Q1. My employees worked last week, but I’d like to pay them this week (week in lieu). How do I change the pay date?
Payback works off of the Revenue PAYE calendar. The actual period that an employee works is irrelevant. The only date that is of importance is the actual payment date. A timesheets module that caters for the recording of hours worked etc, is currently in development.
Please refer to Chapter 3: setting up a company, if you wish to change the payment date.
Elements set up in the company screen are displayed in the drop-down list in the employee screen. If many employees will be using the same element, set it up as a company element. If an element is unique to an employee, set it up in the employee screen. When you are processing a payroll, the elements from the employee screen are copied to the Payroll Screen.
Q3. What is the difference between Payroll screen elements and the elements in the Employee Screen?
The elements set up the in the Payroll screen are for once off payments (such as a bonus). They will not be carried forward from pay period to pay period. Elements set up in the Employee screen are copied across to the Payroll Screen. These are for on-going payments and are copied from period to period.
If you are paying someone by the hour (flat rate), then select ‘Payroll’ from the main menu. Select the pay period from the calendar and select the employee you wish to pay. Type ‘0’ (zero) under ‘Units’, next to where it says ‘Basic’. Click the ‘Pay’ button.
It is unusual to pay someone zero if they are on a salary. The only way to do this is to change their salary details in the employee screen, process the period, and change the salary back again for the next period.
The most likely explanation is that you’ve incorrectly entered a figure. Check the employee details, paying particular attention to the Total Cut Off Point and Total Tax Credit.
If the figures still appear to be incorrect, refer to the ‘History’ tab in the Payroll screen. Here you will find all the payment details for the employee. Check that all these figures are correct. You will be able to compare them to previous periods.
Q6. As I click further and further through the year, the tax payable seems to be reducing. By the end of the year, my employees aren’t paying any tax. What is going on?
In order to correctly calculate pay for your employees, each payment period must be processed before moving onto the next period. To process a period, click the ‘Pay’ button in the Payroll screen. (Please refer to Chapter 5, Paying Employees). Clicking ‘Save’, or simply clicking the calendar does not process payments.
Q7. I’m changing from another payroll system; do I have to enter in all my employee’s information again?
You will have to enter your employee’s details in the employee screen. There is no need to re-process pay periods. Fill in the ‘Old Payroll System’ Year to Date totals. This is found on the ‘Tax/YTD’ tab of the employee screen.
Note that there might be a tax adjustment for the first payment period if the tax was over or under paid in your old payroll system