Payroll software from EARNIE - the payroll people

Payroll year end FAQs

Why do I not have a P60 for some of my employees?

They are probably leavers. You should only give a P60 to a person who was in your employment on the 5 April. It is not your responsibility to produce a P60 for anyone who left before that date.


I am doing my year end return by online filing. How do I print out my employees P60s?

You can issue plain paper P60s. Go to Reports, Library Selection, Year End and select Plain Paper Laser P60.

You can then print these from Year End Reports in the Reports Menu. If you would prefer to print them on pre-printed forms contact Support or call 0844 815 5671 for advice. Remember, leavers do not get P60s so the system will not print them for anyone who has received a P45.


How can I check the update has been installed?

Check the version number under Help/About EARNIE. It should read 1.14.0. 
1.12.0 is the version number for April 2009/10.


What is FBI?

FBI stands for Filing by Internet. This is also known as online filing. It is the method of returning your year end forms electronically.


How do I register for online filing?

We recommend you contact the HMRC for further help on registering for online filing. You can register on the HMRC website or you can call the HMRC Employer Helpline on 08457 143143, or contact your local tax office.


Will I be able to do my year end return electronically this year on EARNIE IQ?

Yes. Instructions to do so will be included with the year end update in February.


My submission was rejected. What do I do?

If your submission was rejected HMRC should issue a report listing the problems
with it. It should be clear how to rectify the problems listed. Once these have been corrected re-submit the file.

If you do not understand any of the problems listed on the report contact Support
or call 0844 815 5671.


Should we order portrait or landscape P14 forms?

The year end P14 forms need to be portrait. We recommend you order the 3-part laser printer forms.


How should I reconcile my year end figures in EARNIE IQ if they do not balance?

Before making your online submission, you should check that the Year To Date (YTD) figures match the payments you have made to HMRC this tax year. To do this we recommend you complete the following steps...

Print off the following reports:

  • P35 Employer's Annual Return
  • Year-to-date summary
  • P35CS
  • P30 Summary

The P30 summary is updated each time you run month-end Processing.  If you have not been processing each period, you can process again Based on Tax Calendar to allow you to use this report. Or, if you have not been running for the full year, you can enter the monthly figures from the previous system manually under:

Company/P35 Annual Return/P30 Tab

Important notePlease note: all these reports are available in the year end library selection.

Compare the total figures on all of these reports.

  • If they all agree with each other and with the payments you have made to HMRC, complete your year-end submission

If the totals on the reports balance, but do not match the payments you have made to HMRC:

  • Re-print and process the Month-end report for each month
  • Check the new reports against the originals.  You may find a month that does not match because the payroll has been re-run and altered in some way for an employee.  In this case, you need to adjust your final payment to HMRC for the 2009-10 tax year to match the submission
  • Complete your year end submission

If the totals on the reports for not agree with each other:

This is usually caused by employees' YTD figures not matching the total of their This Period (TP) figures. The solution is to:

  • Print the Year-end Discrepancies report (available in the Year-end Library).  This will highlight any problem employees
  • You must then decide which figure is correct, since this will have an impact on how to amend the figures

If your YTD figures are incorrect:

Amend the figures by going to Employee/Overrule Figures/Alter To-date Totals.  This will adjust the totals on the Year-To-Date Summary and the P14 screen.

Reprint the reports and if all OK complete your year end submission.

This Period Figures incorrect:

Amend the figures in the P14 screen by going to: Employee/P14 Details.  This will adjust the totals on the P35 Annual Employer's Return and the P35(CS).

Reprint the reports and if all OK complete your year end submission.


How do I perform a submission?

We suggest you consult the online help for the particular copy of EARNIE IQ you are using to find out the procedure required. You should remember that a certain amount of preparation is required before a submission is possible. In particular, you should consider:

  • Is the machine you wish to submit from "Internet Ready"? You will need a working physical connection to the Internet and appropriate connection software such as Microsoft's Internet Explorer 
  • Have you completed the registration process for online filing? See FAQ, "How do I register for online filing?" for more details. Until you have completed registration, submission will not be possible as you will require the username and password that is obtained through the registration process
  • Have you set-up your company details correctly? You must ensure that you have entered a valid account number, PAYE reference and district in the company/alter company details/tax tab as this information is transmitted as part of your submission and is validated by the Government Gateway. Your submission
    will be rejected if this information does not match your registered details

How do I reset my holidays at the end of the holiday year?

