This article covers how to identify and correct common payroll errors in Deputy Payroll, including employee details, timesheets, earnings, deductions, payslips, and Tax File Number (TF) declaration information.

Before you read:

• Target audience: This article is for System Administrators, Payroll Administrators, Payroll Managers, and users responsible for managing payroll. 
• Plan restrictions: This information is relevant to Australian customers using Deputy Payroll (AU).
   

If you've identified an error, your best course of action will depend on when you have realised the payment data is incorrect:

• Before the pay run is processed
• Before the ABA file is uploaded and information submitted to ATO
• After you have uploaded the ABA file and before you have submitted information to ATO
• After you have uploaded the ABA file and submitted information to ATO

You can then follow these steps to correct specific errors:

• Fix an error related to the employee's details (e.g. name, regular pay rate, leave loading)
• Fix an error that relates to the employee's timesheet (e.g. hours incorrect, leave timesheet missing)
• Fix an error related to a recurring extra earning
• Fix an error related to a recurring deduction or expense
• Fix an error in a pay line that was manually added to the payslip
• Fix an error related to an employee's Tax File Number (TFN) declaration

When you've realised the payment data is incorrect

Before the pay run is processed

If you realise something is wrong during payslip review, you can fix these errors before you click Complete pay run. The way you fix the error will depend on what kind of information needs updating:

• Fix an error related to the employee's details (e.g. name, regular pay rate, leave loading)
• Fix an error that relates to the employee's timesheet (e.g. hours incorrect, leave timesheet missing)
• Fix an error related to a recurring extra earning
• Fix an error related to a recurring deduction or expense
• Fix an error in a pay line that was manually added to the payslip
• Fix an error related to an employee's Tax File Number (TFN) declaration

Before the ABA file is uploaded and information submitted to ATO

If you realise there is mistake after you have locked the pay run, but before you have uploaded the ABA file and submitted the information to the ATO, you can still fix these errors within this pay run.

First, Unlock the pay run:

You can now fix the error. The way you fix the error will depend on what kind of information needs updating:

• Fix an error related to the employee's details (e.g. name, regular pay rate, leave loading)
• Fix an error that relates to the employee's timesheet (e.g. hours incorrect, leave timesheet missing)
• Fix an error related to a recurring extra earning
• Fix an error related to a recurring deduction or expense
• Fix an error in a pay line that was manually added to the payslip

After you have uploaded the ABA file and before you have submitted information to ATO

If you realise you have made a mistake after you have uploaded the ABA file to your bank but before you have submitted the information to the ATO and you want to make an adjustment that affects the amounts paid in the ABA file, the best practice is to finalise the pay run as is and prepare an ad-hoc or unscheduled pay run to correct the mistake with readjustment payments.

If you want to make an adjustment that does not affect the amounts paid in the ABA file:

First, Unlock the pay run:

You can now fix the error. The way you fix the error will depend on what kind of information needs updating:

• Fix an error related to the employee's details (e.g. name, regular pay rate, leave loading)
• Fix an error that relates to the employee's timesheet (e.g. hours incorrect, leave timesheet missing)
• Fix an error related to a recurring extra earning
• Fix an error related to a recurring deduction or expense
• Fix an error in a pay line that was manually added to the payslip

Note: Remember you do not want to change the amounts you have processed through the ABA file.

After you have uploaded the ABA file and information to ATO

If you realise you have made a mistake after you have uploaded the ABA file to your bank or submitted the information to the ATO:

• In this instance, it is best practice to leave the pay run as it is and
• prepare an ad-hoc or unscheduled pay run to correct the mistake with readjustment payments.

How to correct specific errors

Fix an error related to the employee's details (e.g. name, regular pay rate, leave loading)

Click on the employee's name in the payslip to open the employee's profile (opens in another tab) and update their details if they are incorrect

Then, reprocess just the affected payslip(s) in this pay run. You can now complete and lock the pay run. 

Fix an error that relates to the employee's timesheet (e.g. hours incorrect, leave timesheet missing)

You can fix these mistakes on the employee's timesheet.

•  
  • go and unapprove the timesheet in Deputy,
  • edit the timesheet,
  • reapprove the timesheet.

Then, reprocess just the affected payslip(s) in this pay run. You can now complete and lock the pay run. 

Fix an error related to a recurring extra earning 

If the mistake relates to the set up of a recurring extra earning you will find these extra earnings pay items in the Payments section of the payslip.

•  
  •  
    • You can edit the recurring extra earning in Business Settings > Payroll Settings. Note: this will change the recurring extra earnings rule for all future pay runs. Consider the impact of editing the recurring extra earning rule versus creating a new one.
    • You can adjust the pay item for this payslip only by clicking the pencil icon to the right of the pay line and making your changes.

Then, reprocess just the affected payslip(s) in this pay run. You can now complete and lock the pay run. 

Fix an error related to a recurring deduction or expense

If the mistake relates to the set up of a recurring deduction or expense you will find these extra earnings pay items in either the Deductions or Expenses section of the payslip.

•  
  •  
    • You can edit the recurring deduction or expense in Business Settings > Payroll Settings. Note: this will change the recurring deduction or expense rule for all future pay runs. Consider the impact of editing the recurring extra earning rule versus creating a new one.
    • You can adjust the pay item for this payslip only by clicking the pencil icon to the right of the pay line and making your changes.

Then, reprocess just the affected payslip(s) in this pay run. You can now complete and lock the pay run. 

Fix an error in a pay line that was manually added to the payslip

Click the pencil icon to the right of the pay line to open the Update Payment pop-up. Make the necessary changes and click Update Payment.

Then, reprocess just the affected payslip(s) in this pay run. You can now complete and lock the pay run. 

Fix an error related to an employee's Tax File Number (TFN) declaration

Employee incorrectly selected "No" for "Claim the tax-free threshold"

If you've already completed the pay run based on the information provided by the employee in their TFN declaration, and the issue was not caused by an administration error, we do not recommend making changes to the payslip or pay run once the STP report has been submitted to the ATO.

The employee's TFN declaration details can be updated by either of the following:

• The employee via Employee Self Service (ESS), or
• You (or your payroll administrator) via the employee's profile page on the People tab

If you are updating the employee's TFN declaration details, from the Withholding Variation Form they have provided you, open the employee's profile on the People tab and select Payroll from the menu on the left-hand side. 

In the Tax File Number declaration section, click Edit and enter the updated details from the employee's Withholding Variation Form, then click Save changes.

The example below highlights the section to update when an employee has incorrectly selected "No" for the question "Do you want to claim the tax-free threshold from this payer?".

The updated TFN declaration information will be sent to the ATO in the next STP report you submit for the employee. This will override the previous details (for example, changes from not claiming tax-free threshold to claiming tax-free threshold).

While we cannot provide tax or payroll advice, we recommend speaking with a registered tax agent or your finance team if you are considering refunding any excess PAYG withheld. In the meantime, you may find it helpful to visit the ATO Community forum post on Handling excess PAYG withheld due to tax-free threshold not claimed.