Feb 2018
5
PAYE Modernisation - Why it’s the SMART choice.
The current PAYE system is changing. The new system will be known as ‘PAYE Modernisation’. This change will be the biggest to hit PAYE since it was introduced almost 60 years ago. PAYE Modernisation will affect every business across the country. Instead of submitting an annual P35, employers will now have to calculate and report their employee’s pay and deductions as they are being paid.
PAYE Modernisation will no doubt be a huge change for employers but ultimately, employers will see a benefit from the change. Here are some of the key benefits employers can expect to see from PAYE Modernisation -
- Seamless integration into payroll.
- Minimize employer cost to comply.
- Abolition of P30s, P45s, P60s and end of year returns.
- Right tax paid on current due dates.
- Time savings.
We already have the relevant experience to ensure that PAYE Modernisation will be a seamless process for employers. In our BrightPay UK payroll software, we implemented what’s called RTI or Real Time Information which is a similar concept to PAYE Modernisation. Book a demo today to see what PAYE Modernisation will look like on your payroll software.
Related articles:
PAYE Modernisation - Are you ready?
Revenue moves to PAYE Modernisation/ Real Time Reporting
New Automatic Enrolment pension system to be in place by 2021
The objective of PAYE Modernisation
Thesaurus Payroll Software | BrightPay Payroll Software
Feb 2018
5
BrightPay Customer Update - February 2018
PAYE Modernisation is coming…. Are you ready?
The Irish PAYE system is currently undergoing a massive overhaul, with new changes being implemented from 1st January 2019. This is called PAYE Modernisation. The existing system was introduced nearly 60 years ago and so this update is long overdue. What do you need to do to prepare for this new system?
Employer Webinar (27th March) | Bureau Webinar (28th March)
Increase to Minimum Wage from January 2018
The National Minimum Wage for an experienced adult worker has now increased to €9.55 per hour from January 1st 2018. This is the third year in a row that the National Minimum Wage has been increased but this is by far the largest with an increase of .30c.
Is it discrimination to top up Maternity Benefit but not Paternity Benefit?
September 2016 saw the introduction of Paternity Leave, that for the first time ever allowed fathers/partners to take two weeks paid leave on the birth of a child/placement of a child for adoption. The question then arose that if by topping up Maternity Benefit, would an employer by default have to top up Paternity Benefit?
Read full article | What is Bright Contracts?
Keep your payroll data secure with BrightPay Connect
With BrightPay Connect, you don't need to worry about manually backing up your payroll data. The add-on will automatically and securely backup your payroll information each pay period ensuring that you never lose your payroll data. This also protects the payroll data against ransomware and similar threats.
Introducing…. New Features for BrightPay 2018
BrightPay 2018 is now available to download with a number of exciting new features. This year, we have introduced a payroll journal export to accounting packages, including nominal ledger mappings to Sage, Xero and Quickbooks.
Automatic Enrolment - Mandatory Pension Reform for Ireland
The Irish Government aims to bring in an automatic enrolment system where all employers would enrol their employees into a workplace pension scheme. All employers are likely to have certain mandatory duties to complete, including choosing a suitable pension scheme, informing employees about their rights and making an employer contribution to each employee’s pension pot.
Free Webinar: GDPR for Payroll Bureaus
The countdown is on!! The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into effect on 25th May 2018, however this date is a deadline as opposed to a starting point. With hefty non-compliance fines, it is important to make sure you are prepared. Register now for our free, CPD accredited webinar which takes place on 8th March.
BrightPay Newsletter - Are you missing out?
GDPR is changing how we communicate with you. After May 2018, we will not be able to email you about webinar events, special offers or other news without you subscribing to our newsletter. Don’t miss out - sign up to the BrightPay newsletter today!
Jan 2018
22
How will PAYE Modernisation affect your payroll bureau? Only 10 Places Left!!!
Revenue are joining Thesaurus Software for a series of free, CPD accredited webinars detailing what you need to know about PAYE Modernisation.
How will PAYE Modernisation affect your payroll bureau?
There are just 10 places left for our next webinar which takes place this Thursday! With almost 1,000 accountants and payroll bureaus already registered, this is your last chance to register.
Agenda
- An introduction to PAYE Modernisation including recent changes
- What direct effect will this have on employers?
- What direct effect will this have on employees?
- What are the possible downsides for employers?
- Revenue’s delivery schedule
- The role out of PAYE Modernisation in the UK
- Processing manually or using payroll software?
- The letter of engagement
- How will PAYE Modernisation affect your payroll service
- Communicating these changes to your clients.
Don’t miss out - book your place now!!
