Oct 2017
10
Opinions and feedback from our customers matter to us. We love to hear comments and suggestions from users in order to improve the customer experience. Last month we conducted a customer survey to get an insight into what customers think about Thesaurus Payroll Manager and find out what new features our customers want.
The survey also looked at customer satisfaction rates, software performance and customer support. We were delighted to discover that Thesaurus Payroll Manager has a 99.6% customer satisfaction rate. Customers are also highly satisfied with our customer support team, with a satisfaction rate of 99.5%. Many customers agree that BrightPay saves them time (99.4%) and offers good value for money (99.6%).
Surprisingly, 43% of customers were not aware that Thesaurus Payroll Manager includes integration with One4all. This new feature was added last year and enables employers to seamlessly purchase One4all gift cards for employees.
The survey also looked at awareness of PAYE Modernisation. Nine out of ten accountants, bookkeepers and payroll bureaus said that they were aware of this new PAYE system, which will be effective from 1st January 2019. Meanwhile, one in five employers were unaware of this upcoming change. Thesaurus recently hosted a number of free PAYE Modernisation webinars, with a guest speaker from Revenue. The webinars incorporated everything you need to know about PAYE Modernisation. Watch the PAYE Modernisation training session on demand.
We also received a number of customer testimonials from the survey - all of which will be added to the Thesaurus website in due course. Some of our favourite testimonials received include:
As a thank you for taking part in the survey, we are giving away four €50 One4all vouchers. We are delighted to announce that the winners are:
The Thesaurus team will be in contact with the winners shortly.
We appreciate all the feedback received from this year’s survey and would like to say a massive thank you to everyone who took part.
Oct 2017
2
To raise awareness about forthcoming PAYE Modernisation in 2019, Revenue has commenced its awareness campaign by releasing an information leaflet “PAYE Modernisation – Are You Ready”.
This leaflet highlights the vital steps for new and existing employers to undertake in advance of 1st January 2019, in order to succeed in the imminent taxation system revolution.
The key idea behind PAYE Modernisation is that all communication between employer and Revenue will happen in “real time”. In order to effectively overcome the upcoming challenges, employers are being encouraged to focus on the quality and accuracy of the data they provide to Revenue.
In preparation for PAYE Modernisation, employers are advised to follow several easy steps to guarantee its overall success when it does come into effect in 2019:
At Thesaurus Software & BrightPay, we have always strived to deliver excellence in customer service and professional expertise in both Irish and UK payroll. We widely welcome the upcoming PAYE changes. As Paul Byrne, director of Thesaurus Software Ltd, stated during the Revenue's public consultation process held in December 2016:
“Whatever system is adopted, it is important that it represents a step forward for all parties. We are already committed to not charging our customers for the additional development involved. In addition, we are considering making a free version of our software available for micro employers, those with one or two employees.”
Related articles
Jul 2017
3
Following the announcement in last October’s Budget 2016, Revenue entered a consultation on the modernisation of the PAYE system.
Revenue’s proposal is that employers will report pay, tax and other deductions at the same time as they process and finalise their payroll. Similar to Real Time Information (RTI) in the UK, details of employees starting or leaving employment will be reported on the date of commencement/cessation and will eliminate the filing of P30, P35 and P45 forms.
Although, many businesses across Ireland have broadly welcomed the forthcoming introduction, some smaller businesses have expressed concern about the additional administrative burden due to poor internet access and the additional hours it may involve. Many businesses will be a risk as they have not invested in payroll software where they calculate their payroll manually.
Last April Revenue disclosed that it received 77 submissions to the consultation which represented a broad range of interests, both from large and small companies. For larger employers, the transition will be relatively straightforward, but Revenue is looking at alternatives to accommodate smaller employers, in particular, those who may still process their payroll manually.
IBEC state that while most of its members welcome the change, it is important that the system is flexible. A professional services group also warned that the work involved for employers to prepare for the implementation of PAYE modernisation / Real Time Reporting (RTR) should not be underestimated.
Thesaurus Software / BrightPay Ireland already has the experience and expertise in developing the same real time features and functions for our UK customers. We are already collaborating with Revenue to ensure the transition for our customers to Real Time Reporting (RTR) / PAYE modernisation is smooth, user-friendly and ready for implementation in January 2019.
For further information, Revenue have provided the following link:
http://www.revenue.ie/en/corporate/consultations-and-submissions/paye-modernisation/index.aspx
Interested in finding out more about PAYE Modernisation? Register now for our free PAYE Modernisation webinar. Click here to find out more.
May 2017
27
What is PAYE Modernisation?
From 1st January 2019, whenever Irish employers pay their employees, a file must be submitted (electronically) to Revenue containing details of these payments. The contents of this file will be similar to the details currently submitted in the annual P35, however, unlike the annual P35, this file must be submitted each pay period. Therefore, in most cases, the submission will be made either weekly or monthly.
This real time information will enable Revenue to ensure that employees are receiving their correct credits and cut off points. This in turn should mean that the incidence of year end over/underpayments of income tax will be substantially reduced.
Employees will also be able to log on to their Revenue account and, among other things, view the information that the employer has submitted in respect of them.
What direct effect will this have on employers?
In the main, this should be good for employers. Most of the “P” forms (P45s, P46s, P60s and P35s) will be no more as the new periodic file will supersede them.
Payroll software will automatically submit the periodic file to Revenue without the need to physically upload a file on the ROS website. In addition, payroll software will get automatically updated with employee credits and cut off points, again without the need to check for and download P2C files from the ROS website.
The correct treatment of illness benefit should also be facilitated by the new system, eliminating the guesswork and complication involved in the current system.
So, all in all, PAYE modernisation should represent a positive change for employers.
What are the possible downsides for employers?
For most employers there should be no downside, in fact the whole payroll process will be somewhat easier, thanks mainly to payroll software interacting directly with Revenue’s systems.
For those employers who do things after the fact e.g. they pay employees an amount and then sort it out later by working things backwards with the software (net to gross), the transition to PAYE modernisation could be somewhat problematic.
Submission of the periodic file will be required in or around the pay date and late submissions may lead to Revenue intervention. Submission of correction files will be accommodated by the new system, however constant correction submissions may also lead to Revenue intervention and possible interest and penalties. Therefore submission of “best guess” periodic files, followed later by correction files, to reflect what was actually paid, will not be advisable.
These employers need to regularise their business processes so as to ensure that the payroll they process is done so in real time, either by using payroll software or by using their accountants or payroll bureaux on a more timely basis.
This change in mindset is perhaps the largest single challenge facing PAYE modernisation.
Thesaurus Software and PAYE Modernisation
Thesaurus Software is already collaborating with Revenue through the payroll software representative body, the PSDA (Payroll Software Developers Association), to help ensure that the final version of PAYE Modernisation is workable and ready for implementation by 2019.
Our experience in developing similar functionality in the UK means that our development team have the expertise and experience to create the best solution for our Irish customers.
In keeping with our pricing culture, there will be no additional charge for the new functionality.
Interested in finding out more about PAYE Modernisation? Register now for our free PAYE Modernisation webinar. Click here to find out more.
