FederalPublished 09/02/2026 1 min read
How to switch payroll providers mid-year without breaking your W-2s
You can change payroll companies any quarter. The key is a clean year-to-date import and a handoff of agency accounts.
Best timing
The start of a quarter is cleanest, but any pay period works if year-to-date wages and taxes are imported accurately.
What your new provider needs
Employee YTD wages, withholding and deductions by pay type.
Copies of filed 941s and state returns for the year.
Agency account numbers and online access (EFTPS, state DOR, state unemployment).
What RightPay does for you
Imports YTD data, reconciles it to your prior filings and flags variances before the first run.
Handles third-party administrator authorizations with the IRS and state agencies.
Runs a parallel test payroll so paychecks match to the penny before go-live.