Before you can run your first payroll, you'll need to complete your company setup, enter your tax information, and establish your pay schedule in Giv.
This article walks you through the payroll setup wizard, where to manage your Payroll Settings after setup, and what to expect if you're switching from another payroll provider.
Step 1: Completing the Setup Wizard
Payroll setup is completed through a three-step wizard. Your progress saves automatically, so you can exit the setup process and return to it later.
1. Complete Your Company Details
Enter your company information, connect the bank account used to fund payroll, add your work locations, complete your tax setup, and authorize tax filings.
Have the following information available:
Federal EIN
State unemployment insurance account number
State withholding account number
State demand deposit account number, if required by your state
Current state unemployment tax rate
A recent tax verification document, such as your most recent state quarterly unemployment report or a recent Form 941
Confirmation of tax-exempt status, if you're a nonprofit
Important: You'll also need to grant Giv third-party administrator access through your state's system. This allows Giv to file and pay your payroll taxes on your behalf.
2. Set Up Your Pay Schedule
Choose how often you pay your staff and configure your pay schedule.
Giv supports weekly, biweekly, semimonthly, monthly, quarterly, and annual pay frequencies. You can also have more than one pay schedule at the same time.
3. Add Staff to Payroll
Import your employees and contractors to get them set up for payroll.
Note: You can skip the staff import step if you don't have a file ready. You can add staff later from Staff Management. See Managing Staff for Payroll for more information.
Step 2: Reviewing Payroll Settings
After you've completed the setup wizard, Timesheets in the left menu will become Payroll.
In Payroll, select Settings from the slide-out menu to manage your payroll settings. You'll find seven tabs:
Company info
Workplaces — Add workplaces and view any tax requirements associated with each state.
Taxes
Pay schedule — Manage your pay schedules and pay frequencies.
Bank accounts — Connect or remove the accounts used to fund payroll.
Pay differentials
Holiday
Note: See Setting Up Pay Differentials, Overtime, and Holidays for more information about configuring overtime rules, pay differentials, and holiday pay.
Step 3: Prepare For Your First Payroll
Before running your first payroll, make sure you've:
Completed the payroll setup wizard
Added your employees and contractors
Assigned staff members to the appropriate pay schedules
Completed your tax setup and filing authorization
Connected the bank account used to fund payroll
Configured any applicable pay rules, differentials, and holidays
If you're switching from another payroll provider, you'll also need to complete the payroll history transfer described below.
Switching from Another Payroll Provider
If you're moving to Giv from another payroll provider, your existing payroll history needs to be transferred before you run your first payroll with Giv. Our team will coordinate the transfer with you.
To help keep the transfer moving, be prepared to provide:
Access to your previous payroll provider, when requested
Full payroll detail for each completed quarter of the current year
Payroll detail for each pay date already processed in the current quarter
A final payroll export from your previous system after your last payroll run
Your current active employee roster
Existing benefit and deduction elections, including rates or amounts, annual limits, and whether each is pre-tax or post-tax
Garnishment or support order documentation, if applicable
Note: A standard payroll transition typically takes about two weeks once your setup and staff information are complete. More complex transitions — such as those involving a large team, multiple states, or a previous system without direct data access — may take six weeks or more. Your account team can provide a more specific estimate based on your situation.