KB Category: Sage 50 Payroll (UK)

Sage UK Payroll – Importing time and Pay – “Data in the wrong format” Error

This is the fix for a known issue in V29.03 UK Payroll – got it from Sage yesterday

1. Click Help, then click About.
2. Under Program Details, note the paths for the Program directory and Settings directory.
3. Close Sage 50 Payroll.
4. Browse to the Settings directory.
5. Locate and right-click Store, then click Rename.
6. Type Storeold, then press Enter.
7. In the same location, double-click the Reports folder.
8. Locate and right-click the CSV folder.
9. Click Rename, then type CSVold.
10. Press Enter.
11. Browse to:
    For Window 32-bit – C:\Program Files\Common Files\Sage Shared
    For Windows 64-bit – C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Sage Shared
12. Right-click Import Transformations.
13. Click Rename, then type Import Transformations old
14. Re-install Sage 50 payroll – https://gb-kb.sage.com/portal/app/portlets/results/viewsolution.jsp?solutionid=200427112430229

Sage 50 UK Payroll – Guide to Payroll Year End 2023/2024

You can download the complete PDF guide here

You can download the software from here

Payroll Check List

For Detailed instructions please click on each Stage below:

Stage 1: Prepare for Year End                                                       

Stage 2: Process Year End                                                         

Stage 3: Get ready for the new tax year                       

UK Payroll – What’s new in Sage 50 Payroll v29

What’s new in Sage 50 Payroll v29

Updated name and desktop shortcut

We’ve simplified the software name to Sage 50 Payroll. Don’t worry though, all your cloud based features such as Online Services and Pensions Data Exchange remain in place and work as normal.

When you install v29 a new icon named Sage 50 Payroll is added to your desktop. Simply delete the old Sage 50cloud Payroll icon and use your new icon to launch your software.

Find out about the new shortcut icon and more in our software name change to Sage 50 Payroll guide.

Legislation for the 2023/2024

Up to date legislation for the new tax year is built in, giving you everything you need to stay fully compliant.

Find out more about legislation changes for the 2023/2024 tax year >

Enhanced help in your software

If you’re not sure and need support, or just want to know a little more we’re proud to give you enhanced access to our award-winning support. Just click any help option within your software including the F1 shortcut and the window will open.

Nominal link file export for Sage Business Cloud Accounting (SBCA)

You can now set up nominal link to export a file with your payroll values, ready to import right into SBCA.

Setup and post nominal link to a file for Sage Business Cloud Accounting >

Submit year end submissions for multiple companies

We’ve added great new functionality to the multi company tasks feature, available in Sage 50 Payroll Professional. You can easily submit the year end submission for multiple companies in a few easy clicks.

Use the Multi-Company Tasks option to process year end >

Extra company analysis fields

We’ve increased the number of company level analysis fields from three, to 20! This gives you much greater flexibility if you need to enter details that are unique to your business and reporting requirements.

How to use the analysis options >

Stage 3: Get ready for the new tax year

 This guide explains how to get ready for the 2023/2024 tax year in Sage 50 Payroll.

This is the final step to completing payroll year end. See all four steps here >

Before processing in the new tax year, follow our simple 4 steps to ensure your software is ready.

1. Check you’re using the correct version

Before you can start processing in the new tax year, you must have installed the update for the 2023/24 tax year.

You can find out how to do this in our quick guide >

2. Update your employees’ tax codes

For the 2023/24 tax year, the personal allowance and emergency tax code remain the same at £12,570 and 1257L.

This means you won’t need to change your employees’ tax codes unless informed by HMRC, however you will need to remove the week 1 / month 1 flag on any employees’ tax codes before processing in the new tax year. Update your employees’ tax codes

3. Small employers’ relief

If you’re eligible for the small employers’ relief, you need to set your software to calculate and claim it. What is Small Employers’ Relief (SER)? >

1. Click Company then click Settings.
2. Select the Eligible for Small Employers’ Relief check box.
3. Click OK.

4. Apply for Employment Allowance

TIP: Make sure your process date is set to 06/04/2023 before completing this.

In the 2023/2024 tax year the employment allowance allows eligible employers to reduce their annual Employers National Insurance liability by up to £5,000.

If you’re eligible to claim employment allowance, you can easily apply to HMRC to claim the employment allowance and keep track of how much you’ve claimed through your software. What is employment allowance? >

5. Pensions Data Exchange

If you use Pensions Data Exchange (PDX) to send pension data to your provider, there are some additional steps to complete at the start of the tax year. Prepare Pensions Data Exchange for the new tax year >

6. New legislation for the 2023/2024 tax year

There are a few changes to legislation in the new tax year. Find out what they are in our handy guide.

Legislation changes for the 2023/2024 tax year >

 Click Here to return to checklist 

UK Payroll – What’s new in Sage 50 Payroll v29

Stage 1: Prepare for Year End

Before you process your payroll year end, you must check that you are on the latest version of the software.  You can check your software as follows:

• Click Help, then click About check the version begins v29.00.

If not, you must install the update before you move on.

1. Download and install Sage 50 Payroll year end update

Sage 50 Payroll v29 includes both the new legislation for the 2023/2024 tax year, and the legislation for 2022/2023 and prior. This means you can install v29 before you process the final pay period of the 2022/2023 tax year.

You can update via the automatic update prompt when you open your software, or manually download and install the update following the steps below.

Under Program Details check:

1. • If your version number is v29.00.239, you’ve already installed your update and you don’t need to take any further action
   • If your version number begins with v28, you need to follow the steps below to install v29

Before you install v29

To make the installation process easier, we recommend that you carry out the preparation steps below.

