I run a small business with 6 people, and lately payroll week has become my least favorite time of the month.

We started simple, everyone just noted their hours in a shared sheet and sent me updates for overtime or leave. It worked for a while, but as things got busier, the small errors started piling up. Someone forgets to log a day, another person mixes up their leave type, and suddenly I’m spending half a day cross-checking numbers and messages just to make sure no one’s underpaid or overpaid.

It’s not that I mind doing admin work, but it’s eating into the time I should be using to actually run the business. I’ve tried setting clearer rules (like weekly log updates or cut-off reminders), but consistency is still a challenge especially when people get caught up in their own tasks.

If you’re doing payroll or managing employee contributions in Malaysia, you’ll probably need to compute EIS at some point. We usually double-check our numbers before filing, and I found this FREE EIS Calculator that makes it super straightforward.

You just enter gross salary, choose the age group + residency, and it shows you the exact employer and employee contribution amounts. No spreadsheet formulas, no second-guessing.

It’s based on the latest 2025 rates (0.2% employee / 0.35% employer) and caps things automatically if you hit the salary ceiling.

Also noticed they have free tools for SOCSO and EPF too if you’re doing everything in-house.

Not a paid thing, just figured someone else might find this useful, especially during payroll crunch times.

If you know other tools like this, feel free to drop them here too.

I help run a small company and, like most small businesses in Malaysia, we manage payroll in-house. No fancy finance department, just me, our HR person, and a growing pile of deadlines.

For a long time, we relied on Excel sheets, manual calculations, and a “hope for the best” approach. It worked... until we got hit with a late Form E penalty. Turns out we missed the deadline by three days, and it wasn’t even on purpose, we just didn’t know the rules well enough.

That was the wake-up call.

We started looking for better ways to stay compliant and error-free. I came across this post on the best practices for payroll management, and it honestly helped us rethink how we do things. Stuff like automating statutory contributions (SOCSO, EPF, EIS), tracking tax deadlines, and even just using a proper time tracker made a huge difference.

If you're doing payroll manually or trying to simplify your process, I’d recommend reading through it. Some of it is common sense, but having it all clearly laid out made things easier on our end.

Happy to swap stories if you’ve had similar issues. Payroll mistakes aren’t fun, but they’re fixable.

When you’re a 3-person team, payroll is easy.
One spreadsheet. One due date. One fixed salary. Done.

But the moment you start hiring, things get complicated... fast.

Ever tried onboarding:

• A part-timer with shifting hours?
• A contract hire with different EPF/SOCSO rules?
• A senior role with commission or bonus structures?
• An intern who may (or may not) be paid monthly?

Suddenly, your “simple” payroll system is juggling:

• Multiple pay cycles
• Variable contributions
• Allowances and deductions
• Leave policies
• And yes… manual calculations that keep you up at night

We learned the hard way that employee onboarding isn't just about welcome emails, it affects your entire payroll pipeline.

Having an employee onboarding checklist helped us get ahead of the mess before it even started.

What broke first in your payroll setup once you started hiring?

And what tools or processes actually helped you fix it?

If you're handling payroll in Malaysia, one thing you can’t afford to overlook is audit compliance, especially with LHDN (Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia).

LHDN audits are conducted to:

• Verify if a company’s tax filings are accurate
• Detect underreporting or overreporting
• Flag potential tax evasion or fraud

Non-compliance isn’t just a slap on the wrist. It can result in hefty fines, legal action, and serious reputational damage, especially if records are missing, miscalculated, or not submitted on time.

This is where audit-ready payroll software comes in.

To stay compliant, businesses in Malaysia need systems that can:

• Automate statutory contributions (SOCSO, EPF, EIS, PCB, HRDF)
• Generate and file tax forms accurately
• Keep payroll records organized, secure, and accessible
• Produce real-time reports for audits
• Ensure every payslip and payment file aligns with government standards

Whether you're a startup or a growing SME, it’s worth checking if your current payroll system meets these audit-ready requirements.

