissed employee.

  • For previous quarters in the same calendar year:
    Collect quarterly payroll summaries for each employee.


Key Definitions

  • Check Date: The day the employee was actually paid.

    • This determines your tax liability and is the date you'll enter when reporting previous payrolls.

  • Pay Period: The range of time the employee worked for a specific paycheck.

Example: If an employee worked Dec 15 – Dec 31 and was paid on Jan 15, the pay period is Dec 15 – Dec 31, and the check date is Jan 15.


Reimbursements

These are non-taxable payments for business-related expenses.

📌 Note: If no reimbursements were paid, leave the reimbursement field blank when entering prior payrolls.


How to Enter Previous Payrolls During Account Setup

  1. Go to Settings → Admin → Payments & Finances → Payroll.

  2. Click the dropdown menu by Gusto Onboarding Form.

  3. Select Historical/Previous Payroll Data, then click Open.

  4. Add all dismissed employees who received paychecks in 2025, if applicable.

  5. Click Continue.

  6. Click Add Previous Payroll.

  7. Enter the:

    • Check Date

    • Pay Period Start and End Dates

  8. Input the employee’s:

    • Earnings

    • Deductions

    • Reimbursements (if any)

  9. Click Save and Continue.

  10. Review tax and contribution amounts.


If Tax Amounts Don’t Match Your Records

  • Click Edit tax amounts to adjust Federal Income Tax (FIT) or State Income Tax (SIT).

  • If State Unemployment Insurance (SUI) is incorrect:

    • Go to Tax Setup → Manage taxes under the applicable state.

    • Ensure your SUI rate is accurate for the period.

  • If the wrong state taxes are being calculated:

    • Review employee address history and effective dates in Gusto.


Confirm and Submit

  1. Choose which taxes you want Gusto to debit and pay on your behalf.

    • For previous quarters that Gusto didn’t file, only FUTA can be debited (as it’s paid annually).

  2. On the Review and Submit page:

    • Confirm the total payroll amount

    • Confirm the check date

    • Confirm the taxes Gusto will pay

  3. If everything looks correct, click Save and Continue.

  4. If anything needs to be edited, click Back.

  5. Repeat the process for each check date.


Final Review

On the check date summary page:

  • Ensure the total net pay matches your year-to-date report from your previous payroll provider.

  • If it doesn't:

    • Review the total next to each check date.

    • Click Edit for any incorrect entry to review and adjust.

📌 Note: The amount listed under “Taxes Gusto will pay” will be debited when you run your first payroll through Gusto.

✅ When all entries are complete, click I’m done.


What You’ll Need

Before entering payroll history, gather:

  • Quarter-to-date (QTD) paystub information from each prior quarter for:

    • Active and dismissed employees paid this year.

  • Individual paystubs from the current quarter for:

    • Active and dismissed employees.


🛟 Need more help?

Explore our Help Center articles for answers. Contact us for further assistance.

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