In this episode: April 2026 Payroll Changes | Tax, SSP, NMW & EV Salary Sacrifice Explained
Payroll Question Time is brought to you by SD Worx. SD Worx offers smart, tailored and integrated HR and Payroll solutions, along with the local expertise, global reach and reliable service you need to grow your business today!
The new tax year is here. Is your payroll ready for everything April 2026 brings?
In this March edition of Payroll Question Time, host Steve Yardley and our expert panel break down the most critical changes hitting payroll teams right now, from fiscal drag and frozen thresholds to the landmark overhaul of Statutory Sick Pay, the launch of the Fair Work Agency, and the often-misunderstood world of EV salary sacrifice schemes.
With the end of the tax year upon us, we cut through the complexity so HR, payroll, and finance professionals can head into the new financial year with clarity and confidence.
We cover:
- Fiscal drag and frozen thresholds: what the rise in tax revenue to 37-38% of GDP means for employees and employers
- Scottish income tax band changes and what payroll teams need to update
- Student Loan Plan 5: the new starter checklist rules and how to apply them correctly
- Statutory payment rate increases for SSP, SMP and parental pay
- Payrolling benefits in kind: voluntary registration deadline and preparing for mandatory payrolling in 2027
- Fair Work Agency launch on 7 April: enforcement powers, naming and shaming, and what it means for compliance
- National Minimum Wage pitfalls: unpaid working time, salary sacrifice traps, apprentice rates and the 389 employers named and shamed
- Holiday pay complexity: average pay calculations, audit risk and Fair Work Agency enforcement ahead
- Statutory Sick Pay overhaul: day one rights, two-tier rates, transitional protections and software readiness
- Pensions update: frozen auto-enrolment thresholds, pensions dashboard progress and tax relief confusion
- EV and hybrid car salary sacrifice: myths debunked, NMW risks, company car tax increases through to 2028-29 and maternity leave traps
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Our Panel:
Simon Parsons, Director of UK Compliance Strategies at SD Worx
Richard George, Payroll Leader
Steve Yardley, Managing Director, JGA Recruitment
Sam Mann, Payroll Consultant, Armstrong Watson LLP
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#PayrollQuestionTime #EmploymentRightsBill #NMW2026 #UKPayroll #PayrollCompliance #HRCompliance #SSPChanges #PayrollingBenefits #HolidayPayRules #PayrollUpdates #TroncAndTips #TaxAdvisory #PayrollRiskManagement #PayrollLeadership #SDWorx #PayrollProfessionals #HRandPayroll #PayrollTraining #UKEmploymentLaw #PayrollAccuracy
