Pitman Training

Sage 50 Payroll

Course Outline

Sage 50 Payroll has been created to bring your payroll skills up to date, making use of the latest technologies. Sage is the most commonly used accounting system, integrated into many businesses globally. It’s crucial to be able to work with this system in today’s technology driven world. A really practical step by step course, Sage Payroll takes people with a prior knowledge of payroll principles to the next level, so you can benefit from automated systems and logging all details within a centralised system.


The aim of this course is to enable you to make use of Sage 50 Payroll to do everything you currently do manually, plus much more. It also helps you record the regulatory data in an organised manner, to ensure you’re working to best practice, and have data immediately at your fingertips should you need it. 

This course brings you the skills you need to use this popular payroll program to confidently process any businesses payroll. Being able to use Sage 50 Payroll should lead to greater productivity, but it also helps the business conform to employment legislation and data security requirements.

Broken down into practical modules this course is a very popular and well received introduction to moving from manual payroll to computerised payroll, and it incorporates all the new government requirements for RTI reporting. 

This practical course is great for anyone working in book-keeping and accounts. It’s designed for people who have an understanding of manual payroll systems and a knowledge of payroll principles and statutory requirements such as PAYE, National Insurance, Statutory Maternity Pay and Sick Pay.  Some experience of working with computers is required.

Sage 50 Payroll walks you through best practice methods of carrying out Payroll processes and HMRC reporting and payments.

With Sage 50 Payroll you’ll cover:-

  • Setting up Details on Sage – An introduction to  the Computerised Payroll system shows you how to set up new company details on Sage, how to set up employee records and manage company settings. It also covers setting up Pay Elements, Pay Deductions and Company Loans.
  • Adding in specific schemes – Sage is intended to be as bespoke as possible to each businesses needs. You’ll see how to add Company Pension Schemes and set up Holiday schemes relevant to the specific business you’re working for.
  • Understanding the Payroll Cycle – A quick look at the payroll cycle covers the basics of all elements involved and the considerations to be made each month. This also looks at Processing the Payroll for weekly and monthly paid employees.
  • Real Time Information (RTI) processes  – Understand the commitments of RTI for employee PAYE and ensure you are working to the government guidelines.
  • Entering Payments – A practical walk through of how to enter payments so they are accurately logged, and easily found on the system.
  • Dealing with Statutory pay – The course covers the requirements of Statutory Sick Pay (SSP); Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) and Statutory Paternity Pay (SPP) to ensure you’re working to legislation.
  • Reports & Backups – Pre and Post Update reports and backups.
  • E-submissions – See how to submit accounting information and make payments online.
  • Voluntary deductions & Student Loans – See how to log these and how to incorporate voluntary deductions and student loan payments into payroll systems.
  • Processing Starters and Leavers – The basics of adding and removing people from the system, looking at the documentation required when people join and leave the business.
  • Payments due to HMRC – This covers a number of different payments a business is required to make to HMRC, looking at the requirements, process and legalities of fulfilling this.
  • Calculating the Cost of Wages – see how Sage Payroll can help you calculate the cost of wages through its automated systems.

This course is an in depth look into the world of Sage 50 Payroll. It’s estimated to take up to 30 hours, but it’s broken down into modules so you can take it at your own pace. This course also comes with an accompanying workbook, to act as an added reference resource after you’ve completed the course.


The best way to make sure your training programme suits you, your skills, your ambitions and your busy schedule, is to get in touch with us for a free, friendly expert career consultation.