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Directors Pay (UK Payroll)

This guide explains how to set up a director in payroll, choose the correct NIC calculation method, and ensure accurate reporting to HMRC.

Updated this week

Directors Pay

Directors have different NIC rules than standard employees. Once marked as a director in payroll, their NICs will be calculated using HMRC’s director-specific rules, which take into account:

  • The date of their appointment as a director

  • The chosen NIC calculation method

This ensures NICs are correctly calculated over the tax year and reflected in official submissions and reports.


Set Up a Director

To set up a director:

  1. Go to: Staff > Employee > Payroll > Tax Information

  2. Enable Director Status: Tick the checkbox “Yes”

  3. Enter Directorship Start Date:
    Add the official date the employee became a director.

  4. Tick the checkbox for:
    “Use alternative method for calculating directors' NICs” if you want to use the alternative method, which calculates NICs on a per earnings period basis (e.g. weekly or monthly), just like regular employees.

  5. Click 'Save' to save changes


Directors Pay on Payslips and Reports

Once a director is set up:

  • Payslips:
    NICs will be calculated using the director’s selected method and shown clearly in the deductions section.

  • P60s:
    Year-end totals will reflect correct NIC for directors.

  • FPS submissions:
    The director’s NIC information will be submitted to HMRC accurately, based on their status and method.


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