Quarter-end is a critical time for businesses, especially for payroll departments. It requires careful preparation to ensure that the quarter-end process runs smoothly, and filings are successful. In this article, we'll provide a comprehensive guide to help payroll clients prepare effectively for quarter-end.
Review pending tasks
It's essential to review pending tasks related to your Fingercheck setup that are necessary for a successful quarter-end. These tasks serve as alerts for users about missing tax IDs and agreements that still require signatures, such as POAs (Power of Attorney).
You can view your pending tasks from the Fingercheck admin dashboard by clicking pending tasks.
Missing state tax ID
If you notice a task about a missing state tax ID, click "Update Now" to enter it. You’ll be redirected to that tax jurisdiction to add your tax ID.
After you finish adding your tax ID, don’t forget to submit your notice showing your rate or frequency.
For more details about adding your tax ID, check out How to Add a State Tax ID
Pending agreements
All documents including agreements and Power of Attorneys (POA) should be signed by the owner or an executive officer of the company.
You can quickly access all agreements needing to be signed from the pending tasks. Go ahead and select Go to Agreements to sign these forms.
Update an unemployment rate
You can update your unemployment rate in Fingercheck under Tax Jurisdictions. Select the state to edit, and enter the new rate.
Submit a withholding frequency notice of change
Upon receiving a notice of change for your withholding account, please forward it to Fingercheck promptly. We'll review and update your withholding tax deposit frequency accordingly.
Use the Submit Notice feature to submit a copy of your notice of change that includes your withholding tax deposit frequency.
Assign Third-Party Administrators (TPA)
Don't forget to assign TPA before the quarter ends to keep your filings running smoothly in states that need it. TPA should be assigned no later than the last day of the quarter.
Below is a list of states requiring TPA:
Tax Code | Agency | Agent ID |
Alabama Department of Labor | 7770006630 | |
Arizonal Department of Economic Security | PRTXMGMT | |
Colorado Paid Family Leave | 1015721400 | |
Colorado Department of Revenue | 1586 | |
District of Columbia State Unemployment/Paid Family Leave | DC4W8N | |
Florida Department of Labor | A0008566 | |
Iowa Department of Labor | R2544682 | |
Illinois Department of Labor | APTM001 | |
Illinois Department of Revenue | 45844 | |
Indiana Department of Labor | 122145 | |
Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance | 111791 | |
Maryland Department of Labor | MD5Z5P | |
Minnesota Department of Labor | AG020621 | |
Minnesota Department of Revenue | 6980192 | |
New Mexico Department of labor | 500002993 | |
Nevada Department of Labor | 0000109083 | |
Ohio Department of Labor | 6000012777 | |
South Carolina Department of Labor | SC4S7B |
Assign a Standard Occupation Classification (SOC) code to employees
Certain states require employers to report the SOC code to their state unemployment agency to assess eligibility for benefits.
Below is a list of states requiring SOC codes to be included with filings:
State | Requirement | Additional Information |
Requires employers to provide a geographic code and occupational code for their employees. | Geographic codes represent where the employee works the majority of their time. Occupational codes are six-digits that are assigned based on the employee’s work. | |
Optional for employers to assign and report employee SOC codes with payroll tax reports. | Employers who choose to report employee SOC codes can follow the federal guidelines. | |
Requires employers to assign SOC codes to employees. | Employers follow the federal guidelines for SOC codes. | |
Requires employers to assign SOC codes to employees. | Use South Carolina's SOC code lookup tool. | |
Requires employers to assign SOC codes to employees. | Employees who are exempt from WA unemployment are not required to assign SOC codes. | |
Requires employers to assign SOC codes to employees. | Employers follow the federal guidelines for SOC codes. |
Quarter-End checklist
Company
Pending tasks: Missing tax ID
Pending tasks: Pending agreements
Update unemployment rate starting Q1 (NJ, NH, TN, and VT send rate notices mid-year)
Send withholding frequency notice of change
Assign TPAs
Employee
Assign SOC code
Thank you for using Fingercheck. If you have any questions on this article's topic, you can reach out to our team at 1-800-610-9501 or use the chat option below.