Free payroll guides and resources

Free guides. Real expertise. No jargon

Getting payroll right is about more than processing pay on time. It’s about understanding a complex and constantly changing body of legislation, knowing where the compliance traps are, and having the confidence to apply the rules correctly, every time.

We’ve produced a library of in-depth guides covering the areas that cause the most headaches for employers and payroll teams. Written by Paul Chappell, our Head of Legislation and Compliance, each guide cuts through the complexity and gives you the practical knowledge you need.

All guides are free to download.

The complete 2026/27 payroll and tax guide

Our flagship compliance publication covers every key change affecting employers, including rates and thresholds, legislative updates, statutory payments and employer NIC.

If you need one document to keep your payroll compliant and up to date throughout 2026/27, plus give you a heads-up about what is coming, this is it.

National Minimum Wage

The National Minimum Wage is far more than a simple hourly rate. Shadow hours, salary sacrifice, term-time contracts, deductions and sleep-in shifts all create compliance risk.

This guide covers the full picture, including what happens during an HMRC investigation and the preventative steps that will keep you on the right side of the rules.

Holiday pay

Holiday pay is one of the most misunderstood areas of payroll compliance, and with the Fair Work Agency now in place, the stakes have never been higher.

This guide covers everything from the 52-week reference period to irregular hours workers, landmark tribunal cases and the new record-keeping requirements.

Salary sacrifice

Salary sacrifice remains one of the most effective ways to structure employee remuneration. But done poorly, it creates compliance failures, employee hardship and expensive HMRC penalties.

This guide covers pensions, electric vehicles, OpRA rules, National Minimum Wage risks and the upcoming £2,000 NIC cap from April 2029.

Employee expenses

Every expense claim must pass a strict three-part legal test. Fail any element and the whole expense becomes taxable – for employer and employee alike.

This guide explains the test, which expenses pass it and which don’t, the consequences of getting it wrong, and the record-keeping requirements now in force.