Choose an employee PAYE calculation method
Review the employee facts and select an available Non-FDS, FDS averaging, or FDS forecasting method.
Before you begin6 sections
Choose the method for the employee’s current tax year in Zimbabwe statutory details. The organisation’s default is a recommendation; the employee’s facts and the available statutory pack determine which methods can be selected.
Before you begin
- Confirm the correct employee, organisation, tax year, and employment dates.
- Check authoritative records for prior or concurrent employment, part-time work alongside a full-time job, and pensioner status or pension income.
- Review any existing annual PAYE decision and tax-year lock.
Select the method
- Open the employee's statutory details
In Employees, use the row action Edit employee and open Zimbabwe statutory details. Confirm the employee and organisation before changing the current tax-year choice.
- Review all three methods
Open PAYE calculation method. Review Non-FDS, FDS averaging, and FDS forecasting, including the reason shown beside any unavailable FDS option.
- Select and save the supported method
Select the method supported by the employee’s records, then select Save changes. For a new employee, save the record using Create employee.
Expected result: The saved employee record shows the intended PAYE calculation method.
- Complete the separate annual review when needed
If an FDS choice needs annual facts or confirmation, use the employee row action Review annual PAYE decision. Saving the form choice alone does not complete that review.
How the choices differ
| Method | What the calculation uses | Check before selecting |
|---|---|---|
| Non-FDS | The applicable period calculation. | Use when eligibility rules require it or relevant annual facts remain unknown. Prior-employer remuneration and PAYE can be recorded as separate Non-FDS reporting evidence. |
| FDS averaging | Same-employer finalised tax-year payroll history and the current proposal. | Review dates and annual eligibility facts. Prior-employer amounts are never FDS opening balances. |
| FDS forecasting | Actual taxable income to date and known regular taxable pay expected for the rest of the year. | Check continuing pay assumptions; one-off bonuses, overtime, leave pay, and fluctuating commission are not projected. |
What to check
Confirm the saved method and inspect statutory readiness. An FDS selection that needs annual facts is not ready for first payroll finalisation until its annual decision is saved and confirmed. Recalculate a preview after changing or confirming the decision.
Common problems
The FDS method I expected is unavailable
Read the reason beside the option. Check the employment dates and annual facts against source records. If the method is locked for the tax year, review the existing decision and payroll history before attempting a correction.
The form saved but payroll finalisation is blocked
Open Review annual PAYE decision. Complete any requested FDS facts, save the decision, and confirm it for finalisation. Then recalculate an earlier preview.
Important boundaries
Do not infer eligibility or override an unavailable choice by changing unrelated fields. Once payroll establishes a method for a tax year, a conflicting change is rejected or paused with an explanation. Review that message and the underlying evidence before proceeding.