Uploading Allowances to Payslips

This article is intended for Australian Xero users as the setup and features are specific to that region. NZ allowances can be uploaded as usual using Adjustments. UK users can not currently upload Adjustments until it is enabled by Xero (why?).

The way Allowances are uploaded using UpSheets depends on how they are set up as Pay Items in Xero.

Allowances can be uploaded to an employee payslips using the Adjustment option.

Allowances may also be uploaded as timesheets if they:

• Have a Rate Type = Multiple; or
• Have a Rate Type = Rate per unit and Type of units = hours
• Have a Rate Type = Rate per unit and Type of units = The same time unit used for the Ordinary Earnings Type of the Employee (Days/Weeks etc)

There is no right or wrong way - it depends what makes sense for your business/process. If your pay items are defined in a way to use Timesheets and you don't currently upload payslip Adjustments, then it is likely to be easier to upload them as timesheet.

Pay Item Setup

Below are the various ways Allowance Pay items can be set up in Xero:

Download a sample CSV file

Fixed Amount

A fixed allowance allows you to upload a fixed dollar amount to the payslip for an employee.The upload file must contain the following columns/values:

• first_name & last_name OR full_name
• type (the name of the Pay Item)
• rate (the total dollar amount)
• calculation_type (=FIXED AMOUNT)

Rate per Unit

A rate per unit allowance allows you to upload a rate and a unit to the payslip for an employee.The upload file must contain the following columns/values:

• first_name & last_name OR full_name
• type (the name of the Pay Item)
• rate (the rate per unit)
• hours (the number of units)

Rate per Unit (Preset)

A rate per unit allowance allows you to upload the number of units to the payslip for an employee when the rate is set against the Pay Item in Xero.The upload file must contain the following columns/values:

• first_name & last_name OR full_name
• type (the name of the Pay Item)
• hours (the number of units)

Multiple

Multiple Allowances allow you to upload the number of units that are a multiple of the ordinary earnings rate for each employee. These must be uploaded as timesheet lines or a validation will likely occur on the payslip adjustment upload.

Upload/Validation

The Adjustment option is required to upload to a payslip and the payslip must already exist

When validated, the above formats will appear as below:

Payslip

Upon upload to the payslip in Xero, the adjustments will appear as below: