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2026 FAMILY, PRIVATELY OWNED AND OWNER-MANAGED BUSINESS SURVEY

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Sectors

Payroll & Employment Services

Managing a diverse workforce

Charity payroll is rarely straightforward. With a mix of salaried staff, sessional workers, consultants, and volunteers, the "people" side of your finances can be an administrative minefield. Armstrong Watson provides a dedicated, outsourced payroll function that ensures accuracy while freeing up your team to focus on service delivery.

Meeting the unique needs of the third sector

  • Multiple Funding Streams: We can help you track payroll costs against specific grants, making it easier to report back to funders exactly how their money was spent on staffing.
  • Pensions & Auto-Enrolment: We manage the complex calculations and communications required by The Pensions Regulator, ensuring your charity remains compliant.
  • The "Volunteer" Trap: Paying "honoraria" or flat-rate expenses to volunteers can accidentally create an employment contract. We help you structure your volunteer agreements to avoid unintended tax and National Minimum Wage liabilities.

Employment Tax & IR35

HMRC is increasingly scrutinising the "Off-Payroll Working" (IR35) rules. If you use freelance consultants or contractors, the responsibility for determining their tax status often lies with the charity. We provide robust status assessments to protect you from back-tax claims.

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