As part of National Payroll Week, we interviewed our superstar bookkeeper and almost qualified payroll sensation, Jo Carro.
Jo has been with us for 2 and a half years and decided to further her bookkeeping knowledge by studying the complexities of payroll.
As a qualified and experienced bookkeeper, what made you decide to become qualified in payroll?
To me, it seemed like the next logical step in my career and another string to my bow and I knew it would be beneficial to Cashtrak’s growth.How would you describe payroll in your own words?
Payroll is not as straightforward as some might think. There are so many elements to consider and processes to go through but the key thing is to have all the necessary information in the first place. A lot of it covers HR too with people’s personal details, hours and working patterns etc plus sickness and benefits.
What have you found most interesting in your payroll studies?
Just how vast the subject is and how in depth it can be. There are so many variations and scenarios that no two payrolls are the same.
What do you find most difficult about payroll?
The manual calculations were probably the trickiest and following the pages and pages of HMRC NI & Tax tables. There are so many elements to payroll but it’s also important to keep up with the legislation and constant updates or changes too.
What advice would you give to someone just starting out on their payroll qualification journey?
Get a good payroll training company and tutor then find a study buddy and pace yourself. Give yourself achievable targets and goals too without rushing and if you find something tricky walk away and come back to it.