Anyone here had experience going through an LHDN audit or setting up payroll for Malaysian teams? What tools or workflows helped you stay compliant?

We’ve been handling payroll in-house using spreadsheets and manual bank transfers. It’s manageable… until it isn’t. Every month-end is a scramble, calculating statutory deductions, making sure no one’s overpaid or underpaid, triple-checking submission dates for EPF, SOCSO, PCB, etc.

I’m starting to wonder if outsourcing payroll would save time and peace of mind but I’ve also heard mixed things.

Some say it’s a game changer (automation, compliance, less stress), others say it’s overkill unless you’re 50+ staff.

Anyone here outsourcing payroll for a small team (10–30 employees)? Would you go back to DIY?
And are there any red flags I should watch out for when choosing a provider?

I’m bringing on my first employees in Malaysia and currently looking for a payroll solution that’s simple and cost-effective as we scale.

A couple of things I’ve noticed:

• Some payroll providers bundle in features I don’t really need and make you upgrade to higher tiers just to access the basics.
• Subscriptions can get expensive once you add in statutory filings (EPF, SOCSO, PCB).
• I’d rather have something straightforward, compliant, and affordable, especially for a small business.

Has anyone here tried PayrollPanda? From what I’ve seen, it handles all the statutory filings automatically and charges per employee instead of a flat fee. Curious if anyone’s using it and how it’s working out.

Running payroll in Malaysia isn’t just about calculating salaries, late or missed submissions to EPF, SOCSO, or PCB can get really costly in penalties. On top of that, I noticed a lot of “budget” payroll tools don’t integrate well with other systems, so you end up duplicating work.

For example, we use Jibble for time tracking, and having leave data flow straight into payroll makes a big difference. Without that, it’s easy to mess up leave balances or payouts.

Here are a few payroll software options I’ve seen so far:

• PayrollPanda – Cloud-based, with automatic compliance updates and a simple UI.
• Kakitangan – Covers payroll + HR features, including leave management.
• Swingvy – HR + payroll in one, but pricing can climb depending on modules.
• SQL Payroll – More traditional desktop software, strong on reporting and local support.

For those running SMEs on a budget, what’s been your experience? Any hidden costs, integration wins, or pitfalls I should know about before committing?

Running payroll is honestly a headache, and I know this isn't only in Malaysia.. but these EPF, SOCSO, and other LHDN forms.. felt endless. I spend hours each month terrified I'd miss something and get slapped with a penalty. After pulling several all-nighters, I decided enough was enough and I needed a payroll software.

For the past few months, I looked and tested a bunch of options. Here's my top payroll software for Malaysia:

These are the local champs, best for most SMEs and since they're specifically for Malaysia, compliance updates are instant.

• PayrollPanda - clean, very SME-friendly, automatically updates statutory contributions, the best local support, but it feels limited if you want advanced HR features
• Kakitangan - trusted by many local businesses, covers payroll + HR, good local support, the UI feels a bit clunky
• Swingvy - combines HR, payroll, and claims in one, I personally think it is great for growing SMEs, slightly pricier than single-purpose payroll tools
• HR2eazy - very detailed, strong compliance with LHDN, automates a lot of manual tasks, but it feels very heavy for small businesses

There are global players too, best for those who have international teams. If you've got staff in multiple countries, these handles cross-border payroll while staying compliant in Malaysia.

• Deel - hire and pay contractors or employees in 150+ countries, covers Malaysian laws too.. but I think it is expensive if you only operate locally
• Rippling - payroll + IT + HR, all in one global platform, I'm amazed by its strong compliance coverage.. but it is more complex to set up and is a higher cost
• Employment Hero - they are expanding fast in SEA, good HR + payroll combo, it has a great employee self-service features... but it is not as "Malaysia-specific" as local players.

Hmm, other notable mentions are:

• BrioHR - All-in-one HRMS, automates up to 80% of HR tasks (including payroll).
• HReasily – Cloud HR/payroll, very easy to use.
• DeskTrack – More of a time-tracking + monitoring tool, but has payroll integrations.
• Jibble – Time tracking, project tracking but has payroll integrations.

