This article lists the information you must provide to ensure we collect all the information required to migrate your Team Members.
The amount of information varies depending on whether you are a brand new entity or are migrating an existing entity from a previous provider mid-tax year. Mid-year migrations to Oyster require in-depth year-to-date information.
Basic Information
| What is Needed | What it Means | Where to Find it |
| Company Name | Full legal name as registered with the CRA. | Company's registration document |
| Address / City / Province / Post code | Full address. The Province determines which provincial taxes (e.g., QHSF, EHT) and labor laws apply. The postal code is mandatory for all CRA filings. | Company's registration document |
| First Pay Date with Oyster | The specific date the first payroll will be run under Oyster's management. | Company representative to confirm |
| Number of Employees | Total number of employees. This affects the remittance frequency assigned by the CRA (Quarterly, Regular, or Accelerated) and certain provincial tax exemption thresholds. | Employee record list |
| Goods and Services Tax ID (GST) | A tax applied to most goods and services in Canada. The 9-digit Business Number (BN) followed by the 5-character program identifier RT (e.g., 123456789 RT0001). Note: This is a sales tax, generally not payroll-related, but confirms the business's identity. | Provincial tax Policies |
| Retail or Provincial Sales Tax ID (PST) | Sales tax applied in British Columbia (BC), Saskatchewan (SK), and Manitoba (MB). A separate registration number issued by the provincial tax authority (e.g., BC PST, Manitoba RST). Note: This is a sales tax, generally not payroll-related. | Provincial tax Policies |
| Harmonized Sales Tax ID (HST) | A combined federal (GST) and provincial sales tax used in Ontario and Atlantic Provinces (e.g., Newfoundland & Labrador). Same as the GST number (BN + RT0001). | Provincial tax Policies |
| Company/Payroll contact person and contact details | The primary administrative contact for payroll submission. | Company record |
| Full name of PAYE scheme | The mandatory federal account for remitting Income Tax, CPP (Canada Pension Plan), and EI (Employment Insurance). The 9-digit Business Number (BN) followed by the 5-character program identifier RP (e.g., 123456789 RP0001). | PAYE records |
Holiday Allowance, Overtime, Calculations
| What is Needed | What it Means | Where to Find it |
| Confirm holiday year | Confirm the client's Vacation/Paid Time Off (PTO) tracking year. | Internal Payroll Policy |
| Confirm holiday entitlement | Statutory minimums vary by province but are typically 2 weeks (4% of wages) for new employees, increasing to 3 or 4 weeks after a certain number of years (e.g., 5-10 years). Provide the client's full policy if it exceeds the provincial minimum. | Internal Payroll Policy |
| Do you allow any carry over? | Provincial law dictates how much accrued vacation must be paid out annually. Required: Confirm the maximum limit (if any) of unused vacation days that can be carried over. | Internal Payroll Policy |
| Please confirm overtime policy including rates | Overtime rules are set by the province. Required: Confirm the threshold (e.g., hours per day or hours per week) and the overtime rate (statutory minimum is 1.5 times the regular rate). | Internal Payroll Policy |
| Please confirm method for part period pro-rata | Confirm the method for calculating partial pay for starters/leavers: Working Days in Period (most common) or Calendar Days in Period. | Internal Payroll Policy |
Provincial Payroll Tax Requirements (Employer-Paid)
| What is Needed | What it Means | Where to Find it |
| Newfoundland/Labrador - Health and Post Secondary Education Tax (HAPSET) | Mandatory Employer Health Tax levied on annual payroll exceeding an exemption threshold. Account Number, Tax Rate (which depends on total NL payroll), and Payment Frequency to the provincial authority. | Newfoundlab Tax Policy/registration |
| Manitoba - Health and Post Secondary Education Tax Levy (HE Levy) | Mandatory Employer Health Tax levied on total payroll. The first $2.25 million of payroll is exempt or subject to a "notch" provision. Account Number, Tax Rate (which depends on total MB payroll), and Payment Frequency. | Manitoba Tax Policy/registration |
| Quebec - Health Services Fund (QHSF) | Mandatory Employer Health Tax administered by Revenu Québec (RQ). The rate is variable based on the total Quebec payroll size (ranges from approx. $1.25\%$ to $4.26\%$). RQ Account Number and the company's assigned QHSF rate. | Quebec Tax Policy/registration |
| Quebec - CNESST/CSST (Workers' Compensation) | Premiums paid to CNESST (Commission des normes, de l'équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail) for mandatory workers' compensation. Rates are based on the company's industry risk classification.Required: CNESST Account Number, current risk rate, and Payment Frequency. | Quebec Tax Policy/registration |
| Quebec - RP# for Quebec Legal Entity | The Source Deductions and Employer Contributions Account Number issued by Revenu Québec (RQ). This number replaces the federal BN-RP for all Quebec provincial tax, QPP (Quebec Pension Plan), and QPIP (Quebec Parental Insurance Plan) remittances.MANDATORY: The RP# (Revenu Québec Payroll Account Number). | Quebec Tax Policy/registration |
| Ontario, British Columbia - Employer Health Tax (EHT) | Similar employer-paid payroll taxes. The rate is based on annual payroll, with large exemptions for small employers.Required (If applicable): EHT Account Number and current rate for the respective provincial tax authority. | Ontario/British Columbia Tax Policy/registration |