Payroll reporting template

Use this payroll reporting template to generate accurate, compliant payroll reports for your US-based employees. Whether you’re a growing startup in the states or a scaling global business, this structure helps you stay on top of payroll taxes, employee pay summaries, and reporting obligations.

What is a payroll report?

A payroll report is a comprehensive summary of wages, tax withholdings, and contributions for a specific pay period. It helps you:

• Ensure compliance with federal and state requirements
• Track payroll costs and employee compensation
• Support end-of-year reporting and audits
• Verify payments to employees and government agencies
  
  

Sample payroll report for US employers

This template can be used for each payroll run or consolidated monthly/quarterly.

1. Payroll summary (per pay period)

Always ensure that this summary is matched to your payroll register and accounting system.

2. Employee-level payroll register

For each employee, be sure to include:

• Their federal income tax
• Their Social Security and Medicare (FICA) contributions
• Their state (and/or local) taxes (if applicable)
• Their pre-tax benefits (e.g., health insurance, 401(k))
• Your employer contributions (e.g., FUTA, SUTA, FICA match)
  
  

3. Tax liability report

Note: Ensure that you're depositing these amounts according to your Internal Revenue Service (IRS) deposit schedule (i.e., monthly, semi-weekly, or next-day).

4. Withholding and benefits summary (YTD optional)

5. Documents to generate and file

Ensure you generate and file the following documents and forms:

• Employee pay stubs
• IRS Form 941 (Quarterly Federal Tax Return)
• IRS Form 940 (Annual FUTA Tax Return)
• State unemployment tax returns (varies by state)
• State/local income tax filings
• W-2 forms (annually)

If necessary, check your state labour department for specific filing schedules.

See also: The employer’s guide to payroll tax forms in the US

Common mistakes to avoid

Some of the most common mistakes employers make when reporting payroll include:

• Missing SUTA registrations in remote employee states
• Filing Form 941 late (or with incorrect tax amounts)
• Underreporting pre-tax deductions like 401(k) or HSA
• Not updating payroll reports after employee status changes
  
  

Want to simplify and speed up this process?

Payroll reports are essential, but — as you can see — they’re time-consuming and easy to get wrong. So why not let Remote handle your US payroll reporting for you?

From tax calculations and filings to employee pay summaries and year-end forms, Remote helps ensure every payroll report is accurate, timely, and compliant. Whether you're hiring one person in your hometown or entire teams across the country, Remote enables you to:

• Avoid costly tax penalties or missed deadlines
• Ensure employees and contractors are paid correctly
• Get audit-ready reports with zero hassle

To learn more about how Remote can help, speak to one of our friendly experts today.