If you would like to upload your payroll file instead of entering your employee information manually, please follow the steps below. If you have many employees or are downloading a contribution file from your payroll system, uploading a file may be the best approach. To create the file, you can also download a template pre-populated with the employee data. If you prefer to enter your employee contributions manually within the portal, please see our article “How To Submit Your Contributions Manually.”
To begin - log on to your employer portal:
Here you can see the employee list and their status, e.g., Eligible, Ineligible, Active, Pending, or Opted Out. Note: Only eligible employees will show on your payroll contribution screen. If you do not see an employee listed here, you may need to add the employee by clicking on the “Add Employee” button. If you need some help, please see our article on Adding New Employees.
Please follow the below instructions to upload your file:
- Navigate to your contribution dashboard (click the contribution tab to the left of your screen)
- Click on “Start Contributions” to be redirected to the contributions page for your selected pay date.
Formatting Your Contribution File:
For the best experience uploading a contributions file, please follow the following guidelines:
- Your file must be in Excel or CSV format,
- Your file is required to have columns that contain:
- Social Security Number (SSN) - Formatted with or without dashes
- Name - First and Last name, and must be in two separate columns
- Roth Contribution - You will need to calculate the dollar equivalent of the employees’ selected percentage.
- If you have other columns on your payroll file, that’s okay; those will be ignored in the upload process. Just be sure to include the four (4) required columns noted above.
- Be sure the information on your file matches the information on the Employees page of your portal. Missing information or other errors will restrict you from continuing until all are corrected. To learn more about how to format your contribution file, click here.
Once your file is formatted correctly, you are ready to begin:
- Click on “Upload Payroll File”
- Select the appropriate file from your device’s File Manager or Finder.
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To continue, please click on the blue “Save & Validate” button.
Notice that if the button is still gray, there may be missing or incorrect information, or you may need to tab out of the last field you typed in.
During the upload process, your upload file is evaluated and validated in stages.
First, your file will be evaluated to determine if the four (4) required columns are present. During this step, we’ll attempt to map commonly used column headers to our required headers. In that process, if the required columns are not detected, you will be given a chance to map your column names to the required columns.
This pop-up feature provides you the opportunity to match the required fields to your files column header by clicking from the “select” drop-down box. You’ll be able to verify that each required column is correctly mapped to your data.
For example, while we are looking for a column header of “SSN,” your file may have that data in a column named “SocSec#.” Click on the drop-down to see a list of column headers from your file. In this example, you’ll choose the column name “SocSec#, and then move on to the next mapping. Do this until all required fields have a correct mapping to your file, then press “Continue.” This step will be bypassed if all required column headers are systemically detected.
It may take several seconds for your file to upload.
Next, the system evaluates the data in the file based on these criteria:
- Group 1: SSN issues (missing, duplicate, bad format, invalid)
- Group 2: Missing Names
- Group 3: Unrecognized Employee
If there are errors in the uploaded data, the problematic fields will be highlighted in red. During this step, errors are based on missing or malformatted data and unrecognized employees. You will not be able to proceed to the next step until all red boxes are resolved. Please note that the number of errors is summarized at the top right of the screen. As you correct errors, the error count will go down.
Continue to work through all errors on the screen until the error count is “0” and the “Send & Validate” button is active and blue.
- On the contribution grid you can sort any column by clicking on that column header (please see the below image). After you enter the contribution values, click on the column header and you will see an arrow up or down. Click again on the same column header to change the direction of the sorting. This feature is applicable to all column headers.
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The columns will sort by:
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Greatest value to least value
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Least to greatest value
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After clicking “Send & Validate,” the system reviews the validity of the contributions. Several validations take place during this step that may result in “Unallowed Contributions.”
If one or more of your contributions triggers a validation error, you will see another page showing “Unallowed Contributions,” explaining each error triggered for each employee.
Unallowed contributions will be removed from the final contribution. The Unallowed Contribution page will show you the amounts that will be removed for each impacted employee. This could be all or part of a contribution. It is your responsibility to return any un-allowable contributions back to the appropriate employee(s). Once you’ve reviewed this screen, you will need to click “Send & Continue” to continue with this contribution. You may also choose to “Cancel Submission” if you decide not to proceed.
Finally, you will be directed to the “Review Submission” screen.
Here you will be able to do the following:
- Confirm the total amount of your contributions
- Verify your remittance instructions
- Review Contribution Adjustments & Details
Lastly, from here, you have three options:
- Complete the Submission - This submits your contributions instructions to credit funds to employee IRA accounts
- Edit the Submission - This takes you back to the Contribution Grid, allowing you to make changes to the submission
- Or Cancel the Submission - This action cancels the contribution altogether
Please note: If you have multiple pay groups, you must submit a payroll contribution submission for each pay group separately.
When you have completed your submission successfully, you will see the below screen!
You will be directed back to the Contributions home page, where you will see your next expected payroll submission date and the status of your pending submission.
At the bottom of your screen, in the "History" area, you will see your payroll contribution submission(s). Click the date of the submission (in blue) if you wish to review it.
If your submission still shows as “Processing,” you still have the opportunity to cancel or edit it.
Once the status shows as “Delivered,” you will no longer be able to make any changes. The processing step will take at least an hour (during regular business hours). We know last-minute changes may be needed; this window of time should provide you with the cushion you need to make those corrections.
If you need to make changes to your banking information, please see our article about Bank Accounts.
Email Confirmation
After each contribution is delivered, you will receive an email confirmation for your records.
- Sample email for employers with a disclosed payroll schedule:
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Sample email for employers without a declared payroll schedule: