By this point in 2026, it’s become pretty clear that HMRC is cracking down hard on payroll compliance – we’re talking £100 a month in automatic penalties if you’re late with your submissions and real-time monitoring through their RTI system. To top it all off, between managing monthly FPS submissions, quarterly reconciliations, year-end reporting, and dealing with pension auto-enrolment, you’ve got a whole heap of admin to get to grips with as a practice or business.
This guide is here to give you peace of mind that your payroll operations are fully compliant with HMRC’s rules, which should save you from nasty penalties and ensure your records are in order in case of an audit.
What We’ll Cover In This Guide:
We’re going to break it down into the key areas you need to focus on, starting with:
Monthly compliance
We’re talking about FPS submissions, PAYE payments, and all those pesky statutory deadlines that seem to sneak up on you.
Quarterly reviews
reconciliations, making Employment Allowance claims and everything that comes with an audit.
Year-end compliance
getting those P60S out by May 19th, submitting your P11Ds by 6th July and getting your year-end submissions in on time.
Starters, leavers and statutory payments
sorting out new employees, dealing with people leaving and making sure you’re doing SSP, SMP, and SPP calculations right.
2026/27 tax year updates
The new rates, thresholds and legislative changes are all kicking in on the 6th April.
Penalty prevention
how to avoid those nasty HMRC fines (£100 to £400 a month for late submissions – that’s a nice chunk of change)
Download your free HMRC Payroll Compliance Checklist 2026 and rest easy in the knowledge that you’re on top of your compliance game.