  • Go to the Company menu/Holiday Set-up and click on the 'Reset Holiday' button.
    You will then be warned "This will Reset the holiday remaining for all employees
  • Are you sure you want to reset holidays?" Say yes if you are sure. You will then be asked "Do you want to add any remaining holiday to the annual entitlement?" Say YES if you want your employees to carry over any holidays they have not taken to the next year. Otherwise say no
  • You will be asked "Do you want to zero amounts accrued for employees on accrual basis?" Say no if you want your employees to carry over any accrued amounts for holidays to the new year. Otherwise say yes
  • Your holidays have now been cleared down. Click on the button Holiday Reset Complete

Do I need to run a week 53 / 54 / 56 this year?

  • If you run a weekly payroll with a pay date of 5 April it should be a week 53
  • If you run a 2-weekly payroll with a pay date of 5 April it should be a week 54
  • If you run a 4-weekly payroll with a pay date of 5 April it should be a week 56

This year, for the first time since PAYE began, the 6 April falls on Good Friday. As
this is a Bank Holiday it presents a problem; when should you pay your employees
if you have a pay-day of the 6 April? If your normal payroll date falls on the 6 April you may be planning to bring the pay-day forward one day and pay on the 5 April.

The following information has been taken from guidelines issued by HMRC:

This will also apply when Good Friday next falls on 6 April in 2012.

This guidance does not replace or alter the existing guidance in booklet CWG2 about regular paydays falling in week 53 of the tax year. Operation of PAYE & Class 1 NIC when the regular date for payment is a non-banking day

When a regular pay day falls on a non-banking day (Saturday, Sunday or Bank Holiday) and because of this the payment is made on the last working day before
the regular pay day, the payment may be treated for PAYE and Class 1 NIC purposes as having been made on the regular payment day.

For example:

Pay due on Bank Holiday Friday 6 April 2007 or Bank Holiday Monday 9 April 2007 (tax year 2007/08) but paid on Thursday 5th April 2007 (tax year 2006.07) may be treated for PAYE/NIC purposes as being paid on 6 April and 9 April respectively.
Pay due on Sunday 6 April 2008 (tax year 2008/09) but paid on Friday 4 April (tax year 2007-08) may be treated for PAYE and NIC purposes as being paid on 6 April.


Do I need to do anything once the payroll year end CD is installed?

To make sure you are fully prepared for the steps you need to take at year end,
we recommend you print off and read your year end guide at this point.

You do not need to do anything further until you are ready to start your year end procedures. Remember, you can process each company's year end individually,
so you don't have to wait until all your payrolls are complete for the year.


Where can I find the payroll year end guide?

We recommend you print your payroll year end guide in Acrobat format. The document is called EIQupdate.pdf and can be found in d:docs (where d is the identifier of your CD drive) when the CD is inserted. The year end guide can also be printed from the Year End Menu by selecting Print Year End Guide.


I am getting “Cannot Connect” when attempting to file online. What should I do?

This means that something is interfering with, or blocking, your Internet connection. It is impossible for us to say exactly what but you may want to try the following:

  • Turn off virus checkers
  • Internet Explorer version should be 5.5 or higher with 128 bit encryption
  • Internet security programs, surf control, privacy control programs etc. should be checked to ensure they do not interfere with access. If in doubt they should be turned off
  • Firewalls should be checked to ensure they do not impose any restrictions to traffic on port 443 (https) for BOTH inbound and outbound traffic
  • If you have a proxy server which enforces authentication on a per connection basis, this should be disabled or bypassed



Can you give me advice on reconciliation?

Print off the following reports:

  • P35 Employer's Annual Return
  • Year-to-date summary
  • P35 CS
  • P30 Summary*

* This report is updated each time you run month-end processing.

If you have not been processing each period, you can process again Based on Tax Calendar to allow you to use this report. Compare the total figures on all of these reports.

If they all agree with each other and with the payments you have made to HMRC you are ready to make your submission.


My online filing test submission has failed. What should I do?