Payroll Bureaus: Getting Ready for PAYE Modernisation
The next webinar in the series takes place in March where there will be a key focus on what payroll bureaus need to do to prepare for PAYE Modernisation.
Subscribe to our Newsletter
We have lots more webinars scheduled over the coming months. Don’t miss out - make sure to sign up to our newsletter today! You will have the option to unsubscribe at any time.
Thesaurus Payroll Manager | BrightPay Payroll Software
Related Articles:
Jan 2018
12
Is it discrimination to top up maternity pay but not paternity pay?
September 2016 saw the introduction of Paternity Leave, that for the first time ever allowed fathers/partners to take two weeks paid leave on the birth of a child/placement of a child for adoption. Paternity Leave is paid at the same rate as Maternity Pay, currently €235 per week*, leaving it up to employers to decide whether or not they wish to top-up pay during the two weeks leave. The question then arose that if by topping up maternity leave, would an employer by default have to top up paternity pay?
A recent Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) case involving a transport company, provides useful guidance on the answer to this question.
In this case, a male employee brought a case under the Employment Equality Act claiming discrimination on the grounds of gender due to the fact that the employer topped up maternity pay but did not top up paternity pay.
However, the WRC Adjudicator held in favour of the Company, stating that maternity leave is different to paternity leave and that “the special protection afforded to women in connection with pregnancy and maternity is embedded in European and Irish law”. The Adjudicator concluded that the employer was entitled to make special provisions for women at the time of maternity leave and was protected in that regard by the Employment Equality Acts.
Conclusion
This case gives the green light to employers who wish to offer a maternity top up but not offer the same for paternity leave. Whatever it is you decide on, employers are advised to have clear paternity and maternity leave policies in place that is accessible to all employees.
*The rate of maternity/paternity pay will increase to €240 per week from the end of March 2018.
To keep up with the latest payroll news, check out our new Bright website. There, you'll be able to register for any of our upcoming payroll webinars and download our payroll guides.
Jan 2018
8
GDPR unravelled! Find out what you need to know to comply
Get ready as more legislation hit Irish and European businesses. The objective of the recent EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is to bring data protection standards up-to-date and to ensure that individuals in the EU are appropriately protected from privacy and data breaches. It comes into effect on 25th May 2018, however this date is a deadline as opposed to a starting point.
Business owners who start looking at GDPR on or after the 25th May will be at serious risk of non-compliance. You will need to act now to understand and prepare for GDPR well in advance of the May deadline. Over the next few months, it would be advisable to set aside some time to focus on being fully compliant by the 25th May 2018.
BrightPay is committed to helping our customers and others understand the impact of GDPR. We have designed free webinars for accountants and employers to take you through the key steps to be GDPR compliant.
Register now for our free webinars which take place over the coming months.
Agenda
- What is GDPR and why is it being implemented?
- Why employers need to take it seriously
- How it will impact payroll bureaus
- How to prepare for GDPR
- How we are working to help you
Employer Webinar: 30th January - Register here
Bureau Webinar (CPD Accredited): 8th March - Register here
Other Free Events
How will PAYE Modernisation affect your business?
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 called PAYE Modernisation. Under the new legislation, whenever Irish employers pay their employees, a file must be electronically submitted to Revenue containing details of these payments.
- How will PAYE Modernisation affect your business?
- Guest Speaker: Sandra Clarke (BCC Accountants)
- Guest Speaker: Sinead Sweeney (Revenue)
Employer Webinar: 24th January - Register here
Bureau Webinar (CPD Accredited): 25th January - Register here
Jan 2018
4
PAYE Modernisation is coming… are you ready?
The Irish PAYE system is currently undergoing a massive overhaul, with new changes being implemented from 1st January 2019. This is called PAYE Modernisation. The existing system was introduced nearly 60 years ago and so this update is long overdue.
With PAYE Modernisation, employers, or bureaus on their behalf, will need to submit an electronic file to Revenue each time an employee has been paid. This real time reporting will enable Revenue to ensure that employees are receiving their correct tax credits and cut off points at all times.
Fortunately for employers and payroll bureaus, this real-time reporting will replace most of the “P” forms (P30, P35, P45, P46 and P60) enabling them to reduce their workload. Most payroll systems will automate many of the new processes, whereby electronic files will be automatically created and sent to Revenue at the click of a button.
How will PAYE Modernisation affect your payroll bureau?
Revenue is joining Thesaurus Software for a series of free, CPD accredited webinars. The webinars are customised to both employers and payroll bureaus for them to find out how they will be affected by PAYE Modernisation.
- Employer Webinar: Wednesday 24th January - register here
- Bureau Webinar: Thursday 25th January - register here
Our previous PAYE Modernisation webinars were highly sought after with over 2,000 employers and payroll bureaus in attendance. Places are limited - make sure to book your place now to avoid disappointment.
