Use this for the selected organisation and schedule occurrence before previewing or finalising. It separates the close-by deadline, statutory calculation facts, employee inputs, results, and finalisation.

Scope

Confirm the organisation, schedule, service period, close-by date, service-period-end statutory effective date, run type, and draft identity. A completed run belongs in history; do not assume one draft per month.

Required checks

  • The signed workspace default in Workspace Settings → Statutory Packs covers the effective date and is the intended release. Compliance is for Rules and detached Tax Preview.
  • Effective-dated schedule assignments and the draft’s explicit employee set are correct; no employee has duplicate ordinary coverage.
  • Review run-specific employee coverage separately from general setup readiness. Include only eligible rows; partial rows use the listed covered service dates, employed scheduled dates without a primary assignment remain unresolved, and blocked ambiguity/prior-finalised-payroll-coverage rows cannot be included.
  • If assignments changed after the draft was created, explicitly refresh and recalculate the affected draft before continuing.
  • Any optional payment-file export has the required routing data; export readiness is distinct from calculation readiness.
  • Recurring and pay-run transaction inputs use the correct ownership path. Check custom definitions are the intended version and controlled items use their displayed action.
  • Regular hours, overtime, additional earnings, reimbursements, personal notes, and leave hours are correct for the period.
  • The service dates and close-by deadline follow the schedule rule or an audited occurrence override; the statutory effective date is the service-period end.
  • Required exchange rates match the pinned pair, permitted direction, rate type, and effective date, with no conflicting quotes. See Add and manage pay-run exchange rates.
  • Select “Save progress”, then “Continue” to “Review & Finalise”.
  • Select “Preview payroll” and confirm backend gross, deductions, employer costs, net pay, and employee outcomes.
  • Review generated statutory outputs and readiness evidence before finalisation.

Warnings

“Gross preview” may say “Backend result appears after preview” while the draft is still being prepared. A readiness action center or “Preview blocked by backend readiness checks” message is a repair instruction, not permission to estimate or override the result.

If My Organisation says Ready for payroll while a statutory output still needs attention, use Understand payroll and statutory readiness to follow the output-specific action. Organisation readiness does not replace this run’s own coverage and preview checks.

Finalisation boundary

In the preparation wizard, the final action is “Finalise payroll” after a successful current preview and authority check. There is no hidden approval step in that wizard. The payroll review screen can show “Approve payroll” when that action is available; use Approve payroll when the button is present.

What to check

After finalisation, the wizard shows “Finalised”, a finalisation reference, and “Payroll is now read-only”. Until then, keep the draft editable and retain the evidence needed for the payroll owner’s review.

Related guideStart a payroll runRelated guideChoose employees for a pay runRelated guideAdjust employee time off in a pay runRelated guideReview payrollRelated guidePayroll preparation unavailableRelated guidePayroll finalisation blockedRelated guideTransactions available in a pay run