Set up Sage Micropay

Sage Help Centre

After you install your Sage Micropay, you're ready to set up your company and start entering your payroll information.

After you install your Sage Micropay, you're ready to set up your company and start entering your payroll information.

Here we take you through this process step by step to get you up and running. It's easy to do, and you can go at your own pace, entering as much or as little information as you want to get started.

Get the most out of your software

We know it's vital that your business runs smoothly, so we're here to offer you the best possible support. Business advice and technical help is on hand when you need it with our award-winning Sage Cover support.

We also offer a range of training options, including:

New to Sage Micropay?

You can find everything you need to get up and running right here in our Help Centre.

You can find everything you need to get up and running right here in our Help Centre.

We can take you through the basics, such as installing Micropay and processing your payroll. We can also help you get the most out of your software in other areas, such as recording illness and maternity benefit payments, processing your year end and much more.

Why not take a look?

Why not take a look?

 

The first thing you need to do in Sage Micropay is set up your company. It's easy to do and the amount of time it takes depends on how much information you want to enter. You don't have to do everything at once, if you prefer you can enter what you need to get started and pick it up again as and when you want to.

Follow the steps below to get up and running.

Now that you've logged in to your new payroll, you may want to take some time to customise it to suit your business needs, and set up things like your company details and employee records.

You don't have to do everything at once, if you prefer you can enter what you need to get started and pick it up again as and when you want to.

You're now ready to start processing your payroll in Sage Micropay. For more help, visit the Processing your payroll area.

You're now ready to start processing your payroll in Sage Micropay. For more help, visit the Processing your payroll area.

Initial administration set up

Tip: As you've already created your new payroll and logged in to it, there's nothing for you to do in this section. You're ready to move on to the Set up your company details section.

Log in to Sage Micropay as the system administrator, then complete the following administrative tasks:

Set up a company payroll

You must set up a payroll for each pay frequency in your company, for example, weekly, fortnightly and monthly. So that you can keep your data secure, you can also create a unique password of each of the companies you create. Read more >>

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If required, copy payments, deductions, nominal settings and other details from an existing payroll in to your new payroll

If you want to set up multiple payrolls with similar details, you should use the Copy Files utility to reduce the amount of data you need to manually input. By using this option, you can copy payments, deductions, nominal settings and other details from an existing payroll to the new payroll you're setting up. Read more >>

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Create a payroll user profile

Before you can access your company payrolls, you must create a user profile.

To keep your data secure, you can specify passwords and access rights for each person who will use Micropay. So for example, you might want some people to process payroll and print reports, but not carry out payroll year end tasks. Read more >>

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Set up your company details - Compulsory steps

Before you proceed any further, you must log in to Sage Micropay as a payroll user and set up the following company information:

Enter your company details

Within the Company Details window of Sage Micropay, you can enter all the details and settings specific to your company, such as contact details, tax registration number, bank transfer details, company holiday year details and much more.

  1. On the menu bar, click Company/Payroll then Company Details.
  2. Browse through each of the tabs and specify payroll information as appropriate.
  3. To store the payroll information you've entered, click OK.

Within the Company Details window, you can enter all the details and settings specific to your company, such as, contact details, tax registration number and much more. This information is included on your returns to Revenue Online Service (ROS).

Open the Company Details window now

Note: ROS may reject your submissions if they find spaces or dashes on your phone and fax numbers, or special characters in your address, for example, ( ) @ # %.

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Set up the payroll calendar

To help organise your company's payment dates for the year, you must create the payroll calendar.

  1. On the menu bar, click Company/Payroll then Calendar.
  2. Click the New Calendar tab.
  3. Enter the calendar details for period 1 of the tax year.

    4. It's important to enter the correct pay date for period 1, as this date determines the subsequent dates of all of your pay periods.

  4. Click Update then Save.
  1. From the Calendar window, click the New Calendar tab.
  2. Enter the calendar details for period 1 of the tax year.

    3. It's important to enter the correct pay date for period 1, as this date determines the subsequent dates of all of your pay periods.

  3. Click Update then Save.
Open the Calendar window now
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Set up your payments

When you set up a payment in Sage Micropay, you can choose from a number of different payment types. For example, hourly pay or fixed salary pay. You can also specify whether a payment is subject to universal social charge (USC), pay related social insurance (PRSI), tax and pension calculation.

