{"id":11581,"date":"2024-02-18T10:17:04","date_gmt":"2024-02-18T10:17:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.qualitycompanyformations.co.uk\/blog\/?p=11581"},"modified":"2024-11-08T13:48:15","modified_gmt":"2024-11-08T13:48:15","slug":"how-to-set-up-payroll","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.qualitycompanyformations.co.uk\/blog\/how-to-set-up-payroll\/","title":{"rendered":"How to set up a payroll for your small business"},"content":{"rendered":"
All UK companies need to set up a payroll scheme if they employ (or plan to employ) staff. This can be done with the help of an accountant, but it\u2019s common for small companies to set up and run payroll themselves.<\/p>\n
In this article, we discuss our step-by-step guide to setting up a payroll scheme (also known as a PAYE scheme) without an accountant. This covers everything you need to know, including how and when to register as an employer, and the key information you need to capture in an employee\u2019s payslip<\/p>\n
If you currently have employees (including subcontractors), or plan to hire and pay them within the next 2 months, you\u2019ll need to register as an employer<\/a> and get a login for PAYE Online before the first payday.<\/p>\n The PAYE system allows HMRC to collect Income Tax and National Insurance contributions (NIC) from your employees. Please note that you cannot register more than 2 months in advance.<\/p>\n\t\t You also need to register if you, the owner, are a director and are taking (or planning to take) a salary or any other benefits from the company. The only exemptions from registration are if none of your employees (including directors):<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve registered, you\u2019ll receive a PAYE Reference and Accounts Office Reference number from HMRC within around 5 working days, at your registered office address (if you\u2019re a limited company or an LLP) or business address. You will need these to run your payroll, so keep them safe once you receive them.<\/p>\n You now need to choose an HMRC-recognised payroll software. This will allow you to prepare and store employees\u2019 payment data, which you\u2019ll need to share with HMRC and your staff.<\/p>\n There is a list of payroll software recognised by HMRC<\/a> that you can choose from. This list contains 12 free software products (available to businesses with fewer than 10 employees) and a wide selection of paid-for software.<\/p>\n 6 common Self Assessment tax return mistakes and how to avoid them<\/span><\/a>\n Employer PAYE reference and Accounts Office reference – what\u2019s the difference?<\/span><\/a>\n The way small companies file annual accounts is changing<\/span><\/a>\n <\/p>\n Before making your choice, think about what features your business might need from the software, because they don\u2019t all offer the same things. For instance, some might not let you produce payslips or record pension deductions.<\/p>\n Once you have narrowed down your requirements, be sure to do your research and choose a payroll system that meets your needs.<\/p>\n Next, you need to collect and maintain your employees\u2019 salary details in your payroll software. You need to keep these records, even if you are exempt from registering as an employer (as explained in Step 1). Your records must include the following:<\/p>\n The above records must be kept for 3 years from the end of the tax year they relate to. They may be requested for inspection by HMRC.<\/p>\n When you store employees\u2019 details (such as their addresses), you need to adhere to certain data protection rules that protect their information. When recruiting new staff, you need to let them know how their details will be used and who they\u2019ll be shared with.<\/p>\n Individuals have the right to access and check their details, ask for their information to be deleted, and deny their data from being used in certain ways. For more information on data protection rules, see the ICO website<\/a>.<\/p>\n You\u2019ll need to tell HMRC when you take on a new employee. First, however, you need to determine how much you\u2019re going to pay them. It must be at least the National Minimum Wage.<\/p>\n You then need to check their documents and ensure that they are legally permitted to work in the UK. If you\u2019re unsure which documents they need to provide, you can check this on the gov.uk website<\/a>.<\/p>\n Finally, depending on the field your business operates in, you may need to run a background check (also known as a DBS check), which assesses the individual\u2019s criminal record. For example, educational services, childminders and carers, and financial services will require a background check.<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve covered these steps, you can let HMRC know about your new employee. They\u2019ll need to know:<\/p>\n You will use this information to set up the new employees in your payroll system. You’ll then register them with HMRC, by including their information on a Full Payment Submission the first time you pay them.<\/p>\n Every time you pay your staff, you\u2019ll need to record the following information in your payroll:<\/p>\n You then need to produce payslips for your employees<\/a> on or before their payday. They should reflect the above data and also the number of hours worked, where relevant.<\/p>\n It may be possible to produce employees’ payslips using your payroll software. However, if it does not include this feature, you can use different software<\/a>.<\/p>\n You can then either send the payslips to each person electronically, or print them to give to your employees.<\/p>\n Below is an example payslip from the banking platform Monzo<\/a>:<\/p>\n Next, you’ll need to let HMRC know about your employees’ pay and deductions via a Full Payment Submission and an Employer Payment Summary.<\/p>\n Your FPS should be submitted on or before your company’s regular payday. You need to include everyone that you pay, including those who earn less than \u00a3123 a week.<\/p>\n To submit an FPS, you’ll need your PAYE reference and Accounts Office reference, which you’ll receive after registering as an employer.<\/p>\n You will be asked to provide lots of different information, including the employee details (like their name, address, NI number, and payroll ID) and their taxable pay and deductions.<\/p>\n The instructions on how to submit an FPS vary depending on the software you use. Simply follow the guidance provided in your payroll system.<\/p>\n Once you’ve sent this information to HMRC, your HMRC online account will show you how much tax and NI you owe, and allow you to claim any reductions to your bill.<\/p>\n On top of the above, you must submit monthly EPS reports to HMRC if you need to:<\/p>\n To claim the above deductions, you must submit an EPS by the 19th of the following tax month (which starts on the 6th). The instructions for this process can also vary between different payroll software providers.<\/p>\n However, if your payroll software is unable to process EPS reports, you can do this using HMRC’s Basic PAYE Tools<\/a>, which is a free payroll software.<\/p>\n You’ll also need to send an EPS instead of an FPS, if you have not paid any of your employees in a tax month.<\/p>\n Once this form has been submitted, your online account will display what you have claimed and your outstanding balance.<\/p>\n You must report payroll information to HMRC correctly and on time. If you fail to do so, they will issue a late filing notice and you could face a penalty.<\/p>\n Likewise, if your tax and NI payments are late or incorrect, you\u2019ll be charged a daily interest rate and you may incur a penalty.<\/p>\n Finally, you need to make your monthly tax and NI payments to HMRC. You can check your bill in your PAYE Online<\/a> account.<\/p>\n If your paydays are monthly, your PAYE bills will be due by the 22nd of the following month. If you pay your staff quarterly, payment will be due by the 22nd after the quarter (for example, 22 April for the quarter from 1st January to 1st April).<\/p>\n\n
Step 2: Choose a payroll software<\/h3>\n
Step 3: Collect employee details<\/h3>\n
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Data protection<\/h4>\n
Step 4: Tell HMRC when you hire someone<\/h3>\n
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Step 5. Record and report employees’ pay<\/h3>\n
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Full Payment Submission (FPS)<\/h4>\n
Employer Payment Summary (EPS)<\/h4>\n
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Late reporting<\/h4>\n
Step 6: Pay your PAYE bill<\/h3>\n