ADVANCED PAYROLL COMPLIANCE
ADVANCED PAYROLL COMPLIANCE
Welcome to the website of the newly-formed Payroll Compliance Authority (PCA), which is a not-for-profit organisation established in 2023 to provide a benchmark by which to identify compliant payroll companies operating within the assignment-based contractor supply chain. Commonly referred to as 'umbrella' companies, these businesses typically utilise a variety of payroll models to calculate the take-home pay of workers whilst also adopting the position of their employer.
The PCA will strive to ensure that all these payroll models are administered in accordance with all employment legislation and taxation guidelines via a forensic assurance audit of a company's organisational structure, internal processes and financial procedures independently conducted by one of the 'big four' accountancy firms. Upon successful passing of the audit, payroll companies will be eligible to promote their business under the PCA imprimatur and align themselves with the aspirations, values and culture of the PCA.
The PCA welcomes enquiries from compliant and like-minded payroll businesses interested in exploring the benefits of joining our organisation. In the first instance, please click the Find Out More button below and enter your details and comments safely in the knowledge that all enquiries are treated in the strictest confidence. No information will be shared with a third-party or divulged to any entity outside of the PCA. We also encourage contact from any individuals or organisations who share our desire to establish a genuinely independent and transparent accreditation standard for the UK payroll industry.
We believe that there has never been a more appropriate moment to launch the PCA given the pressures facing the assignment-based workforce, including a proliferation of non-compliant umbrella companies, many of whom operate an array of tax-avoidance schemes which place workers in a position of extreme risk with regards to their gross-to-net earnings and tax affairs. Seduced by the prospect of paying less tax, thousands of workers find themselves subsequently subject to HMRC investigations, heavy penalties and fines, in addition to unwittingly forfeiting many of their statutory employment rights and entitlements.
The PCA audit is designed to provide a comprehensive overview of a payroll company's organisational structure, operational procedures and financial processes to ensure that they all comply with a raft of current UK employment legislation. Undertaken and administered by one of the 'big four' accountancy firms, the audit comprises a minimum of 150 elements and analyses each and every payroll model provided by any given umbrella company, including umbrella, PAYE bureau, CIS (Construction Industry Scheme), PEO (Professional Employment Organisations), joint employment and accountancy services for limited companies.
Joining the PCA is dependent upon completing and passing a compliance audit, which will then entitle a payroll company to display their membership of the most independent and coveted accreditation in the industry. With many temporary recruitment agencies, government frameworks and trusts now increasingly cynical about the merits of less independent accreditations, the PCA audit elevates the credentials of a payroll company way beyond the traditional industry norm. Being certified by one of the ‘big four’ accountancy firms without any existing industry influence demonstrates that our Members are dedicated to unequivocal payroll compliance and to establishing a transparent, credible and trustworthy payroll landscape.
As a new organisation, it is vital that interested parties keep up to date with our activities and we will be publishing regular content updates here. We have appointed a dedicated PR agency (Clearly PR) to assist with spreading the word about the PCA and they will be managing our media profile going forward. We are always interested to hear from you regarding any relevant issues or topics that emanate from any area of the temporary workforce supply chain so please feel free to get in touch. We look forward to hearing from you in due course.
