Payroll run checklist

What the payroll run checklist does

Payroll goes wrong when a step is skipped. This checklist lists the steps of a monthly run, from collecting hours and approving changes to paying staff, remitting deductions and filing, with an owner, a due date and a status for each, and a percentage that shows how far you have got.

Who it is for

Anyone who runs payroll for a small business, and especially people doing it for the first time or covering for a colleague, who need a reliable list of what to do and in what order.

How to use the workbook

1. Set the pay month at the top.
2. Assign an owner and a due date to each step.
3. Choose the status as you complete each step.
4. Read the percentage complete before you release payments.
5. Save a copy under a new name for each month or year, so earlier records stay as they were.

What is inside

• Fifteen payroll steps already written
• Owner, due date, status and notes for each
• Percentage complete at the top
• Dropdown status to keep entries consistent
• Room to add your own steps

The workbook has these sheets: Instructions, Checklist. The main table has the columns Step; Owner; Due date; Status; Notes. Yellow cells are for you to fill in and grey cells calculate by themselves, so leave the grey cells alone. The example rows show how it works; type over them with your own entries.

Tips for getting it right

• Do the checks in order; approvals come before payments.
• Keep the completed checklist with the month's payroll file.
• Add steps that are specific to your business, such as union dues.
• Move the due dates if the 9th falls on a weekend.

Why keep this record

Staff records go wrong in small, repeated ways: a figure typed twice, a deadline forgotten, a promise that nobody wrote down. A tidy workbook that everyone uses the same way removes most of those problems. It also gives you something to show an employee, an auditor or a labour officer when a question comes up months later, and it makes the next payroll quicker because the facts are already in one place.

Questions people ask

Do I need to know Excel formulas? No. Type into the yellow cells and the rest is worked out for you. The formulas are visible if you want to see how a figure is reached.

Can I add rows or change the layout? You can add your own columns to the right and your own notes. If you insert rows inside a table, copy the grey formula cells down so the new rows calculate too.

Will it work on my phone or in Google Sheets? Yes for viewing and typing, but dropdown lists and the charts look best in desktop Excel or LibreOffice.

Keeping it safe and up to date

Payroll records are personal data and tax records at once, so keep the file somewhere only the people who need it can open, and keep each month's copy for at least five years. Statutory rates such as NSSF limits and the Housing Levy change, so check the Rates sheet against the official source before you rely on a figure.

Read how to run payroll for a small business for the wider picture. See more payroll templates or ask us for a custom one.

The workbook works in Microsoft Excel, LibreOffice and Google Sheets. It is a tool to help you work out and record figures, not tax, legal or accounting advice, and it is not affiliated with the Kenya Revenue Authority. If something does not work as described, contact us and we will put it right.

Related guides, calculators and templates

• Guide: How to run payroll for a small business in Kenya
• Guide: How PAYE is calculated in Kenya, step by step
• Guide: NSSF contributions explained: tiers, limits and what you pay
• Another template: Annual PAYE and payroll summary
• Another template: Annual leave planner and register
• Another template: Benefits and allowances register

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