Syncing Payroll Data

The article outlines the process for syncing payroll data in BambooHR, detailing the necessary information fields for companies and employees to ensure accurate payroll processing. It includes sections on company and employee data, emphasizing required fields such as employee identification, job details, and tax information. The guide explains the steps to initiate the sync, which begins by clicking "Start Payroll" in the Payroll tab, followed by validation of company, employee, and address data. It highlights the importance of correcting any errors before proceeding. The article also specifies criteria for employee inclusion in the payroll sync, focusing on active employees and those with final pay dates tied to the current pay cycle. For further assistance, links to additional resources are provided.

  • Apr 27, 2026
  • Knowledge

Title
Syncing Payroll Data
Article Text
Syncing payroll data is part of Payroll that is an add-on feature.

What data in BambooHR syncs with payroll, and how do I sync it?

Purpose: This guide lists all of the information fields that are included and required for your company and employees to sync before running payroll. You will also learn how to sync the payroll information in BambooHR.

Table of Contents

Check out our Payroll Data Sync FAQ guide for more information on handling payroll data in BambooHR. 

Syncing Payroll Data Overview

When starting a new payroll run, a data sync will need to take place for certain information in BambooHR to sync with payroll. This sync will only pull data for the employees being paid in the pay schedule you are running payroll for. 

The data validation step will read BambooHR data in three steps: Company Information, Employee Information, and Address Validation. This is to ensure Payroll has received all the necessary information to run an accurate payroll for your company and capture any updates from the previous pay cycle. See what data will sync within each category below. 

Company Data

Company Location:

  • Location ID
  • Location Name
  • Address Street 1
  • Address Street 2
  • City
  • State
  • Zip

Company Employment Status:

  • Employment Status ID
  • Employment Status Name
  • Employment Status ACA Values

Company Departments:

  • Department ID
  • Department Name

Company Divisions:

  • Division ID
  • Division Name

Company Deductions: Once there is an enrollment record on a plan or an employee deduction for a non-benefit deduction type:

  • Plan Name
  • Plan Starts
  • Plan Ends
  • Deduction Type (uses Payroll Deduction, Plan Type, Reportable on W-2)

Company Time Off:

  • Active Time Off Categories that are set to sync with Payroll.

Employee Data

More of a hands-on learner? Click here to enroll in a BambooHR Learning Course that will walk you through how the fields on the employee's Job tab sync to Payroll.

The fields marked with an asterisk (*) are required to run payroll. 

Employee Record (Personal tab):

  • Employee Number*  
  • Employee First Name*
  • Employee Last name*
  • Address Line 1*
  • Address Line 2
  • State*
  • City*
  • Zip*
  • Country* (required for US only)
  • Pay Schedule ID
  • Social Security Number*
  • Birth Date*
  • Email
  • Gender*
  • Marital Status*

Employee Job Information (Job tab): 

  • Effective Date*
  • Job Title
  • Hire Date*
  • Termination Date (if applicable)
  • Employment Status Effective Date*
  • Employment Status*
  • Employee Tax Type*: This field is part of the Employment Status table but also on the Pay Info tab with the tax information (View Only).
    • Options include W2, S Corp - 2% Shareholder, 1099, Expatriate, and H- 1B Visa.
    • This field will default based on the employment status selected. If the employee is Full-time, Part-time, or without a status selected, it will default to W2. If Contractor is selected, it will default to 1099. If a custom employment status is selected, it will still default to W2, but you will see a prompt to confirm the tax type.

Employee Demographic (Job tab):

  • Division: If you do not have divisions within your organization, you will need to create “None” as a division and assign it to each of your employees so that the field is not left empty.
  • Location*: The Location field is within the Job History table and is used to determine which state tax withholding fields will be displayed on each employee profile within the Pay Info tab. All locations within your BambooHR account must have an associated address or be marked as Remote.
  • Department: If you do not have departments within your organization, you will need to create “None” as a department and assign it to each of your employees so that the field is not left empty.  

Employee Compensation (Job tab):

  • Compensation Start Date*
  • Compensation End Date*: This is the only field that can be left blank for active employees. Inactive employees will need a date entered in this field.
  • Pay Schedule*
  • Pay Type*: Must choose Commission only, Hourly, or Salary, even if the employee is a 1099 contract worker.
    • If you use Commission only, you will need to add the commission amounts as extra pay in payroll.
  • Pay Rate*: USD currency only.
  • Paid Per*: Must be a standard rate such as Per Hour for hourly employees or Per Year for salaried employees. This must match the corresponding pay type. Per Pay Period and Per Piece are not valid for payroll.
  • Overtime Status (Exempt/Non-Exempt)*
  • Overtime Rate (only if Salary Non-Exempt)*: This field is only required if the Pay Type is Salary and the Overtime Status is Non-Exempt. USD currency only.

