Payroll records

Published Wednesday 30 September 2026

Table of contents

• What are payroll records?
• What should payroll records include?
• Example of a payroll record
• Why do you need to keep payroll records?
• How long to keep payroll records
• Where to store payroll records
• Common payroll record mistakes to avoid
• Best practices for managing payroll records
• Keep your payroll records organised with Xero
• FAQs on payroll records
• Related terms
• Learn more about payroll records

Key takeaways

• Payroll records are the employee and salary details that show you’ve paid staff correctly and met your Singapore employer obligations
• Under the Employment Act, you keep employee records and salary records, including a copy of every itemised payslip you issue
• MOM’s minimum is the latest two years of records, but keeping them for five years also covers IRAS record-keeping rules
• Accurate records make CPF and year-end income filings easier, and cloud software with a connected payroll app keeps them in one place

What are payroll records?

Payroll records are the documents that show who you employ and how you worked out each payment. They cover employee details, payslips, working hours, leave, Central Provident Fund (CPF) contributions and income reports.

Think of them as the receipt book for every pay run. When the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) asks how you reached a figure, the answer’s already on file.

If you run online payroll, most of these records build up automatically each time you pay your team.

What should payroll records include?

Payroll records should include employee and salary records for each Employment Act staff member, plus the documents behind your CPF and tax filings.

Employee records

Employee records show who each person is and when they work. Since 1 April 2016, MOM’s employment records rules have required you to keep each employee’s:

• address
• National Registration Identity Card (NRIC) number, or work pass number and expiry date for non-citizens
• date of birth and gender
• start date and, when they leave, last day of employment
• working hours, including meal and tea breaks
• public holidays and leave taken, with dates and details

Collect these details when you hire employees, so each new starter’s file is complete from their first day.

Salary records

Salary records track what you pay and deduct each period. Under MOM’s itemised payslip rules, you keep a record of every payslip you issue, and each payslip needs to show:

• the full names of the employer and employee
• the date of payment, and the start and end dates of the salary period
• the basic salary, or the basic rate and total hours, days or pieces worked
• fixed and ad hoc allowances
• other additional payments, such as bonuses, rest day pay and public holiday pay
• fixed and ad hoc deductions, such as employee CPF contributions or no-pay leave
• overtime hours and pay, plus the overtime period if it differs
• the net salary paid

Other documents to keep

A few more documents support your CPF submissions and year-end reporting to the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS). Your payroll file should also hold:

• each employee’s Key Employment Terms (KETs)
• monthly CPF contribution submissions and payment confirmations
• Form IR8A and any related appendices for each employee’s yearly income
• Form IR21 tax clearance filings for departing non-citizen employees
• leave applications and approvals

If you have five or more employees, IRAS requires you to register for the Auto-Inclusion Scheme (AIS) for employment income. When a non-citizen employee stops working for you, IR21 tax clearance means telling IRAS at least a month ahead and withholding all money due to them.

Example of a payroll record

A monthly payroll record combines a payslip with the hours and leave behind it. This illustrative entry is for a fictional monthly-paid employee, and the figures don’t reflect actual CPF rates.

• Employer: Harbour Lane Café Pte Ltd
• Employee: Tan Mei Ling
• Salary period: 1 to 30 September 2026
• Date of payment: 30 September 2026
• Working hours: 9 am to 6 pm, Monday to Friday, with a 1-hour lunch break
• Basic salary: S$3,200
• Fixed allowance: S$200 for transport
• Overtime hours: 6
• Overtime pay: S$150
• Deductions: S$700 employee CPF contribution
• Net salary paid: S$2,850
• Leave taken: 1 day of annual leave on 11 September 2026

The net figure is the basic salary, allowance and overtime pay (S$3,550) minus the CPF deduction (S$700).

Why do you need to keep payroll records?

You need payroll records to prove you’ve met your employer duties and to plan with accurate cost data. They also protect you and your staff when pay questions come up.

Employment Act compliance

The Employment Act makes record keeping part of paying staff. MOM’s payslip rules require an itemised payslip with each salary payment, or within three working days of it. Complete records let you show MOM what each employee earned and worked.

CPF and tax compliance

Your salary records feed the CPF contributions you pay each month and the employment income you report to IRAS each year. Missed filings have real consequences for staff too. According to IRAS, over 12,000 employers missed the Auto-Inclusion Scheme deadline in 2025, causing inaccurate or delayed tax assessments for over 160,000 employees.

Business planning and budgeting

Pay records show what your team costs each month, including overtime and employer CPF. When you record accounting transactions for each pay run, you can compare staff costs against revenue and plan hiring with confidence.

