Payroll, explained
in plain English.
Straightforward answers to the payroll questions we get asked most, written by a CIPP-member bureau that does this every day. No jargon.
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What is the difference between gross pay and net pay?
Gross pay is what you earn before deductions. Net pay is what you take home after tax and National Insurance. The difference, with a worked example.
Read guide →P32, P45, P46 and P60: UK payroll forms explained
A plain-English guide to the main UK payroll forms: what the P32, P45, P46 and P60 are, what each one is for, and when you need them.
Read guide →Payroll for beginners: running UK payroll for the first time
A plain-English beginner's guide to running UK payroll: registering for PAYE, choosing software, each pay run, RTI, pensions and year end.
Read guide →Taking on and registering a new employee
A plain-English guide to employing new staff in the UK: right to work checks, P45 or starter checklist, tax codes, payroll setup and reporting to HMRC.
Read guide →How workplace pensions and auto-enrolment work
A plain-English guide to how workplace pensions and auto-enrolment work in the UK: who must be enrolled, minimum contributions, tax relief and duties.
Read guide →UK holiday pay and holiday entitlement explained
How UK holiday pay and entitlement work: the 5.6 weeks' statutory minimum, part-time and irregular-hours staff, the 12.07% method and a week's pay.
Read guide →Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) explained
A plain-English guide to Statutory Sick Pay: what SSP is, who qualifies, waiting and qualifying days, how long it lasts, fit notes and employer duties.
Read guide →Student loan and postgraduate loan deductions through payroll
How student and postgraduate loan repayments work through PAYE: the plan types, the earnings threshold, which plan to use and when deductions stop.
Read guide →Attachment of earnings orders: an employer's guide to deductions from pay
A plain-English guide to attachment of earnings orders (AEOs), DEAs and council tax attachments: employer duties, protected earnings and priority rules.
Read guide →The National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage explained
A plain-English guide to the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage: how the age bands work, the April review, employer duties and penalties.
Read guide →Would you rather not deal with any of this?
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