March 2024 Version 1.9.0
National Insurance
Investment Zone Employer’s NIC Relief
From 6 April 2024, four new Investment Zone NIC category letters will come into effect for employers in Britain as part of the Investment Zone NI Relief (IZENR) programme which provides a package of tax reliefs to employers with employees working in geographical areas, as prescribed by law.
The new letters are:
- N – standard category letter
- E – married women and widows entitled to pay reduced NICs
- K – employees over the state pension age
- D – employees who can defer paying 8% NICs and pay only 2% because they are already paying it in another job
Following these changes, we have updated several software areas, including:
NI Rates
We have updated NI Rates to include the new NI letters N, E, K and D.
Employee Details
We have added the new NI letters N, E, K and D to the software, along with a new Working in an Investment Zone tick box in the Employee | Details | Governement tab.
Reports
We have updated reports to cater for the new NI letters N, E, K and D.
RTI Validation
We have updated RTI submissions to include the new NI letters N, E, K and D.
Employee Defaults
We have updated Employee Defaults to include new NI letters N, E, K and D.
Statutory Paternity Pay (SPP) & Statutory Paternity Pay Adoption (SPPA)
From April 2024, HMRC announced changes to Statutory Paternity Leave (SPL) and Pay (SPP) allowing employed fathers more flexibility to decide how and when they take their leave.
- Employed fathers-to-be will now provide 28 days’ notice prior to the dates they wish to take for paternity leave/pay
- An employed father will be able to take SPL in two non-consecutive periods of 1 week or a 2-week block within 52 weeks of the birth of the child or placement for adoption
- The notice of entitlement period for SPL will remain unchanged and requires fathers-to-be to give notice that they intend to take leave 15 weeks prior to the expected week of childbirth/placement date
- Changes are effective from 7 April 2024 for births and 6 April 2024 for placements
- This legislation change currently does not apply to Northern Ireland
Following these changes in legislation we have made the following software amendments:
- A Is this a Northern Ireland? checkbox in the Calendar & Leave | Statutory screen, where the Absence Type selected is Statutory Paternity Pay (Birth)
- A Is this a Northern Ireland?checkbox in the Calendar & Leave | Statutory screen, where the Absence Type selected is Statutory Paternity Pay (Adoption)
- Start Date field is renamed to Leave Start Date for both Statutory Paternity Pay (Birth) and Statutory Paternity Pay (Adoption) absence types
- If the date entered in the Baby Due field (SPP) is before 7 April 2024 or the Expected Placement Date is before 6 April 2024, and the Pay SPP/SPPA using Northern Ireland rules checkbox is unset:
- You will be able to pay two separate weeks as opposed to consecutive
- A Number of weeks to pay field for First and Second Leave Start Date fields is displayed
Statutory Maternity Pay
We have removed the system validation that previously prevented male employees from claiming Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP). This update is effective from April 2024 onwards and follows HMRC’s decision to review the SMP eligibility criteria.
PAYE Legislation
Student/Postgraduate Loan
Student and postgraduate loan thresholds for the 2024/2025 tax year. We have updated the system with these figures.
Tax Code Changes
Personal allowance tax code rates for the 2024/2025 tax year. We have updated the system with these rates.
Tax, NI and Statutory Payment Rates
Tax, NI, and statutory payment rates for the 2024/2025 tax year. We have updated the system with these rates.
On 6 March 2024, the Government announced that from 6 April 2024, the National Insurance contribution rates for most employees would be lowered by 2%. We have updated the software to reflect these changes in employee NI rates.
National Minimum / National Living Wage
National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates for the 2024/2025 tax year. We have updated the system with these rates.
Automatic Enrolment and Pensions
Automatic enrolment and pensions figures for the 2024/2025 tax year. We have updated the system with these rates.
RTI
FPS – 2024/2025
In line with government legislation, we have updated the FPS schema for the 2024/2025 tax year.
EPS – 2024/2025
We have amended the EPS schema for submissions relating to the 2024/2025 tax year.
Earlier Year FPS Changes for 2023/2024
We have updated the EYFPS schema for the 2023/2024 tax year.
Other Improvements
P60 Changes for 2023/2024
A new P60 layout for year-end 2023/2024 is now available.
GPP Pension Changes
View changes for NHS Pension Scheme changes here: