For firms · 5–10 min read
This guide takes you from a new firm account to your first client and contractor workflow. During the controlled pilot, use Kelvaro for contractor operations, W-9/W-8 readiness, records, approvals, and supported payment workflows — not as a substitute for legal or tax advice.
Go to /firms/signup and sign up with your firm email. You'll be the first Partner on the account with full admin access. Your firm account is separate from the client organizations you manage.
Pilot commercial terms: Pilot access is reviewed during onboarding. Any trial period, included product scope, and paid commercial terms are confirmed during onboarding; unreleased capabilities should not be assumed to be included.
Go to Settings → Team and invite the partners, managers, and staff who will use Kelvaro. Give each person only the access they need and verify client assignments before they can view contractor information.
Go to Clients → Add client. Create a new client organization or use the supported invitation/linking flow for an existing organization. Confirm the client name and access relationship before adding contractor data.
For bulk setup, use the CSV import supported by the current product. Kelvaro does not currently advertise native QuickBooks or Xero synchronization; use Kelvaro exports and your existing accounting workflow for handoff where appropriate.
Open the client organization and add the contractor using accurate legal/contact information. Send the supported onboarding invitation and have the contractor complete the requested profile and W-9/W-8 workflow.
If the contractor will receive payments through Kelvaro, they must also complete the Stripe-hosted payout-destination setup and satisfy Stripe's current verification requirements. Do not collect full bank credentials or identity documents in ordinary email/support messages.
Use Kelvaro's W-9/W-8 and year-end readiness workflows to identify missing or incomplete contractor information and to maintain year-to-date records. Correct problems through the supported request/correction flow rather than editing sensitive tax identifiers in support notes.
Scope: Kelvaro does not currently file 1099s electronically for you. It supports readiness, threshold monitoring, records, and exports that you can provide to your accountant or filing provider.
Approving a contractor payout confirms the obligation and amount; approval alone does not send money. The customer funds the approved payout through Kelvaro, and Kelvaro waits for the required Stripe-backed funding state to become SETTLED. Only then can an authorized transfer be initiated to the contractor's verified Stripe-connected payout destination.
Funding settlement and contractor receipt timing depend on the payment rail, banking days, Stripe processing, account eligibility, and provider review. If Kelvaro and Stripe ever disagree on whether money moved, stop and contact pilot support rather than creating another payment.
At year end, review readiness and export the supported contractor/payment records for your accountant or filing provider. Kelvaro does not determine whether a worker is legally an independent contractor, whether a particular filing is required, or whether a form is legally sufficient. Consult a qualified tax or legal adviser for those questions.
For the current year-end preparation workflow, see Year-end workflow →