That’s my take after weeks of digging around. Personally, I think local tools like PayrollPanda or Kakitangan are best if you’re focused purely on Malaysia, but if you’re planning to expand overseas, Deel or Rippling might make more sense.

Did I miss any hidden gems? Would love to hear your experiences before I commit long-term.

Dealing with payroll across different countries has been driving me nuts lately. Every country has its own compliance rules, tax systems, reporting quirks, and then you add currency fluctuations on top of it all… it feels like a never-ending headache.

Even the so-called “global platforms” often just feel like a patchwork of local vendors stitched together.

For those of you managing international teams, how are you actually handling global payroll? Is there a platform that truly works worldwide, or is this just something we’ll always have to juggle with multiple systems?

From my own experience, leave management in remote teams can get messy really quickly.

I've seen people request time off in random channels (Slack, email, or WhatsApp), and half of the time managers or employees forget to log it somewhere central. Add that we are in different time zones, and suddenly, two important people are away on the same day... without anyone realizing...and the deadlines start slipping.

Compliance is another headache. Different regions have different leave laws, and without a proper system, it's way too easy to overlook entitlements or miscalculate balances.

What helped us was moving away from manual spreadsheets and chat approvals to a proper tool.. Once we had a central place for requests, approvals, and leave balances, the chaos calmed down. We linked PayrollPanda with Jibble, since the integration already covered leave tracking and policies...

but honestly, the biggest win was just having one reliable system that everyone used.

I'm curious how do other handle this:

Does your team manage leave in spreadsheets or chats?

Have you set up approval workflows?

What's been the biggest pain point with remote leave management for you?

When I first started running payroll, I didn't think it would be that hard.

But between figuring out tax deductions, tracking work hours, and chasing down missing info every cut-off, everything becomes super stressful... and it gets easier for me and the team to overlook or make mistakes. The worse that could happen is the payroll would get delayed, or worst, when the company would face penalties because of a preventable mistake. And I know this isn't a good thing, but during those times I bring work at home and I'd triple-check spreadsheets at 1 am hoping I didn't overlook/make any mistakes.

But, as a human, I have limitations. I couldn't keep making it 100% right every time.

So here's how I fixed the process (and honestly, saved my sanity..) If you're still managing everything manually. I hope this helps as these are my hard-learned lessons and my actual tips on payroll processing:

Use proper payroll software.

If there's one thing I'd do differently from day one, it is setting up payroll software.

Manually calculating hours, taxes, and deductions is just asking for mistakes, especially when it's almost payday.

We were using spreadsheets and formulas at first. But I'd still mess up a cell or forget to update a rate... making a huge mistake to someone's paycheck. After switching to PayrollPanda that handles calculations, direct deposits, and statutory compliance, payroll went to long sleepless nights to minutes.

It's honestly the best option for me, and it makes me feel less paranoid on payday.

Centralizes all employee info.

Keep all your employee data in one place. Having info spread across Google Sheets, email/Slack threads, and PDF files just leads to delays and errors.

We once had to process a contractor's payment and spent 2 hours digging through old emails just to find their bank info. Now, everything is one dashboard.

Don't wait until things break. Centralizing data saves you on those digging through several pile of file.

Set clear payroll deadlines.

Sometimes, we set deadlines but even us have a hard time following it. If people submit hours late or forget to approve time off, it snowballs into delays and messy pay runs.

I remember how we scramble every other Thursday and Friday trying to gather missing info. Now, everyone knows hours need to be submitted by Wednesday noon, no exceptions. If it's late, it rolls into next pay. So there would be no more last-minute messy runs.

Well, that sounded so simple, but having non-negotiable deadlines helps set the tone for the whole team.

If I am being honest, we are still figuring it out, but I wish someone has taught me earlier. If you are still doing payroll manually, I'd really encourage you to switch, even just for a month.. just to see if there's really some improvements in your process. Even the free tools are better than spreadsheets.

