Payroll Course
Practical payroll course: setup, running payroll, RTI submissions, holiday pay and employer’s National Insurance contributions.
About the course
This course covers the entire payroll process: setup, running payroll, RTI (Real Time Information) submissions, holiday pay, deductions and reporting. Participants work through practical examples of statutory sick pay and how payroll costs, including employer’s National Insurance, are posted to the ledger.
Preparation before attending
- Gather baseline data such as employment contracts, hours or part-time fractions and agreed basic salary for all employees.
- Confirm the business is registered as an employer with HMRC and has a designated PAYE tax account.
- Reconcile the holiday pay accrual against balance sheet figures to identify discrepancies before the course starts.
- Set up access controls in the payroll system and consider whether two-step approval is needed.
What you will learn
- Pay types and rates
- Calculation of PAYE and employer’s National Insurance contributions
- RTI submission deadlines and error handling
- Holiday pay and final settlement
- Benefits in kind (BIK) and taxable benefits
Module plan
Key deadlines and rates
- Payroll software: UK payroll and RTI run in dedicated payroll software, which validates inputs against current rates; the payroll journal is then posted in the accounting system.
- Notifications: Good payroll software sends reminders as RTI submission and employer’s NI deadlines approach.
- Role-based access: Combined with role-based access controls, the course ensures that sensitive payroll data is only accessible to authorised users.
- Reports: Dashboards provide an overview of cost per employee and changes in statutory sick pay payments.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Missing documentation for benefits in kind and incorrect treatment of company cars.
- Late RTI submissions resulting in penalties and additional work.
- Failing to check holiday pay balances when onboarding new starters or processing leavers.
- Using the wrong tax code when importing variable pay.
Next steps