A payroll audit is a systematic review of your payroll practices, procedures, or systems to ensure their accuracy, compliance, and efficiency. It plays a vital role in keeping your payroll system strong.
Payroll audits are not only a regulatory requirement, but they also serve as an advantage for businesses.
Payroll audits should not be mere box tickers — they must be a culture of accountability and high standards, as part of an employee-centric policy by employers.
Auditing payroll is a systematic method to review your payroll processes and outcomes.
Gathering payroll records, employee details, and tax documents.
Verification of payroll data against attendance records and pay structure.
Verify every process aligns with statutory and taxation requirements.
Review the existing payroll process.
Write a payroll audit report that shares findings and actionable recommendations.
All payroll systems, even the best-in-class there are, come with inherent risks. The first step to mitigating these is identifying them.
Errors during data Entry, calculation, or recordkeeping.
Ignorance — in the form of tax and labour laws.
Internal Staff Payroll Record manipulation.
Lack of security measures on payroll system → data breach.
Manual processes that take time and lead to errors in execution.
A payroll audit can be conducted effectively provided it is part of a disciplined and proactive approach to business.
Turn audits into an active business process.
Invest in payroll software to mitigate manual errors.
Work closely with HR, finance, and compliance units.
Stay abreast of any evolving tax as well as employment laws.
Keep accurate records of the payroll analytics and outcomes.
With the help of payroll software, businesses can ease their burden by optimising payroll audit processes.