2026 End-of-Year Payroll & Payment Guide

🌍 The holidays are coming, so we're moving our due dates a little earlier. Banks around the world close for public holidays in November and December, which shortens the time it takes for payments to move. To make sure everyone is still paid on time, we've brought forward our November and December cutoff dates. Everything you need is on this page.

We've also emailed these dates to your team. This page is the one to bookmark and come back to.

🔒 Our cutoffs are final. Anything submitted, approved or funded after the dates below, or not entered in the platform at all, will be processed in the January 2027 cycle. We're not able to make exceptions, because the bank timelines don't allow for them.

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🗓️ Key dates at a glance

🍂 November Fri 6 Nov · Payroll changes due

Wed 11 Nov · Contractors submit invoices

Fri 13 Nov · Admins approve contractor invoices

Fri 13 Nov · EOR bonus or extra pay prefunded (if applicable)

Thu 19 Nov · Payroll review complete (if applicable)

Tue 24 Nov · Contractor prefunding due

Mon 30 Nov · Contractor payout

❄️ December Tue 1 Dec · Payroll changes due

Wed 2 Dec · Contractors submit invoices

Fri 4 Dec · Admins approve contractor invoices

Tue 8 Dec · EOR Prefunding received by Toku [bonuses, additional comp]

Fri 11 Dec · Payroll review complete (if applicable)

Wed 16 Dec · Contractor prefunding due

By Thu 31 Dec · All December pay lands

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🧑‍💼 For company admins

Pick the tab that matches your team. If you have both employees and contractors, please read both.

Employees (EOR)

November

December

💡 If December funds are not received by Tue 8 Dec, we can't release December payroll on time, and payment may move to January. Paying early is the easiest way to keep your team's pay on schedule.

🧾 Expenses follow the usual timeline, with no holiday changes. See Toku: Expense reimbursement timeline and policy.

Contractors

November

December

⚡ New: let approvals happen automatically Don't want to keep track of approval dates? You can now turn on auto-approval with your own limits. Set a maximum amount per currency, and choose which contractors are included or excluded. Invoices that fall within your rules are approved as soon as they're submitted, so nothing misses the cutoff.

Find it under Company → Settings → Invoice approvals. Step-by-step instructions are in Toku: Auto-invoicing, paying contractors automatically every month.

Good to know: an invoice in a currency with no limit set always waits for manual approval, so add a limit for every currency your contractors invoice in.

Helpful contractor articles for admins

• Toku: Review, approve, and manage contractor invoices
• Toku: Contractor Invoice Approval + Prefunding Expectations for Organization Administrators
• Toku: Auto-invoicing, paying contractors automatically every month

Payroll review

Some of our clients review payroll before we process it. If your account includes a payroll review step, these are your dates. If you're not sure, email us at [email protected] and we'll confirm.

⏱️ December has very little room for changes. Mon 14 Dec is the final day for major or urgent corrections only. Anything that can be corrected in January will be moved to the January payroll.

Your Toku Customer Success contact will send your payroll for review and confirm how to sign it off. Questions: [email protected].

✅ Admin checklist: do this now

• [ ] Review your team's personal and bank details, and remind your team to check theirs
• [ ] Enter planned starters, leavers, salary changes, bonuses and one-off payments early
• [ ] Include year-end token bonuses in your 1 December submission
• [ ] Set up contractor auto-approval if you'd like approvals handled for you
• [ ] Plan your funding so it reaches Toku before each due date

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🙋 For employees and contractors

🔎 Please check your details before 6 November Payments go to the details we have on file, so a small error now can delay your pay later. Log in and check that:

• [ ] Your home address is correct
• [ ] Your bank details (or wallet address) are correct and complete
• [ ] You can log in to the platform without any problems (see below) Need to change something? See Toku: How to add and manage your bank account for payouts and Toku: Request changes to your personal information.

👥 Employees

• Tell your company admin about any payroll changes early. They need to submit them by 6 Nov for November and 1 Dec for December.
• November: paid on your usual pay date.
• December: your pay can arrive as early as 21 Dec and will land no later than 31 Dec.
• Submit expenses on the usual timeline.

🧾 Contractors

• November invoices must be submitted by Wed 11 Nov.
• December invoices must be submitted by Wed 2 Dec.
• November: paid Mon 30 Nov.
• December: your payment can arrive as early as 23 Dec and will land no later than 31 Dec.
• How to submit: Toku: How to Submit Your Contractor Invoice as a contractor

🇺🇸 US contractors: check your W-9

📄 We need a current, accurate Form W-9 on file for every US contractor. It's what we use to prepare your year-end tax form.

• Go to the Documents section in the platform and open the W-9 you submitted.
• Check your name, tax ID and federal tax classification. Being listed as an individual or sole proprietor is different from being listed as an LLC or corporation, and it changes how your payments are reported to the IRS.
• If anything is wrong or out of date, email [email protected] before 1 December so we can collect an updated W-9. Not sure which classification applies to you? The IRS explains each one in the official Form W-9 instructions. Please check with your tax advisor if you're unsure.

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🔐 Logging in

🌐 We recently updated our sign-in. Go to app.toku.com to log in. Your sign-in is now handled securely through auth.toku.com. Blocked by a VPN, antivirus or malware filter? Ask your IT team to add both app.toku.com and auth.toku.com to your allow list, then try again. You should then be able to log in without any issues.

Still can't log in? Try these steps

1. Use the email address Toku invited you with.
2. Open a private or incognito window and go to app.toku.com.
3. Go to app.toku.com/reset to clear your saved sign-in, then try again.
4. Still stuck? Email [email protected] with your name, company, login email, the browser you're using and a screenshot of the error.

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📄 Year-end tax forms

Your year-end tax forms will appear in the Documents section of the platform once they're finalized. Timing depends on your country.

🇺🇸 US contractors Your Form 1099-NEC will be issued by the IRS deadline. For the 2026 tax year that is Mon 1 February 2027, because 31 January falls on a Sunday.

Toku: View Your 1099 Tax Form (US Contractors)

🌍 Employees and non-US contractors See the dates for your country in Toku: When Will I Receive My Annual Tax Forms.

Non-US contractors: Toku: Access Your Invoice History for Tax Reporting (Non-US Contractors)

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📚 Helpful articles

For admins

• Toku: 2026 and 2027 Payroll Calendar and Deadlines
• Toku: Review, approve, and manage contractor invoices
• Toku: Contractor Invoice Approval + Prefunding Expectations for Organization Administrators
• Toku: Auto-invoicing, paying contractors automatically every month
• Toku: Review and approve employee expenses

For employees and contractors

• Toku: How to add and manage your bank account for payouts
• Toku: Where your invoice gets paid - bank or crypto
• Toku: Request changes to your personal information
• Toku: How to Submit Your Contractor Invoice as a contractor
• Toku: Expense reimbursement timeline and policy
• Toku: When Will I Receive My Annual Tax Forms

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💙 Questions, or see something that doesn't look right? If anything in the platform looks incorrect, or you need help with any of the above, email us at [email protected]. Please include your name, company and a screenshot if you can. Thank you for helping us make sure everyone is paid on time this holiday season.