2018-Jun 15: PAYE payday filing replacing Employer Monthly Schedules/IR348s

Visa Pak 361 - Advice for staff about changes to Inland Revenue's requirements about filing 'employer monthly schedules' (IR348).

Visa Paks

15 June 2018

PAYE payday filing replacing Employer Monthly Schedules/IR348s

Inland Revenue (IR) is in the middle of a sizable change programme to simplify tax filing requirements and update their software, and as a major part of that, PAYE return filing is changing to introduce “payday filing” for all employers. This will eliminate the requirement to file employer monthly schedules/IR348, which is one of the items we usually request for sustainability checks with our employer questionnaires. Instead, employers will file an “employment information schedule” online either via myIR (IR online account) or directly using payroll software after each pay day.

These changes are compulsory from 1 April 2019 (i.e. paper filing will not be available), but voluntary from 1 April 2018 i.e. there will be employers filing their PAYE returns/information this way now. There is more information on the IRD website here:

http://www.ird.govt.nz/payroll-employers/returns-payments/payday-filing/

When requesting PAYE information as part of employer questionnaires, please bear in mind that employer monthly schedules/IR348s may not be available. Depending on filing method, the employer may struggle to provide the information easily, in which case employer wage/payroll records will have to suffice. The IR345/Employer deductions form will still continue to be filed – this can be requested to show PAYE information was filed and the totals should match the payroll records for that pay period.