Dec 2017
20
BrightPay 2018 is now available!
BrightPay 2018 is now available!
BrightPay 2018 is now available to download. The bureau licence is just €299 + VAT per tax year and includes unlimited employers, unlimited employees and free phone and email support.
Book a BrightPay demo and find out why our customers give us a 99% satisfaction rate. Still not convinced? Why not download a 60 day free trial to see what all the fuss is about.
Customer Testimonials:
- “BrightPay is an excellent product. Quick and efficient to use and they have a helpline that is always available to talk you through a query.”
- “I am very happy about BrightPay Payroll, easy to set up, easy to use, very good value for money.”
- “Easy. Efficient. Excellent.The program speaks for itself.”
- “BrightPay has been the perfect fit for our business- it has reduced our workload and in turn increases productivity within our business.”
- “Best payroll software I have used. Couldn't say enough good things about it! I recommend it to all the payroll users I know.”
Upcoming Webinars
25th January: How will PAYE Modernisation affect your payroll bureau - Find out more
22nd February: Irish Employment Law Overview - Find out more
8th March: GDPR for your Payroll Bureau - Find out more
Each webinar is CPD accredited and free to attend. If you are unable to attend a webinar at the specified time, simply register and we will send you the recording afterwards.
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BrightPay Payroll Software | Thesaurus Payroll Software
Related Articles
Nov 2017
14
PAYE Modernisation – What do these changes mean for you?
The existing PAYE (Pay As You Earn) system was introduced nearly sixty years ago ensuring that correct deductions are made relating to pay and tax.
From 1st January 2019, this system for PAYE will undergo a long overdue update, but don’t worry, this update will benefit all involved – including employers and employees.
Employers –
PAYE Modernisation will change how employers report their payroll information to Revenue. Every time an employee is paid a file will need to be submitted (electronically) to Revenue, consisting of all details of employee payments, deductions and leaver information. The contents will be similar to the current annual P35, but this file will be submitted every pay period (weekly, monthly, fortnightly, etc.).
The update will also allow employers to submit a new employee’s information before they commence employment with them. PAYE Modernisation / Real Time Reporting (RTR) will result in a reduction in the occurrence of year end over/underpayments of tax.
This new Revenue reporting system is anticipated to be fully integrated into payroll software. Fortunately, it is envisaged that the workload will not increase as a result of PAYE Modernisation.
Employees –
An online statement will be sent before the start of the new tax year which will detail the employee’s tax credits and standard cut-off point (SRCOP). This will be based on estimated income and details available to Revenue.
Employees will be encouraged to make any adjustments to this online statement, including any claims for additional entitlements. This differs from the current system where an employee is required to wait until the end of the tax year to apply for any refund as a result of overpayment of taxes or to find out if there are amounts due to Revenue as a result of underpayment of taxes.
P60s will be abolished, employees will instead have access to their pay and tax record online, this will be updated on an ongoing basis throughout the year as they are paid. This will enable Revenue to carry out periodic reviews to identify if employees are utilising their tax credits and SRCOP to the maximum effect (e.g. where an employee has 2 employments) and, where applicable, employees will be prompted to reallocate tax credits and SRCOP.
Related articles
- PAYE Modernisation - Are You Ready For January 2019?
- Revenue moves to PAYE Modernisation
- Auto Enrolment Planned for Ireland by 2021
- 2018 and Beyond
Sep 2017
8
BrightPay – A Breath of Fresh Air
Most small business ask if they can afford to employ someone. Simply, if you pay an employee the minimum wage of €9.25 per hour, it will actually cost you approximately €10. (This includes wage, public holiday, annual leave and PRSI). Additionally, if your accountant is processing your payroll, their charge may be around €3 per employee (weekly wage), you could save money by doing the payroll yourself.
Using BrightPay's features, you can smoothly process your payroll, it is a simple and powerful software. It’s designed with small to medium sized businesses, accountants and other payroll providers in mind. BrightPay has everything you need to manage payroll and it’s easy to learn and use. It caters for the processing of your payroll on a weekly, monthly, fortnightly or 4-weekly basis. More than one payment frequency can be processed at any time within your company’s dataset. For details on this feature, please click here.
If you are moving to BrightPay from another payroll software, we have online documentation to assist you. If you currently use Thesaurus Payroll Manager, our other payroll package, you may wish to change because of the additional features and functionalities BrightPay has to offer. Our step-by-step guide will assist you with this easy process.
Join our next BrightPay demo where we will take you through setting up your company on BrightPay and running your payroll on a day-to-day basis. Download our software for a free 60 day trial.
May 2017
23
BrightPay to discontinue Windows XP support
The technology that BrightPay utilises will be updated and improved from January 2018. As a result of this improvement, BrightPay will no longer be able to run on Windows XP operating systems. This technological enhancement will bring many performance, reliability and security improvements, while also opening up new possibilities for our development team to add further functionality. Users will not notice any obvious difference using BrightPay 2018 compared to previous versions as all the changes will be operating in the background.
