Job Offer Verification Checklist Before a Relocation

What you will have after this guide

A one-page decision record with each number labeled as a written term, personal input, public benchmark, or assumption—and a list of questions that still need an answer.

1. Start with recurring compensation you can document

Record annual base salary, pay frequency, start date, and whether the role is exempt or nonexempt. Keep bonus, commission, equity, overtime, retention payments, and relocation assistance in separate rows. A target bonus is not the same as guaranteed recurring pay, and unvested equity should not be used to cover rent.

If a signing or relocation bonus has a repayment clause, record the after-tax cash you expect to receive, the payment date, the repayment period, and whether repayment is based on the gross or net amount. Do not spread a one-time payment across every future year of the comparison.

2. Replace a generic tax percentage with a reviewable estimate

Use the same filing assumptions on both sides and record the tax year. Federal income tax, employee Social Security and Medicare, state income tax, and any local wage tax can change the net result. Benefits and pretax retirement contributions also change take-home pay even when they may improve total compensation.

TOOOLBOX MOVE provides a directional estimate, not payroll or tax preparation. Check the employer’s payroll guidance and use an official or qualified calculation for the final decision. The useful output is not a perfectly predicted paycheck; it is a visible assumption that can be changed without hiding the effect.

3. Verify benefits as cash flows and risk limits

Compare the employee premium for health coverage, deductible, out-of-pocket maximum, employer retirement contribution, paid leave, disability coverage, life insurance, dependent coverage, and the date each benefit begins. A lower premium can increase monthly room, while a higher deductible changes the cash reserve a household needs.

Do not convert every benefit into salary. Record what changes monthly cash flow, what changes downside risk, and what has personal value but no reliable cash equivalent. This keeps the calculation from rewarding a plan simply because it has many benefit labels.

4. Use a real housing and commute scenario

A metro median is a screening benchmark. The decision should use a plausible neighborhood, current rent or mortgage quote, required deposit, parking, utilities, renters or homeowners insurance, and the commute that matches the actual work schedule. Add vehicle registration, tolls, transit, fuel, parking, or a second vehicle only when they apply.

If the job is hybrid or remote, record the written policy and how often travel to the workplace is required. A verbal expectation can change. Run a downside case with one additional office day, higher parking, or a longer lease search.

5. Keep moving costs and recovery time separate

List movers, travel, temporary lodging, deposits, overlapping rent, utility setup, storage, replacement items, pet transport, vehicle registration, and unpaid time. Subtract employer reimbursement only after confirming what qualifies, when it is paid, and whether taxes or repayment terms apply.

Divide the net one-time cost by the conservative monthly improvement. If a $9,000 move produces only $300 of verified after-tax monthly improvement, the cash payback is about 30 months. Compare that with the expected stay and with the cost of leaving early.

6. Write the unresolved questions before accepting

Mark any missing local tax, benefit premium, bonus rule, lease quote, commute policy, licensing requirement, childcare cost, or exit clause. A blank should remain unknown; it should not become zero. Set a deadline and an owner for each answer.

Save the offer version and the date every source was checked. If the decision changes after one number is verified, the record shows why. TOOOLBOX MOVE is informational and does not verify an employer, contract, lease, tax position, or household budget.

Primary sources and verification routes

Continue the comparison

Use these guides together. The break-even calculation tests the offer, the verification checklist tests the inputs, and the sensitivity test shows which ordinary cost change can reverse the result.