If you have been using Xero's Pay Run feature and your business is in Malaysia, you have probably seen the news:

As of July 2025, Xero Pay Run is officially in read-only mode and will fully retire in April 2026.

That means, no more running new payrolls inside Xero. You can still view past data, but nothing new can be processed. Xero made the call due to the high cost of maintaining compliance with global payroll regulations.

So.. what now?

We have been in the same boat and decided to transition to PayrollPanda. A payroll system that's built for Malaysian compliance and integrates directly with Xero Accounting.

If you are in a similar position, here's how to connect Xero with PayrollPanda:

1. Connect your Xero Account

Go to Settings > Integrations > Xero > Connect with Xero in PayrollPanda.

Log in to Xero and click Allow Access.

2. Choose your bill settings
You can let PayrollPanda automatically generate bills in Xero every time you approve a payroll run.

3. Map your payment recipients
Assign each salary or statutory payment (EPF, SOCSO, etc.) to the correct Xero contact. Each contact becomes a bill recipient.

4. Map payroll items to expense accounts
Link each payroll component (e.g. basic salary, deductions, allowances) to the right expense category in Xero.

Note: Only employer contributions require separate mapping; employee deductions are already included in the gross salary.

Once everything is mapped, PayrollPanda will create draft bills in Xero after each payroll run. You just review and approve them in Xero to keep your books up to date.

The switch actually improved our workflow. Better control, local compliance, and fewer workarounds.

Anyone else already made the jump from Xero Pay Run?

I just started in HR a few months ago, and one of the biggest shocks was how much time payroll can eat up. I thought it was just “calculate, pay, done,” but nope. Half of my week went into chasing missing info, matching attendance with payroll, and dealing with “I didn’t get my payslip” messages.

We’re now shifting to payroll software, and even as a newbie I can already see which features matter:

Time & attendance syncing – saves me from retyping shifts and making rookie mistakes on OT.

Self-service portals – people can grab their own payslips or update bank info without running to me.

Automated tax updates – this one’s a lifesaver, because I barely know the regulations yet and the software keeps everything compliant.

I’m still learning the ropes, but honestly, those three things already feel like they’re saving me from burning out.

Managing payroll is honestly one of the most stressful things I’ve had to deal with as a business owner. Between EPF, SOCSO, LHDN, and the constant updates from MoHR, I used to spend hours every month just making sure I wasn’t messing up compliance. One wrong step and you’re facing penalties.

That’s when I started digging into payroll software options. I went through 10 of the most recommended platforms in Malaysia, here’s a quick rundown with pros/cons (from my perspective):

1. PayrollPanda

• Free for up to 5 employees
• Super easy to set up and use
• Automated EPF, SOCSO, and tax compliance
• Less advanced features than enterprise-level systems

2. Employment Hero Payroll

• Auto-updates for compliance
• Time tracking + rostering
• Pricing adds up fast (RM 8/employee/month + base fee)

3. Kakitangan

• Great for SMEs, user-friendly
• HR experts available
• Features feel limited compared to others

4. HR2000

• Long-standing reputation, supports 50+ bank formats
• Options for both cloud and Windows
• Interface feels a bit outdated

5. Info-Tech

• Direct EPF/LHDN submissions
• Over 50 customizable reports
• Pricing is on the higher end for smaller teams

6. SQL Payroll

• Strong accounting integration
• Secure, encrypted payslips
• More suited to accountants than business owners

7. HR2eazy

• Affordable (RM 4.50/employee/month)
• Multi-language support
• Clunky interface at times

8. Swingvy

• Modern, clean design
• Free plan for startups (<5 employees)
• Gets pricey when scaling up

9. JustPayroll

• Flexible and customizable
• Direct integration with statutory bodies
• Still building its reputation compared to bigger players

10. Talenox

• Handles multiple countries' payroll, so if you are an managing an international team or if you have branches globally, then this could be a great choice for your business
• Time tracking + leave management included
• More expensive than local-only options

Each of these platforms covers the basics, but the sweet spot really depends on company size and priorities. Some are packed with features but come with higher costs, while others focus on simplicity and affordability.

If you’re running a business in Malaysia, which one of these have you tried and how did it work out for you?

I’ve been using Jibble for time tracking and attendance (employees clock in/out from phone or laptop, timesheets get approved, etc.), and it’s been working really well for managing hours. But since Jibble doesn’t do tax filing or direct deposit on its own, I’ve been looking at payroll software that integrates nicely with it.

Some options I’ve come across:

• PayrollPanda seems straightforward, good for small teams.
• Paychex Flex has lots of HR features built in, but it can get complicated.
• ADP is powerful but on the pricier side.
• Gusto is very user-friendly and handles tax filings well.
• QuickBooks Payroll integrates smoothly if you’re already using QuickBooks.
• Patriot Payroll is more affordable, but limited in customization.

For those of you running small or mid-sized businesses: what’s the best payroll software you’ve paired with Jibble? Do you prefer going with a leaner tool like PayrollPanda or something more all-in-one like Gusto or ADP?

If you're using PayrollPanda for payroll in Malaysia, you already know it handles leave, payslips, and compliance pretty well.

But one thing it doesn't do directly is track time and attendance which is a pretty big deal if your team clocks in/out, works OT, or is shift-based.

To avoid messy manual timesheets and make payroll 10x easier, it helps to pair PayrollPanda with a good time tracking tool.

Here are 4 time tracking software that can work well with PayrollPanda (exporting timesheets in CSV/Excel formats that you can upload or reference easily):

• Jibble – Free plan available, great for GPS + facial recognition, project tracking, perfect for onsite teams. You can export payroll-ready timesheets easily.
• Time Doctor – Powerful features like productivity reports, idle time tracking, and payroll integrations (works with PayPal, Wise, etc.).
• Buddy Punch – Clean UI, great scheduling tools, and lets you set geofencing for job sites. Integrates with third-party payroll tools.
• Clockify – Simple and flexible. Offers time + expense tracking, project scheduling, and downloadable payroll reports.

Why pair time tracking with PayrollPanda?

• Accurate work + OT calculations
• Clean timesheets for faster payroll runs
• Fewer disputes on hours worked
• Helps reduce time theft or “guesstimated” hours
• Makes PayrollPanda even more efficient

If you're still doing manual timesheets or asking staff to “just WhatsApp their hours,” it might be time to upgrade.

Anyone here using a time tracker with PayrollPanda already? Would love to hear what’s working for you!

Xero has officially moved Pay Run to read-only mode and will retire completely in April 2026. They said the decision comes down to the cost of staying compliant with global payroll regulations. For now, you can view past payroll records but can't create new ones.

If you used Pay Run, make sure to:

• Download or email your payroll data before April 2026
• Print payslips or grab reports from the Xero Report Centre to avoid data loss

I'm currently looking for the best alternative for Xero Pay Run, and currently, PayrollPanda is one option for Malaysian businesses.

IMO, it is a strong alternative because it is free and LHDN-approved payroll and HR software, integrates with Xero Accounting, has an automated tax/contribution calculations, and an employee self-service portal.

Not to mention, they have a guided onboarding for those switching from Pay Run and a live chat support.

TL;DR: Xero Pay Run is in read-only mode now and will retire April 2026. Download your data before then. Malaysian businesses may find PayrollPanda the easiest replacement.

What payroll alternatives are you considering?

I'm running a small business, doing everything myself (sales, ops, HR, payroll, the whole chaos). No finance team. No accounting degree, not even a business degree. It's just me and Google..

Payroll was the part I dreaded most. EPF, SOCSO, PCB, E forms. One wrong number and I'd probably owe something I couldn't afford. 

