The pay run report¶

The pay run report shows the detail of a single pay run — one pay day. Where the payroll summary rolls many pays together, this report zooms in on just one, and lists each employee line by line.

For each person it shows the hours and earnings, the tax held back, the super, any deductions, and the net pay for that pay. It is the report you look at to check a pay is right, and to see exactly what was paid.

Why this matters¶

A pay run moves real money out of your account, so it is worth a check before you finalise it. The pay run report lets you look over every employee's numbers first — an easy way to catch a wrong rate, missed hours, or a figure that looks off before anyone is paid.

What you will learn¶

• What the pay run report shows
• How it differs from the payroll summary report
• How to use it to check a pay before you finalise it

Understanding the concept¶

The pay run report is about one pay run only. For each employee it typically shows:

Hours and earnings — the hours worked and what they were paid for the pay, including ordinary pay plus any loadings, allowances, bonuses or penalty rates. Together these make up the employee's gross pay for that pay.

Tax (PAYG withholding) — the amount held back from the pay. The ATO explains that an employer holds an amount back from a worker's pay and sends it to the ATO, going towards the worker's tax for the year.

Super — the superannuation the employer owes for that pay. The ATO sets super as a percentage of an employee's earnings, paid into the employee's super fund. It sits on top of the pay, not inside it.

Deductions — any other amounts taken out of gross pay.

Net pay — what is left after PAYG withholding and any other deductions — the amount that lands in the employee's bank account for that pay.

The difference from the payroll summary is the level of detail. The summary gives you totals over a period; the pay run report gives you the line-by-line detail of one pay.

Example¶

Before finalising a fortnightly pay, an owner opens the pay run report. It lists each employee with their hours, gross earnings, PAYG withholding, super and net pay for that pay. Scanning the lines, the owner notices one casual's hours look too low, fixes the timesheet, and the report updates. Once every line looks right, the owner finalises the pay. Later, the same report serves as the record of exactly what each person was paid that fortnight.

Common mistakes¶

• Finalising a pay without reviewing the pay run report first.
• Confusing it with the payroll summary — this report covers one pay, not a period.
• Assuming a fix has flowed through without checking the report updated.

How this works in myaccountant¶

Key points¶

• The pay run report covers a single pay run, not a period.
• It shows each employee's hours, earnings, tax, super, deductions and net pay.
• Gross pay is the earnings before anything is taken out.
• PAYG withholding is the tax held back and sent to the ATO.
• Super is an employer cost on top of the pay.
• Use it to check a pay before finalising, and to see exactly what was paid.

Learn next¶

• The payroll summary report
• Payroll reports for your business
• Reading and using your reports

General information only — not tax, super or financial advice.