If your client already uses payroll software, check how many automatic enrolment tasks it can carry out.
Speak to the person who deals with your client’s payroll to make sure the software, or other payroll processes they have, can perform the following tasks each pay cycle:
- assess your client’s staff to work out who to put into a pension scheme
- hold the information required for automatic enrolment, including staff names, addresses, dates of birth and earnings, so your client pays the right amount of contributions into a pension scheme for the right people at the right time
- calculate how much your client and their staff will need to pay, including using the correct tax relief method
- generate and send the correct staff data – including information on pension contributions – to your client’s pension scheme and in the format required
- generate communications (eg letters or emails) for your client’s staff at the right time – although your client may choose to do this using our template letters, particularly if they only have a small number of staff
- handle staff requests to opt into or join your client’s pension scheme, as well as stop deductions and process refunds for staff who opt out (or leave) it
- a flexible postponement function (ie can it adjust the postponement period to suit different types of workers)
- keep records for up to six years
If your client’s software can't complete these tasks, they should consider updating or changing it – or speak to their pension provider to see if it can carry them out instead.
If your client manages their payroll without any software, or uses HMRC's Basic PAYE Tools (BPT), they’ll need their own process to assess their staff and calculate contributions. Your client also needs to find out from their pension provider how to provide this information to them. For more information, go to working with clients without compatible payroll software.
If you are more experienced in payroll software and processes or would like further information to give to whoever does your client’s payroll, we have additional guidance on what to test in a quick guide to setting up payroll (PDF, 84kb, 4 pages).