For small businesses who need payroll done right — every single time

Pay day should be the one day

you don't have to think about.

Accurate, compliant, and filed on time — so your team gets paid correctly and you get on with running the business. Nelson-based, working with businesses across New Zealand.

Payroll in New Zealand varies significantly depending on employee type, employment agreements, and individual circumstances. The information on this page is general guidance only. If you're unsure how any of this applies to your business, get in touch — we'll talk it through honestly.

Staff paid correctly — every pay run, every time
IRD filing handled — no chasing, no penalties
Leave managed properly — no guessing, no gaps

Payroll sounds simple. Until it isn't.

PAYE, KiwiSaver, payday filing, leave calculations, public holidays, casual hours, variable pay — it adds up fast. And the law isn't exactly straightforward.

Most small business owners are processing payroll with their fingers crossed that it's right. Some find out it wasn't years later, with a remediation bill to match.

The Holidays Act alone has cost New Zealand businesses — including government departments — billions of dollars in back-payments. Not because they were trying to cheat anyone. Because it's genuinely complicated.

This is not a job for a spreadsheet and a YouTube tutorial.

Holidays Act remediation payments across NZ have run into the billions — in both public and private sectors.

Getting payroll right is exactly what we do.

Hi, I'm Dani. 15 years across payroll, accounts, and office management — for government agencies, growing trades businesses, and everything in between. I've seen how badly things can go when payroll isn't handled properly. And I've spent the better part of my career making sure that doesn't happen to the businesses I work with.

We don't just process your pay runs. We make sure your setup is correct, your obligations are met, and you're not sitting on a problem you don't know about yet.

If you think something might not be right, get in touch sooner rather than later. That's always the cheaper option.

Danielle Driver, Certified Xero Advisor and founder of Peace & Paper Co

Compliant from day one — not after the damage is done

When we take over your payroll, we start with a complimentary review of your existing setup. It's common to find things that need correcting before we go live. Better to find them now.

Errors fixed fast — before they become problems

As soon as a payroll error is spotted — by you or by us — we stop everything and fix it. We'll tell you what happened, what we're doing about it, and how to make sure it doesn't happen again. Payroll mistakes affect real people's income. We take that seriously.

Your people get paid right — and they know it

When payroll is handled properly, your staff just get paid — correctly and on time, every time. That's not a small thing. Reliability builds trust. And trust keeps good people around.

Why we recommend PayHero

PayHero is our preferred payroll platform — it's the IRD's favourite, its compliance record is excellent, and it's built specifically for New Zealand businesses.

That said, it's your business and your choice. We'll walk you through the pros and cons of what you're currently using, and help you make the right call. We'll make your payroll work well regardless of which platform you end up on.

What our clients say

Testimonial coming soon

Testimonial coming soon

How it works

01

We review what you've got

Before we touch anything, we do a complimentary review of your current payroll setup. You'll know exactly what's working and what isn't.

02

We agree on a plan

We tell you what we'll handle, how often, and what it'll cost. No surprises.

03

We run your payroll

Accurately, on time, and in the background. You focus on the business.

This is for you if:

  • You run a small team and payroll is eating too much of your time
  • You're not confident your payroll is fully compliant with the Holidays Act
  • You've recently taken on staff and realise you're out of your depth
  • You've been let down by a bookkeeper or payroll person before
  • You want someone available when something comes up — not just during business hours

Probably not for you if:

  • You're a large corporate requiring a full in-house payroll department
  • You want someone to just rubber-stamp what you've already done

What we handle

Payday filing

Filed automatically through your payroll software, on time, every pay run.

PAYE and deductions

KiwiSaver, student loans, child support — all calculated and filed correctly.

Leave management

Annual leave, sick leave, public holidays, and more — tracked and calculated per each employee's agreement.

New employee setup

Tax codes, KiwiSaver opt-ins, employment details set up correctly from day one.

Leave and temp cover

If your regular payroll person is away, we step in. No gaps, no missed pay runs, no explaining everything to someone new.

Working with PayHero and Xero. Experienced in Crystal Payroll and Smartly.

PayHero partner badge Xero Certified Advisor badge New Zealand Qualified Bookkeepers Association member badge

What does payroll support cost?

It depends on your team size, pay frequency, and what else we're helping with. Here's a real example.

$600 /month

Trade services, fewer than 3 staff, nationwide.

  • Fortnightly payroll
  • Daily Xero management and reconciliation
  • Inbox management
  • Credit and debtor management
  • GST filing
  • Ad hoc administration

A few things people usually ask

If you have a good payroll system set up correctly, payday filing is automated — submitted to IRD either with each pay run or by the 20th of the following month. When it's working properly, it just happens. That's the goal.

Stop everything and call us immediately. Payroll errors affect real people's income, so we treat them as urgent. We'll find the issue, fix it, and tell you exactly what happened and how to prevent it happening again.

Yes — and we'll do a complimentary review first. It's common to find things that need tidying before we go live. Better to find them now than after the first pay run.

Leave entitlements are governed by the Holidays Act 2003, and the rules can be complex — particularly for employees with variable hours or pay. Rather than summarise the law here (which is also currently being reformed), we'd point you to Employment New Zealand's official guidance: employment.govt.nz. If you want to talk through how any of this applies to your specific team, just get in touch.

No — it's our preference and we'll tell you honestly why. But ultimately it's your business and your call. We'll make your payroll work well on whatever platform makes sense for you.

Payroll that just works.

No scrambling, no crossed fingers, no finding out something was wrong six months later. Let's make sure your payroll is set up right and running properly. 20 minutes — no commitment, no invoice.