Use the employee row action Review annual PAYE decision to confirm the PAYE method for a tax year. This review is separate from choosing a method in the employee form.

Before you begin

Gather the employee’s employment dates and reliable evidence about prior employment, concurrent employment, part-time work alongside a full-time job, and pension income or status. Confirm the organisation and tax year shown in the decision panel.

Review and confirm

  1. Open the tax-year decision

    In Employees, find the employee and choose Review annual PAYE decision from the row actions. Check the tax year, recommendation, selected method, decision status, and any unavailable-method reason.

  2. Review the intended method and annual facts

    Select Review annual decision. Choose the intended method. For an FDS method, answer the Annual eligibility facts requested about prior employment, concurrent employment, part-time work alongside a full-time job, and pension income. Keep Not known when a fact is not established.

  3. Save the decision

    Explain the reason for recording or revising the decision when prompted, then select Save annual decision. Saving does not confirm it for finalisation.

    Expected result: The intended method and reviewed facts appear as a saved decision.

  4. Confirm for payroll finalisation

    Resolve any missing-fact or eligibility message. Select Confirm for finalisation, read the confirmation text, and select Confirm decision.

    Expected result: The panel shows Confirmed for payroll.

What to check

The panel should show Confirmed for payroll for the intended tax year and method. A preview may run while a decision is pending, but first payroll finalisation requires a saved, confirmed annual decision. Recalculate a preview made before confirmation.

Correct a locked decision

When payroll history has locked the method, use Correct annual facts to record a late or corrected fact with a reason. This creates an auditable correction for review. It does not rewrite the locked method or finalised payroll. Review affected payrolls and adjustments before continuing.

Common problems

Confirm for finalisation is not available

Save the intended method first. If an FDS method needs facts, answer each requested question from evidence and resolve any unavailable-method explanation before trying again.

The decision changed elsewhere while I was reviewing it

Reload the current decision and compare its method, facts, and status with your source records before saving or confirming a new revision.

Important boundaries

Do not answer unknown facts as “No” merely to unlock FDS. Confirmation records the authenticated reviewer and time. The saved method and annual facts should reflect the best available evidence for that employee and tax year.

Related guideChoose an employee PAYE calculation methodRelated guideMissing employee statutory dataRelated guidePreview monthly net earnings