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A blocker is a reason a payroll tax filing cannot be submitted to an agency. When a filing has one or more blockers, its status is Blocked and it appears under Needs attention on your Tax Filings page.
Blocked filings are not submitted, even after their due date passes. Agencies charge penalties and interest for late filings, so resolve blockers as soon as you see them.

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How Blockers Work

Open a blocked filing to see one card per blocker. Each card includes:
  • Description: What the agency or our payroll partner reported
  • What to do: The steps you need to take
  • Affected employee: The employee tied to the blocker, when applicable
  • Agency note: Any additional detail sent back by the agency
Blockers fall into three groups.

You resolve it

Fix the underlying issue, then click Mark as resolved so the filing is re-attempted.

It clears on its own

No action is needed on the filing itself. The blocker clears on the next sync once the underlying issue is resolved.

Our payroll team resolves it

Click Send Payroll Team Filing Information and the Dripos payroll team will take it from there.

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Resolve a Blocker

1

Open the Blocked Filing

Navigate to Finance > Payroll > Tax Filings and click View next to a filing with a red Blocked status.
2

Read the Blocker Card

Review the Description and What to do sections on each blocker listed.
3

Fix the Underlying Issue

Use the button on the card to make the fix. Buttons such as Update Tax ID, Update tax rate, Review Tax IDs, Update experience factor, and Add account number open your Payroll Tax Setup settings in a pop-up window so you can correct the information without leaving the page.Some fixes happen outside of Dripos, such as granting Third-Party Administrator access in an agency’s own portal.
4

Mark as Resolved

Once the issue is fixed, click Mark as resolved. This tells our payroll partner to re-attempt the filing.
Only click Mark as resolved after the underlying issue is actually fixed. A blocker can only be cleared twice on the same filing. After that, the filing has to be handled by the Dripos payroll team.
Resolving one blocker sometimes clears others at the same time, and occasionally surfaces a new one that was hidden behind the first. Refresh the filing after marking a blocker resolved to see the current state.

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Blockers You Can Resolve

The agency does not recognize the tax ID on file as valid.Update your tax ID in Payroll Tax & Authorization settings using Update Tax ID, then click Mark as resolved to re-attempt filing.
The tax rate on file does not match the value with the agency.Review the tax rates in Payroll Tax & Authorization settings, then click Mark as resolved.
The FEIN provided does not match the FEIN associated with the State EIN.Review both the FEIN and the State EIN in Payroll Tax & Authorization settings, then click Mark as resolved.
The Experience Factor provided is incorrect for this employer.Find the correct Experience Factor in the agency portal, update your unemployment tax rate in Payroll Tax & Authorization settings, then click Mark as resolved.
Your Experience Factor, also called your unemployment rate, is issued by your state each year. Keep an eye out for the rate notice the agency mails you.
Either an invalid Tax ID was provided or the agency closed the account.Provide a valid Tax ID in Payroll Tax & Authorization settings, or reactivate your account with the agency, then click Mark as resolved.
Invalid Tax ID or incomplete agency registration.Review your tax ID and your registration with the agency, then click Mark as resolved.
An employee’s SSN on file is not accepted by the agency.The affected employee needs to correct their SSN in their own account. It cannot be changed on their behalf. Ask the employee to update it in their Employee Hub, then click Mark as resolved.
The agency indicated that the company is not liable for this filing.Confirm with the agency that your company is not liable for this filing, then click Mark as resolved.
A prior quarter was not filed and the agency prevents filing future periods.The prior quarter has to be filed first. Our payroll team can file it, or your previous provider can if they held that period. Use Send Payroll Team Filing Information to get started. Once the prior quarter is filed, click Mark as resolved on this filing.

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Authorization Blockers

Agencies require Dripos’ payroll partner to be authorized to file on your behalf. These blockers mean that authorization is missing, expired, or set to the wrong access level. Each one is fixed in the agency’s own portal, or by calling the agency directly, and then cleared with Mark as resolved.
Power of attorney is not on file with the agency.Get the power of attorney (POA) on file with the agency.
Third-Party Administrator is not granted with the agency.Grant Third-Party Administrator access with the agency.
Third-Party Administrator access doesn’t cover the filing period required.Extend Third-Party Administrator access to cover the required filing period.
Third-Party Administrator access is on file, but the current access level does not permit filing.Raise the Third-Party Administrator access level to one that permits filing.
Third-Party Administrator access is on file with another provider.Reassign Third-Party Administrator access away from your previous payroll provider.
Third-Party Administrator access is needed for this individual filing but not for other filings.Provide Third-Party Administrator access through the agency portal or by contacting the agency.
Authorization blockers are common in the first few quarters after switching to Dripos Payroll. If you are unsure what an agency is asking for, send us the filing information and our payroll team will walk you through it.

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Blockers That Clear Automatically

These blockers resolve themselves once the underlying issue is fixed. You do not need to mark them resolved.
Company has not registered for an account number with the agency.Provide the account number in Payroll Tax & Authorization settings once the agency issues it. If the blocker does not clear, reach out to our payroll support team.
Required tax funding has not yet been confirmed for the filing.Resolve the failed funding so the tax funds are confirmed. The blocker clears once funding lands.
Failed fundings also carry a $150 penalty fee and can put your payroll account in bad standing. Learn more here.
Tax funds collection failed (e.g. due to NSF) for a filing where the agency requires full payment at the time of filing.Resolve the failed funding to ensure full payment at the time of filing. The blocker clears once funding is confirmed.
The company has an unresolved failed debit or existing unresolved issue.Resolve the failed debit or unresolved issue so your company returns to good standing. Contact payroll@dripos.com for help funding a failed payroll.

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Blockers Our Payroll Team Resolves

These blockers cannot be cleared from your Dashboard. Click Send Payroll Team Filing Information on the blocker card and our team will handle it with the agency.
The agency reports this return has already been filed, typically by the prior payroll provider or the company itself.If that is correct, no action is needed. If you believe it is incorrect, obtain the filing from your prior provider and send it to our payroll team.
Filing was rejected by the agency because it was already filed.
The filing requires remitting penalty and interest payments to complete the original filing.Because penalty and interest amounts can change between the time funds are collected and the time they are remitted, it is best for you to file and pay this one directly with the agency. Send us the filing information and we will help you sort out the details.
The risk class code provided is an incorrect risk class code.
Company was reactivated after the filing month concluded.
State requires filing to reflect each tax payment made.Gather any payroll tax payments made outside of Dripos for this period and send them along with your request.
If you see a blocker that is not listed here, the card reads Dripos does not have detailed guidance for this blocker yet. Use the support button on the card and our payroll team will take a look.

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Contact the Payroll Team

The Contact Payroll Support window sends the payroll team the filing, the blocker, and anything else you add. Use it whenever a blocker needs our help or you are unsure how to proceed.
1

Open the Request

On a blocked filing, click Send Payroll Team Filing Information.
2

Add a Message

Enter anything that will help us resolve the issue faster, such as what the agency told you or what you have already tried. The message is optional.
3

Attach Documents

Click Choose files to attach agency notices, rate letters, or filings from a prior provider.
You can attach up to 5 files, 10MB each, up to 25MB total.
4

Send

Click Send request. The payroll team is alerted immediately and will reach out to help resolve the filing.
Every request you send is recorded on the filing’s Timeline as Support Requested, along with who sent it and how many files were attached, so your whole team can see that help is already on the way.
You can also reach the payroll team any time at payroll@dripos.com.