Microsoft discontinued support for Windows XP in April 2014. This means that Microsoft are no longer releasing upgrades for these systems. Although Windows XP machines may still work normally, it does mean that these PCs are more vulnerable to security risks and viruses.
If you are still using Windows XP, you should consider upgrading to a newer PC or operating system. Due to the greater security risks, more and more programmes and applications are discontinuing support for Windows XP. Internet Explorer 8 is also no longer supported. If your Windows XP PC is connected to the Internet and you use Internet Explorer 8 to surf the web, you might be exposing your PC to additional threats.
These security threats became a reality for many Windows XP users in recent weeks with more than 200,000 organisations becoming victims of the widespread ransomware attack, WannaCry. This cyber attack affected organisations across the globe, including hospitals, banks and government agencies. The majority of these victims were using outdated or older Windows operating systems, such as Windows XP and Windows Vista.
While we do apologise for any inconvenience this change may cause, it is the best decision for our customers’ security and user experience.
Useful links:
May 2017
15
Keep your payroll data safe against a Ransomware attack
Ransomware, like the name suggests, is when your files are held for ransom. It is a type of malware that essentially takes over a computer and prevents users from accessing their data until such time as a ransom is paid. The ransomware encrypts data on the computer using an encryption key that only the attacker knows. If you want to decrypt them, you have to pay. If the ransom isn’t paid, the data is often lost forever.
A ransomware attack, also known as WannaCry or WeCrypt, recently spread across the globe and is believed to have affected over 200,000 organisations. The cyber-attack struck banks, hospitals and government agencies in more than 150 countries, exploiting known vulnerabilities in Microsoft operating systems.
How to protect against a ransomware attack?
- Think before you click – It is important to look for malicious email messages that are often concealed as emails from companies or people you regularly interact with online. It is important to avoid clicking on links or opening attachments in those messages, since they could unleash malware. However, unlike many other malicious programs, WannaCry has the ability to move around a network by itself. Once the virus is inside an organisation, it will hunt down vulnerable machines and infect them too.
- Keep software up to date – Users should ensure that security updates are installed on their computer as soon as they are released. Last month, the NSA revealed software vulnerabilities in a Windows Server component which allows files to spread within corporate networks. Since then, Microsoft has released software patches for the security holes. Anyone who applied this patch more than likely was not affected by WannaCry. However, not everyone has installed these updates and so these users are susceptible to an attack. It is also important to note that the vulnerability does not exist within Windows 10, but is present in all versions of Windows prior to that, dating back to Windows XP. Support for Windows XP was discontinued in 2014, and so if you are using XP it is recommended to upgrade to a more secure system. It is important to keep all software packages up to date to maximise protection against attacks.
- Keep backups of data files – Users should regularly back up their data, which will make it possible to restore files without paying a ransom. This can be done by saving files to a USB key, external server or a cloud sharing facility such as Dropbox or Google Drive. Individual software packages may also offer a backup facility, enabling you to automatically back up sensitive data, for example BrightPay Cloud allows users to easily backup payroll data.
How can BrightPay Cloud help?
BrightPay Cloud allows employers to automatically and securely backup payroll data to a highly secure cloud server. Payroll data (including payslips, payroll reports etc.) is automatically backed up every 15 minutes ensuring that you will never lose your payroll data if you are the victim of an attack.
You may decide that you only want to use BrightPay Cloud for payroll backups, however, the features listed below can also be availed of.
With BrightPay Cloud, employers can invite their employees to their own self-service portal. Employees can login to their own personal account, be it on their PC, tablet or smartphone, where they can view payroll documents relevant to them, with a full history of payslips and P60s. Employees can also request annual leave and view annual leave remaining through their portal.
Furthermore, BrightPay Cloud provides users with an annual leave management facility and a document upload facility, where all information is stored within the same location. With the document upload, employers can upload employee contracts & staff handbooks, training manuals, employment documents and much more, which can be accessed by employers and employees on any device.
Find out more about BrightPay Cloud with an online demo.
Mar 2017
31
Important Information for Employers - Changes to Civil Service Travel Rates
Where employees use their own private cars or motorcycles for business purposes, reimbursement in respect of allowable motoring expenses can be effected by way of flat-rate mileage allowances.
There are two types of mileage allowance schemes which are acceptable for tax purposes if an employee bears all the motoring expenses:
- The prevailing schedule of Civil Service rates; or
- Any other schedule with rates not greater than the Civil Service rates
The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform has recently published circulars with new Civil Service Travel Rates, the revised rates are effective from 1st April 2017. The distance bands have increased from two to four with a lower recoupment rate for the first 1,500 kilometres.
Business travel carried out between 1st January and 31st March 2017 will not be affected by these new bands and rates, business travel to date from 1st January 2017 will count towards the cumulative business travel for the year.