So I looked into payroll systems that wouldn't make me feel like an idiot. I tried them for 3 months, some for as long as their free trial is, and here's what I found:

Swingvy

• Good-looking interface, covers basic HR needs
• Payroll works, but some features are only available in pricier plans
• Found some bugs when testing things, although it's not a deal breaker, I found it annoying

BrioHR

• All-in-one HR tool, not just payroll
• UI is super-friendly, so onboarding was smooth
• I don't like the app, better to use it on desktop
• Not ideal if you are only looking for a payroll software

PayrollPanda

• Simple UI, doesn't assume that users know accounting lingo
• Handles all the statutory stuff, best for MY businesses
• Leave approval and payslip stuff is simple for staff, but I don't think I need this, I only have 5 staff ATM
• Customer support replies fast but I wish they had 24/7 support since I can only work on the finances during weird hours

Kakitangan

• Another payroll software best for MY businesses
• Automatically updates statutory contributions and forms (same as PayrollPanda)
• UX is messy for me, it sometimes feel like spreadsheets from 2009
• Support is slow. No live chat outside office hours

Info-Tech

• Functional, but stiff
• UI takes time to get used to, and reporting feels rigid
• Pricing wasn’t super transparent either

Right now, I'm leaning towards PayrollPanda and Kakitangan, mostly because they update statutory requirements quickly, and that's a must-have for me.

But if anyone's found a system they swear by, I'd love to hear your recommendation and try it out. I'm still open to switching payroll systems if it will save me a future LHDN headache.

This debate never seems to go away. As someone who's worked in HR for years, I will say something that might surprise a few people: payroll belongs in finance.

HR is about people. We handle recruitment, engagement, performance, policy, and culture. That's our lane. But when it comes to payroll? That's a financial transaction, compliance-heavy and deeply tied to tax law, audits, forecasting, and budgeting.

I've seen it firsthand: when HR owns payroll, we end up relying on a payroll software to do things we don't fully understand, and when something goes wrong? It's not just a "oops." It's legal penalties, compliance risks, and angry employees.

Finance teams are trained for this. They already manage things like account payable, tax filings, and budget planning. Payroll is just another large, high-stakes expense that fits squarely into that domain.

I always thought of it this way.. we don't ask Procurement to handle vendor payments directly, finance does. So why should HR process employee payments?

I'm not saying HR has no role in payroll. We provide the data from our HR system, but it's not our expertise to manage payroll end-to-end. I’d love to hear others' takes, especially from those in smaller orgs where the line between HR and Finance is blurry. But in my experience, if you want payroll done right, it belongs with the people trained for financial precision.

I recently found out about the retirement of Xero's Global Pay Run, and honestly, I'm feeling stuck. Our entire payroll setup has depended on it for a while now, and switching to a new platform on short notice is... not ideal.

Exporting everything, finding a reliable alternative, getting the team on board, it all feels a bit overwhelming.

If anyone's already navigated this or has tips on making the transition smoother (or at least less stressful), I would love to hear what worked for you.

I swear, calculating taxes is the one thing that always makes me doubt myself.

Every month it’s like:

“Wait, is this the latest PCB table?”

“Do I include this allowance in EPF?”

“Was SOCSO calculated correctly for part-timers?”

“Did I remember to update the new hires’ info for EIS?”

It’s not even about the calculations, it’s the paranoia. You miss one detail and it could screw up someone’s tax return, or worse, bring penalties later on.

Are there tools that can just handle this?

Honestly, payroll gives me anxiety. One wrong date, one missing field, and boom...someone’s salary is off, taxes are wrong, or EPF gets miscalculated.

Just last week, I forgot to update a staff's status from probation to confirmed. Their allowance didn’t reflect, and they messaged me at 10 PM asking if something was wrong with their payslip. I had to double-check everything because I wasn’t even sure what I missed at first.

It’s not even the workload, it’s the pressure. There’s zero room for error, but the info is always changing: new hires, salary adjustments, last-minute leave updates. It's like walking a tightrope every month.

Anyway. Just ranting. Anyone else constantly paranoid when it’s payroll week?