Stewart Waddell's blog

Well, we are trying…..

Here at Dataplan Payroll we are always looking at ways to be kinder to the environment. We have a few new initiative to tell you about.

Reducing paper is one of our key targets this year and with the increasing numbers of customers using our ePayslip system we hope that we will be able to cut down on printing, paper as much as we can.

We are having a final push from the 1st May and we will be asking all clients who don’t yet use our online ePaysafe system to switch over so we no longer print any payroll reports on paper. read the full details

In the age of austerity, even HMRC is cutting back. Having shed around 25,000 staff in the last six years, they plan to close 200 offices by 2011. But their pursuit of unpaid taxes not let up.

HMRC has now signed contracts with a number of debt collection agencies, who will receive a healthy commission on monies they recover from both individuals businesses. Be prepared for a different knock on the door!

From the 6th to 10th of September we are celebrating National Payroll Week.

For the past three years Dataplan Payroll have been delighted to support the Institute of Payroll Professionals (IPP) scheme where we can.

Our dedicated payroll professionals make sure everyone in the country gets paid on time, accurately, every time. We think we are pretty good as well.
 read the full details

We have again submitted and for the Institute of Payroll Professionals annual awards. This year we have entered in the Payroll Service Provider of the Year category. We've been fortunate to win awards in the last two ceremonies for service provider and innovation in payroll.

The blurb for the award states "The award will be presented to the provider proven to demonstrate commitment to customer service and an effective and compliant payroll function"
 read the full details

In June we will be adding a new calendar feature into paysafe. The new calendar feature will let you set up email reminders to flag up an advanced warning of due dates for sending information to Dataplan among other things.

Just a friendly reminder that you need to pay yourself!

We’ve been inundated this year already with overpayment notices from HMRC. This year they seem to have been issuing notices very early.

The main cause seems to be that they have been issued with dates before the 19th April, which is of course the due date for your March PAYE/NI.

So in most cases this is a timing difference and causes a lot of unnecessary work. We’ve already made representations to HMRC to hold any notices being issued until after the 19th April in future years.

We are working on a couple of new features for Paysafe and expect these to launch in May. The first of these is an opt in text messaging service for your payroll reports.

For those of us that sit at a desk all day receiving emails from Paysafe telling you that reports are ready to approve is simple and easy. If you are not in the office full time then it may be a while before you realise that something is needed. In fact Most of our clients are not office based, and we feel this will be a great feature of those clients who are out and about and on the road. read the full details

April sees the introduction of a new set of penalties for the late payment of PAYE, NI, CIS deductions and student loan payments. Up until now it has been quite easy and quite common for employers to delay payment or indeed underpay their monthly PAYE liabilities. After all who was to know and what were the consequences.
 read the full details

Today has seen another round of scam emails from fraudsters purporting to be HMRC. If you receive an email like that feature below please delete it. HMRC are extremely security conscious and would under no circumstances email requesting details.

From: HM Revenue and Customs
Sent: 14 January 2010 10:47
To:
Subject: Notice of Underreported Income

Taxpayer ID: vacancies-00000110065038UK
Tax Type: INCOME TAX
Issue: Unreported/Underreported Income (Fraud Application)
 read the full details

Royal Mail postal Strikes have again caused disruption to UK businesses during November. The delays that this cause again causes disruption to payroll outsourcing providers and employers. Is it time for companies to switch to receiving more information electronically we ask?
 read the full details