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

October 2025 brought major developments in the global payroll landscape, from the EU’s Verification of Payee (VoP) requirements to Kenya uncovering massive government payroll fraud. This edition covers tax and compliance updates from Italy, Switzerland, Brazil, Argentina, and Mexico and our South Africa country spotlight on equal parental leave. It includes career opportunities in Germany, Denmark, the U.S. and key payroll statistics from ADP and the Multi-Country Payroll Solutions Market Report. We talk about upcoming events like the GPA Payroll Symposium 2025 and Summit 2026, and new resources including the article “Payroll Is an Ecosystem”, the podcast “Why People-First Payroll Wins Every Time”, and The Payroll Pages’ latest National Minimum Wage list.

Verification of Payee requirements (VoP) under the EU’s Instant Payments Regulation (IPR)

From October 9, 2025, the EU made Verification of Payee (VoP) mandatory, requiring thousands of payment service providers to match a recipient’s name with their IBAN before processing SEPA payments. This major regulatory shift aims to reduce fraud and strengthen payment security across Europe.

Read more here.

Kenya Uncovers Massive Government Payroll Fraud in Sweeping Audit

In October 2025, a government audit in Kenya uncovered a massive payroll fraud. Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku revealed this at the National HRM Conference in Naivasha, on October 29th. This fraud includes ghost workers, double allowances, and employees long past retirement age still receiving salaries. The findings prompted an urgent investigation into public service payroll controls and raised concerns about systemic corruption in civil service payments.

Read more here.

EMEA: Italy approves draft 2026 budget law with tax measures

Italy’s draft 2026 budget law, published on October 22, introduces a range of tax measures, including adjustments to corporate taxation and incentives for sustainable investments, signaling the government’s strategy to boost economic growth and fiscal stability. This goes into effect January 1, 2026.

Read more here.

EU Strengthens Tax Cooperation with Switzerland

On 20 October 2025, the EU and Switzerland agreed on enhanced tax cooperation, improving transparency, data exchange, and compliance measures, aiming to curb tax evasion and streamline cross-border taxation within the region.

Read more here.

LATAM: Brazil signs Multilateral BEPS Convention

In October 2025, Brazil signed the Multilateral BEPS Convention, committing to implement OECD-led measures to prevent base erosion and profit shifting. This step strengthens Brazil’s alignment with international tax standards and enhances transparency for multinational companies operating in the country.

Read more here.

Argentina eliminates the mandatory disclosure regime (MDR)

On October 21, 2025, Argentina eliminated its mandatory disclosure regime (MDR), reducing reporting requirements for taxpayers. This change aligns local tax rules with international transparency standards and eases compliance burdens for businesses operating in the country.

Read more here.

NA: Mexico to reduce working hours under new labor law proposal

In October 2025, Mexico proposed a new labor law to reduce working hours while expanding employee protections, including longer parental leave and stronger breastfeeding rights. The reforms aim to improve worker welfare and promote a better work-life balance across the country.

Read more here.

On 25 October 2025, South Africa’s Constitutional Court issued a landmark ruling amending the Basic Conditions of Employment Act and the Unemployment Insurance Act, declaring key provisions unconstitutional for discriminating based on gender and parentage.

As a result, both parents are now entitled to parental leave in equal measure, totaling 4 months and 10 days, which they can divide between them as they see fit.

This ruling ensures greater equality in the workplace, strengthens family rights, and aligns South Africa’s labor law with international standards on parental leave.

Read more here.

Payroll Guide

The Complete Payroll Guide for South Africa

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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.

Payroll Specialist, Germany (Remote) - Infosys BPM

The Payroll Specialist - Germany (Remote) role at Infosys BPM is a fully remote position managing German payroll operations and supporting multi-country payroll processes with offshore teams.

The specialist ensures compliance with German tax and labor laws, maintains accurate payroll records, and contributes to payroll transformations and automation initiatives.

Candidates should have 2-6 years of payroll experience, fluency in German and English, and experience with HRMS/ERP systems.

Find more details here.

Global Payroll Manager, Denmark - GANNI

The Global Payroll Manager at GANNI in Copenhagen leads payroll operations for Denmark and France while overseeing processes and vendors across EMEA.

The role ensures statutory compliance, standardizes payroll processes, and partners with HR, Finance, and IT, requiring 5+ years of international payroll experience and strong cross-functional leadership skills.

Find more details here.

Global Payroll Manager (U.S. EST Remote) - Degreed

The Global Payroll Manager at Degreed (U.S. EST, Remote) oversees payroll operations across the U.S., EMEA, and APAC, managing vendors and ensuring accurate payroll processing and reconciliations.

The role serves as the key contact for employee payroll queries, handles HRIS data, and requires 7+ years of U.S. payroll experience, multi-state compliance knowledge, and strong global collaboration skills.

Find more details here.

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

Multi-Country Payroll Solutions Market Report 2025

The “Multi‑Country Payroll Solutions Market” is expanding rapidly: a new 2025 report estimates the market will grow from US$6.11 billion in 2024 to US$6.7 billion in 2025 - a nearly 9.7% year‑on‑year growth.

This surge is driven by multinational companies’ increasing demand for automated, compliant, and technologically advanced payroll systems to manage their global workforce.

Learn more here.

ADP’s “Potential of Payroll in 2025”

ADP’s annual global payroll survey explores the major drivers of payroll transformation. This year’s results show that payroll leaders will need to become more forward thinking, and teams will have to work smarter to meet increasing demands.

Learn more here.

GPA Payroll Summit 2026

The GPA Payroll Summit 2026, hosted by the Global Payroll Alliance on 5 March 2026 in London, brings together payroll professionals to explore topics like AI readiness, global reporting, and regulatory change. Registrations are now open!

Sessions will include deep dives into employment tax, minimum wage and holiday pay, cybersecurity, payroll talent strategies, and vendor partnerships.

Learn more here.

GPA Payroll Symposium 2025

In December 2025, the GPA Payroll Symposium (4 Dec, Dublin) offers a free half‑day morning of networking and expert-led sessions, including a roadmap for global payroll implementation and a forward‑looking discussion on how AI will transform pay.

Learn more here.

Lano Blog

Top payroll conferences and congresses to attend in 2025

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There’s a surprising amount of free high-quality resources available to payroll professionals, and new interesting reads and articles get published every month. Here’s a selection of some new publications, must-listen podcast episodes, and blogs from the global payroll industry.

Article: Payroll Is an Ecosystem - And We Need to Believe It Ourselves

Payroll isn’t just about pressing buttons - it’s a complex ecosystem that touches every part of the organization. This article by Payroll Central challenges payroll teams to reclaim their role as true data stewards and work smarter with HR, Finance, and managers.

Read it here.

Podcast: Why People-First Payroll Wins Every Time with Stuart Curtis

In episode #208 of The Payroll Podcast, host Nick Day talks with Stuart Curtis, Partner and Head of Payroll at Price Bailey LLP, about how putting people first can transform payroll from a mere cost center into a strategic value‑driver. They explore how leadership, passion, and purpose - combined with automation and data storytelling - can elevate payroll to a key business function.

Listen to it here.

Newsletter: The Payroll Pages "The latest list for National Minimum Wage has been published"

In the weekly newsletter by The Payroll Pages, this article spotlights the UK’s latest “name & shame” list (published 17 October 2025) from the Department for Business and Trade, naming 491 employers who underpaid nearly 42,000 workers by a total of around £6 million, and slapped them with over £10 million in fines.

Read and subscribe to it 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.