• Check your antivirus software to avoid conflicts with Sage 50 Payroll >
• Optimise your data >
• Make a note of the Program Directory
  1. Click Help then click About
  2. Make a note of the Program Directory
• Backup your data >
• Check your computer meets the system requirements for Sage 50 Payroll >

Download and install v29.00.239 full program update

1. Close Sage 50 Payroll.
2. Now, simply click the link below:

1. • Download Sage 50 Payroll v29.00.239 >
     • If you’re prompted to Run or Save the installation file, click Save, it then downloads to your computer

2900239. To begin the installation, locate and right-click exe, then click Run as administrator.
         NOTE: The installer must be opened using the Run as administrator option.
2900240. Click Accept Licencethen click Next.
2900241. Check the path is the same as the program directory you noted earlier, then click Yes.

1. • If the path isn’t the same, click No then Yes and browse to the program directory you noted, click Sage50Payroll_2900239.exe, then click Open

1. Click OK, when the installation completes, click Close.
2. Enable background updates >

TIP: If Sage 50 Payroll is installed on more than one computer, repeat these steps on each one.

When you log in to a company for the first time after you install v29, your software upgrades your company data into the new version.

From v29, after the data upgrade process completes your software automatically optimises the database for your company. This helps to reduce the size of your backups, and to maintain error free data.

2. Paid your employees for the last time in the 2022/2023 tax year:

• From the payroll desktop, check the date in the Last Updated column.

If you pay your employees on Tuesday 5 April 2023, you may have an extra pay run at the end of the tax year.

Week 53 occurs if your regular pay date for weekly, fortnightly or four weekly paid employees falls on 5 April. This is because the number of days in the tax year doesn’t divide into a whole number of tax weeks.

TIP: You don’t have a week 53 if you process a monthly payroll.

Check if you have a week 53

In the 2022/2023 tax year, week 53 is Wednesday 5 April 2023. You have a week 53 if the following applies:

Your normal pay day is a Wednesday and…

• You last processed your weekly paid employees on Wednesday 29 March 2023.
• You last processed your fortnightly paid employees on Wednesday 22 March 2023.
• You last processed your four weekly paid employees on Wednesday 8 March 2023.

In each of these instances, you’re next due to process the employees on 5 April 2023, week 53.

Process a week 53

It’s easy to process a week 53, simply process it in the same way as any other pay period and your software will complete the correct calculations automatically.

3. Process any leavers who left on or before 5 April 2023:

• From the payroll desktop, check the Current Status column to see if it shows Leaver.

When an employee leaves your company, you need to provide them with a P45. To do this, after updating their final payment, but before submitting the full payment submission (FPS), you must mark them as a leaver.

Before you start, visit our guide on What to consider before processing an employee as a leaver >

Once you’ve done this, you’re ready to process your employee’s final pay and process them as a leaver.

NOTE: If you have an employee who’s leaving earlier than your normal pay day, you can follow our guide to Pay a leaver mid month >

Click here for detailed instructions on processing a leaver

4. Submitted your FPS for the last pay period:

• From the payroll desktop, check the date in the last FPS Date column.

The FPS is the submission you must make to HMRC each time you pay your employees. It contains:

• Starter and leaver information
• Employee information such as name, address, NI number and tax code
• Employee payment and deduction information
• Tax, NI and student loan contributions

Click here for detailed instructions for Full Payment Submissions (FPS) – The basics

5. If required, submitted your employer payment summary (EPS) for month 12:

• Click e-Submission, then click e-Submission Log.

You can use the EPS to report values to HMRC that you can’t include in your full payment submission (FPS). The values that are sent in the EPS affect the payments you make to HMRC on a monthly or quarterly basis.

Click here for detailed instructions on submitting employer payment summary (EPS)

6. Backed up your Sage 50 Payroll data:

• Click File, then click Backup and follow the steps in the Backup Wizard.

Click here for details on taking a backup of your data

 Click Here to return to checklist 

UK Payroll – What’s new in Sage 50 Payroll v29

Sage 50 Payroll Year End 2021/2022 (UK Payroll)

We have gathered together some information issued by Sage to help and assist you in the smooth running of your Sage 50 Payroll Year End 2021/2022.  These guides 1 –  6 below will help you plan for your payroll year end and step 5 is a simple step by step process to completing your payroll year end. Step 6 is installing your software and you can download the Sage 50 Payroll Year End 2021/2022 V27.1 software form here.

1. Payroll Year End Checklist
2. Payroll year end guides and checklists
3. Prepare for payroll year end
4. Plan ahead for payroll year end 2021
5. Process your year end  (includes sage tutorial video)
6. Install Sage 50 Payroll V27.1

Other important Information

• What’s new in Sage 50cloud Payroll v27.01

• Legislation changes for the 2021/2022 tax year

Key Dates

To make sure you don’t miss a thing, here are some dates for your dairy this year end:

• 5 April: Last day of the 2020/21tax year.
• 6 April: First day of the 2021/22tax year.
• 19 April: Deadline for the final submission of the 2020/21tax year.
• 31 May: Staff employed by you on 5 April 2021 must have their P60s

If you wish to book a technicians time to complete the year end process and update your software please call the office on 051-395900.

The UK Government has announced under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, all UK employers will be able to access support to continue paying part of their employees’ salary for those employees that would otherwise have been laid off during this crisis. See the details of this and its implications for the Sage 50 Payroll (UK) system in the following Sage article https://ask.sage.co.uk/scripts/ask.cfg/php.exe/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=46376