Skip to content
logo Knowledgebase

Check if you have an extra pay period

Created on  | Last modified on 

Summary

How to identify and process an extra pay period at the end of the tax year in Sage Payroll.

Description

For the 2024 tax year, an extra pay period occurs when the regular pay date for weekly, fortnightly or four-weekly paid employees falls on either Monday 30 December or Tuesday 31 December.

 TIP: This extra pay period is commonly known as week 53.

Resolution

 NOTE: A separate payslip must be produced and the employee must be paid on 30 or 31 December. Employees can't be paid in advance to cover the extra pay period. 

In the 2024 tax year, you have an extra pay period if the following applies:

Your normal pay day is a Monday or Tuesday and your...

  • Weekly paid employees were last processed on 23 or 24 December
  • Fortnightly paid employees were last processed on 16 or 17 December
  • Four-weekly paid employees were last processed on 2 or 3 December

  NOTE: Monthly frequency payrolls don't have an extra pay period. 

In each of these instances, you're next due to process the employees pay on 30 or 31 December 2024. These are the only scenarios where you must process an extra pay period, as the next processing date for all other pay dates falls in to the 2025 tax year.

Don't have an extra pay period

Once you complete your final pay period, you can continue to finish 2024 tax year, and get ready for 2025 payroll.

Have an extra pay period

CAUTION: All employee payments you process in Sage Payroll 2024 must be paid to employees before 30 or 31 December 2024, regardless of when the employee last received pay. If an employee is due to receive pay in January 2025, you must process it in Sage Payroll 2025.

To process an extra pay period, there's nothing different that you need to do. Set the period and follow your normal processing routine, including producing payslips for your employees.

Sage Payroll automatically applies the correct rules to each employee being processed in the extra pay period.

How tax and universal social charge (USC) calculates in an extra pay period

To comply with government legislation, PAYE and USC calculates on a week one basis during an extra pay period. This means that year to date figures are not include in calculations and week one cut offs and credits are used.

PRSI calculates in the normal way and employees receive the same amount of insurance weeks as they would in a normal period.