News | Action Planning Ltd

September 4, 2017 by

6 Benefits of Outsourcing Your Payroll To Action Planning

Is payroll causing a huge headache for your business? Do you find payroll a logistical nightmare? Often, business owners and managers can feel overwhelmed with how time-consuming the task actually is.

With over 20 years experience managing payrolls and payroll systems, Action Planning will aim to reduce the cost, complexity and administrative burden of managing:

Tax and National Insurance – including PAYE Real Time Information (RTI).
Statutory Sick Pay (SSP), Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP), Statutory Adoption
Pay (SAP), Statutory Paternity Pay (SPP).
Student Loans, Attachments of Earnings Orders (AEO), Pensions.
New starters and leavers.
Payroll year end procedures.

Here are the many other benefits to outsourcing payroll you may not have realised:

Stress Free

Payroll administration is a time-consuming task for any business owner or manager. Outsourcing through Action Planning means no more headaches, no stress, no hassle and you’re left focusing on what is most important to your business – focusing on winning and serving customers.

Packages To Suit Your Needs

Action Planning offers a variety of payroll packages for small and medium sized businesses. Outsourcing payroll doesn’t mean you end up paying above and beyond for what you need – simply choose the correct package to suit your own business needs.

Dependability

You won’t need to feel concerned if your payroll is up to date as outsourcing your payroll to Action Planning takes care of all the hassle for you. Holidays, sickness, over time – this can all be left in the hands of experts you will have direct access to.

Better Reporting

Comprehensive reporting might not be possible within your in-house payroll team or through software you currently use. Outsourcing your payroll will allow you to receive specific reporting which will benefit your business.

Staff Costs

Saving money is a bonus for any business and many business owners and managers find that payroll doesn’t always warrant a full-time job for a member of staff. Outsourcing your payroll also means you won’t have to take the time out training someone on your own payroll system. Not many people realise this can actually save you money in the long term.

Accuracy

There are so many additional by-laws, employee benefit programs, employee taxes, and reimbursements to consider – it’s no wonder this can become a headache for any business. Accuracy is key to a payroll system and with more than 20 years of experience – you will be in safe hands.

Interested in hassle free payroll? Simply request a quotation here: REQUEST

June 5, 2017 by

Re-enrolment for workplace pension

After three years of staging, you need opt staff back into the pension scheme. More information can be found on the Pension Regulators website.

We have created a 121 remote training session to help guide and support you through the re-enrolment procedure, which will ensure that re-enrolment and re-declaration are completed on time and avoid any fines.

Full details and booking information can be found on our online shop>>>

Or discuss further with our team: anneisha@actionplanning.net

April 25, 2017 by

Give your employees a P60 Form – By 31st May

Time is ticking on the PYE clock. You must give a P60 to all employees on your payroll who were working for you on the last day of the tax year (5 April). The P60 summarises their total pay and deductions for the year. You must give your employees a P60 by the Wednesday 31st May 2017.

Here at Action Planning, we stock P60 forms with you in mind. Payroll year end stationery, including Sage Laser P60 Forms and Sage Self Seal P60 Mailers, are available in smaller quantities (min. 10 pack) compared to buying directly from Sage (min. 50 pack)

Even you if you have large employee numbers, buying from Action Planning is still advantageous, as our customer example shows below:

A customer has 166 employees who require a p60 form on the 31st May.
If the customer buys directly from Sage, they will have to buy 200 p60 forms.
If the customer buys from Action Planning, they will only have to buy 170 p60 forms.

Save money and avoiding paper waste, which is the top priority for businesses in today’s economy. If you need advice on the difference between Laser or Self-Seal, please contact the team.

February 10, 2017 by

How to prepare for Payroll Year End

So you are starting to feel the feeling of dread as Payroll year-end fast approaches yet again. As an employer running payroll, you need to:

Report to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) on the previous tax year (which ends on 5 April) and give your employees a P60. Finally, you need to prepare for the new tax year, which starts on 6 April.

We have put together a quick Action Planning top tip guide, to help guide you on the path of PYE processing bliss (or as near as possible!)

1. First top-tip from Action Planning is keeping calm. Which is easier said than done, but overly stressing about a situation can cause more mistakes due to unnecessary excess pressure. A positive thought about PYE is the whole process has become more manageable since the introduction of RTI in April 2013. It can still be a daunting task, just not as daunting as previous years!

2. Make sure you have a “TO DO” list. This list should consist of key dates in which certain task have to be performed. Doing so will help keep you on track and focused on what needs to happen and when.

