SIMCO Payroll & HR Services

05/03/2026

04/03/2026

😅 Doing Payroll at 10pm with a Cup of Tea Gone Cold?

Be honest…

You didn’t start your business to:
❌ Worry about CIS deductions
❌ Chase subcontractors for UTR numbers
❌ Panic over pension letters
❌ Double-check wages at the kitchen table
❌ Google “HMRC penalty what happens now”

Sure you didn’t.

Running a business in Northern Ireland is hard enough without payroll & compliance keeping you awake at night.
That’s where SIMCO Business steps in.

👥 We Support Businesses Across NI Including:
🔨 Construction Companies & Subcontractors
🧸 Nurseries & Playgroups
🏥 Care & Domiciliary Providers
🐾 Veterinary Practices
🔧 Mechanics & Garages
📈 Marketing & Creative Agencies
✈ Travel Agents
🏦 Pension & Financial Services Firms
👔 Owner-Managed Businesses
💼 Directors (tax-efficient salary support)
🏢 SMEs of all sizes
If you’ve staff to pay, we’ve you covered.

🔨 CIS Specialists, We Know Construction
If you’re in construction, we handle:
✔ Subcontractor verification
✔ Correct CIS deductions
✔ Monthly CIS returns
✔ HMRC submissions
✔ Weekly wage runs

No drama. No surprises. Just sorted.

💼 What You Get With SIMCO:

✅ Accurate, on-time payroll
✅ CIS fully managed
✅ Workplace pensions & auto-enrolment
✅ GDPR-compliant employer & employee portal (FREE)
✅ 24/7 cloud access
✅ Direct HMRC liaison
✅ Transparent, professional service

No call centres.
No being left waiting days for a reply.
Just real people, proper support, and straight answers.
Imagine payroll just… being done.
No stress. No chasing. No second-guessing.

Sure, that would be handy, wouldn’t it?

📩 Send us a message
📧 [email protected]
📞 028 2844 0713
🌐 www.simco.business

SIMCO Business, Payroll Done Properly.

🔄 Thinking of Changing Payroll Provider?

If you’re not getting the service you deserve…
If replies take days…
If you’re double-checking their work…
Or if you’ve simply outgrown your current provider…
It might be time.

✅ Thinking of Switching? it's straightforward, and we handle the process for you from start to finish.

No awkwardness.
No disruption to your staff.
No payroll gaps.

Just a smoother, more reliable service from day one.

04/03/2026

🌟 Struggling with Payroll, Pensions & HR Admin? Let SIMCO Help! 🌟

Running a business is tough enough, payroll and HR shouldn’t slow you down. With SIMCO Business, you get:

✅ Seamless Payroll Outsourcing
✅ GDPR-Compliant HR & Employer/Employee Portal
✅ Workplace Pension & Auto-Enrolment Support
✅ Tailored Solutions to Suit YOUR Business
✅ 24/7 Access via Cloud Portal
✅ Time & Cost Savings for You

We’re your trusted partner in Northern Ireland, delivering experienced, efficient support so you can focus on what you do best.

📣 Let SIMCO be an extension of your team, professional, reliable, and transparent.

👉 Get in touch today: [email protected]
📞 Call us: 028 2844 0713
💻 Learn more:

SIMCO, Leader in Payroll, HR, Pensions Auto- Enrolment Making Tax Digital, Administration Service covering Northern Ireland & UK. Providing cost-effective Payroll Solutions to the UK, Northern Ireland, Scotland

12/08/2025

Unlock Hassle-Free HR & Payroll with SIMCO Business!

At SIMCO, we believe that running a business should be about growth, not paperwork. Our Outsourcing Perfection approach means we handle all the heavy lifting, from payroll and HR to pensions, auto-enrolment, and Making Tax Digital (MTD), so you don’t have to.

www.simco.business

What makes us stand out:

UK-based experts accredited with the Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals (CIPP), ensuring top-tier service and continuous professional development.

A free, GDPR-compliant cloud portal for employers and employees—manage leave, payslips, contracts, and more anytime, anywhere.

Seamless API integration with your accounting software, saving you time and eliminating manual data entry.

A partnership approach tailored to your business needs, as reflected in our valuable resources and expert support.

Imagine freeing up your time, reducing compliance stress, and empowering your team—all while cutting costs. That’s exactly what SIMCO delivers.

Ready to streamline your HR and payroll?

👉 Visit our Resources page for helpful tools and guidance.
Or simply message us to explore how SIMCO can become your trusted partner

SIMCO, Leader in Payroll, HR, Pensions Auto- Enrolment Making Tax Digital, Administration Service covering Northern Ireland & UK. Providing cost-effective Payroll Solutions to the UK, Northern Ireland, Scotland

20/05/2025

Employment Allowance

The Employment Allowance (EA) will be increased from £5000 in 2024-25 to a new maximum level of £10,500 in 2025-26.

Also, the restriction which meant that employers with a NIC liability of more than £100,000 in the tax year immediately prior to the year were unable to claim the EA has been removed.

The GOV.UK web page Changes to the Class 1 National Insurance Contributions Secondary Threshold, the Secondary Class 1 National Insurance contributions rate, and the Employment Allowance from 6 April 2025 – GOV.UK gives further information.

