Understanding your e_mployment status on payroll LI

Understanding the revision of tax status updates on payroll

by with No Comment ArticleTax

Labour brokers

A labour broker – someone who provides and remunerates workers for a client (for payment)

  • may or not be and in possession of an exemption certificate.
  • The Fourth Schedule allows for an exemption certificate to be issued by SARS to a labour broker (if a set of conditions is met)
  • this absolves the employers from having to withhold PAYE from payments made to the labour brokers.
  • Employers must withhold PAYE from payments made to labour brokers WITHOUT an exemption certificate.
Foreign employment remuneration requirements

Foreign employment

  • SARS PAYE Business Requirements Specification (BRS) – any remuneration received due to employment outside of South Africa must be reported on foreign services income codes.
  • irrespective of whether a portion of that amount may qualify for exemption.
  • if a tax resident employee works outside of SA on behalf of an employer, then certain remuneration is exempt from tax (up to a limit of R1.25 million per tax year).
  • IF the following conditions are met:
  1. the employee is working outside SA for a period exceeding 183 full days in total during any 12-month period, and 
  2. for a continuous period exceeding 60 full days during that period of 12 months.
What is standard employment?

Employees in standard employment

  • an employee (including a scholar or student) works for a single employer for at least 22 hours per week.
  • (excludes temporary periods of absence due to exceptional circumstances or a temporary reduction in working hours).
  • is deemed to be in standard employment.
  • should be taxed according to the progressive personal income tax tables.
Tax statuses - how does it work?

How Does It Work? 

  1. The following tax statuses have been renamed to an [Obsolete] tax status in April 2022. (Please refer to release note #29380 for more information).
  • Foreign Employment (No Tax) [Obsolete]
  • Labour Broker (Not Tax) [Obsolete]
  • Standard Employment (YTD) [Obsolete]

2. In future these tax statuses will no longer be available for selection.  Tax statuses available on the payroll that pertain to labour brokers, foreign employment and standard employment include:

  • Labour Broker: Remuneration paid to a labour broker without a valid exemption certificate (IRP30) is subject to employee’s tax. The basic salary will be converted to tax code 3619 if the employee has a valid exemption certificate. If not, the tax code will be 3617 and the employee will be taxed as per the progressive tax tables.
  • Foreign Employment: Apply this tax status for a South African resident employee who earns income in a foreign country. Normal progressive tax tables will be applied but 50 will be added to all tax codes, for example, the ‘Basic Pay’ component’s tax code will display as 3651.
  • Standard Employment (Normal): The normal progressive tax tables will be applied.

Paymaster Impact  

  • When adding an employee, the removed tax statuses will no longer be available to select. It will therefore be hidden on screen, when applying APIs and when uploading via bulk actions.
  • Existing employees linked to these removed tax statuses, will display blank in the tax status field.
  • The tax calculation and reports will still apply the tax status in the database.
  • When the user edits the screen, they will need to select a new status from the available list.
  • When accessing the information via APIs and bulk upload, the tax status of the employees linked to the removed tax statuses, will still display. However, when attempting to upload, an error will be returned, since the value does not exist.

Customer Action 

  • Validate APIs if necessary.
  • Existing employees linked to an obsolete tax status should be converted to any of the available tax statuses.
  • If an employee’s tax status is changed in the middle of the tax year, a tax recalculation will take place.
  • If the newly selected tax status should be applicable from a specific date, terminate the employee on the Tax Profile screen and reinstate in the next open run selecting the option, Reinstate Starting a New Record.  As a result, the employee will receive separate tax certificates based on the two tax records in the tax year.

Please contact your Paymaster payroll administrator if you need more advice regarding these revised tax statuses. Email us at outsourcepayroll@paymaster.co.za

Hrmaster Hats Series

Hat 10- The Interpreter of company policy

by with No Comment Article

We, the payroll administrators, need to understand the policy process. Government passes legislation, and we are tasked with implementing that. Management sets company policy, and creates procedures to implement that policy.

The payroll department (among others) is tasked with bringing those policies and procedures to life. We study the rules and make them work. We explain to, and educate all employees regarding these policies. We implement the policy and make sure that the policy is adhered to.

“my heart says yes but my brain says no”

And the biggest challenge…we have to say NO to requests for exceptions.

Refusing these exceptions can cause a lot of pressure to be exerted on the administrator who understands the importance of sticking to policies. While management accepts that we can’t break the law around payroll, they sometimes think that certain circumstances allow one to bend company policy for a few individuals. Their arguments are so persuasive and they come from management, making it very difficult. But be warned, once you have bent the rules, it becomes easier to bend the rules in other situations. Have you noticed that some managers are more inclined to ask you to make exceptions than others?

I am trying to think of a example where bending the policies can be justified. I am finding it very difficult to come up with anything but here are two that may prove the point.
* We can’t give the employee more leave , but we can approve leave and process the leave outside of policy.
* We can’t change the rule on advancing an employee money from next week’s salary, but we can bend that rule, depending on the circumstances.

Tell us about the time you bent the rule, or the time you stood firm. And how did it turn out? Tell us in the comments below.

How to avoid compromising policy procedure:

  1. Make sure you understand the policy that management wants implemented. The payroll administrators are the people who interpret what needs to be done. So read it carefully, discuss it and make sure everyone in the department understands it. Make notes of what possible exceptions might be requested, and work out in advance the reasons why you can’t compromise.

  2. Make sure that you all (management team included) agree that there will be no exceptions. You need to know that your standing firm on this issue will be supported by management.
  3. Build a reputation for sticking to the rules. While you need to be considerate and aware of the issues, policy is policy, and the firmer you are, the less you will be challenged. It must be clearly understood “Payroll will never deviate from policy, so don’t even ask!”

  4. On the rare occasion, you need to make an exception, be sure that it is for a very good reason and ONLY under management’s authority. Have something in writing that allows you to deviate. (You do not want to end up being a scapegoat).
  5. Education, education, education is the key. Do everything you can to make sure line managers understand what the policy and procedures are. Use books, diagrams, videos and blogs to keep managers up to date. Make them your friends, your first line of defence and your supporters when you implement policy strictly.

Policy adherence is essential in a well-run, compliant business. And the payroll department plays a vital role in making this happen. Prepare to make a stand to always do the right thing and stick to the rules.

🎩 Thank you for being part of this insightful journey on the roles and responsibilities of a payroll administrator.