The Importance of Year-End in Payroll: How Temporary Payroll Workers Can Help

As the end of the tax year approaches, payroll departments across the UK are gearing up for one of the busiest, and most stressful times of the year. Between wrapping up regular pay runs and managing a flood of year-end responsibilities, it’s easy for even the most seasoned professionals to feel the strain.

So, what exactly does payroll year-end involve, and how can temporary payroll workers offer a lifeline when the pressure mounts?

What is Payroll Year-End?

Let’s face it – payroll year-end can be a bit of a nightmare.

It’s that time when your team needs to wrap up all those tax reporting tasks while still keeping the day-to-day payroll running smoothly.

I’ve seen it firsthand – even the most experienced payroll teams feel the pressure when deadlines are looming and there’s zero room for error.

What Does Year-End in Payroll Actually Look Like?

The Key Dates and Tasks You Can’t Miss

• April 5, 2025: Tax Year End – Update employee payroll records and software
• April 6, 2025: New Tax Year Begins
• April 19, 2025: Submit final Full Payment Submission (FPS)
• May 31, 2025: Distribute P60s to all employees
• July 6, 2025: Submit P11D/P11D(b) forms to HMRC

The Real Challenges of Year-End

Your Team’s Workload Increases

Your regular payroll doesn’t stop just because it’s year-end. Your team still has to run payroll on-time while juggling reconciliations, gathering data for reports, and making all those submissions.

HMRC Penalties Are No Joke

Miss a deadline or submit something incorrectly, and HMRC isn’t exactly forgiving. Those £100 fines for late filing are just the starting point, and they ramp up quickly if you’re consistently late. We’ve seen companies caught out by this and it’s a financial burden that no business wants.

Employees Start Asking Questions

When year-end issues crop up, your inbox fills with employee queries. “Where’s my P60?” “Why does my tax code look different?” Each question takes time to answer during your busiest period.

Your Team Feels the Strain

The pressure can really get to people. Even the most experienced payroll professionals can burn out during the year-end or make mistakes they’d never normally make because they’re stretched too thin.

How to Manage This Workload

Bring in Some Temporary Help

This is where temporary staff can be a lifesaver.

Need someone to keep the day-to-day running? An interim payroll manager can step in with minimal fuss while your permanent team tackles the year-end payroll tasks.

Or maybe you just need some junior support to handle P60 distribution and employee questions? A temporary administrator can handle these tasks and free up your experienced people.

Some year-end tasks, such as P11D submissions for benefits and expenses, require specific knowledge and this where a Temporary specialists can ensure these submissions are accurate and compliant.

Additionally, when someone on your team calls in sick right before a deadline, having quick access to temporary cover is priceless.

The Bottom Line

By working with Portfolio Payroll you will get a shortlist of immediately available, high quality candidates the same day, and it’s possible to have someone in and supporting your payroll team the very next day! We even offer a free days trial with all our temporary staff to ensure they are right before you commit.

Whilst hiring Temporary staff will involve costs, these expenses are predictable and controllable. If you compare this to potential HMRC fines, which can quickly exceed the cost of temporary support, or the hidden costs of errors and stressed permanent staff, there is a valid case.

Conclusion

Year-end doesn’t have to be stressful. With some forward planning and the right temporary support, you can turn it into a well-oiled process that keeps HMRC happy and your payroll team feeling in control.

While the tax year-end is fast approaching, you still have time to get things on track! We’re on-hand to help immediately with those final bits that need to get done and it’s definitely not too late to bring in the support you need.

If you’re looking at your team’s calendar for the next few months and feeling a bit concerned, now’s the time to consider your options. Need an extra pair of hands? Let’s talk about what your team’s up against – even if you’re just exploring options, we’re happy to help.

We specialise in finding qualified temporary payroll professionals who can hit the ground running when you need them most. Want to chat about your specific situation? Register a vacancy or give us a call. We can have temporary staff ready to start within days – and trust me, your payroll team will thank you for it.

Mark Davis, Director

Mark is Director of the Temporary Division at The Portfolio Group with over 15-years in the temporary recruitment sector.

He manages the UK temporary & interim recruitment division across Payroll, HR & Reward and Credit Control while actively recruiting for our larger global Payroll clients and FTSE 100 businesses across the UK & ROI.

His comprehensive knowledge of the payroll industry and access to a national network of temporary professionals means he can provide businesses with guidance on their short-term hiring requirements and match quality talent to their business.

The Portfolio Group is an international Recruitment Agency with offices in the UK, ROI & Canada specialising in Payroll, Credit Control, HR & Reward and Procurement whilst also partnering with businesses to offer a full RPO solution.

The #1 ranked Recruitment Agency in the UK on Trustpilot and the only specialist Payroll agency in Canada, we pride ourselves on a tailored 5* service to FTSE 100 businesses, global entities, and SMEs.

Connect with Mark on LinkedIn to continue the conversation or learn more about how Portfolio Payroll can support your hiring needs.