RTI, PAYE, NIC, auto-enrolment, statutory payments, P11D benefits, year-end procedures, and IR35 — comprehensive payroll compliance training.
Payroll is one of the most compliance-intensive services any accounting practice provides. Every pay run requires accurate PAYE tax calculations using the correct tax code, National Insurance contributions at the right rates and thresholds, student loan deductions at the applicable plan rate, pension auto-enrolment contributions at the correct percentage, and the whole package submitted to HMRC in real time via RTI (Real Time Information). A single error — a wrong tax code, an incorrect NIC category letter, a missed auto-enrolment staging date — can trigger penalties, employee complaints, and HMRC compliance action.
The payroll landscape changes every April. NIC thresholds shift, tax bands adjust, pension contribution rates evolve, and statutory payment rates (SSP, SMP, SPP, ShPP, SAP) are updated. The 2024/25 tax year saw significant changes including the reduction of employee NIC from 12% to 8% (following the earlier cut from 12% to 10% in January 2024), changes to the National Living Wage, and ongoing adjustments to auto-enrolment thresholds. Your team needs to absorb these changes and apply them correctly from day one of the new tax year.
Our payroll legislation training ensures your team understands not just the mechanics of running payroll, but the legislative framework that underpins every calculation — so they can handle complex scenarios, spot errors before they reach HMRC, and advise clients on the payroll implications of their business decisions.
RTI transformed payroll reporting when it was introduced in April 2013, requiring employers to submit PAYE information to HMRC on or before each pay date rather than at year-end. Our training covers the two core RTI submissions: the Full Payment Submission (FPS), which reports each employee's pay, tax, NIC, and other deductions every time they are paid, and the Employer Payment Summary (EPS), which reports information that cannot be included on the FPS — such as statutory payment recoveries, CIS deductions offset, Employment Allowance claims, and apprenticeship levy adjustments. We cover the filing deadlines (on or before the pay date for FPS, by the 19th of the following month for EPS), the penalty regime for late or incorrect submissions, and the common errors that trigger HMRC generic notification service (GNS) messages.
Accurate PAYE requires understanding the tax code system, the cumulative and Week 1/Month 1 bases, and the interaction between multiple tax bands. Our training covers the structure of tax codes (suffix codes like 1257L, prefix codes like BR, D0, D1, and special codes like NT, 0T, K codes), how to apply tax codes cumulatively across the tax year, when and why HMRC issues a Week 1/Month 1 code, the treatment of irregular payments (bonuses, overtime, commission), and the Scottish and Welsh rate of income tax complications that apply to employees with S and C prefix tax codes. We also address the practical issues around starter checklists (the replacement for P46), the three possible statement options (A, B, C), and the tax code determination for new employees who don't provide a P45.
National Insurance is calculated separately from PAYE and has its own thresholds, rates, and category letters. Our training covers the Class 1 NIC calculation for employees (currently 8% between the primary threshold of £12,570 and the upper earnings limit of £50,270 for 2024/25), employer Class 1 NIC at 13.8% above the secondary threshold, and the various NIC category letters that modify these calculations — including category H (apprentices under 25), category M (employees under 21), category F/I/S/L (freeport employees), and category V (veterans in their first 12 months of civilian employment). We cover the annual maximum NIC calculation for employees with multiple jobs, the employment allowance (£5,000 per employer for 2024/25), and the director's NIC calculation methods (annual and alternative).
Workplace pension auto-enrolment under the Pensions Act 2008 is a legal obligation for every employer. Our training covers the categorisation of workers (eligible jobholders, non-eligible jobholders, and entitled workers), the qualifying earnings band (currently £6,240 to £50,270), the minimum contribution rates (currently 8% total with at least 3% employer), the three certification methods for calculating contributions (qualifying earnings, basic pay, and total pay), and the re-enrolment obligation every three years. We address the practical issues that catch practices out: postponement periods (up to 3 months), the opt-in and opt-out process, refund rules within the opt-out window, and the automatic re-enrolment duty. We also cover the Pensions Regulator's compliance and enforcement regime — including the £400 fixed penalty notices and escalating daily penalties for non-compliance.