If the test submission fails you should receive a message or error indicating what
the problem is.  This could either be an issue with discrepancies, which you need
to correct on your data, or it could be a problem with the connection to HMRC's gateway. 

Once you have corrected these problems you should try the test submission again. 

Important noteDon't forget - even if you receive a message saying the test submission has been successful you still need to submit for real.


How do I perform a test submission?

The test submission itself is almost identical to performing a live submission - you just need to select the appropriate ‘submission type’ before you submit. From the main menu bar select ‘Company’ ‘Online Services’ ‘Send Year End Submission’. In the Submission Type box, select Test In Live. Click on Submit to perform the test.


If I perform P14 only submission. How can I enter a “Part ID” so that HMRC can identify it correctly?

HMRC identify your submissions primarily through your Gateway ID and the tax district / reference numbers which are included in the data you submit. 

If you are submitting the P14s for a particular tax reference in parts, each part needs to be uniquely identified. To enter the unique identity or “Part ID” go to 'Company' 'Alter Company Details' 'Tax' tab. The Unique ID will be used as the Part ID for the submission.


I am doing my year end return by online filing. How do I print out my employees' P60s?

We can supply you with data mailers and Z-fold reports.  If you would like to use these forms please contact us for more details.

HMRC's various reports are also available in the year end library. Remember, leavers do not get P60s so the system will not print them for anyone who has received a P45.


Can I submit information on Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) employees via online filing on EARNIE IQ?

CIS workers are not classed as employees, they are classed as sub-contractors so no P14s should be submitted for them. They must be removed from the payroll before the submission is made. They can be put in a dummy company if the user wants to keep the workers' details.

If you want to submit the totals for CIS deductions suffered it's NO LONGER NECESSARY to submit this information separately via the P35 option on the Inland Revenue web site; the information can now be entered in EARNIE IQ in the P35 Annual Return screen. To access this screen, select 'Company' 'P35 Annual Return' then click on the Other tab.


When can I start making submissions for the 2009 / 2010 tax year?

The HMRC website will be available now for 09/10 submissions. Therefore once you have received and installed your year end update you will be able to submit online. This should ease the peak on the 6 April.


How do I deal with holiday pay over tax year end?

  • Run the payroll for the current week
  • Enter the holiday. Change Period Advance by 1, 2 or as required
  • Click on preview and the following question will be asked: "Do you intend running a week 53, 54 or 56 this year?" Answer 'Yes' to this ONLY if you need to run an extra period for EVERYBODY, otherwise, click No
  • Run week 1, 2 etc. with zero pay for the employee concerned
  • NI will be spread over weeks 53, 54 etc. - as weeks 1, 2 have been run with zero pay, the tax allowance will be regained when the employee starts work again

I have printed my P14s but there are no amounts showing in the TOTAL FOR YEAR fields for some employees?

These employees will be leavers.  HMRC has confirmed for us that nothing should appear in these fields if the employee is no longer working for the company.


How do the P14s/P60s print out?

We recommend the 3 or 4 part laser portrait forms.  The P14/P60s print out consecutively, with screen prompts to tell you when to enter each form.

You need to put all the top copies into the printer first, then the second copies when prompted and finally the P60s. If you have chosen the 4 part forms with an extra employer's copy of the P60 this will print out last.


Can I run my year end for one company when I am still running payrolls for another?

Yes. Each company is completely independent so there is no problem running the year-end and changing the tax year at different times for each. One thing to remember, if you choose to do this, any reports you re-select for the next tax year will update for all companies.


What forms are supported on online filing?

The forms currently available to file online using EARNIE IQ are the P14 and P35.


Where can I find instructions to install the CD?

When you first run the CD a menu screen will appear. Printing the Installation Instructions is one of the menu options. These instructions are intended for your IT department.

These instructions can also be printed in Adobe Acrobat format. The document is called Existing Installations.pdf and can be found within d:\docs (where d is the identifier of your CD drive). To install Acrobat Reader run d:\acroread\setup.exe when the CD is inserted.


I am a small employer. How do I reclaim my incentive payment?

The online filing incentive is £150 for the 2006/07 tax year. To qualify for the
tax-free incentive payment you need to satisfy the following conditions:

  • Be a small employer (have less than 50 employees)
  • Submit your year end online, passing the quality standard set by the HMRC
  • Submit online by the deadline

To claim your incentive you can either reduce the total payment for the year or wait for HMRC to issue you with a cheque. We recommend you always confirm your eligibility before the self-service option.  

