Toast Payroll: Quarter-End Checklist

Last updated: Jun 5, 2026, 12:24 PM

Complete every Toast Payroll quarter-end task before the three-business-day deadline so we can file accurate quarterly returns.

Toast Payroll may not be able to file certain taxes on your behalf if we are missing any employer identification number (EIN) or Social Security number (SSN) information before the end of the quarter. To review anything we may be missing, see Toast Payroll: Manage Payroll Taxes.

 

In this Article:

 

Before You Begin

Applies to: Toast Payroll

 

Permissions needed:

HR+ user role in Toast Payroll for employer quarter-end tasks such as tax accounts, voids, and off-cycle requests. Employees can confirm their own Social Security number, name, and address from their own login.

 

What you'll accomplish: Complete every quarter-end task that affects your quarterly tax filing before the deadline, so Toast Payroll can file accurate returns on your behalf and you avoid amendments and fees.

 

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Quick Fix: Which Quarter-End Task Do You Need?

Quarter-end questions usually come down to one task. Find your situation in the table, then go to the matching section below for the steps.

 

SymptomMost Common CauseQuick Fix
Something on an already-run payroll is wrong and the quarter is still openThe error can be reversed within the same quarterRequest a void and re-record the correct amount on a pay cycle in the same quarter
Something on an already-filed or prior-quarter payroll is wrongThe quarter has closed, so the filing must be correctedContact Toast Customer Care to start an amendment (a fee usually applies)
Wages, taxes, or an SSN are wrong on a Form W-2The Form W-2 needs a refresh or an amendmentSee Toast Payroll: Get Help With Form W-2 Amendments
An employee's Social Security number is missing or incorrectThe SSN must be present and accurate before filingVerify and update the SSN in Toast Payroll before the deadline
You received a notice or letter from a state tax agencyA tax account number, rate, or payment frequency may be out of dateVerify your tax account information, then contact Toast Customer Care with the notice
You need to pay a bonus, severance, or correction outside your normal pay cycleThe payment needs a different check date than your regular payrollRequest an off-cycle payroll before the deadline
Group term life, third-party sick pay, fringe benefits, or S-corp premiums need to be on the Form W-2These earnings must be recorded on a payroll within the calendar yearRecord additional earnings (these can be spread across multiple quarters)

 

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The Quarter-End Deadline

The deadline to post any change to data recorded on the quarterly tax filings is three business days following the end of the quarter. This applies to any check date within the calendar quarter, regardless of the pay period dates.

 

After the fourth business day following the end of the quarter, changes to the data in the sections below require an amendment or correction to your tax filings, or amendments to employee Form W-2s. Additional fees may apply.

 

The quarterly periods for each year are:

  • Q1: January 1st through March 31st
  • Q2: April 1st through June 30th
  • Q3: July 1st through September 30th
  • Q4: October 1st through December 31st

 

Note: Your check date — not your pay period — determines which quarter the wages belong to. Anything processed with a check date in the current quarter is reported in that quarter. To have wages reported in a previous quarter after it has closed, you need an amendment.

 

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If You Need to Correct or Change a Past Payroll

When something on an already-run payroll is wrong, the right fix depends on whether the quarter is still open.

 

If the quarter is still open (you are within three business days following the end of the quarter):

A void cancels the original payroll record and reverses its earnings, taxes, and deductions. Re-record the correct amount on a pay cycle that has a check date in the same quarter. See the void section below.

 

If the quarter has already closed:

Removing or re-recording earnings or deductions from a previous quarter requires an amendment and usually a fee. Contact Toast Customer Care to begin.

 

If the error is on a Form W-2:

A name or address error is fixed with a refresh, and an SSN, wage, or tax error is fixed with an amendment. For the refresh-versus-amendment decision, the fee, and how to request one, see Toast Payroll: Get Help With Form W-2 Amendments.

 

If an employee was missed or paid the wrong amount on a submitted payroll:

A Quick Calc, off-cycle payroll, or future payroll may be the better path than a void. See Toast Payroll: Missed Employee or Missed Pay on Payroll.

 

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If You Need to Void a Check Before the Quarter Closes

A void in Toast Payroll cancels a payroll record and reverses the earnings, taxes, and deductions of the original transaction. A voided record also keeps that paycheck off the employee's Form W-2.

 

Because voids affect taxes that are filed quarterly, a void must be recorded on a pay cycle with a check date in the same quarter as the original transaction. Voids must be initiated no later than three business days following the end of the quarter. If the quarter has closed, an amendment is needed instead.

 

To request a void, contact Toast Customer Care by selecting the blue chat button in the lower-right corner of any Toast Payroll page. If you do not have another pay cycle left in the quarter, an off-cycle payroll can be set up to carry the void.

 

For when a void applies, what information to provide, and how the void appears on your payroll, see Toast Payroll: Request a Void.

 

Expected outcome: Your void is recorded on a check date in the same quarter, so your quarterly filing reflects the correct amounts.

 

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If You Need to Verify Employee Social Security Numbers

To report employee wages as part of our tax filing services, every employee Social Security number (SSN) must be present and accurate in Toast Payroll before the deadline of three business days following the end of the quarter.

 

Many states will not accept returns that contain missing, invalid, or placeholder SSNs. Some states may accept an invalid SSN but charge penalties or require corrections.