Here is the list from the HMRC Website showing a list of task and dates.

Send your final payroll report of the year – On or before your employees’ payday
Update employee payroll records – From 6 April
Update payroll software – From 6 April
Give your employees a P60 – By 31 May
Report employee expenses and benefits – By 6 July

If you require P60 forms, Sage Payroll Software updates or more information on P11D software (Automates P11D submissions to HMRC.) Contact us; we can arrange these for you.

3. Following the HMRC guide, the first task is to send your last Full Payment Submission (FPS) on or before your employees’ last payday of the tax year (which ends on 5 April). Work out in advance which payroll run this is and remember to put ‘Yes’ in the ‘Final submission for year’ field in your payroll software.

If you run more than one payroll under the same PAYE scheme reference (e.g., for employees you pay weekly and monthly), include the end-of-year information in your last report.

If your last payday falls on the 5th April, you have an additional period to process. Contact us if you require more help on this subject.

4. Never forget to update your Payroll Software and run any automatic updates. You must follow your provider’s instructions to update your payroll software so it uses the latest rates and thresholds for Income Tax, National Insurance, and student loan repayments. This will reduce errors and make payroll processing and submission less of a headache.

5. Next, you need to update your employee payroll records. This should be done for each employee working for you on 6 April. You need to:
– prepare a payroll record
– identify the correct tax code to use in the new tax year
– enter their tax code in your payroll software

You should include in your payroll:
– all employees you pay in the tax year
-any employee who has worked for you in the current tax year (since 6 April) even if they’ve already left

6. You must give employees a P60 to all employees on your payroll who are working for you on the last day of the tax year (5 April). The P60 summarises their total pay and deductions for the year. You must give your employees a P60 by 31 May.

7. Right, you are nearly done for this year however, you must not forget this last step (if it applies to you.) You must report expenses and benefits to HMRC by 6th July. You will have to do by submitting off a P11D form to the HMRC. There is an excellent module to Sage 50 Payroll (P11D Module) which produces HMRC-approved statutory P11D, P9D, P11Db and P46 forms and submit end of year expenses reports for each employee to HMRC online, straight from your software.

You would then pay any Class 1A National Insurance due on the taxable expenses and benefits you’ve provided. Your payment must be received by 22 July (or 19 July if you’re paying by post).

8. RELAX! That is Payroll Year End completed for this year. If this checklist, which is just a brief overview of PYE, sounds overwhelming, contact us straight away. We can help in so many ways, from sourcing you the right software to booking you in for a 1-2-1 remote session and training you up correctly on PYE.

To be directed to our shop, please select from the options below.

P60 FORM – CLICK HERE

Sage 50 Payroll – CLICK HERE

Upgrade – CLICK HERE

1-2-1 Remote Training – CLICK HERE

Please note P11D Software is available, we are just currently in the process of updating the details onto our online shop. Please do contact us for prices.

Here is a handy YouTube video from last year. Ignore the part where it mentions about the 4th April. This is because last year (2016) was a Leap Year. We will update this video to the 2017 version, once Sage makes it available.

September 2, 2016 by

Auto-enrolment roll-out sees most businesses complying

We thoroughly recommend giving this great article by the FSB a read:

Auto-enrolment roll-out sees most businesses complying

Further details about auto enrolment can be found on our information portal here >. We can also offer assistance with auto enrolment as part of our Payroll Plus service, please request a quote today here >

February 24, 2016 by

Payroll Year End Stationery – Sage Stationery Shop

Payroll year end stationery, including Sage Laser P60 Forms and Sage Self Seal P60 Mailers, is now available to order online from Action Planning’s Sage Stationery Shop.

Sage Self Seal P60 Mailers are available in small quantities – pack sizes 10, 20, 30 or 50 – for smaller businesses.

Our Sage Stationery Shop also stocks a comprehensive range of Sage Payroll and Accounts stationery items – with secure payments available via SagePay or Paypal.

March 20, 2015 by

Pensions Auto Enrolment – FSB Member Services

The law on workplace pensions has changed. Every employer with at least one member of staff now has new duties, including putting those who meet certain criteria into a workplace pension scheme and contributing towards it.

This is called automatic enrolment – because it’s automatic for your staff, they don’t have to do anything to be enrolled into your pension scheme. But it’s not automatic for you. You need to take steps to make sure they’re enrolled.

Each employer has a date by which they need to comply with the law – this is called your staging date.

