Technology news

Sage simplifies payroll

Sage UK has launched payroll software specifically designed for small- to medium sized businesses. Inspired by feedback from employers who manage payroll in-house but are not payroll experts, Sage 50 Payroll 2011 provides a simplified package for generating employees’ payslips, managing starters and leavers, and recording holidays, rewards and year end submissions.

The software links directly to HMRC. For example, P46 Notices of new employees are submitted automatically when entered on to the system. This ‘Quick Link’ function covers a number of procedures, including converting employees into leavers. The programme can automatically calculate final payments, including outstanding holiday funds, and submit a P45 electronically to HMRC. It also has a function that calculates sacrifice salary pension amounts.

Payments, deductions, attachments and loans can all be added on the same page, making payroll easier to process.

Matthew Forrest, head of commercial marketing – small business division at Sage said: ‘Small businesses don’t want to become payroll experts just to be able to pay their employees. A large number of businesses struggle with the complexities and subtleties involved with payroll.’

Forrest explained that input from clients was of vital importance in developing the new software. ‘What was really apparent was that businesses view paying their employees and HMRC as business critical,’ Forrest said, ‘but this task is often overlooked, and is normally allocated to an employee who spends a short and often stressful period of time wanting to ensure that employees and HMRC are paid on time and accurately. In today’s challenging economic environment, no organisation can afford to keep checking and rechecking their payroll – it’s very inefficient.’