Getting Started With The Payroll Site

Before Starting Your First Payroll

Before you start your first payroll, you should

1. If you are not registered with HMRC as an employer, call 0845 6070143 to register.
2. Start a free trial with The Payroll Site.
3. Log in to the system.
4. Gather details of your employees and their pay, tax and NICs for the tax year to date (i.e. since 6th April).

After logging in to the system you should see a screen like this:

Step 1 - Employer Details (Optional)

This step allows you to enter the name of the employer, as it will appear on the payslip. It also allows you to enter the references that will be needed when you send Real Time Information to HMRC. If these things are not important to you at this time, you can skip this step and do it later.

Click on the [Employer] option

Click the button.

You can now click and type your details into the form. When you click on a field, the Help box will automatically give you guidance on filling in that field.

When you have finished entering details, don't forget to click

Step 2 - Employee Details

You must add employees to the system before you can calculate their pay and tax. You may wish to add all of your employees or just try the system with one at first. If you make a mistake, you can delete the employee and start again.

Click on the [Add Employee] option

You will be given three options, relating to the type of employee you are adding. If it is a new employee, the system will work out the correct tax code for you. For existing employees, choose the option "Add another type of employee", which will let you set the tax code manually. Initially, the employee details will be mostly blank. You can click and type your details into the form. When you click on a field, the Help box will automatically change to give you guidance on filling in that field. The fields outlined in red are compulsory and must be entered. The other fields should be checked and altered if necessary.

If you have been sending Real Time Information using another system, it is important to set the Employee Ref No on this screen to the Payroll ID used by your previous system, otherwise HMRC may assume this person has two jobs with you.

When you have finished entering details, don't forget to click

To add more than one employee, simply repeat this step.

Step 3 - Employees Paid Using Another Payroll System (Optional)

If you have already paid your employees in this tax year (from 6th April) you will need to enter the details of previous pay runs so that the system can accurately calculate your payroll figures.

If they have been paid more than once, you will need to enter each payment as a separate pay run.

Click on the [Pay Employees] option and then on

Enter the details of the first time the employees were paid in this tax year (from 6th April). Set the Salary to the total pay in that period. Set the Pay Date to the date the employees are paid.

Click

Check the Income Tax, Employer's NIC and Employee's NIC. These may differ slightly from the payslip figures calculated using your previous payroll software for reasons that are explained in our Frequently Asked Questions List.

If the figures need to be altered, click the button, change the figures and then click

Once you are happy that the figures are correct, click

Repeat these steps for the next pay period, until the pay is up to date.

Step 4 - Your First Payroll Run

Click on the [Pay Employees] option and then on .

If you want to exclude some employees from the pay run, untick the box in the 'Include in payrun' column.

Set the Pay Date, Salary and other columns as necessary.

Click on

Check that the information appears to be correct.

To view a payslip, click the 'View' link in the Payslip column. Other payrun options including ePayslips are available on the 'Post-Payrun Options' page.

The payslip can be printed by clicking . Click to return to the Deductions Summary page.

When you have printed the payslips and are satisfied that they are correct, click on on the Deductions Summary page.

Next, you must send the Real Time Information to HMRC, which you can do using the RTI Submission tab. The information must be sent to HMRC by the time you pay the employees.

Once you have confirmed the payments you can reprint payslips or even delete the payments. To do this, click on the employee's name in the OPTIONS list and then on the Working Sheet tab. This page contains links to all past payslips and an option to .

Using the HMRC Tax Payment Page

Click on the [HMRC Payments / EPS] option

You will see this screen

If you pay the Tax & NI due to HMRC monthly by cheque then payment is due to them by the 19th of each month to cover the period from 6th of the previous month to the 5th of the current month. If you pay electronically, it must reach them by the 22nd.

You should save a payment on this screen each month. The system will calculate any amounts owing from the pay runs you have confirmed for that period and show you the amount due in the 'Amount Paid' column. You can either enter the date you are paying, or click

By the end of the tax year you should have 12 payments saved on this screen or 4 if you have an arrangement with HMRC to pay them quarterly and have indicated this on the 'Employer Details' screen.

If you are behind with your tax payments, you may need to make two or more payments together. You can see if you are up to date by checking where it says 'Next Payment due'. To make two payments together, click twice, then add up the two amounts and pay the total to HMRC.

To actually make a payment to HMRC you should click on the link within the 'Help box' at the bottom left of the screen 'How to Pay HMRC' and you will be taken to their site where payment options are available.

Remember if there is no tax or NI to pay for a particular period you should still save the payment on that screen.

There are other features within The Payroll Site, which you are free to explore. There is a Comments section online within the Preferences option and we would appreciate any feedback you may wish to give us about any aspect of The Payroll Site.

Return to The Payroll Site