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) are now offering auto enrolment assistance to members – from identifying your staging date, to keeping you fully up-to-date with all of the necessary information throughout your auto enrolment journey.

From just £399 (Plus VAT) they’ll help members set up an FSB auto-enrolment pension scheme, including the following services:

Full compliance and administration support
All current employees automatically enrolled
Flexible contribution start date
Free access to Scottish Widows pension administration software
Dedicated telephone helpline and online support – Free of Charge
Employee Engagement Pack including members website, internal communications support and regular updates

For further details, please visit the FSB Pensions Scheme for Members website here >>

Non-members can find further information about Pensions Auto Enrolment here >>

November 14, 2014 by

Employment Appeal Tribunal: Holiday Pay and Overtime – November 2014

Following recent media coverage of the Employment Appeal Tribunal’s ruling on holiday pay and overtime, we’ve received a number of enquires as to how this might affect client businesses and their Sage payroll systems.

What this means for your business:

Both the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) and Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) have compiled useful information for employers:

ACAS – Holiday Pay and Overtime Update: 4 November 2014
CIPD – Holiday pay following Bear Scotland judgment on overtime

It is widely recommended that employers contact ACAS on 0300 123 1100 if they are uncertain if or how the ruling may apply to them.

What this means for your Sage 50 Payroll or Sage Instant Payroll system:

Sage Payroll systems already have the facility to allow you to manage holiday pay in line with this ruling where required: Ask Sage – Holiday Pay Ruling

Sage Helper from Action Planning:

Where any changes are required to your Sage payroll system, Action Planning provides on-site support and training for businesses in and around the West Midlands. Please call 01384 730020 or sales@actionplanning.net to book an appointment.

June 3, 2014 by

Action Planning Celebrates 20th Anniversary

[Left to right] Eileen Bennett, Angela Trapp (Action Planning), Clive Bennett (Winning Owner), Judith Healey (Action Planning), Jeremy Mahot (Winning Jockey) and Clive Trapp (Action Planning)

Dudley-based Action Planning Ltd is celebrating twenty years of helping businesses across the region to utilise Information Technology more effectively. Established in 1994, the company specialises in accounts, payroll and customer relationship management systems.

Action Planning’s Managing Director, Mr Clive Trapp, says: “Our success is inextricably linked to the region’s entrepreneurs, who’ve shown the agility and resilience to prosper through both good times and recession.”

Following a career in the Plant Equipment industry, Clive founded Action Planning to share his knowledge of how businesses can utilise Information Technology to operate efficiently and improve their decision-making capabilities.

Clive Trapp explains: “Whereas businesses used to rely on periodic financial reports, technology can provide a real-time dashboard of financial and sales performance, enabling businesses to spot opportunities and problems earlier. This agility is a key facet behind the success of our clients.”

As part of the twentieth anniversary celebrations, Action Planning sponsored the Men’s Open Race at the Bank Holiday Monday point-to-point horse racing in Chaddesley Corbett. The race was won by Stone, ridden by Mr Jeremy Mahot and owned by Mr Clive Bennett.

Clive Trapp says: “On behalf of Action Planning I’d like to congratulate Clive, Jeremy and Stone for their win – and thank our clients for their continued custom.”

Businesses interested in sampling the potential of accounts and payroll systems can try a range of products free of charge via www.actionplanning.net/sagetrial

August 7, 2013 by

Sage Helper: How do I remove old stock and service items from my stock list in Sage 50 Accounts?

After lobbying Sage for some time with feedback from our clients, we’re delighted to report that they have now made this task much simpler in Sage 50 Accounts 2014.

In previous versions of Sage 50 Accounts, you have to remove all stock transactions for all stock codes before you can delete a single record. That clearly causes an undesirable loss of stock history before your close down date, but simply leaving redundant stock records creates an unnecessarily unwieldy product list.

Sage 50 Accounts 2014 now enables you to clear the stock transactions on individual stock records. You can also run a scan on your stock records and then delete any records that don’t have any activity.

Your stock list then only shows the items that are currently on sale giving you a clearer view of your stock list, to improve productivity when making sales to your customers.

You can take a closer look at the new features in Sage 50 Accounts 2014 with a FREE trial – our Sage Test Drive service enables you to try the software from your Internet browser, without any downloads or impact on your existing installation. FREE Trial >>

Furthermore, as an existing Sage 50 Accounts user, you could save up to 20% with our special upgrade offers. Simply visit our upgrades portal, enter the serial number of your current Sage software and we’ll contact you with the latest upgrade offer for your specific product. Upgrade Offers >>