If you are unable to attend the webinars at the specified time, simply register and we will send you the recording afterwards.
Subscribe to our Newsletter
We have lots more webinars scheduled over the coming months. Don’t miss out - make sure to sign up to our newsletter today! You will have the option to unsubscribe at any time.
Thesaurus Payroll Manager | BrightPay Payroll Software
Jan 2018
2
Increase to Minimum Wage from January 2018
The National Minimum Wage for an experienced adult worker is increasing to €9.55 per hour from January 1st 2018. This is the third year in a row that the NMW has been increased but this is by far the largest with an increase of .30c
The National Minimum Wage Act, 2000 provides for a minimum hourly rate of pay for all workers.
All workers, including full time, part time, casual and temporary will be deemed to be covered by the act with only 2 exceptions; close relatives of the employer and certain industry specific apprentices.
Workers can be broken down into 5 different categories; experienced adult workers in employment more than 2 years and over the age of 18, a worker under the age of 18, workers in their first and second year of employment who are over the age of 18 and trainees’ who are undergoing a course that satisfies certain conditions set out in the Act.
The new minimum hourly rates are:
- Experienced adult worker – €9.55
- Under age 18 – €6.69
- In the first year after the date of first employment over age 18 - €7.64 per hour
- In the second year after the date of first employment over age 18 - €8.60
- In a course of training or study over age 18, undertaken in normal working hours-1st one third period: €7.17 per hour; 2nd one third period: €7.64; 3rd one third period: €8.60 per hour.
Breaches of the act are deemed to be criminal offences and are punishable with hefty fines and even imprisonment.
Thesaurus Payroll Manager | BrightPay Payroll Software
Related Articles:
Dec 2017
20
What's New in BrightPay 2018?
BrightPay 2018 is now available (for new customers and existing customers). Here’s a quick overview of what’s new:
2018 Tax Year Updates
- 2018 rates, thresholds and calculations for PAYE, USC, PRSI, LPT and PRD.
- From 1st January 2018, Revenue will tax Illness Benefit by adjusting employee's tax credits and cut off points. As a result of this change, there will be more frequent P2Cs issued for employees.
Payroll Journal
BrightPay 2018 enables you to produce a CSV payroll journal for import into your accounting software. This feature is accessed via the new Journal button on the payroll toolbar, and provides the following:
- The file formats and default nominal ledger code mappings are included for Quickbooks, Sage and Xero. These built-in mappings can be tailored to meet your own requirements, or you can create your own nominal ledger mapping from scratch if need be.
- Specify the journal date range – payslips finalised with a pay date in the range you select are included.
- Include individual journal records for each employee, or merge the employee records into rolled up records for each unique payment date.
- If required, you can use alternate nominal codes for payroll items relating to directors.
- Use a specific nominal code for any custom employer-wide item you have set up in BrightPay (i.e. addition/deduction types, hourly/daily/piece rates, pension schemes, savings schemes, etc.)
- Preview journal on screen, export preview to PDF, or print.
- Export journal CSV file for import into your accounting software.
Several accounting software providers can accept a direct upload of a payroll journal via an API, negating the need to export/import a CSV file. We plan to add this functionality for supporting providers soon.
Please get in touch if you'd like to see built-in support for any other accounting software providers.
Bureau Features
BrightPay 2018 includes several new features specifically targeted at accountants, bookkeepers, or other payroll bureau service providers. These bureau features are exclusive to the bureau version of BrightPay.
Improvements to BrightPay Startup Window
The columns on the BrightPay startup window can now be customised, and you can order the list of employers on the startup screen by any column. To help make this personalisation more useful, the size and position of the startup window will now be remembered between launches.
The data on the startup window now more reliably updates by itself - you no longer have to open a file to get it to do so.
Client Details
You can now record the following client information for each employer in BrightPay:
- Contact name, email address and phone number
- Status
- Due date
- Notes
- Label colour
This information can be edited directly from the startup window by right-clicking on an employer and selecting the new View/Edit Client Details menu option (this menu also includes a quick one-click link to set a label colour), or it can be entered via the new Client Details tab in Edit Employer Details when a file is opened in BrightPay.
Perhaps most usefully, these client details can be shown as columns on the BrightPay startup window, enabling you to more effectively manage your client workflows as an individual or across a team.
BrightPay Connect
In case you missed it, we launched "BrightPay Cloud" with BrightPay 2017. We have now rebranded this as BrightPay Connect. It works exactly as it has to date, including some further refinements and new features for 2018.