 

To stay current on any SSNs or other information we may be missing, regularly visit the Tax Center by navigating to Taxes in Toast Payroll. To review and update SSNs, see Toast Payroll: Get Help With Social Security Numbers. To check whether an SSN is valid, use the Social Security Administration's SSN verification system.

 

Note: If an SSN was wrong on a Form W-2 that has already been filed, correcting it requires a Form W-2 amendment. See Toast Payroll: Get Help With Form W-2 Amendments.

 

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If You Need to Verify State Tax Account Numbers and Rates

Your complete and up-to-date tax information lets Toast Payroll file your company taxes on your behalf. We must have this information by the deadline of three business days following the end of the quarter.

 

If you are unsure of your state tax account numbers, review the charts in Toast Payroll: Register for State Tax Accounts to help you register for or locate a tax account number.

 

If you receive a notice from your state or local tax agency about your state tax account numbers (sometimes called the SIT EIN and SUTA EIN), your state unemployment tax rate, or your payment frequency, navigate to Settings > Payroll > Tax Accounts to enter the updated information. For details on the Tax Accounts page, see Toast Payroll: Get Help With Tax Accounts.

 

Expected outcome: Your state tax account numbers, unemployment rate, and payment frequency are accurate in Toast Payroll before the deadline.

 

Note: An inaccurate unemployment rate is a common cause of a tax variance at quarterly filing or a later agency notice. If you receive a letter saying a quarter was not filed or was filed incorrectly, verify your tax account information, then contact Toast Customer Care with the notice details.

 

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If You Need an Off-Cycle Payroll

Toast Payroll can set up additional payrolls outside of your normal pay cycle timing, known as off-cycle payrolls. Reasons to run an off-cycle payroll include:

  • Paying out a bonus separately from your regular payroll, particularly to tax it differently
  • Paying an item that needs a different check date than your regular check date
  • Making an immediate correction or change to a payment from a regular payroll
  • Paying out a severance or final paycheck

 

To request an off-cycle payroll, select the blue chat button in the lower-right corner of any Toast Payroll page and submit your request before three business days after the quarter ends. For setup details, see Toast Payroll: Set Up and Configure Off-Cycle Payrolls.

 

Expected outcome: Your off-cycle payroll is scheduled with a check date that lands in the correct quarter.

 

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If You Need to Record Additional Earnings on a Form W-2

Any item that needs to appear on the Form W-2 also has to be recorded on a payroll within the calendar year, often alongside other wages. Because of this, these items can be spread out across multiple quarters rather than all at quarter-end. Common items include:

 

To record any of these, contact Toast Customer Care through the blue chat button in the lower-right corner of any Toast Payroll page.

 

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the quarter-end deadline in Toast Payroll?

The quarter-end deadline in Toast Payroll is three business days following the end of the quarter. By that date, post any change to data recorded on the quarterly tax filings, request any voids, verify employee Social Security numbers, and confirm your state tax account information. After the fourth business day, changes require an amendment or correction, and additional fees may apply.

 

Also asked as:

  • When is the quarter-end payroll deadline?
  • How long do I have to make changes after the quarter ends?
  • What's the cutoff for quarterly tax changes?

 

How do I correct a payroll from a previous quarter?

To correct a payroll from a previous quarter, you need an amendment, because the quarter has already been filed. Contact Toast Customer Care to begin, and note that a fee usually applies. If the quarter is still open, you can request a void and re-record the correct amount on a pay cycle in the same quarter instead.

 

Also asked as:

  • How do I fix an error on a prior quarter?
  • Can I correct errors on a closed quarter?
  • I need to reprocess a previous quarter's payroll.

 

Do I need a void, an off-cycle, or an amendment?

Whether you need a void, an off-cycle payroll, or an amendment depends on the timing. If the quarter is still open, request a void and re-record the correct amount on a pay cycle in the same quarter; if you have no pay cycle left in the quarter, an off-cycle payroll can carry the void. If the quarter has already closed, you need an amendment. For missed pay or a missed employee on a submitted payroll, a quick calc or future payroll may apply — see Toast Payroll: Missed Employee or Missed Pay on Payroll.

 

Also asked as:

  • Should this be a void or an amendment?
  • Void versus off-cycle versus amendment?
  • Which correction method do I use?

 

Did Toast file my quarterly payroll taxes?

Toast Payroll files your quarterly payroll taxes when you used Toast Payroll for the quarter and have complete, accurate tax information on file. If you received a notice from a state agency saying a quarter was not filed, was filed incorrectly, or is past due, verify your tax account information first, then contact Toast Customer Care with the notice details so we can review it.

 

Also asked as:

  • Did Toast pay my FUTA and SUTA for the quarter?
  • I got a letter saying my quarter wasn't filed.
  • Can you confirm you filed and paid last quarter's taxes?

 

Why does an SSN have to be correct before the quarter-end deadline?

An SSN has to be correct before the quarter-end deadline because many states will not accept returns that contain missing, invalid, or placeholder Social Security numbers, and some states charge penalties for invalid ones. Verify and update SSNs in Toast Payroll before the deadline. If an SSN was already wrong on a filed Form W-2, correcting it requires a Form W-2 amendment.

 

Also asked as:

  • Why do you need the employee's SSN?
  • Does a wrong SSN need a W-2 amendment?
  • Employee entered the wrong Social Security number — what do I do?

 

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This content is for informational purposes and is not intended as legal, tax, HR, or any other professional advice. Please contact an attorney or other professional for advice.