Please also note that you need to claim the incentive payment in arrears i.e. if you receive confirmation from the HMRC that you can claim your incentive payment for your submission for tax year 05/06 this would be claimed against 06/07 payments.

If you choose to reduce the total payable remember your P35 must reflect this. Go to 'Company' 'P35 Annual Return' 'Other' and enter the amount in here. You must also reduce the total amount payable by the same amount.


How do I configure online services?

In EARNIE IQ you can group together a number of companies for online filing purposes. This saves you having to enter your sender details multiple times, and
also allows you to combine submissions for the same PAYE ref number when companies have been split on the program (e.g monthly and weekly). 

To configure online filing, select ‘Company’ ‘Configure Online Services’. A full explanation of the various options in here can be found in ‘Configuring Online services’ available under the Company Menu in the help files.


My year end reports balance with each other but don't match what I have paid to HMRC for the year. What should I do?

  • Re-print and process the Month end summary for each month
  • Check the new reports against the originals

You may find a month that doesn't match because the payroll has been re-run and altered in some way for an employee.  In this case you need to adjust your final payment to HMRC for the 2009/10 tax year to match the submission.


The totals on my year end reports do not balance. What should I do?

This is usually caused by employees' YTD figures not matching the total of their This Period (TP) figures. The solution is to print the Year end Discrepancies report (available in the Year end Library) This will highlight any problem employees. You must then decide which figure is correct, as this will have an impact on how to amend the figures:

Year-to-date figures incorrect

Amend the figures by going to 'Employee' 'Overrule Figures' 'Alter To-date Totals'. This will adjust the totals on the Year-to-Date Summary and the P14 screen.

This period figures incorrect

Amend the figures in the P14 screen by going to: 'Employee' 'P14 Details'. This will adjust the totals on the P35 Annual Employer's Return and the P35(CS).


How will I know my online submission has been submitted?

Once your submission has been accepted by the Gateway, EARNIE IQ will print a status report on the screen.

You will notice that the last line of the report is the Status.  If there are no problems with your submission, the status will be "Sent - No Errors".

Click the 'Print' button to print a summary of the information for your records. If you have a registered email address with HMRC, they will also send you email notification that your submission has been received. If there is a problem with your submission you will get a message highlighting what the problem is. You will need to rectify the problem then try your submission again.


My CD has arrived. When should I install it?

You should install your CD as soon as it arrives. You do not have to wait until you have finished all of your payrolls for the year. We recommend an immediate install for the following reasons:

  • Any potential problems with installation can be resolved before the busy period starts
  • If there is a fault with the CD you have plenty of time to arrange a replacement
  • You can prepare earlier for your year end procedures by printing off and reading through your year end guide

Will the CD change anything as soon as I install it?

No. The legislative changes for the new tax year will not come into effect until you have run a year end restart.


Can I make a Company Copy?

Yes you can.  The copy option is found in EARNIE Admin. Select File followed by Companies then Copy. You choose which company you wish to copy and enter a new company name. You then have 3 copy options:

1. Company details only
2. Exact copy
3. For receivership

Company details only

This creates a copy of the chosen company details only. No employee details are copied to the new company. See your manual for more details.

Exact copy

This copies everything held for the company including employee details and leaver information. It can be used at year end to make a mirror image of your company before closing it down.

For receivership

This option creates a new company and copies across all of the employees as though they were new starters to the company. The existing Taxable Gross YTD and Tax Paid YTD are set as the employees P45 figures in the new company. When choosing this option you are asked for further information, such as setting a new Date Started in the employees details and whether you want to copy leavers. See your manual for more details on these options before you embark on a receivership copy.


Why am I getting the message “Submission already received for this employer” when attempting to file my year end return online?

This means that a submission for the tax district and reference you are using has already been made. 

Once a full submission (P14s plus P35) has been accepted by the Gateway, you cannot re-submit. If you get this message, you should double check the tax district and reference you are using, under ‘Company’ ‘Alter Company Details’ ‘Tax' tab. 
If you are performing a combined submission, you should check that ALL the companies included have the same district and reference.

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