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Recording maternity benefit

Created on  | Last modified on 

Summary

How to process a maternity benefit in Sage Payroll.

Resolution

When recording maternity benefit, there are three different possible scenarios

The employee keeps the welfare payments but doesn’t receive any pay from your company

In this scenario, don’t save any pay details during the periods of maternity leave. This is because your company isn’t making any payment to the employee. In your pay run, for the relevant employee, tick the Do Not Pay option until they return to work.

When the employee returns back to work, don’t record the maternity benefit payments on your payroll or claim any tax on these payments. Revenue claims all tax relating to maternity benefit directly from the employee by reducing their yearly tax credit and cut off point.

You receive notification from Revenue of these reduced credits through an RPN certificate. If you use Revenue Online Service (ROS), you can download the RPN file from their website.

The employee keeps the welfare payments and receives pay from your company

When the employee returns, don’t record the maternity benefit payments within payroll. You don't claim any tax on these payments.

Revenue claims all tax relating to maternity pay from the employee. They do this by reducing their yearly tax credit and cut off point.

You receive notification from Revenue of these reduced credits through an RPN certificate.

Your company gets the welfare payments and pays the employee their normal wages

In this scenario, you’ll need two payment lines on the employee payslip.

Record the maternity benefit as a non-taxable payment. To do this, select Expense then Other expense.

Record the portion you’re using to make up the employee salary as a taxable payment.

Read how to Create and manage payments.

You don't claim any tax on the maternity payments.

Revenue claims all tax relating to maternity pay from the employee. They do this by reducing their yearly tax credit and cut off point.

You receive notification from Revenue of these reduced credits through an PRN certificate.

Maternity leave and Holidays

There are nine public holidays in Ireland each year.

The employee can receive either:

  • A paid day off on the holiday
  • A paid day off that month
  • An extra day’s annual leave
  • An extra day’s pay

Employees can also take annual holidays while on maternity leave.

You can add these on when calculating your return date to work.