Employers must calculate and pay statutory payments correctly — and recover the appropriate amounts from HMRC. Our training covers Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) — the qualifying conditions, the 3 waiting days, the 28-week maximum, the linked periods of incapacity for work, and the current rate of £116.75 per week for 2024/25. We cover Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) — the 26-week qualifying service requirement, the earnings condition (average weekly earnings above the lower earnings limit of £123 per week for 2024/25), the 6-week period at 90% of average earnings followed by 33 weeks at the lower of 90% or £184.03 per week, and the employer's right to recover 92% (or 103% for small employers qualifying for small employers' relief). We also cover Statutory Paternity Pay (SPP), Shared Parental Pay (ShPP), Statutory Adoption Pay (SAP), and Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay (SPBP) — their qualifying conditions, rates, and recovery mechanisms.
Benefits in kind reporting remains a significant compliance burden. Our training covers the P11D reporting requirements for benefits that are not payrolled — company cars (including the benefit calculation using CO2 emissions and list price, the electric vehicle 2% rate for 2024/25, and fuel benefit), private medical insurance, beneficial loans (the official rate of interest, currently 2.25%), accommodation, and the various exemptions under ITEPA 2003 (trivial benefits under £50, staff parties under £150 per head, and the late-night taxi/meal exemptions). We cover the optional payrolling of benefits regime that allows employers to process the tax on benefits through the payroll in real time — eliminating the need for P11D filing for those benefits. We also address the Class 1A NIC liability on benefits in kind (13.8% on the cash equivalent) and the payment deadline of 22 July following the tax year.
The payroll year-end (5 April) is a critical compliance milestone. Our training covers the final FPS submission (which must be marked as the “final submission for the year” using the Final Submission indicator), the EPS filing for year-end adjustments, the P60 production and distribution deadline (31 May), the P11D and P11D(b) filing deadline (6 July), and the reconciliation process that ensures the PAYE liability reported via RTI matches the amounts actually paid to HMRC. We address the common year-end issues: tax code updates for the new tax year, applying the new NIC thresholds and rates from 6 April, rolling over annual leave and attachment of earnings orders, and the practical steps for processing the final payroll of the old tax year and the first payroll of the new.
The off-payroll working rules (commonly known as IR35) affect every medium and large business that engages contractors through personal service companies. Since April 2021, the end client (not the contractor) is responsible for determining whether IR35 applies under the Chapter 10 ITEPA 2003 rules — and if it does, the fee-payer must deduct PAYE tax and NIC as if the worker were an employee. Our training covers the status determination process, the HMRC CEST tool and its limitations, the three key tests (control, substitution, and mutuality of obligation), the status determination statement (SDS) that must be provided to the worker and the fee-payer, the right of appeal for workers who disagree with the determination, and the deemed employment payment calculation. We also address the small company exemption (companies that meet two of three criteria: turnover under £10.2 million, balance sheet under £5.1 million, fewer than 50 employees) and the practical implications for accounting practices that manage their clients' payroll.
We review the size and complexity of your payroll portfolio — number of employers, employee counts, sectors, statutory payment frequency, benefits in kind profile, and any clients with IR35 exposure — to tailor the training precisely.
Your team completes a payroll-specific assessment covering PAYE, NIC, RTI, statutory payments, and auto-enrolment. We identify individual and team-wide gaps and prioritise the training modules accordingly.
We deliver focused sessions on each topic area — RTI submissions, NIC calculations, statutory payments, benefits in kind, auto-enrolment, and IR35 — using worked examples and realistic payroll scenarios.
Participants calculate PAYE, NIC, SSP, SMP, and auto-enrolment contributions manually (to understand the mechanics) and then using payroll software — ensuring they can verify software outputs and spot errors.
Every participant receives a comprehensive payroll reference pack including rate cards, threshold tables, NIC category letter guides, statutory payment flowcharts, and 30 days of email support for payroll technical queries.
When your team understands tax codes, NIC categories, and statutory payment calculations from the ground up, pay run errors drop to near zero — eliminating the corrections, recalculations, and client apologies that waste hours.
Your team will submit FPS and EPS returns on time, with the correct data, every pay period. No more last-minute panics, late filing penalties, or HMRC GNS messages flagging discrepancies.
Pension auto-enrolment failures carry severe penalties from The Pensions Regulator. Proper training ensures your team correctly categorises workers, calculates contributions, and manages re-enrolment — keeping every client compliant.
The off-payroll rules are complex and contentious. Your team will understand the status determination process, the CEST tool, and the payroll implications — enabling them to advise clients accurately and protect them from HMRC challenge.