Can I change the date we pay employees?

Yes — you can change your employee pay date, but we recommend notifying Intelligent Payroll in advance so we can plan around HMRC reporting deadlines, tax months, and payroll approval schedules.

Changing pay dates affects your FPS (Full Payment Submission) and employee communication, so advance planning is essential.

📋 Step-by-Step: How to Change a Pay Date

1️⃣ Contact Intelligent Payroll early
Get in touch as soon as you know you’d like to change your pay date.
We’ll check:

• HMRC alignment (to avoid splitting a tax month)

• BACS and pension upload timing

• Any system dependencies (e.g., direct debits, journals, or reports)

2️⃣ Review internal impacts
Changing the pay date can affect:

• HMRC submission deadlines (FPS/EPS)

• Pension upload and payment schedules

• Employee cashflow expectations

• Employer bank schedules

3️⃣ Communicate clearly with employees
It’s vital to notify employees in advance of any pay date change.
If you have a large workforce, this may require a formal consultation period to ensure compliance with employment contracts and statutory notice rules.

4️⃣ Confirm and update records
Once confirmed, we’ll update your pay schedule within our system and ensure all reports, HMRC filings, and pension uploads reflect the new pay date.

Please note that there may be a nominal administrative fee for processing this change.

💡 Tip

Avoid changing pay dates mid-tax month where possible — it can complicate payroll submissions and lead to discrepancies in HMRC data.

🤝 When We Can Help

Intelligent Payroll can:

• Review the impact of changing your pay date

• Update payroll schedules and reporting cycles

• Advise on the best timing to minimise disruption

We recommend:

• Providing at least 2–3 weeks’ notice before your next payroll run

• Communicating clearly with employees in writing

📞 Need More Help?

If you’d like to change your pay date or discuss the impact on payroll and HMRC filings, raise a support ticket here:
👉 Contact us here