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How To Format Your Census File For Uploads

Updated

Below is the list of column headers that appear on the census grid or census template, accompanied by a brief definition & correct data format.

SSN

  • Social Security Number of the employee.
  • All employees must have a valid SSN. If any of your employees do not have a valid SSN or if an employee is showing an incorrect SSN, please contact clientsucess@vestwell.com.
  • Required for all employees.
  • Format = xxx-xx-xxxx

Last Name

  • Last name of the employee.
  • Required for all employees.
  • If the Last Name of an employee is showing incorrectly, please contact clientsucess@vestwell.com.
  • Format = Text

First Name

  • First name of the employee.
  • Required for all employees.
  • If the First Name of an employee is showing incorrectly, please contact clientsucess@vestwell.com.
  • Format = Text

Date of Birth

  • Birthdate of the employee.
  • Required for all employees.
  • If the Date of Birth of an employee is showing incorrectly, please contact clientsucess@vestwell.com.
  • Format = Date

Date of Hire

  • Date the employee was originally hired.
  • Required for all employees.
  • Format = Date

Date of Termination 1

  • The date that the employee was terminated. 
  • If an employee has been rehired and subsequently terminated again, provide the oldest Date of Termination.    
  • Not required for all employees.
  • Format = Date

Date of Rehire

  • Date the employee, was rehired.
  • If an employee has been rehired multiple times, provide the most recent Date of Rehire.  
  • Not required for all employees.
  • Format = Date

Date of Termination 2

  • If an employee has been rehired and subsequently terminated again, provide the most recent Date of Termination.    
  • Not required for all employees.
  • Format = Date

Hours  

  • Total number of hours worked by the employee during the plan year.  
  • Required for all employees (if your payroll system does not track hours, estimate the equivalent hours worked.)
  • Format = Numeric

Gross Compensation

  • Generally, gross compensation for the entire 12 months of the plan year.   
  • For self-employed owner-employees, please provide net income-eligible for pension (net of employer contributions); please contact us if additional assistance is required.
  • If the plan existed for the entire year but was only with Vestwell for part of the year, please include compensation for the entire plan year.  
  • Required for all employees.
  • Format = Numeric

Prior Year Gross Compensation

  • Gross Compensation for the 12 months prior to the beginning of the plan year.    
  • The amount should be for the entire 12-month period prior to the beginning of the plan year, regardless of whether the plan was with Vestwell or existed at all for any or all of that period.    
  • This amount is used to determine whether the employee should be classified as a Highly Compensated Employee (HCE) for certain testing purposes.

*If you started with Vestwell during the 2021 year & did not provide us with the prior year's compensation, your compliance package & testing results may not be accurate and a $150 per hour revision fee will apply.

  • If an employee was not at the company in the year prior to the plan year, this amount can be $0.  
  • Not required for all employees.
  • Format = Numeric

Pre-Tax Contribution

  • The total pre-tax 401(k) contribution the employee made to the plan during the plan year. 
  • Include pre-tax catch-up contributions if applicable.
  • Not required for all employees.
  • Format = Numeric

Roth Contribution

  • The total Roth 401(k) contribution the employee made to the plan during the plan year. 
  • Include Roth catch-up contributions if applicable.
  • Not required for all employees.
  • Format = Numeric

Employer Discretionary Match

  • The amount the employer contributed to the employee's account during the plan year.
  • This does not include Safe Harbor Contributions, Profit Sharing, or any other contributions that have not yet been funded.
  • Not required for all employees.
  • Format = Numeric

Employer Safe Harbor Contribution

  • The amount the employer contributed to the employee's account as a Safe Harbor match or nonelective contribution. 
  • This does not include any contributions that have not yet been funded. 
  • Not required for all employees.
  • Format = Numeric

Profit-Sharing Contribution

  • The amount the employer contributed to the employee’s account as a Profit-Sharing Contribution.
  • This does not include any contributions that have not yet been funded. 
  • Not required for all employees.
  • Format = Numeric

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