Motor Travel Rates - Effective from 1st April 2017
Reduced Motor Travel Rates per kilometre
The reduced rates are payable to Civil Service employees who undertake a journey associated with their job but not solely related to the performance of their duties, such as:
- Attendance at confined promotion competitions
- Attendance at approved courses of education
- Attendance at courses or conferences
- Return visits home at weekends during a period of temporary transfer
The Motor Travel Rates for motorcycles and bicycles remain unchanged as follows:
Motorcycle:
Bicycle: 8 cent per km
Please note, there are changes to subsistence rates which are also effective from 1st April 2017.
Please click here for the circular on Motor Travel Rates, and here for the circular on Subsistence
Feb 2017
14
2016 P35 Deadline
Employers – the P35 deadline is fast approaching, the deadline is February 15th. (Or 46 days after the cessation of the business) Failure to make a P35 return by this date may result in a fine.
The deadline for an employer who pays and files electronically via Revenue Online Services (ROS) is extended to the 23rd of February.
To view our online documentation for preparing and submitting your P35 to ROS via Thesaurus Payroll Manager or BrightPay please click on the links below:
Thesaurus Payroll Manager:
https://www.thesaurus.ie/docs/2016/year-end/preparing-the-ros-p35-file/
https://www.thesaurus.ie/docs/2016/year-end/submitting-the-ros-p35/
BrightPay:
https://www.brightpay.ie/docs/2016/year-end/preparing-a-p35-ros-file/
https://www.brightpay.ie/docs/2016/year-end/submitting-a-p35-to-ros/
Nov 2016
29
DSP Christmas Bonus
A Christmas Bonus will be paid out to all eligible welfare and pension recipients along with their normal weekly payment during the week beginning November 28th 2016.
Anyone getting monthly payments will get any bonus due in their December payment.
An 85% 2016 Christmas Bonus for Social Welfare and Pensions was confirmed in Budget 2017 back in October. The Christmas Bonus is 85% of your normal payment (including any payments for qualified adults or children) with a minimum payment of €20.
About 1.3 million people will benefit from the Christmas Bonus (almost 890,000 recipients and an estimated 400,000 dependents). Around €225 million will be paid out. It will be useful for all the extra expenses at Christmas time.
The DSP Christmas Bonus is a non taxable payment. To keep record of it through your payroll you can add it as a non taxable addition.
Nov 2016
17
PAYE Modernisation
Revenue propose to roll out real time reporting of PAYE from 1st January 2019.
This means that payroll software will submit data (much akin to the annual P35) to Revenue each pay period.
The technology behind this may pose some challenges, not least for Revenue who will need to handle significant volume. Most payroll software companies will be able to adapt, assuming that file specifications, test environments etc. are provided to them in good time by Revenue.
The core issue is the possible expectation that the periodic payroll data transmission should be sent to Revenue “on or before” each pay date. This is the position in the UK where RTI (real time information) has been in place for a number of years. The “on or before” requirement has caused problems and HMRC had to relax their requirements (and penalties regime) in the initial year or so.
“On or before” represents a seismic shift for bureaus and employers alike and a much better alternative might be the submission of monthly returns. This is where the monthly P30 is enhanced to include all the P35 fields.
Automatic retrieval of P2C data would be a nice feature of PAYE modernisation and hopefully this will be included as part of the overall package.
The consultation document can be found at http://www.revenue.ie/en/spotlights/paye-modernisation.html
Submissions are invited up to 12th December 2016.
Interested in finding out more about PAYE Modernisation? Register now for our free PAYE Modernisation webinar. Click here to find out more.
Oct 2016
12
Budget 2017 Overview (for payroll)
No changes have been made to SRCOPs, tax credits or PRSI classes. Emergency basis will also remain unchanged.
USC (Universal Social Charge: No changes were made to the USC exemption threshold of €13,000. The 1%, 3% and 5.5% rates have been reduced by 0.5% to 0.5%, 2.5% and 5% respectively. There has been no change to the 8% rate of USC. In addition the Rate 2 COP has been increased from €18,668 to €18,772.
Medical card holders and individuals aged 70 years and over whose aggregate income does not exceed €60,000 will pay a maximum rate of 2.5%. The rate of 8% USC will continue to apply under the Emergency Basis.
Minimum Wage:
The National Minimum Wage will increase from €9.15 gross per working hour to €9.25 gross per working hour.
• Workers under age 18 will be entitled to €6.48 (currently €6.41) per working hour.
• Workers in the first year of employment over the age of 18 will be entitled to €7.40 (currently €7.32) per working hour. Workers in the second year of employment over the age of 18 will be entitled to €8.33 (currently €8.24) per working hour.
Minimum wage for trainees:
Employee aged over 18, in structured training during working hours:
• 1st one third of course will increase to €6.94 (currently €6.86),
• 2nd third of course will increase to €7.40 (currently €7.32) 3rd part of course €8.33 (currently €8.24).
PRD (Pension Related Deduction)
Budget 2017 did not make any change to the rates and thresholds for PRD.
However, the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2015 provides for the following changes:
• From 1st January 2017, the exemption threshold will increase from €26,083 to €28,750. 10% PRD will apply to earnings between €28,750 and €60,000, and 10.5% PRD will apply to any earnings in excess of €60,000.
PRSI
There were no changes to PRSI.
