Glossary
What is a payroll register?
What a payroll register shows, how it ties to the salary journal, and why it is the first report to check before approving a month's pay.
Updated
In short
A payroll register is the table of every employee's earnings, deductions and net pay for one pay period, with totals. SimpleERP produces it for every payroll run, with every component as a column, exportable to CSV.
A payroll register, also called a salary or wage register, is a report of one pay period with a row for each employee and a column for each earning and deduction, ending in net pay. Its totals give the month's gross pay, each statutory deduction to pay over and the net to transfer, and they must match the salary journal. Many countries require wage records to be kept.
Payroll register: a worked example
Part of the payroll register of Harbour Steel Furniture, a fictional business paying in US dollars, for October 2026. Income tax and social security are shown as fixed amounts for illustration.
| Employee | Gross | Income tax | Social security | Pension | Net pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sam K | $3,000 | $360 | $180 | $150 | $2,310 |
| Ana M | $1,950 | $150 | $117 | $97.50 | $1,585.50 |
| Priya S | $2,500 | $280 | $150 | $125 | $1,945 |
| Total | $7,450 | $790 | $447 | $372.50 | $5,840.50 |
FAQ
Questions, answered
What is the difference between a payroll register and a payslip?
A payslip is one employee's statement for the month. The payroll register is the whole month for everyone in one table. The register is for the business and its auditors; payslips are for employees.
Why check the payroll register before approving payroll?
Scanning one table catches mistakes a single payslip hides: a missing employee, unexpected unpaid days, a deduction left at zero, or a net pay far from last month. Once a run is approved in SimpleERP, it is frozen.
Is a payroll register a legal requirement?
In many countries employers must keep wage records for a set number of years and show them on request, though the form varies. A payroll register for each run is the simplest way to meet that. Check the rules where you employ people.
Can I export the payroll register from SimpleERP?
The payroll register exports to CSV from SimpleERP. It is in the reports catalogue for each run, and like every report it exports to CSV for your accountant or for building a form a regulator asks for. Payslips for the whole run can also be printed together.
Related
Keep reading
Payslip
The statement of paid days, each earning, each deduction and the net pay an employee receives for a period.
Read moreStatutory deductions
Deductions from pay required by law, such as income tax, social security and pension, held as liabilities until paid.
Read morePayroll
Salary structures, monthly runs and payslips with your earnings and deductions, posted to the books.
Read more
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