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Releases - 24.10

These release notes provide information on new features, enhancements and fixes developed since the last release, listed by change reason:

  • Product enhancements

  • Legislative updates

  • Bug fixes

New NIC Category letters for Investment Zones

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 geographic 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 10% NICs and pay only 2% because they are already paying it in another job).

Following this change, we have updated several system areas, including

  • Added a Working in Investment Zone checkbox within the National Insurance section in the Tax/NI tab.

  • Updated the NI Rate field with the four new letters.

  • Added a Working in Investment Zone option in the Fields available for import list, below Working in a Freeport.

  • Updated all other system area affected by the new NI rates.

NI adjustment paid for multiple weeks on a single rate will not allow splitting of NI calculation at a later date. You must use the NI Summary to correct the calculation. Similarly, in Tax/NI override, where the number of NI week is reduced, you must also use the NI Summary to correct.

Statutory Paternity Leave

From April 2024 onwards, a new policy allowing an employed father to take Paternity Pay and Leave in two non-consecutive periods totalling 2 weeks within 52 weeks of the birth date or placement date of the child for adoption will come into effect.

Changes are effective from 7 April 2024 for births and 6 April 2024 for placements.

This legislation currently does not apply to Northern Ireland.

Following this change, in the Employee > Statutory Payments > SPP, we have added:

  • A Pay SPP using Northern Ireland rules checkbox on the SPP screen, where Paternity Pay Type selected is Birth.

  • A Pay SAP using Northern Ireland Rules checkbox, where Paternity Pay Type selected is Adoption.

  • A Stop SPP option.

If the date entered in the Week baby due (Sunday) is before 7 April 2024 or the child’s Placement Date is before 6 April 2024, the First day to have SPP field displays as First Leave Start Date.

If the date in the Week baby due (Sunday) field is on or after 7 April 2024 or the date entered in the child’s Placement Date is on or after 6 April 2024, and the Pay SPP using Northern Ireland rules checkbox is unset:

  • The First day to have SPP field displays as First Leave Start Date.

  • A Second Leave Start Date field displays.

Statutory Maternity Pay

We have removed system validation which 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.

Standard Life GTG Payments Pension file changes

  • Renamed the column header from Salary to Pay Period Pensionable Earnings.

  • Added a new Pensionable Pay Definitions(s) column in the file between the Plan Number and Regular (employer) columns.

Legislation

Car and Fuel Benefit

Car and fuel benefit thresholds for the 2024/2025 tax year (opens in a new tab).

Tax Codes

Personal allowance tax code rates for the 2024/2025 tax year (opens in a new tab).

National Minimum Wage / National Living Wage

National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates for the 2024/2025 tax year (opens in a new tab) .

Tax, NI and Statutory Payment Rates

Tax, NI, and statutory payment rates for the 2024/2025 tax year. We have modified the system with these rates (opens in a new tab).

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.

Student/Postgraduate Loan

Updated student and postgraduate loan thresholds for the 2024/2025 tax year (opens in a new tab).

RTI

FPS - 2024/2025

In line with government legislation, we have updated the FPS schema for the 2023/2024 tax year.

EPS - 2024/2025

We have amended the EPS schema for submissions relating to the 2023/2024 tax year.

EYFPS - 2023/2024

We have amended the EYFPS schema for submissions relating to the 2023/2024 tax year.

Other improvements

P60s

A new P60 layout for year-end 2023/2024 is now available.

Previous releases