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Payroll Management · SARS Compliant

Payroll that runs on time, every time

Monthly payroll processing, EMP201 submissions, IRP5 certificates, UIF declarations, and year-end reconciliations — fully managed so you never miss a SARS deadline.

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Key payroll deadlines
EMP201 (PAYE/UIF/SDL)7th monthly
UIF Declaration (DOL)7th monthly
IRP5 / IT3(a) certificates31 May
EMP501 Reconciliation31 May
Bi-annual EMP50131 October
We track every deadline across all clients — nothing is filed late.
What we deliver

Complete monthly payroll — not just the numbers

Payroll is one of the most compliance-heavy functions in a small business. We handle every component — from processing to submission to employee communication.

Monthly payroll processing

Gross-to-net calculations for all employees, including overtime, deductions, leave pay, and variable components.

Payslips

Branded, itemised payslips for each employee — delivered digitally by pay-run date, every month without exception.

EMP201 preparation & eFiling

PAYE, UIF, and SDL calculated and filed to SARS by the 7th of each month. Payment advice included.

UIF declarations (DOL)

Monthly UIF returns submitted to the Department of Labour via uFiling — separate from the SARS EMP201 process and frequently missed.

IRP5 certificates & EMP501

Year-end reconciliation of all payroll to the SARS employee tax certificate process — filed by 31 May each year.

Leave management

Annual, sick, and family responsibility leave tracked per employee. Leave balances reflected accurately on every payslip.

Staying compliant

Three separate obligations — all managed together

Most small businesses know about PAYE. Fewer realise that UIF declarations to the Department of Labour are a completely separate monthly submission — on the same deadline, to a different system.

Miss either and the penalties accumulate quickly. Both are included in our payroll service as a matter of course.

SDL (Skills Development Levy) applies once your payroll exceeds R500,000 per year — we calculate and flag this proactively so you're registered and compliant before SARS raises it.

ObligationTo whomFrequency
PAYE
Employee income tax withheld		SARSMonthly
UIF (employer)
Unemployment Insurance Fund		SARS (via EMP201)Monthly
UIF declaration
Employee contribution records		Dept of Labour (uFiling)Monthly
SDL
Skills Development Levy (if applicable)		SARSMonthly
EMP501 & IRP5s
Annual reconciliation + certificates		SARSAnnual (31 May)
Monthly payroll cycle

How a payroll run works

1

Input collection

You send hours, overtime, commissions, and any changes by the agreed cut-off date.

2

Processing

We run gross-to-net calculations, apply tax tables, and generate payslips.

3

Review & approval

You review the payroll summary before anything is submitted or paid.

4

Distribution

Payslips sent to employees digitally. Net pay amounts confirmed for your EFT run.

5

SARS & DOL filing

EMP201 filed to SARS and UIF declaration submitted to DOL by the 7th.

Common questions

Payroll — answered

We only have 3 employees — do we still need this?
The compliance obligations are identical regardless of headcount. A three-person payroll still requires monthly EMP201 submissions to SARS, monthly UIF declarations to DOL, and annual IRP5 certificates. The admin doesn't scale down proportionally — our managed service does.
What's the difference between UIF at SARS and UIF at DOL?
They're separate submissions to separate government departments. SARS gets the contribution (money) via the EMP201. The Department of Labour gets a declaration (employee records) via uFiling. Both are monthly. Both have the same deadline. Missing the DOL submission is one of the most common payroll compliance gaps we see.
What do you need from us each month?
A payroll input sheet — hours worked, overtime, leave taken, any new starters or leavers, and any changes to benefits or deductions. We agree a cut-off date (typically 3 working days before pay date) and send you a template to fill in.
Can you handle directors' remuneration?
Yes — and this is often where small business payrolls go wrong. Director remuneration has specific tax treatment depending on whether the director is an executive director, how remuneration is structured, and whether there are loan accounts in play. We handle this correctly from day one.
We're behind on payroll submissions — can you fix that?
Yes. Outstanding EMP201s and EMP501s are a common catch-up scenario. We reconstruct the payroll records, file the outstanding returns, and apply for penalty remission where possible. Getting current is the priority before resuming a monthly cycle.
Is payroll integrated with bookkeeping?
When both are managed by us, yes. Payroll journals post directly into Xero — wages, PAYE, UIF, SDL, and net pay all coded correctly. No double-entry, no manual journals, no month-end reconciliation between two systems.

Payroll should run itself — let's make that happen

Book a free consultation and we'll review your current payroll setup, identify any compliance gaps, and walk you through what a clean managed payroll looks like.

Book your free payroll call