Employee Taxes (Pay Info tab): 

  • Federal Withholding (Post 2020 Version)
    • Federal Filing Status
    • Federal Exemption
    • Ignore Filing Status/Other Adjustments
    • Works Two Jobs or Spouse Works
    • Dependents Amount
    • Other Income
    • Deductions Amount
    • Extra Withholding
    • FICA Exempt
    • FUTA Exempt
  • Federal Withholding (Pre-2020 Version)
    • Federal Filing Status
    • Federal Exemption
    • Federal Withholding Additional Type
    • Federal Withholding Additional Amount
    • Exemption for Federal Withholding
    • FICA Exempt
    • FUTA Exempt
  • State Withholding:
    • State Tax Withholding Location
    • State for Withholding
    • State Filing Status
    • State Exemption
    • State Withholding Additional Type
    • State Withholding Additional Amount
    • Exemption for State
    • Additional State Tax Fields & Additional State Tax Options (available and required on a per-state basis)
  • State Unemployment Insurance:
    • Unemployment Insurance Location
    • State UI Exempt
    • State for UI
    • Address type - Work
    • Location - Work
    • State UI Type

Employee Direct Deposit (Pay Info tab):

  • Bank Start Date
  • Bank End Date (if applicable)
  • Calculation Type
  • Account Type
  • Account Number
  • Routing Number
  • Amount
  • Display Order

Employee Time Off (Time Off tab):

  • Time Off Categories that employees are assigned to (which will be any Time Off Categories active for payroll)
  • Any adjustments to time off accruals and balances for employees (manual adjustments and using our time off importer)
  • Please note that edits made to employee hours (on their Time Off tab) with an effective date within the pay period AND a recorded date before the current payroll is approved will sync the current payroll. Hours effective after the pay period (including those that are part of a request that starts within the period) are not included in the current payroll. If edits are made during the payroll run, you must reset the payroll to sync the new time off data. Click here for more information!

Holidays in BambooHR are not a part of Time Off. Holiday hours can be manually imported using our hours importer.

Interested in your Holiday information automatically syncing to Payroll? Check out our Time & Attendance add-on!

Employee Deduction (Pay Info tab or Benefits tab):

  • ACA Status*: This applies if your account has ACA tracking enabled.
  • Benefit Deductions:
    • Deduction Name
      • Uses Plan Name for non-roll-up plans
      • Uses generic name for roll-up plans
    • Associated Company Deduction ID
    • Deduction Start Date (calculated using enrollment date and deduction schedule rule)
    • Deduction End Date (calculated using enrollment date and deduction schedule rule)
    • Employee Amount
    • Employee Amount Type
    • Employee Cap Amount
    • Employee Cap Amount Type
    • Employee Annual Max
    • Employer Amount
    • Employer Amount Type
    • Employer Cap Amount
    • Employer Cap Amount Type
    • Employer Annual Max
  • Non-Benefit Deductions
    • Deduction Name
    • Associated Company Deduction ID
    • Deduction Start Date
    • Deduction End Date
    • Employee Amount
    • Employee Amount Type
    • Employee Cap Amount
    • Employee Cap Amount Type
    • Employee Annual Max
    • Employer Amount
    • Employer Amount Type
    • Employer Cap Amount
    • Employer Cap Amount Type
    • Employer Annual Max
    • Payee
    • Case Number
    • Remittance ID
    • Case Description

Initiating the sync

To initiate the data sync in BambooHR, navigate to the Payroll tab and click Start Payroll in the pay schedule information box. Once you click on this button, the BambooHR company, employee, and address data will be validated. If payroll errors are discovered during this process in any of those three categories, you will need to fix those errors before moving on. Once you fix these payroll errors and pass the validation process by clicking Start Payroll again, you will automatically be taken to the Edit page, where you can begin setting up your payroll. For more information on Start Payroll, visit this help guide.

It is important to note that a payroll cannot be officially considered started or open until you have completed the entire data sync process. If you exit the sync at any point before finishing, you will be required to initiate the sync the next time you begin to run payroll. Once all steps of the process are complete, you won't need to sync your data again when re-opening the same payroll run unless that payroll run is reset.

Which employees will be included in the payroll sync?

The following is required in order to have an employee included in the sync. Please note that 1 and 2 must be true in order to include the employee in the Payroll:

  1. Employees who are currently assigned to the Pay Schedule associated with the Pay Cycle being processed for payroll.
  2. Active employees who have a hire date included in, or prior to the dates of the pay period. These employees must also have active compensation and demographic records.
  3. Terminated employees who have a final pay date that is tied to either the pay cycle being processed or a future set final pay date.
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