We have a detailed web page about BrightPay Connect here. Here's a quick overview of what it's all about:
- BrightPay Connect provides a secure, automated and user-friendly way to backup and restore your payroll data on your PC to and from the cloud.
- BrightPay Connect provides a web/mobile based self service dashboard for your employees, enabling them to:
- View/download their payslips and other payroll documents
- View their calendar, and make requests for annual leave.
- View and edit their personal details.
- BrightPay Connect provides a web/mobile based self service dashboard for employers and clients of payroll bureaux, enabling them to:
- Access the payroll documents and data for each of their employees.
- View an employer-wide payroll calendar.
- View payroll reports exactly as you have set them up in BrightPay.
- View the schedule of Revenue payments, outstanding amounts, and access the P30 for each tax period.
BrightPay Connect is built for security, reliability and stability, and costs just €59 per employer. Bulk pricing is available for bureaus.
Other 2018 Changes and New Features in BrightPay
- The foundational technology of BrightPay has been updated to the latest version, which immediately brings many performance, reliability and security improvements (and opens up new possibilities to our development team!). A side effect of this update, however, is that BrightPay 2018 cannot be run on Windows XP. We've attempted to make all customers aware of this change several times over the past year, and our telemetry now shows that less than 1% of our customers still run on Windows XP. So while we do apologise for any inconvenience this causes, with the improvements gained it is unquestionably the best decision for our customers as whole.
- Import from Sage MicroPay and Big Red Book.
- Import/export employer from/to CSV file.
- Improves how pay dates are entered when finalising payslips – you can now set a different pay date for individual employees if need be. When re-opening and re-finalising payslips, the previously used pay date is remembered.
- When finalising one or more previously re-opened payslips, you can now choose to either remember all the pay items and settings going forward (e.g. if re-opening to make a one-off correction), or to reset the payroll going forward (e.g. if re-opening to redo from that point onward). When re-opening back more than one pay period, you now also have the option to fast-forward re-finalise back to where you were.
- Ability to view/print log of P2C updates.
- Ability to set a custom multiplier for hourly/daily payments.
- Ability to override a named employer daily/hourly rate with an employee-specific rate.
- Support for Paternity Leave and Paternity Benefit.
- Net to gross now works for net, take-home and cost to employer.
- Employee count report.
- Create employee address labels.
- Ability to send support requests directly from within BrightPay (accessed via Help menu).
- The Export PDF dialog now remembers its settings between usages (password usage, auto-open)
- Optimisations to data file size and installation package size.
- Lots of minor improvements throughout the entire BrightPay user interface, as well as the latest bug fixes.
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.
Sign up to BrightPay’s newsletter
Do you want to hear more about future CPD events, free ebooks, industry updates and special offers? Sign up to our newsletter. You will have the option to unsubscribe at anytime.
BrightPay Payroll Software | Thesaurus Payroll Software
Related Articles
Dec 2017
7
BrightPay Customer Update - December 2017.
Free Webinar - How will PAYE Modernisation affect your business?
PAYE Modernisation is probably the biggest overhaul of the PAYE system since PAYE itself was introduced back in 1960. It will have wide ranging effects on all employers across Ireland. Places are limited.
Employers: 24th January | Bureaus: 25th January
Sign up to BrightPay’s newsletter
Do you want to hear more about future CPD events, free ebooks, industry updates and special offers? Subscribe to BrightPay’s newsletter today. You will have the option to unsubscribe at anytime.
Auto Enrolment to be introduced by 2021
Today, we are all living longer healthier lives. However, as a nation, we are not saving enough for our retirement. The Irish government aims to bring in an auto enrolment system where all employers would be required to enrol their employees into a workplace pension scheme and contribute towards the employee pension pot.
Changes to Illness Benefit from 1st January 2018
With effect from 1st January 2018, employers will no longer be responsible for taxing Illness Benefit. From this date Revenue will tax Illness Benefit by adjusting employee's tax credits and/or rate bands.
Cut down on payroll processing time with BrightPay Connect
Employers across Ireland are automating the process of providing payroll and HR documents to employees, such as payslips, P60s, employment contracts and company handbooks. Annual leave management can also be simplified and automated giving you more time to focus on pressing business matters.
Free Webinar - What does GDPR mean for your business?
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into effect on 25 May 2018. Employers process large amounts of personal data, not least in relation to their customers and their own employees. Consequently, the GDPR will impact most if not all areas of businesses and the impact it will have cannot be overstated.
Employers: 30th January | Bureaus: 8th March
Payroll for bureaus: From loss leader to profit centre (bureaus only)
New technologies can positively impact the way bureaus offer payroll services. There are several exciting developments that are happening right now in the cloud. Be ready to offer a new level of payroll and HR services by embracing new-world online technologies.
