How To Format Your Census File For Uploads

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