When a business moves to an accountant using Payroll Relief, the handoff needs to cover unfinished work as well as employee data. Identify which firm owns the last payroll under the old arrangement, the first payroll under the new one and any earlier-period work that remains open.
AccountantsWorld advertises importing employee and prior-payroll information. That capability does not establish that every record, authorization or historical responsibility transfers automatically. Payroll Relief product overview
The employer’s role is to coordinate a clear boundary and obtain confirmation that the incoming firm has what it needs.
Define the boundary in writing
Identify the last payroll the outgoing firm will handle and the first one assigned to the incoming firm. Use specific periods and pay dates.
Then list work that does not fit neatly within that boundary. Tax filings, annual statements, notices and corrections may relate to earlier payrolls but require action after the new service begins.
Assign an owner to each open item. Do not rely on both firms assuming the other will handle it.
Agree what records will be delivered
Ask the incoming firm for its required record list and approved transfer method. Coordinate with the outgoing firm so the information is delivered in a usable form.
The list should be based on the actual transition, not a generic promise to “send everything.” Identify the relevant employer entities, employees and periods, along with the reports needed to establish opening information.
Keep confidential records within approved systems. An ordinary editorial contact or public file-sharing link is not an appropriate destination for payroll exports.
Ask for reconciliation, not only import confirmation
A message saying that records were imported establishes one step. Ask how the incoming firm checked the information against the source.
Consider a hypothetical year-to-date wage total of $120,000 in the outgoing records and $118,500 in the proposed opening records. The $1,500 difference needs an explanation before the employer treats the transfer as reconciled.
Matching the total also does not prove that each employee’s record is correct. Ask the firm what employee-level and category-level checks it performed.
This example illustrates a review question. It does not prescribe the software’s migration method or the treatment of a particular payroll item.
Coordinate instructions that affect future activity
Discuss scheduled payments, outstanding filings and employee access with both firms. Establish which actions need to end, which need to begin and who confirms the change.
Do not cancel services or authorizations blindly while related work remains unresolved. Follow the coordinated transition instructions applicable to the actual arrangements.
If both firms use Payroll Relief, do not assume that accounts or records move automatically between them. Obtain a specific explanation of the proposed handoff.
Make the first review deliberate
For the first payroll under the new service, allow the employer reviewer to compare the prepared result with the approved inputs and reconciled opening information.
Focus on known changes and items that were difficult to transfer. Resolve questions before giving an approval that could be interpreted more broadly than intended.
The employer approval guide provides the review structure. Confirm the new firm’s funding instructions separately rather than continuing to rely on the previous schedule.
Preserve access to earlier-period support
Before ending the outgoing relationship, clarify how the employer will obtain old records and request assistance with an earlier period. Agree the relevant contact, available service and any charges.
Assign annual-form responsibilities explicitly. The W-2 correction guide explains why an issue discovered later still needs someone who can trace the underlying records.
The transition is ready when the business can explain who owns the next payroll and who owns the work left behind.