To set up a new payment, from the Payments window:

Open the Payments window now

You can set up a new payment, or edit an existing one from:

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If you want to copy payments from an existing payroll in to the new payroll you're setting up, you should use the Copy Files utility.
Set up your deductions

Deductions are amounts taken from the employee's pay before they receive it, such as, pension contributions or loan repayments. If required, you can use Sage Micropay to process salary sacrifice arrangements, such as cycle to work schemes. This is where your employee sacrifices some of their earnings before tax, PRSI and USC is calculated.

To set up a new deduction, from the Deductions window:

Open the Deductions window now

You can set up a new deduction, or edit an existing one from:

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If you want to copy deductions from an existing payroll in to the new payroll you're setting up, you should use the Copy Files utility.

Set up your company details - Optional steps

If required, you can also set up the following company information:

Set up your company pension scheme

With Sage Micropay, you can set up and manage the following company pension schemes:
Enable Central Statistics Office (CSO) reporting

If the CSO haven't selected you for surveying, you can ignore this section completely.

If the CSO has selected your company for surveying, you must enable the CSO reporting option.

To enable the CSO reporting option

  1. From the Company Details window, click the CSO tab.
  2. Select the Use CSO Reporting Feature check box.
  3. Enter your company CBR number, then click OK.
Open the Company Details window now

To check your payments are set up for CSO reporting

  1. From the Payments window, select a payment then click Edit.
  2. Choose the relevant EHECS and NES types, if applicable then click Save.
  3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 for each payment set up on your payroll, then click Close.
Open the Payments window now
Set up your company's holiday scheme

You can record your employees' holiday entitlement in Micropay, and keep track of how many days or hours they take. Simply set up the required holiday schemes and assign them to your employees.
Enable e-Banking

You can use the e-Banking feature of Sage Micropay to easily pay your employees, using your payroll data. You create a file containing your employee's payment details, which you can import directly into your banking software. This means you can make payments directly to your employee's bank accounts from your computer. Read more >>

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To enable the e-Banking option

  1. From the Company Details window, click the Bank tab.
  2. Select either Use SEPA Credit Transfer or Use Paypath.
  3. Enter your company's banking information, then click OK.
Open the Company Details window now
Set up departments and cost centres

To help you track your company costs, you can set up departments and cost centres and assign them to your employees. You can then use costing reports, such as, the cost analysis report, to show you how a particular section of your business performs.

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To set up a department

  1. Open the Departments window.
  2. If there are departments already set up in this payroll, to add a new one > click Add.
  3. On the next available line, enter a code and description > OK.
Open the Departments window now

To set up a cost centre

  1. Open the Cost Centres window.
  2. If there are cost centres already set up in this payroll, to add a new one, click Add.
  3. On the next available line, enter a code and description then click OK.
Open the Cost Centres window now
If required, set up your construction workers pension scheme (CWPS) settings

If you want to process a CWPS deduction on your payroll, you must enable the construction pension option.

Note: If you don't want to process a CWPS deduction on your payroll, you can ignore this section completely.

If you want to process a CWPS deduction on your payroll, you must enable the construction pension option.

Note: If you don't want to process a CWPS deduction on your payroll, you can ignore this section completely.

To enable the construction pension option

  1. From the Construction Workers Pension Settings window, select the General tab.
  2. Select the Use Construction Pension Feature check box.
  3. Enter your company construction industry employer number, then click OK.
Open the Construction Workers Pension Settings window now

To set up your 2017 CWPS calendar

  1. From the Construction Workers Pension Settings window, select the Calendar tab.
  2. Check the dates and information are correct for 2017. If not, amend as required, then click OK.
Open the Construction Workers Pension Settings now
Set up your pension related deduction (PRD) settings

PRD is a gross deduction for certain public sector organisations.

If you want to process PRD deductions on your payroll, you must enable the PRD option.

If you don't want to process PRD deductions on your payroll, you can ignore this section completely.

PRD is a gross deduction for certain public sector organisations. If you want to process PRD deductions on your payroll, you must enable the PRD option.

Note: If you don't want to process PRD deductions on your payroll, you can ignore this section completely.

To enable the PRD option

  1. From the Pension Related Deduction (PRD) Set Up window, select the General tab.
  2. Select the Use Pension Related Deduction (PRD) feature check box then click OK.
Open the Pension Related Deduction (PRD) Set Up window now

To check your payments are subject to PRD calculations

  1. From the Payments window, select a payment that's subject to PRD calculation, then click Edit.
  2. Under Public Sector, select the Apply Pension Related Deduction check box then click Save.
  3. Repeat the previous steps for all relevant payments, then click Close.
Open the Payments window now

Set up your employee records

Once you've set up your company details, you need to create your employee records.

