HMRC Basic PAYE Tools review
A focused free option for UK PAYE calculations, filings, payslips and year-end records.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Sep 2026
HMRC Basic PAYE Tools is free desktop payroll software for UK businesses with fewer than 10 employees. It covers core PAYE administration, including employee PAYE tax and National Insurance calculations, student and postgraduate loan deductions, and statutory payments such as sick, maternity, paternity and adoption pay. It also generates payslips, P60 end-of-year certificates and an Employer Payment Record, giving small employers a focused way to manage routine payroll obligations.
Its main strength is direct alignment with HMRC payroll processes. The software submits Full Payment Submissions and Employer Payment Summaries, calculates the amount due to HMRC, and verifies employee National Insurance numbers. The published platform support covers Windows, macOS and Linux, so employers can choose among the listed desktop operating systems. For a small UK employer that needs PAYE calculations, tax filing, payment calculations and year-end forms without a software charge, the feature set is concentrated around the essential compliance workflow.
The trade-off is scope. HMRC Basic PAYE Tools is UK-specific and is not designed for agents or bookkeepers, while employers remain responsible for making the actual HMRC payment separately. Its positioning suits businesses that need HMRC PAYE functionality for a small employee base, rather than organisations looking for broad multi-jurisdiction payroll tax operations or a tool intended for professional payroll service providers. Choose it for focused UK payroll compliance; consider an alternative if your workflow requires wider jurisdiction coverage or agent-oriented use.
HMRC Basic PAYE Tools pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Free payroll software for UK employers with fewer than 10 employees
- Calculates PAYE, National Insurance and statutory payments
- Submits FPS and EPS information to HMRC
- Where it doesn't
- Not designed for agents or bookkeepers
- UK-specific rather than multi-jurisdiction payroll software
- Employers make HMRC payments separately
HMRC Basic PAYE Tools fact sheet, pricing and score →
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