Tips

Payroll

How to enter Statutory adoption pay (SAP) using the quick method

By law, eligible employees are entitled to adoption leave.  If the employee meets all qualifying conditions, as an employer, you are obliged to pay the statutory rate of statutory adoption pay (SAP).

Process SAP using the quick method

  1. Click Payroll, then Change Process Date.
  2. Enter the required process date, then click OK.
  3. Select the required employee, then click Employee.
  4. Click Record Adoption.

If a message appears advising that you have already paid SAP to this employee, to record details for another child, click Yes.

  1. If the employee has given you the suitable matching evidence, select this check box.
  2. Enter the date the baby is expected to be matched and placed.
  3. To check the employee’s entitlement, click Check Entitlement.
  4. Enter the date the employee last worked before starting their adoption leave.
  5. Enter the actual placement date.
  6. If the employee chooses to end their adoption leave and return to work early, enter the date they return to work.
  7. If applicable, click Special circumstances and complete the relevant information.
  8. Click OK.
  9. To check the employee’s earnings, click Earnings during set period.
  10. Click OK.
  11. Check the key dates and if required, print the form using the link.
  12. Click Save.

Check the employee’s entitlement

  1. From the Qualifying Conditions area, check that all the conditions have a green tick beside them. If a red cross appears against any of them, then the employee doesn’t satisfy all of the qualifying conditions and isn’t entitled to SAP, for example:

Evidence Received – The Matching Evidence Received check box isn’t selected.

Worked Long Enough – The must have been continuously employed by you for the 26 weeks up to and continuing onto the matching week.

Earned Enough – The employee’s average weekly earnings in the set period are below the NI LEL.

If the employee does not qualify for SAP you must give them form SAP1.

  1. From the Entitlement due area, check the employee’s SAP entitlement as follows:

Standard Rate Current Year – This displays the entitlement at the standard legislation rate.

If this spans two tax years, the weeks in each tax year appear separately as Standard Rate Prv.Yr. and Standard Rate Current Year. and show the applicable rates for each tax year.

  1. Click Save, then Close.

When you open Enter Payments to process your employees’ pay for the period, the SAP calculated automatically, up to your current process date.  You may also need to adjust the employee’s normal payments for the period.

You must submit an employer payment summary (EPS) at the end of the tax month to notify HMRC of any SAP being reclaimed.

If you would like help with SAP or need any other help or advice with your payroll please contact us

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