Global Payroll, Compliance, and Tax News: April Round-Up

April has come to a close, marking another month of significant updates and developments in the global payroll landscape. As we move into May, here's a roundup of the key regulatory changes and payroll-related news from April, including important updates on compliance, tax reporting, and industry best practices. Stay tuned for the latest insights and resources that can help your organization navigate the evolving payroll environment.

Cyber Attack on Australian Superannuation Funds Results in $500,000 Loss

A recent cyber attack on several major Australian superannuation funds has led to the theft of $500,000 from four members of AustralianSuper. The attack involved credential stuffing, where hackers used stolen login credentials to access accounts. In addition to the financial losses, personal data of thousands of members was compromised. Funds affected include AustralianSuper, Australian Retirement Trust, Hostplus, and Insignia.

Read more here.

UK Payroll Company Boss Disqualified After £2 Million Tax Underdeclaration

Hubert Omukhulu, the boss of Remedy Payroll Solutions Ltd, has been disqualified as a company director for eight years after his business underdeclared taxes by over £2 million. The company owed £2,584,044 between June 2020 and September 2021 but reported only a fraction of the amount. HMRC's investigation revealed the company falsely declared no VAT for 2020 and a significantly lower amount for 2021.

Read more here.

Germany's Employer Association Warns Against Proposed €15 Minimum Wage

In Germany, the employer association Gesamtmetall has warned the Social Democratic Party (SPD) about the potential consequences of raising the minimum wage to €15 per hour. Gesamtmetall’s head, Oliver Zander, argued that a 76% increase over a decade would outpace negotiated wage agreements, which have only risen by 29% since the statutory minimum wage was introduced. Zander cautioned that the hike could lead to economic problems, including price increases, more business closures, and a rise in informal employment.

Read more here.

Workday Sues California Over Exclusion from Payroll System Contract

Workday has filed a lawsuit against California’s State Controller’s Office and Department of Technology after being excluded from bidding for a new payroll system contract. The lawsuit, filed in Sacramento County on March 17, claims that the state’s request for proposals (RFP) process was flawed, and that the state selected a vendor that had previously been overlooked for the California State Payroll System project.

Read more here.

EMEA: Albania and Italy Sign Administrative Arrangement for Social Security Agreement

On 10 April 2025, Albania and Italy signed an administrative arrangement to implement their pending social security agreement, originally signed on 6 February 2024. This marks the first such agreement between the two countries. Both the agreement and the administrative arrangement will enter into force on the first day of the second month following the exchange of ratification instruments.

Read more here.

North America: Canadian Provinces Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island Announce 2025-2026 Budgets

Prince Edward Island will increase its basic personal amount to CAD 14,650 in 2025 while the provincial personal income tax brackets are set to increase by 1.8%. Meanwhile, Newfoundland and Labrador has reduced its small business corporate income tax rate from 3% to 2.5%, aiming to support small businesses without introducing new taxes.

Read more here on the new budgets for Prince Edwards Island and Newfoundland and Labrador.

LATAM: Paraguay Extends 2024 Financial Statement Deadline

Paraguay’s National Directorate of Tax Revenues (DNIT) has issued General Resolution No. 29/25, extending the deadline for corporate taxpayers to submit financial statements for the fiscal year ending 31 December 2024 from April 2025 to June 2025.

Read more here.

APAC: Australia to Introduce Payday Superannuation in July 2026

Australia will require employers to pay superannuation contributions at the same time as salaries and wages, starting 1 July 2026, under the government's Payday Super reform. The change aims to improve retirement outcomes by ensuring more frequent superannuation payments.

Read more here.

Effective 1 April 2025, the UK's National Living Wage (NLW) has risen by 6.7%, increasing from £11.44 to £12.21 per hour. This adjustment translates to an approximate annual increase of £1,400 for full-time workers. The National Minimum Wage (NMW) rates have also been updated:

• For workers aged 18 to 20, the rate increased from £8.60 to £10.00 per hour.

• For workers aged 16 to 17 and apprentices, the rate increased from £6.40 to £7.55 per hour.

Read more here.

Payroll Guide

The Complete Payroll Guide for the United Kingdom

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With the current payroll talent shortage, there are plenty of exciting opportunities for payroll professionals. Here is an overview of some current payroll and compliance job openings.

EMEA Payroll Specialist - Global IT Provider

An international IT provider is hiring an EMEA Payroll Specialist for an interim role based in Reading. The position involves managing payroll operations for various entities across Europe, including France, UK, Germany, and Spain. The role requires collaboration with Finance and HR departments and effective communication with external payroll vendors. This hybrid role offers a potential transition to a permanent position after 12 months.

Find more details here.