For example, if overtime climbs every December, you can budget for it or bring in temporary help earlier.

Resolving salary disputes

If an employee raises a salary claim, your records support your position. Payslip copies and time records show what you paid and why, which can settle a question before it becomes a formal claim.

Employee requests

Staff often need proof of income or employment. Your records let you quickly confirm salary and service length for a bank loan or Housing and Development Board (HDB) flat.

How long to keep payroll records

Under MOM’s rules, you keep current employees’ latest two years of records. For ex-employees, you keep their last two years for one year after they leave. IRAS record-keeping rules ask companies to keep business records for at least five years from the relevant Year of Assessment (YA).

Payroll costs are part of those business records, so keeping everything for five years covers both authorities.

Under the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA), stop keeping personal data once it’s served its purpose and isn’t needed for legal or business reasons. Set a review date for each file, then securely delete or shred records when the five years are up.

Where to store payroll records

You can store payroll records in the cloud or on paper. Either way, keep them complete and secure.

Cloud-based digital storage

Cloud storage keeps payroll records in one place you can reach from anywhere, and payroll apps file each payslip automatically. IRAS confirms you can keep records electronically without prior approval, as long as you meet its record-keeping requirements.

Paper records

Paper records can work for businesses with a few staff. Store them in a locked cabinet, sorted by employee and year, and scan key documents as a backup.

Security considerations

Payroll records hold sensitive details such as NRIC or Foreign Identification Number (FIN) numbers and bank account details. The PDPA expects you to make reasonable security arrangements to prevent unauthorised access or disclosure.

Limit access to the people who run payroll and turn on multi-factor authentication. Check how any provider handles cloud security and data backups.

Common payroll record mistakes to avoid

A simple monthly routine prevents most record-keeping slips. Watch out for:

• issuing payslips late or leaving out required items, such as overtime hours or deductions
• paying CPF contributions late, which adds late payment interest to what you owe
• skipping working hours or leave records, which MOM expects you to keep
• forgetting Form IR21 when a non-citizen employee resigns
• missing the AIS deadline, which can lead to a fine of up to S$5,000
• throwing records away before the five-year mark

Best practices for managing payroll records

Good record keeping is a monthly habit you set up once and repeat. To keep your records ready for any request:

• use one system for payslips and employee details
• set reminders for each monthly CPF payment and the yearly AIS deadline
• reconcile payroll totals with your bank statements after each pay run
• review who can access payroll files every quarter
• agree who keeps which records if you outsource payroll
• back up digital records and test that you can restore them

Keep your payroll records organised with Xero

Well-kept payroll records save you time at every pay run and make your CPF and IRAS filings simpler. Xero connects with Singapore payroll apps such as Talenox, HReasily and SimplePay, so your pay run data flows straight into your accounts.

Your payroll costs then sit alongside bank feeds and reports, and your accountant can work on the same figures in real time. Try Xero today and get one month free.

FAQs on payroll records

Here are quick answers to common questions about payroll records in Singapore.

What is meant by payroll records?

In Singapore, the term usually means the employee and salary records MOM expects under the Employment Act, plus your CPF and IRAS filings.

What is a payroll document?

A payroll document is any single item within your payroll records, such as a payslip or a CPF submission. Each one is evidence for a specific payment or filing.

What payroll reports do Singapore employers file?

The main ones are monthly CPF contribution submissions and yearly employment income reports to IRAS, such as Form IR8A. You’ll also file Form IR21 when a non-citizen employee leaves.

What happens if CPF contributions are paid late?

CPF Board charges late payment interest of 1.5% a month from the day after the due date, with a minimum of S$5. If you haven’t paid by day 14 of the following month, it can take enforcement action, including composition amounts of up to S$1,000 per offence.

How long do you keep payroll records for employees who have left?

MOM requires you to keep a former employee’s last two years of records for one year after they leave. Their salary costs also sit in your business records, so it’s simplest to keep everything for the full five years IRAS expects.

Can payroll records be stored electronically?

Yes. MOM accepts payslips in soft or hard copy, including handwritten ones, so digital payslips and timesheets both count.

What happens if you lose payroll records?

Rebuild what you can from bank statements and CPF submission history, and note any gaps. Your accountant can help fill them before MOM or IRAS asks.

Related terms

• Payroll
• Payslip
• General ledger
• Accounts payable
• Accrual accounting

Learn more about payroll records

• Free payslip template
• What is cloud computing?
• How to do bookkeeping
• Small business accounting 101
• Financial statement guide