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

January 2026 opened with major developments in the global payroll, tax, and compliance landscape, from the EU flagging rising payment, crypto, and AI‑driven fraud to Navro launching a world‑first integrated payroll and statutory‑tax service covering 95 countries. This edition covers global tax and compliance updates from Australia, Germany, and Nigeria, alongside our country spotlight on the Netherlands, which has delayed implementation of the Gender Pay Transparency Directive.

We also highlight global payroll career opportunities - for example in Selangor, Frankfurt, and Sydney - share key payroll market insights and statistics, provide information on upcoming events such as the GPA sessions and CIPP National Apprenticeship Week, and feature resources including articles, podcasts, and newsletters to help payroll teams stay informed, improve processes, and plan for 2026.

EU Regulators Flag Rising Payment, Crypto & AI‑Driven Fraud and Set Expectations for 2026

A joint analysis by the European Banking Authority (EBA), European Central Bank (ECB) and European Supervisory Authorities highlights that payment fraud in the EU/EEA remains concentrated in remote transactions, with €4.2 billion reported in 2024, and calls for stronger controls on exemptions, cross‑border flows and customer protections. The ESAs also underscore unique risks from crypto‑asset‑linked scams and AI‑enabled impersonation fraud, urging firms to harden defences, enhance real‑time verification, and align fraud‑prevention measures with supervisory expectations for 2026.

Read more here.

Navro Launches First Global Service Integrating Payroll with Statutory & Tax Compliance Across 95 Countries

Navro has rolled out a world‑first “Statutory & Tax” payroll service that combines net salary and pension payouts with all statutory withholding and tax obligations in a single, compliant payment flow covering 95 countries. This integrated solution aims to simplify international payroll by reducing fragmented compliance processes, boosting automation, and offering real‑time visibility over payments and proof of compliance.

Read more here.

OECD Agrees Updated “Side‑by‑Side” Package on Global Minimum Tax (Pillar Two)

In early January 2026, the OECD Inclusive Framework - representing over 145 jurisdictions - reached a political and technical agreement on a comprehensive “side‑by‑side” package for the Pillar Two global minimum tax, which introduces new administrative guidance and safe harbours to simplify compliance and align global minimum tax rules with diverse national systems. The package includes a Simplified Effective Tax Rate Safe Harbour, an extended Transitional Country‑by‑Country Reporting Safe Harbour, and substance‑based tax incentive safe harbours, all designed to reduce compliance burdens while maintaining the integrity of the global minimum tax framework.

Read more here.

Oceania: Australia - Equifax Removes Exclusivity on Payroll & Super Data Contract

In Australia, Equifax ended its exclusivity arrangement on a major payroll and superannuation data contract used for automated income verification services. This can change how lenders and payroll systems access employment and income data, potentially affecting risk assessments and compliance workflows.

Read more here.

EMEA: Germany Introduces New Employer Information Obligations

As of 1 January 2026, Germany implemented new information reporting requirements for employers regarding non‑EU/EEA nationals, likely tied to social security and tax compliance obligations. Employers should update internal processes to capture and report the required data to stay compliant..

Read more here.

Nigeria: Higher PAYE Penalties Spur Tighter Payroll Compliance

Nigeria introduced increased penalties for incorrect Pay‑As‑You‑Earn (PAYE) reporting, raising the financial risk employers face for payroll errors - especially where manual processes persist. Tighter penalties accelerate the need for automated compliance and accurate payroll systems in the region.

Read more here.

The Dutch government has just confirmed that it will postpone the implementation of the EU Gender Pay Transparency Directive (Directive), which was scheduled for 7 June 2026.

Despite the Netherlands being one of just a few Member States to have published draft legislation (in March 2025), the stepping down of the government on 3 June 2025 has had an impact on the progress of proposed new legislation, including the implementation of the Directive.

The Netherlands now plans to bring its implementing provisions into force on 1 January 2027, over six months past the 7 June 2026 deadline set under the Directive.

Read more here.

Payroll Guide

The Complete Payroll Guide for the Netherlands

Read more

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

Payroll Services Market Size & Share Analysis - Growth Trends and Forecast (2026 - 2031)

The global payroll services market is projected to be worth an estimated ~USD 35.3 billion in 2026, up from USD 32.6 billion in 2025, and expected to grow to around USD 52.8 billion by 2031 with a strong ~8.35% CAGR - reflecting ongoing demand for payroll outsourcing and global payroll solutions.

Learn more here.

Cloud Payroll Adoption Remains Dominant

Cloud‑based payroll solutions account for nearly 67% of the global payroll services market and continue to grow rapidly as companies seek scalable, compliant and integrated payroll processing across geographies.

Learn more here.

Advanced Automation, Proactive Compliance, and New Global Workforce Models

Industry trend forecasts for 2026 suggest automation of up to 90% of repetitive payroll tasks, with AI increasingly used to detect errors, improve compliance and free payroll professionals to focus on strategic work.

Learn more here.

Payroll Software Growth Dynamics

Separate payroll software statistics show the global payroll software market size was ~$8.4 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow at a ~15–16% CAGR during the mid‑2020s, signalling continued investment in tech‑led payroll functions.

Learn more here.

GPA UK & Global Payroll‑Related Sessions

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. Although the major GPA Summit is scheduled for March 2026, the Global Payroll Alliance calendar shows a range of associated and member‑oriented events happening around this time - including online webinars, country‑specific training and networking opportunities for payroll professionals.

Learn more here.

CIPP National Apprenticeship Week - UK

Hosted by the Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals (CIPP), this week from February 10th to 12th includes “Payroll Careers You Didn’t Expect” and apprenticeship‑focused content - ideal for payroll teams thinking about talent, upskilling and workforce development.

Learn more here.

Deloitte Global Mobility / Payroll Webcasts

Deloitte Germany’s Global Employer Services calendar lists virtual sessions relevant to payroll practitioners, including:

• 11 Feb: Payroll Checklist for International Payroll Issues

• 18 Feb: Generative AI for Global Mobility - Practical Use Cases
  These sessions help bridge payroll, mobility and compliance topics.

Learn more here.

Lano Blog

Top payroll conferences and congresses to attend in 2025

Read more

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: Why January Is the Highest‑Risk Month for Payroll Errors

This PayEscape article explains why January regularly produces more payroll mistakes - from year‑end data backlogs and organisational changes to competing reporting demands. It’s a timely read for payroll teams looking to tighten processes and reduce risk as the year begins.

Read it here.

Podcast: BundyPlus - Payroll Trends & Compliance

BundyPlus Podcast explores the top payroll and workforce technology trends that shaped 2025 and what to prepare for in 2026 - such as system migrations, privacy expectations, AI’s role and record‑keeping best practices. This episode is especially relevant as we start the new year and plan payroll tech strategy.

Listen to it here.

Newsletter: KPMG “Payroll Insights” - January 2026 Issue

KPMG’s monthly Payroll Insights newsletter rounds up the latest U.S. payroll and employment tax developments for 2026 - including new federal and state changes, reporting requirements, and withholding updates. This is ideal for payroll pros who want a concise, jurisdictional snapshot.

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.