Global Payroll Specialist - Sage

Sage is hiring a Payroll Analyst for a hybrid role based in Newcastle, focusing on UK, Ireland, and South Africa payroll operations. The position offers the opportunity to work on process improvements, automation, and global payroll projects. The role involves ensuring accurate payroll processing, responding to colleague queries, and working with cross-functional teams across People, Finance, and Legal.

Find more details here.

Payroll Specialist Europe - Covetrus

Covetrus is hiring a Payroll Specialist Europe for a hybrid role based in the UK, Germany, Poland, or Belgium. The position involves processing payroll for multiple European locations, managing payroll transformation projects, and ensuring compliance with local regulations. Key responsibilities include handling Workday transactions, supporting system rollouts, conducting audits, and maintaining payroll-related records.

Find more details here.

Payroll Specialist - Centerline Business Services

Centerline Business Services is seeking a Payroll Specialist to join their team, responsible for the accurate and timely processing of payroll for clients. This role involves overseeing payroll audits, managing employee data, resolving discrepancies, and ensuring compliance with legal and policy requirements. The Payroll Specialist will collaborate with HR, Accounting, and Finance teams, assist with year-end reporting, and support benefits administration.

Find more details here.

Payroll is all about numbers. Here are some interesting facts and statistics from the global payroll space.

• The Global Payroll Payments Report 2025 revealed that 66% of payroll professionals lack the tools to understand their current costs with banks and payment providers (Source: transfermate.com).

• Although payroll companies claim 99% accuracy, a new report reveals FX discrepancies in 18% of transactions, affecting overall payroll accuracy (Source: transfermate.com).

• The global payroll services market is projected to reach USD 27.81 billion in 2025, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.56% from 2025 to 2030 (Source: Mordor Intelligence).

GPA Webinar: Delivering Payroll Insights that Resonate with the C-Suite

The Global Payroll Association (GPA) is hosting a webinar titled "Delivering Payroll Insights That Resonate with the C-Suite" on 22 May 2025 at 3 pm. Presented by industry experts, this session will explore how payroll professionals can effectively communicate key payroll insights to C-suite executives, aligning payroll data with broader business goals and demonstrating its strategic value.

Learn more here.

PayrollOrg Congress 2025

The 43rd Annual PayrollOrg Congress, taking place from 13-16 May 2025 at the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, is the premier event for payroll professionals. This flagship event features educational workshops, keynote addresses, and an expo showcasing the latest payroll technologies. Topics will include global payroll management, tax compliance, technology innovations, and professional development.

Learn more here.

National Payroll Institute Conference 2025

The National Payroll Institute's annual conference, formerly known as the Canadian Payroll Association, will take place from 4-6 June 2025 at the BMO Centre in Calgary, Alberta. This year's edition will focus on key topics such as cross-border payroll, Canadian tax compliance, and emerging technologies in payroll administration, with an emphasis on regulatory updates and leadership in the payroll field.

Learn more here.

Lano Blog

Top payroll conferences and congresses to attend in 2025

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HR Research Institute: Brand New Future of Payroll Report

The “2025 Future of Payroll Report”, published by the HR Research Institute (HR.com), examines the evolving role of payroll across organizations. The report reveals that while payroll teams are largely focused on compliance, many still struggle with transforming payroll into a strategic asset. Key findings emphasize the need for increased automation, better integration of payroll and HR systems, and a shift towards employee-centric features like flexible pay and real-time transparency.

Check out the full report here.

SOC 1 vs SOC 2 Decoded: What Matters for HR and Payroll

In a recent blog post on Payrollcentral.net, Mokscha Haack provides a detailed comparison between SOC 1 and SOC 2 reports, explaining the key differences in their focus areas—financial reporting controls versus security, availability, and confidentiality controls. This insightful breakdown helps payroll professionals understand the importance of these audits in ensuring service provider compliance and security in payroll operations.

Read the full blog post here.

PayrollOrg on The Payroll Podcast by Nick Day

​In the latest episode of The Payroll Podcast by JGA Recruitment, host Nick Day converses with Laurel Serra, CPP, Director of Education Services at PayrollOrg, about the transformative impact of attending Payroll Congress. Serra emphasizes the event's role in elevating careers, expanding professional networks, and staying ahead in the evolving payroll landscape. She discusses the significance of certification, overcoming challenges like imposter syndrome and burnout, and how global sessions broaden perspectives.

Listen to the full episode here.

Employer Considerations for Using AI in Leave Management

​In their article "The Role of AI in Leave Management: Employer Considerations", Melanie Payton and Chrissy Theiss from Brown & Brown highlight the growing integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in absence management and claims processes. They discuss how AI is being utilized to automate tasks such as reviewing medical documentation, sending automated text messages to claimants, and summarizing medical records to assist claim examiners.

Read the full article here.

Have you recently written or read a great article or discovered another great resource we should know about? Write to us and we will include you in our next Global Payroll and Compliance News Update.