Using payroll software

As part of your auto enrolment duties, you need to send us payroll data every time you pay your workers. We know that different businesses have different payroll set ups, so we’re flexible. The data can be sent to us by:

manually entering it into your online account
file upload
direct exchange of data through payroll software – this is offered by many of the leading payroll providers

So, whatever set up you have in your business, there’s an option that will work for you.

Understand your options

The payroll software you use determines what options you have for sending data to Nest. You’ll find your options and clear instructions for sending data to us within your software.

If your software isn’t able to send data to Nest, or you don’t have software, there are other ways you can exchange information with us. You could also talk to your software provider, if you have one, to see if any improvements can be made.

How payroll software can help

The right payroll software can really make the difference. It can automatically complete many of the pension tasks that you need to do every time you pay your workers. This includes:

assessing which workers to enrol
working out employer and worker contributions
generating the letters you’re required to send

The advantages of payroll software include:

Speed

By automatically completing calculations and tasks, software will make your regular duties quicker to complete.

Ease

It’s simple to run your Nest account when you complete your pension tasks through your payroll software.

Quality

The fewer manual tasks that need doing, the less chance there is of human error. Software can reduce the need to correct typos and sense check data.

Getting set up

When you set up your Nest account it’s important that it lines up with how your payroll works. This includes things like making sure your Nest account and your payroll both use the same pay period. For example, if you pay your workers monthly, you need to choose this option when you set up with us too.

Getting this right from the start will cut down on the payroll errors you experience in the future. To help make this happen, our signing up with Nest section has some payroll pointers for you to follow.