James

📢 Guide Updated — May 2026 We've completely overhauled this payroll software guide to reflect the major changes affecting UK small businesses in 2026. The employer NIC rate increased to 15% in April 2025, the Secondary Threshold dropped to £5,000, and the Employment Allowance rose to £10,500 — all of which change how payroll software calculates your costs. We've also updated every pricing entry (Sage is now £20/month, not £7), removed Gusto (which lacks proper UK payroll features), and added BrightPay, Moneysoft, Employment Hero, and PayFit — four of the strongest small business payroll software options that were missing from the original guide. New sections cover how to switch payroll provider without disrupting your PAYE submissions, common HMRC compliance mistakes to avoid, and the upcoming mandatory payrolling of benefits in kind from April 2027. Whether you're looking for free payroll software for a micro-business, the best HMRC-compliant payroll platform for a growing team, or an international payroll solution, the comparison is now fully current for the 2026/27 tax year.