People joining and leaving
Changes handled as they happen.
What's included
- New employees set up from their starter details
- Leavers given a P45 on the way out
- Changes to hours or pay applied from the right date
Who our payroll service suits
Payroll has very little room for error. People expect to be paid the right amount on the right day, and HMRC expects to hear about it on time. For a small business, it is often the first job worth handing over.
Who it's forBusinesses taking on their first employee, small teams with a mix of salaried and hourly staff, and limited company directors who pay themselves a salary through PAYE. Weekly and monthly pay runs both work.
Payroll also connects to everything else we do. Wages and employer costs are posted to your books, and those books feed straight into the tax returns and year-end accounts that we also prepare and file for you. One team sees the whole picture, so the numbers agree.
What happens each pay period
Before payday
You tell us about hours, overtime, bonuses, starters and leavers for the period.
The pay run
We work out gross pay, tax, National Insurance and pension deductions for each person.
Payslips
Each employee receives a clear payslip showing how their pay was reached.
On or before payday
We send the Real Time Information submission to HMRC.
Afterwards
We tell you what to pay HMRC and your pension provider, and by when.
Under Real Time Information, HMRC must receive your payroll submission on or before each payday, not at the end of the month. Getting that rhythm right from the start avoids the reminders and penalties that follow late submissions.
Through the year
Year-end and pensions
The annual jobs that are easy to forget.
What's included
- P60s issued to every employee by 31 May
- Workplace pension duties kept up to date
- Staff assessed for auto-enrolment as they join
Every employer has workplace pension auto-enrolment duties, including assessing staff, enrolling those who qualify and paying contributions on time. We keep those duties in step with the payroll, so the pension side is never an afterthought.
What we need from you
- Details for each new starter: name, address, date of birth, National Insurance number and start date
- Hours, overtime, commission or bonus for each pay period
- The date and reason when someone leaves
- Your PAYE reference and your workplace pension provider details
We also need you to authorise us to act for you with HMRC for PAYE. We send the request and walk you through it.
Payroll and your books
If we keep your books through our bookkeeping service, payroll costs go straight into them each period. Wages, employer National Insurance and pension contributions all land in the right accounts, so your monthly figures include the true cost of your team. At the year end, the payroll records agree with the accounts without a reconciliation exercise.
Questions people ask
I am the only director. Do I need a payroll?
Many single-director companies run a payroll for the director's salary. Whether it suits you depends on how you plan to pay yourself, which we can go through on the free call.
What do I need to do before my first employee starts?
You need to register as an employer with HMRC before the first payday, and check that the person has the right to work in the UK. We can talk you through both on the free call and have the payroll ready for their first pay date.
Can you take over payroll partway through the tax year?
Yes. We bring across the figures paid so far, so each employee's tax and National Insurance stay correct. Our guide to switching accountants covers how a handover works.
Do you handle sick pay and maternity pay?
Yes. Statutory payments are worked out as part of the pay run and shown on the payslip.
We are based in Islington. Is that a problem?
No. We are based in Camden and can run payroll for businesses anywhere in London, including Islington and King's Cross.
Keep reading
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Hand over your payroll
Book a free 20-minute call and we will look at your team and your pay dates.