20/05/2025

Income tax rates and thresholds for 2025-26

England, Wales and Northern Ireland

The standard employee personal allowance for the 2025 to 2026 tax year is:

£242 per week
£1,048 per month
£12,570 per year

Tax rates for England, Wales and Northern Ireland remain frozen at 2024-25 levels. The rates for 2025-26 are as follows:

Tax rates above Personal Allowance:
Basic tax rate 20% Up to £37,700
Higher tax rate 40% From £37,701 to £125,140
Additional tax rate 45% Above £125,140

Scotland
The standard employee personal allowance for the 2025 to 2026 tax year is:

£242 per week
£1,048 per month
£12,570 per year

The bands to which the various Scottish Tax rates apply have been changed slightly from 2024-25. The rates for 2025-26 are as follows:

Tax rates above Personal Allowance:
Starter tax rate 19% Up to £2,827
Basic tax rate 20% From £2,828 to £14,921
Intermediate tax rate 21% From £14,922 to £31,092
Higher tax rate 42% From £31,093 to £62,430
Advanced tax rate 45% From £62,431 to £125,140
Top tax rate 48% Above £125,140

National Insurance Contributions
The rates and thresholds for the calculation of employee (primary) NIC remain unchanged from 2024-25, although the ‘Lower Earnings Limit’ (LEL) has increased slightly to £125/week.

There has been a major change to employers’ (secondary) NIC, with the Secondary Threshold (ST) being reduced from £175 /week to £96 /week. The rate of employers’ NIC has also been raised from 13.8% in 2024-25 to 15.0% in 2025-26.

The table below shows the National Insurance bands for 2025-26.

(LEL) (PT) (ST) (UEL)
Weekly 125 242 96 967
2-Weekly 250 484 193 1,934
4-Weekly 500 967 385 3,867
Monthly 542 1,048 417 4,189
Directors Annual 6,500 12,570 5,000 50,270

These changes mean that many employers may see an increase in the amount of employer NICs due to HMRC in each tax period from April 2025

11/03/2025

🔒 Is your payroll system safeguarded against fraud?🔒
Payroll is the bread and butter of any successful business, but how confident are you in its security?

Protecting Your Business from Employee Payroll Fraud
Employee payroll fraud is one of the most prevalent forms of workplace fraud, typically committed by employees attempting to receive funds they are not entitled to. In essence, payroll fraud is the misappropriation of funds from a business through its payroll processing system.
Payroll fraud can have a significant financial impact, with UK businesses losing an estimated £12 billion per year due to fraudulent payroll activities.
Our article will address two key questions:

1. What are the three most common types of payroll fraud?
2. How can businesses mitigate the risk of payroll fraud?

The Three Most Common Types of Employee Payroll Fraud
Preventing payroll fraud requires vigilance from all areas of a business, particularly HR and payroll departments. Understanding the most common types of fraud is the first step in implementing effective prevention measures. The three primary payroll fraud schemes include:

1. Ghost Employee Fraud
This type of fraud occurs when wages are paid to individuals who are not employed by the company. This could be due to fabricated employee records or failure to remove former employees from the payroll system. Ghost employee fraud is more common in larger organisations, especially when payroll is managed centrally across multiple locations.

2. Sick Leave Fraud
Sick leave fraud involves an employee falsely claiming paid sick leave while either working elsewhere or not being ill. This practice not only affects productivity but also incurs unnecessary payroll expenses for the business.

3. False Expense Claims
This form of fraud involves employees submitting reimbursement claims for personal expenses, exaggerated costs, or completely fictitious expenditures. Research suggests UK businesses lose over £100 million annually due to fraudulent travel and subsistence claims. Common examples include:

• Inflating mileage claims for personal vehicle use.
• Claiming personal meals as business expenses.
• Splitting excessive bills with colleagues and submitting
separate claims.
• Manipulating receipts to claim higher amounts than were
spent.

Nine Effective Strategies to Minimise Payroll Fraud Risk
While no single strategy can eliminate payroll fraud, adopting a multi-layered approach will significantly reduce exposure. Consider implementing the following best practices:

1. Regularly Review Expense Policies – Ensure your policies are updated as needed, considering economic factors such as inflation and rising service costs.

2. Thoroughly Vet New Hires – Conduct comprehensive background and reference checks to identify potential risks before hiring new employees.

3. Restrict Payroll System Access – Limit access to sensitive payroll information to only authorised HR and payroll personnel.

4. Enforce Clear Payroll Policies – Establish and communicate clear payroll procedures, including expectations around expenses and personal data updates.

5. Strengthen Password Security – Implement strong password policies and enable two-factor authentication to protect payroll systems from unauthorised access.

6. Ensure Payroll Oversight – Maintain at least two authorised personnel within the payroll team to prevent one individual from having unchecked control over payroll functions.

7. Regularly Audit Payroll Records – Conduct periodic reviews of payroll data to identify discrepancies and prevent fraudulent activities.

8. Randomly Audit Expense Claims – Perform surprise audits on submitted expense claims to ensure adherence to policies and deter fraudulent behaviour.

9. Utilise Payroll Software – Consider implementing automated payroll software with built-in fraud detection and reporting features for added security.

By adopting these proactive measures, businesses can significantly reduce the risk of payroll fraud, safeguard company finances, and ensure transparency in payroll management. On the other hand, you could outsource your payroll to our trusted CIPP-approved professional payroll services, and you gain trust, transparency, and total compliance.

Let us safeguard your payroll so you never have to worry about fraud again

18/12/2024

Dear Valued Customer

We want to take a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude for your trust and support throughout the year. You have been an essential part of our journey, and for that, we are truly thankful. This Christmas, we wish you and your loved one’s joy, warmth, and togetherness. May 2025 bring you good health, peace, and countless blessings.

Let us also remember to embrace the true spirit of the season by helping those around us—whether it’s supporting a neighbour, bringing a smile to a child, extending kindness to the elderly and vulnerable in our society, or caring for animals. In our modern world, even the smallest acts of compassion can make a meaningful difference.

Thank you for being part of our journey. We look forward to serving you in the year ahead.

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Warmest regards,
SIMCO Business Team