  1. From the Employee Details window, select New.
  2. Enter the employee's personal details.

    3. Every employee should have a valid PPS number. In the absence of a PPS number, you must enter their date of birth and home address.

  3. Click Next, browse through each of the tabs and enter the relevant options as required.
  4. Click Save.
  5. Repeat the above steps for each employee you want to set up on this payroll, then click Cancel.
Open the Employee Details window now
  1. On the menu bar, click Processing then Employee Details.
  2. Click New and enter the employee's personal details.

    3. Every employee should have a valid PPS number. In the absence of a PPS number, you must enter their date of birth and home address.

  3. Click Next.
  4. Browse through each of the tabs and enter the relevant options as required then click Save.
  5. Repeat steps 2 to 4 for each employee you want to set up on this payroll, then click Cancel.

If you've moved to Micropay from another software provider during the tax year, you need to enter your employees' year to date values. To help you do this, you should follow the mid year set up guide.

Now that you've set up your data, we recommend you take some extra steps to secure it and keep it safe.

Set up passwords for your companies and payroll users

To keep your data secure, if you haven't done so already you should:

Payroll audit trail

If it's not just yourself that accesses Micropay, you may want to make use of the payroll audit trail option. This is an easy way to record when you or your colleagues make changes to your payroll data. 

You can also print a detailed audit report that contains the following information:

  • The employee that's been changed.
  • The option that's been changed, for example, PRSI code, tax/USC status.
  • The option's value before and after the change occurs.
  • The date and time a change occurs.
  • The name of the user that made the change.

Back up your payroll data

It's important that you take regular backups of your data. When you back up depends on how often you add new information to your software and when you perform important tasks, such as paying your employees and updating their records.

Back up your payroll data now
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After setting up your company details there are a number of steps you might need to carry out next.

Manage your employees

Whether you need to change your employee's tax allowances, or they're leaving your company, find out everything you need to know about working with employees.

Whether you need to change your employee's tax allowances, or they're leaving your company, find out everything you need to know about working with employees.

Process your payroll

After setting up and securing your data, you're ready to start process your first payroll in Sage Micropay. From setting your pay period to generating your online submission files for Revenue, we take you step-by-step through the process.

Why not take a look now at our Processing payroll area?

Why not take a look now at our Processing payroll area?

Record illness, maternity or paternity benefit

It's a fact that at some point in time, most people will miss work through sickness or maternity/paternity leave. When they do you will need to process their benefit payments in Sage Micropay using the most up to date legislation.

To find out more, visit our Recording illness, maternity and paternity benefit area.

To find out more, visit our Recording illness, maternity and paternity benefit area.

Correct mistakes

We all know, mistakes can happen, and processing payroll is no exception. Whether you accidentally save a timesheet for someone in a previous period or you overpay someone, it's easy to correct a mistake in Sage Micropay.

To find out more, visit our Correcting errors area.

To find out more, visit our Correcting errors area.

Reporting in Sage Micropay

You enter a lot of information in to Sage Micropay, so it's useful to get this information back out in a format that works best for you and your business. To help you find the report you need, why not visit our Reporting area?

You enter a lot of information in to Sage Micropay, so it's useful to get this information back out in a format that works best for you and your business. To help you find the report you need, why not visit our Reporting area?

Online submissions

Did you know, you can produce a number of ROS online submission files in Sage Micropay? For example, employee P45s and your P35 year end return. If you're a registered ROS customer, you can simply upload these files on to the Revenue website.

To find out more, visit our Online submissions area.

To find out more, visit our Online submissions area.

Get further support with Micropay

Our Help Centre contains all the support you need to set up and use your Sage software. It includes everything from installing your software, to processing your payroll. You can also:

To find out what the Help Centre has to offer, take a look now.

To find out what the Help Centre has to offer, take a look now.

Here you can find the questions you're asking us about processing payroll.


Where can I find my Sage account information?


How do I update my employee's tax allowances?


Can I process my payroll using different pay intervals?


How can I check my software is up to date?


When I open Sage Micropay, I get the following message 'Your Licence has Expired'.


Can I email payslips?


Where can I find help with processing my payroll?


Can I submit information to Revenue online?