Important UK monthly payroll deadlines + dates for your 2024 calendars

A new year is almost upon us, which means now is a great time to update your payroll and HR calendar, as well as getting a refresher on those monthly payroll deadlines.

Between preparing for the end of the UK tax year and planning for the year ahead, it’s important not to miss out on key dates, especially for payroll.

This resource covers all the essential payroll deadlines and dates that UK businesses need to remember, along with a few national days for your HR teams to observe. National days can help bring your workforce together, all while supporting worthy causes and bolstering corporate social responsibilities (CSR) — basically, a win-win for everyone!

January 

Brew Monday | 15th January 

An initiative started by The Samaritans, Brew Monday encourages everyone to get talking, whether it’s reaching out to people you care about for a cuppa or considering hosting a virtual or in-person coffee morning. If you want to make it an open event, your organisation can welcome others in the local community to get together and support one another. 

You can start by checking out The Samaritans’ downloadable resources to help your event go off without a hitch.

February 

Random Acts of Kindness Day | 17th February

Spreading kindness is a great way to promote wellbeing. So it’s a good idea to encourage your employees to participate in this day in February. 

You can observe this day individually or as an organisation. For small acts of kindness ideas, check out this downloadable PDF. From donating to a local charity to baking cookies for your colleagues, there’s plenty to do. Don’t forget to share some pictures on social media detailing how you celebrate!

March

International Women’s Day | 8th March

The theme for 2024 International Women’s Day is around inspiring inclusion. So to celebrate the day, consider hosting webinars to discuss what your company can do help inspire and empower the women within it.

Listen to stories of inequality women in your organisation have experienced. Learn how to improve your policies to ensure you can become part of the solution and enact positive change. 

Encourage employees to share their stories and pictures online using #IWD2024 and #InspireInclusion to keep the conversation going.

Report your gender pay gap | 31st March 

If you’re a public authority employer, you have until the 31st March 2024 to submit your gender pay gap data for 2022-2023 (or until the 5th of April if you’re a private employer). You must gather your pay gap data by making a list of your relevant employees, full-pay relevant employees and the gender of your employees.

For your gender pay gap calculations, you’ll need to gather relevant information on all your employees. Gov.uk categorises this into five key tasks.

April

New tax year begins | 6th April

Nope, it’s not a national holiday — it’s the first important date for your payroll calendar (yay!). On the 6th of April, the new tax year begins, which means any new changes for 24/25 come into effect. So make sure you’re clear on what these mean for your organisation.

Submit Employer Payment Summary (EPS) | 19th April

By the 19th of April, you must submit your final Employer Payment Summary (EPS) for the previous tax year. You must submit the EPS to HMRC, so they know there are no further submissions for the 2023/2024 tax year.

May 

Mental Health Awareness Week | 13th to 19th May 

For the 2024 Mental Health Awareness Week, the theme has yet to be announced, but 2023's theme was 'anxiety’. This is still such a huge issue to deal with in both the workplace and wider society, so it's absolutely worth discussing this and what it means to employee. You can talk about what can cause anxiety in the workplace and share coping techniques that can be applied all year round.

This week is also an excellent time to assess your current procedures — how does your organisation handle mental health issues, including anxiety? Is there something more you can do to support employees?

P60 Deadline (for employees to receive) | 31st May

31st May 2024 is P60 deadline day, the day by which employees must receive their P60 if they were employed on the 5th of April 2024.

June

Loneliness Awareness Week | 12th-18th June 

45% of adults in England have felt lonely, whether that’s occasionally or frequently. But Loneliness Awareness Week, organised by loneliness charity Marmalade Trust, is trying to combat that. 

As an employer, you can facilitate social events and conversations. If your team works remotely, this is particularly important, as they don’t interact with anyone throughout the day. Consider setting up a Slack channel dedicated to social conversations or encourage social time throughout the week in the office to get people talking.

July

Filing deadline for Expenses and Benefits Forms | 6th July 

By the 6th July, you must file your Expense and Benefits Forms P11D(b) and P11D with HMRC. It’s also the last date to give P11D forms to relevant employees and the last date for the Employee Share Scheme Annual Return Form 42 to reach HMRC.

