How to set up your company in Relay Payroll

NEW: Relay Payroll is available by invitation while it's in beta. Company setup is the first step before you add your team.

To set up your company for Relay Payroll, confirm or enter your legal business name, Federal EIN (FEIN), and signatory, then add your work, mailing, and filing addresses. Relay reviews your account before your first payroll. Enter your legal name and FEIN exactly as registered with the IRS.

What you'll need

Have these ready before you start:

Your exact registered legal business name (and trade name / DBA, if you use one).
Your Federal Employer ID Number (FEIN) not your Social Security number.
Your three addresses: work, mailing, and filing.
Your signatory's details: the person authorized to sign your payroll forms.

FYI: Some of these may already be filled in from your Relay account your legal business name, FEIN, and signatory so you'll review and confirm them instead of typing everything from scratch.

How to set up your company for Relay Payroll

Open payroll setup in Relay and go to your company details.
Confirm or enter your legal business name exactly as it's registered with the IRS. Add your trade name (DBA) if you have one.
Confirm or enter your Federal EIN (FEIN). Relay checks your legal name and FEIN against IRS records, so double-check both before you continue.
Add your addresses: your work address (where employees physically work), your mailing address (where your business gets government mail), and your filing address (the address the IRS has on file).
Confirm or name your signatory: the person authorized to sign your payroll tax and authorization forms.
Continue to the next setup step.

HEADS UP: Changing your signatory later can require re-verifying identity. That un-signs your signatory forms and pauses payroll until it's resolved, so choose the right person now.

What happens after you set up your company?

After you finish setup, Relay reviews your account before you can run payroll. This is also when your signatory's identity is verified. Most accounts are approved, and if nothing else is outstanding, you can move on to running payroll. Reviews usually take about 2 business days.

If Relay needs more information, you'll get a request for information in Relay asking for identity or business documents. Upload what's asked to clear it, or reach out to our Customer Experience team. Please note that Payroll setup stays paused until the request is resolved.

If something goes wrong

A few issues can hold up company setup. Here's how to clear the most common ones:

Your legal name and FEIN don't match IRS records: This triggers a follow-up and can hold setup. Re-enter your exact registered legal name and your correct FEIN.
You entered your SSN as your FEIN: You can't use your Social Security number as your FEIN. The IRS requires a Federal EIN once you've hired your first employee.
A PO box was rejected: Your filing and work addresses can't be PO boxes. Use a physical street address for both. (Your mailing address can be a PO box.)
Your account review needs more information: If a request for information appears in Relay, upload the requested identity or business documents to continue, or contact our Customer Experience team. Payroll stays paused until it's resolved.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use my SSN as my FEIN?

No. You can't use your Social Security number as your Federal EIN. The IRS requires a Federal EIN once you've hired your first employee. If a business has more than one legal entity with its own FEIN, each entity needs its own separate Relay Payroll account.

What's the difference between my filing, mailing, and work address?

Your mailing address is where your business receives government mail, and it can be a PO box. Your filing address is the address the IRS has on file from your registration, and it can't be a PO box. Your work address is where your employees physically work, and it also can't be a PO box.

Who should be my signatory?

Your signatory is the person authorized to sign your payroll tax and authorization forms, usually this is an owner or an officer with legal authority to bind the business. Relay verifies their identity when it reviews your account. Choose carefully: changing your signatory later can un-sign your forms and pause payroll until it's re-verified.

Talk to our Customer Experience team

If this article did not fully answer your question, our Customer Experience team is here to help.