Payroll versus HR: why we need to value our differences

In my previous article I hoped to convince as to why I’m not about to click any magic button to run a payroll. The comment “Payroll is just a click of a button” might for you conjure images of wry smiles or gritted teeth, but it deserves some defence. The implication of the line is unfortunate, often inflammatory […]

Payroll: why it’s more than just ‘the click of a button’

If you’d like to press emotive buttons in the world of HR and Payroll this is a great way to start. At the heart of this comment are some of the “them and us” misconstructions of the two professions. My personal suspicion is that this is aided and abetted by the HR professional's concern for […]

Free payroll software recognised by HMRC

Small companies do not need to shell out for payroll software – many packages are available free, are feature-rich, regularly updated and crucially they integrate with HMRC so that organisations that stay compliant with RTI requirements. Take a look at our pick from the free packages below. Express by 12Pay Key features of 12Pay Express […]

Six steps to taking control of pay

Pay can be tricky. If pay is not understood, or feels unfair, it will demotivate. Regardless of the amount! So, how do you take control and stop reacting to those who complain loudest? 1. Choose your stance – as a company, do you want to pay around the going market rate? Most do as base pay […]

Lowdown on PAYE umbrella companies for HR managers

This article was written by Phil McDonald, Managing Director of PAYE umbrella firm Paraplus. An umbrella company is a organisation that acts as an employer to contractors who work under a fixed term contract. With a pay as you earn (PAYE) umbrella company, contractors become an employee of that umbrella organisation. It issues invoices to […]

How PAYE changes (RTI) will affect HR professionals

Real Time Information (RTI) is coming into play from next month and will change the way employers report PAYE information. Naturally, this will have large implications on the day-to-day role of HR professionals in both small and large organisations. Olivia Hill, Head of HR at AAT (Association of Accounting Technicians) discusses how to prepare for […]

Dealing with a double whammy: RTI and pension auto-enrolment

To describe pension auto-enrolment and Real-Time Information as hot topics in the payroll world would be something of an understatement. Over the next five years, HR and payroll departments will have to deal with two of the biggest changes to hit them in decades.   RTI, which goes live in April 2013, means that information […]

An HRD’s guide to tackling pension auto-enrolment

As the introduction of pension auto-enrolment becomes increasingly imminent for large organisations (from 1 October this year), we have attempted to answer some of the key questions that HR directors raise about the issue in a bid to help them deal with it as effectively as possible: Q. What is the timetable for auto-enrolment?   […]

Legal Insight: The HR implications of pensions auto-enrolment

From 1 October this year, pension auto-enrolment will start to affect the UK’s largest businesses. While a lot of these employers will already have got to grips with fundamental issues such as identifying their staging date and considering which pension scheme to use to satisfy the new legislation, there are a number of HR implications […]

News: September will be UK’s key holiday month this year

Even though August has traditionally been considered the UK’s key month for taking summer holidays, deserted workplaces will be more common in September this year, according to research. A survey conducted among 153 employees by the Chartered Institute of Payroll Professional revealed that just under a quarter would be taking their vacation next month compared […]

Blog: RTI and auto-enrolment – Would HMRC like to join us in real-time?

PAYE has remained largely unchanged since it was introduced in 1944 and HMRC believes it needs to be updated to meet the needs of the 21st century. The forthcoming introduction of Real Time Information (RTI) will mark the biggest change in Pay as You Earn (PAYE) for over 60 years.   It will impact upon […]

News: Income tax and national insurance integration hits delays

The government has delayed a consultation on possible options for integrating the operation of income tax and National Insurance Contributions.   The consultation was originally due to start after the March Budget, following discussions with employers and other groups.   But due to the technical challenges involved in the move – and the potential disruption […]

News: KPMG HR blunder #3: Failing to pay staff salaries

If HM Revenue & Customs didn’t have such a knack for mishaps, KPMG’s embarrassment might be more acute after it was revealed that the Big Four firm failed to pay its staff as expected on Friday 29 April. KPMG staffers are usually paid on the 29th of each month, and if that date falls on […]

HMRC’s Real Time Information: What you need to know

By law, all employers will have to submit RTI to HM Revenue & Customs by October 2013. This will mean reporting information to HMRC every time they pay their employees instead of summiting a summary form at the end of the tax year. Payroll software will collect the necessary information and send it to HMRC […]

How to avoid penalties as income tax deadlines loom

It is that time of year again when businesses have to start preparing their Employer Annual Returns which are due to HM Revenue & Customs by 19 May. This task can never be looked upon lightly as failure to adhere to the rules could result in hefty penalties.   Of course, there is a lot […]

HMRC to charge PAYE dodgers from April

HM Revenue & Customs will require employers to pay a security from April if it believes that there is serious risk they will fail to pay the requisite PAYE tax deductions or National Insurance Contributions on behalf of employees. The powers are an extension of an initiative that has already been successfully used to ensure the […]

P45s will not get a pink slip

The traditional P45 form that summarises the amount of tax paid at the end of an employment contract will not be scrapped after a change of heart at HM Revenue & Customs. The form had been due to be replaced by a ‘leaver statement’ as part of the move to the Real Time Information system […]

Uncovering the real agenda behind HMRC’s Real Time Information scheme

HM Revenue & Custom’s introduction of a requirement to support Real Time Information within the PAYE system from October 2013 is likely to have a negative impact on businesses across the UK, Straughans tax director Mike Fleming told our sister site, www.AccountingWeb.co.uk. The government department is presenting the PAYE overhaul as a positive move, implemented for […]

Survey: Do you engage in training and if not, why not?

Just under two thirds of practitioners regularly or occasionally undertake training, work towards qualifications or carry out any form of continuing professional development, according to a recent poll by The Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals. But while the figure appears promising, the Insitute, which is focusing on CPD this year due to the introduction of […]

Survey: The impact of flexible employee benefits

Salary sacrifice arrangements, although controversial are increasingly being used – and not just by large companies – to create flexible employee remuneration packages. But with HM Revenue & Custom’s recent crackdown on such schemes, there is now a cloud hanging over them.   As a result, the Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals has introduced a […]