Pay Run

Generate payslips for all active employees in a single batch pay run.

Overview

A Pay Run generates payslips for all active employees in one go. Each payslip is pre-filled from the employee's Default Pay template — including base pay, tax deductions, and employer contributions — so you don't need to enter amounts manually.

Running a Pay Run

Step 1: Open the Pay Run Page

Navigate to Payroll → Pay Run from the main menu.

Note: If you have no employees set up, you'll see a prompt to add employees first.

Step 2: Fill in the Pay Run Details

Field Required Description
Pay Period Yes The date range this pay covers. Use the preset ranges (This Week, Last Week, This Fortnight, This Month, Last Month) or select custom dates.
Date Paid Yes The date funds are deposited into employees' bank accounts. This is the date that appears on the payslip.
Bank Account Yes The account the payments are made from. Defaults to your account's default bank account.

Step 3: Create Payslips

Click Create Payslips to generate a payslip for every active employee who is on salary. Beeswax will:

  1. Iterate through all employees with active Employee Cards.
  2. Create a payslip for each, pre-filled from their Default Pay template.
  3. Calculate tax, deductions, and employer contributions automatically.
  4. Finalise each payslip.
  1. If STP auto-lodge is enabled, queue the payroll data for automatic submission to the ATO in the background. <!-- /region -->

Step 4: Review the Results

After the pay run completes, you're taken to the Pay Run Complete page showing:

  • A success message with the number of payslips generated.
  • A summary table with totals for gross pay, tax withheld, employer contributions, and net pay.
  • Individual payslip rows grouped by employee — click any payslip ID to view its details.

If STP auto-lodge is enabled, you'll also see an info message confirming that the ATO lodgement is being processed in the background.
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What Happens Behind the Scenes

For each employee, the pay run:

  1. Copies the Default Pay template — all wage items, deductions, and recurring line items.
  2. Calculates tax automatically — based on the employee's tax details. <!-- region:AU -->
    • PAYG withholding is calculated from the employee's ATO tax scale and annual gross salary.
    • HELP/HECS repayments are added if the employee has a HELP liability.
    • Superannuation Guarantee (currently 11.5%) is calculated on ordinary time earnings. <!-- /region --> <!-- region:GB -->
    • PAYE Income Tax is calculated from the employee's HMRC tax code.
    • Employee National Insurance contributions are calculated from their NI category.
    • Employer National Insurance contributions are calculated separately.
    • Workplace pension deductions are applied (employee and employer portions).
    • Student loan repayments are deducted if a plan is configured. <!-- /region -->
  3. Creates a payment remittance — records the net amount payable to the employee against the selected bank account.
  4. Finalises the payslip — sets the state to finalised so it's ready for review or sending.

After the Pay Run

Once payslips are generated, you can:

  • View individual payslips — click the payslip ID to see the full breakdown.
  • Edit a payslip — adjust amounts if needed (only possible while the payslip is not reconciled).
  • Send payslips — email a PDF payslip to each employee.
  • Preview payslips — view the PDF layout before sending.
  • Delete a payslip — remove it if created in error (only if not reconciled).

STP Lodgement

If your account has STP enabled with auto-lodge:
- The pay run automatically submits payroll data to the ATO.
- Each payslip shows an STP status badge: Accepted (green), Submitted (blue), Rejected (red), or Discrepancy (yellow).
- If a submission is rejected, review the error details in your STP settings and re-submit.
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Pay Period Presets

The date range picker offers quick presets:

Preset Description
This Week Monday to Sunday of the current week.
Last Week Monday to Sunday of the previous week.
This Fortnight Current two-week period.
This Month 1st to last day of the current month.
Last Month 1st to last day of the previous month.

You can also select custom dates for non-standard pay periods.

Prerequisites

Before running a pay run, ensure:

  • At least one employee is set up (toggled on in the Employees page).
  • Each employee has complete employment details (salary, tax details, start date).
  • Each employee has a Default Pay template with the correct base pay and recurring items.
  • A bank account is configured in your account for payroll payments.

Permissions

Action Owner Super Admin Manager Accountant Basic
Access pay run page ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✗
Create payslips (batch) ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✗
View pay run results ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✗

Tips

  • Check Default Pay templates first. Before your first pay run, review each employee's Default Pay to make sure base pay and deductions are correct. Errors in the template carry through to every payslip.
  • Use the correct pay period. Make sure the date range matches your actual pay cycle. Mismatched dates can cause confusion for employees and affect leave accrual calculations.
  • Review totals on the confirmation page. The summary row shows aggregate figures — scan these for anything unexpected before moving on.
  • Send payslips promptly. Employees expect to see their payslip on or before pay day. Use the Send option from each payslip's action menu to email the PDF.