Switch from ADP to Gusto, step by step

This is the step-by-step move. Weighing whether to switch at all? Our ADP vs. Gusto comparison covers pricing, features and where ADP shines. Gusto is the payroll product we use and recommend.

What to export from ADP first

Download these while you still have full access, and keep them in one folder. You’ll want them for Gusto setup, your CPA and your records.

• For Gusto’s import (RUN Powered by ADP): the Employee Summary report as a PDF, and the Payroll Details report from Reports, then Run single report. Gusto’s help page shows the exact settings.¹
• Filed tax returns and tax payment history for this year: federal 941s, state withholding and unemployment returns. Your ADP rep can point you to them if you can’t find them in Reports.
• Year-to-date totals for every person paid this year, including people who left.
• Documents and I-9s. Content in ADP’s document vault is only retrievable for a limited time after the agreement ends, and access to electronic I-9s ends when it does. Download them first.²
• Employee info: addresses, pay rates and deductions to re-enter in Gusto.

Using ADP Workforce Now instead of RUN? The same list applies, but Gusto’s automatic import is built for RUN, so plan to enter earlier payrolls by hand if you switch mid-year.¹

Timing around paydays and quarter ends

• The check date decides the quarter. A pay period ending Dec 31 that pays on Jan 8 is a 2027 payroll.³ Decide which provider runs it before you set your Gusto first check date.
• One filer per quarter. Gusto files from the quarter of its first check date. ADP files the quarters before that.⁴
• Easiest starts: the first payday of a quarter, and best of all the first payday of January. Mid-quarter works too; it just means a few more numbers.
• Mid-year switch? Gusto files the full year’s W-2s, so keep ADP’s year-to-date reports and proof of this year’s tax payments handy.⁴

Giving notice or cancelling, without overlap

• Send written notice early. RUN’s terms allow either side to end the agreement with at least 30 days’ prior written notice.² For a January switch, early December works nicely.
• Ask in writing what ADP will still file. For a January switch, confirm ADP files your Q4 2026 returns and 2026 W-2s, and when your access ends.
• Use a Service Request. In RUN, select the Service Requests icon in the top bar, then Add New Request. Chat and phone support are listed on ADP’s support page; have your client ID ready.⁵
• Pick an end date that matches your last ADP payroll. RUN’s terms mention maintenance fees for 30-day stretches with no payroll processed on some plans, so line the end date up with your switch.²
• After you leave: if a tax agency letter arrives about a period ADP filed, ADP’s support page lists an address for former tax-filing clients.⁵

How Gusto setup works

1. Tell Gusto who you pay. Employees, contractors, and yourself if you’re on payroll.⁶
2. Company and federal tax info. Legal name and FEIN exactly as the IRS has them, company type, Form 941 or 944, and your deposit schedule.⁶
3. Connect your bank. Verified instantly or with small test deposits.⁶
4. Pay schedule and first check date. Pick your first Gusto payday, ideally the first one after your last ADP payroll.
5. State tax details. Withholding and unemployment account numbers and your current rates for each state.⁷
6. Bring over earlier ADP payrolls, if you’re switching mid-year. Gusto can read two ADP reports and fill in your history during onboarding. Upload separate reports for each quarter. It doesn’t set up deductions, so add those yourself.¹ Switching with a January first payday? There’s usually nothing to bring over.³
7. Invite your team. Everyone adds their own W-4 and bank account by email invite.⁸
8. Sign Form 8655 and run your first payroll. Form 8655 lets Gusto file and pay payroll taxes for you.⁶

Your ADP-to-Gusto step list

1. Pick your first Gusto check date. The first payday of January is the cleanest. The Switch Planner works backward from it.
2. Download your ADP reports from the list above.
3. Open Gusto through our referral link and work through setup at your own pace.
4. Invite your team a week or two before the first Gusto payday.
5. Run your last payroll on ADP, then get written confirmation of which returns and W-2s ADP will file.
6. Run your first payroll on Gusto.
7. Cancel ADP once its final filings are done and you’ve saved copies. Here’s how to cancel ADP.

Prefer a tick-box version? The switching checklist saves your progress. Switching at the turn of the year? See switch payroll before January 1.

Every business is a little different, so check with your CPA for your situation. Good CPAs love a clean switch, and they’re on your team.

Your next step

Two moves, in this order. First, let the free Switch Planner turn your team, states and paydays into a dated plan. Then open Gusto when you’re ready. You won’t be doing it alone, and we’ll help you get every step right.

FAQ: moving from ADP to Gusto