H1: HMRC Basic PAYE Tools review

HMRC’s stripped-back Basic PAYE Tools is a no-nonsense way of payroll processing with essentials like PAYE calculations and RTI features built-in, but it lacks any advanced features like cloud access, auto-enrolment or integration with other platforms.

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  Free for micro-businesses

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  No-frills with no added fuss

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  No cloud support

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  Disappointing, dated interface

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  Other free tools offer much more

For UK-based employers managing payroll, using Pay As You Earn (PAYE) software that’s recognised by HMRC is more than a convenience – it’s a regulatory requirement. To that tune, using a tool that comes directly from the government, then, makes a lot of sense.

Businesses with fewer than 10 employees can use HMRC’s Basic PAYE Tools to simplify things like tax calculations and real-time information (RTI) submissions.

It’s a free application provided directly by HMRC that’s fully compliant and functional, but it’s a seriously stripped-back system with an ...