Before processing your first live pay run in Employment Hero Payroll (New Zealand), it’s important to complete a few final setup tasks. These steps ensure that your payroll data is accurate, compliant with Inland Revenue Department (IRD) requirements, and ready for ongoing payroll processing.
Before You Begin
Before you process your first live pay run, ensure that:
-
Your last pay run in your previous payroll system has been finalised.
-
Your payroll data has been reviewed and is ready for migration.
The final preparation steps include:
Configure IRD Settings
Why This Is Important
Setting up your IRD settings correctly ensures that Payday Filing is enabled and allows you to submit the necessary IRD reports, such as:
-
Employee Details
-
Employment Information
-
Employment Information Amendment
-
IR345 Employer Deduction reporting
If you want to include IRD payments in your payment files, you must also configure these settings.
-
Log in to Employment Hero Payroll.
-
Go to Business > Payroll Settings > Business Settings > IRD Settings.
-
Select your lodgement type:
-
Lodge reports as the employer – Choose this if your business submits PAYE and reports directly to the IRD.
-
Lodge reports as an intermediary – Choose this if a third-party provider processes payroll on behalf of the business. Enter the intermediary’s unique 8- or 9-digit IRD number.
-
-
Enter the required details:
-
IRD Number
-
Contact Name (First and Last Name)
-
Contact Phone Number (9 digits, including area code)
-
Contact Email
-
Payday Filing Method
-
IR345 Filing Frequency (Monthly or Twice Monthly)
-
-
Click Save.
Import Opening Balances
Why This Is Important
Opening balances ensure that employee leave entitlements and year-to-date (YTD) earnings are accurately recorded in Employment Hero Payroll.
-
Log in to Employment Hero Payroll.
-
Navigate to Business > Payroll Settings > Business Settings > Opening Balances.
-
Select your initial financial year and click Save.
-
Click Export > Opening Balances.
-
Select Template with employee data and click Download.
-
Open the downloaded file and enter:
-
Leave balances (Annual Holidays in weeks, Alternative Holidays in days, Sick Leave in days, Leave Without Pay in hours or weeks).
-
YTD earnings (figures from the start of the financial year to the last pay period).
-
-
Once complete, return to the Opening Balances page and select Import.
-
Upload the completed file and confirm the import.
Import Historical Gross Earnings
Why This Is Important
Importing historical gross earnings ensures that leave entitlements are calculated correctly. The system uses the higher of Average Weekly Earnings (AWE) or Ordinary Weekly Pay (OWP) for leave-related calculations.
-
Log in to Employment Hero Payroll.
-
Navigate to Business > Payroll Settings > Business Settings > Opening Balances.
-
Select your initial financial year and click Save.
-
Click Export > Historic Gross Earnings - AWE or OWP - 4 weekly pay.
-
Select Template with employee data and click Download.
-
Open the downloaded file and enter:
-
Period Gross Earnings
-
Period Hours Worked
-
Period Days Worked
-
-
Once complete, return to the Opening Balances page and select Import.
-
Upload the completed file and confirm the import.
Important Notes
-
If an employee has not worked for a full 12 months, leave the relevant pay periods blank.
-
If you are unsure about any of the figures, consult your previous payroll records.