PAYE payment deadline and Class 1A National Insurance Contributions | 19th July or 22nd July

If you submitted a P11D(b), HMRC must receive payment of Class 1A National Insurance Contributions (NIC) by the 19th of July if paying using a non-electronic method or by the 22nd July if paying electronically. When paying electronically, remember to use the 13 digits of your accounts office reference number, including the additional four digits that relate to the 13th payment and tax year, as your payment reference.

Submit your PSA | 31st July

You must submit your PAYE settlement agreement (PSA) for 2023/24 by the 31st July.

August

Cycle to Work Day | 1st August

There are many benefits to cycling, and on this day in August, everyone is encouraged to explore a greener alternative to public transport or driving. 

To encourage people to participate in Cycle to Work Day, you could consider offering a raffle for all employees who take part in winning a brand-new bike or perhaps an extra day off work. It’s essential to promote a healthy lifestyle in the workplace, and this is a great way to do that.

September 

National Payroll Week | 3rd — 7th September 

There’s more to payroll than sending out payslips, and that’s what this week signifies. Although actually paying employees is imperative to how your organisation operates, payroll data can help drive important business decisions.

Payroll data unlocks useful information when it comes to identifying gender pay gaps, salary benchmarking to attract and retain great employees and understanding and reallocating resources. Dedicate this week to educating the wider business on the important part payroll plays in your business.

International Happiness at Work Week | 23rd - 27th September 

Happiness in the workplace is essential. Happy workers are more productive, which means better business output for your organisation. So you should be invested in making employees happy, whether offering better employee benefits or helping them get ahead in the workplace.

Take the time to sit down with employees and understand how you can improve happiness in the workplace. Consider sending anonymous surveys to gather unbiased feedback.

October

National Work-Life week | 7-11th October

This week exists to highlight the importance of having a balanced work and life, and because most of us spend around a third of our lives in work, workplaces need to offer flexibility and family-friendly practices.

Consider hiring a massage therapist to help employees unwind, offering an additional day of annual leave, taking part in team-wide training to educate staff about coping with stress and helping managers spot signs of stress.

PAYE and Class 1B National Insurance Contributions (NICs) | 19th October 

If you submitted a PSA in July, this payment is for PAYE and NIC related to this. If paying by a non-electronic method, such as a cheque, your PAYE and Class 1B NIC are due on the 19th October, but if you’re paying electronically, this is due on the 22nd October. 

PS: there’s a lot to remember when running payroll, and if you have a small payroll team, it can get overwhelming fast. Schedule a demo to see how PayFit's automated payroll software works.

November

International Men’s Day | 19th November 

International men's day is so important — it can help remove the stigma of talking about mental health in men. Your organisation can play a key role in educating others about male suicide and raising awareness about resources and help available to men struggling quietly.

Movember | 1st-30th November 

You’ve probably heard of this before — it’s the month where men grow moustaches to help raise vital funds for men’s health — from prostate cancer to testicular cancer to suicide prevention. 

But you don’t have to grow a moustache — you can donate money straight to the Movember cause, or you can ‘Move for Movember’ by running or walking 60km throughout the month, or you can host a virtual event.

However you decide to get involved, it’s a great way to start the conversation around men’s health.

December 

Tree Dressing Day | 7th December

Finally, here’s one to get in the holiday spirit! The tradition of tree dressing revolves around the idea of thanking trees for all the benefits they provide us. Aside from the origins, it’s a great activity to get everyone involved in. It’s fun and gives everyone an opportunity to work together on a project that isn’t work-related.

Decorate local trees with ribbons and crocheted or knitted ornaments to get crafty. It’ll take you right back to your school days! 

Remember: late or missed payments and submissions can result in an interest charge and a penalty fee. Avoid ever getting a late submission fee again with our automated payroll software — PayFit is HMRC-recognised and handles all RTI submissions (FPS & EPS) on your behalf.