Payroll in the UK

Payroll in the UK begins with the company registering as an employer with HMRC, which a newly formed company can request when it registers for PAYE at incorporation if it will pay staff, including a sole director who pays themselves. After that, each pay run produces payslips and reports to HMRC, and the company deducts income tax and National Insurance on behalf of employees. A founder who lives abroad and hires a first employee in the UK should settle who runs this before the first payday.

When you compare firms, ask whether payroll is run in-house or through software, how far ahead you must send changes, what you receive after each run and how the firm handles a director who is paid from overseas. The profile shows the languages the team uses and the entity types it supports. For set-up questions, go back to the UK country guide.

265 firms offer payroll in the United Kingdom, split into 256 accounting firms and 9 corporate services providers. Small practices dominate (195 small, 60 medium and 10 large network). Their client groups include sole traders, start-ups, landlords. Check the city pages for London, Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh, or send a free quote request.

Firms offering payroll in the UK

1Office UK

Accounting firm · Medium-sized firm

London

  • Company formation
  • Accounting and bookkeeping
  • Tax compliance
  • +5 more

Languages: English · Estonian · Finnish · Latvian …

View profile of 1Office UK

Hawksford

Corporate services provider · International network

London

  • Company formation
  • Accounting and bookkeeping
  • Tax compliance
  • +6 more

Languages: English · Chinese

View profile of Hawksford

241 more firms offering payroll in the UK

Frequently asked questions

How do I register a UK company as an employer?

You register the company for PAYE with HMRC, which can be requested when you incorporate if you will employ staff, including yourself as the only director. A payroll firm usually completes the registration and sets up the pay schedule for you.

Do I need payroll if I am the only director?

Only if the company pays you a salary or employs anyone else. If it does, a payroll process is needed even for a single person. Some directors choose to take no salary, so ask an accountant to explain how your own pay should be handled.

Can a payroll firm pay staff in different currencies?

That depends on the firm and its software. UK payroll is reported in pounds, so ask whether the firm can handle staff or contractors paid elsewhere, and who is responsible for any foreign tax obligations.

Other services in the UK

Accountants by city in the UK

Setting up a company in the UK: the guide and every firm

General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules, rates and fees change: check them with the official sources linked on this page or with a qualified adviser before you act.