Organisation Setup Overview

The Organisation Setup API provides essential configuration endpoints for establishing and managing your payroll organisation within Flow Payroll. These endpoints must be configured before processing payroll or making payments.

Key Features

Organisation Configuration: Core organisation details and settings
HMRC Integration: Configure HMRC credentials and tax settings
Payment Methods: Set up bank accounts and payment configurations
Payroll Settings: Define pay schedules, tax years, and payroll rules
Pay Elements: Configure custom pay elements, deductions, and allowances
Pension Management: Set up pension schemes and provider integrations
Balance Tracking: Monitor organisation-level financial balances
Holiday Configuration: Manage holiday settings and entitlements

API Structure

Organisation

Core organisation configuration and management:

General Configuration:

Get and update organisation information
Manage organisation details and settings
Retrieve multiple organisation information

HMRC Settings:

Configure HMRC credentials for RTI submissions
Manage tax office details
Set up PAYE and employer references

Balances:

Track organisation-level financial balances
Monitor tax and NI liabilities
View statutory payment balances

Payroll Configuration

Define how payroll operates:

Configure pay schedules and frequencies
Set up tax year settings
Define payroll processing rules
Manage payroll calendars

Pay Elements

Create and manage custom pay components:

Set up allowances (bonuses, commissions, etc.)
Configure deductions (loans, garnishments, etc.)
Define earning types
Manage tax treatment for custom elements

Payment

Configure payment methods and generate payment files:

Create and manage payment configurations
Set up bank account details
Generate payment files for pay runs (BACS, Faster Payments, etc.)
List available payment configurations
Update and delete payment configs

Pension

Complete pension scheme management:

Register pension providers
Create and manage pension groups
Configure auto-enrolment settings
Generate pension contribution files
Retrieve pension provider details
Track pension assessments and contributions

Payroll

Manage payroll runs and schedules:

Create and configure payroll schedules
Process payroll runs
Track payroll history
Manage payroll periods

Holiday

Configure holiday settings and entitlements:

Set up holiday year Settings
Define holiday entitlements and accruals

Getting Started

Initial Setup Sequence

Organisation Details
- Configure basic organisation information
- Set up HMRC credentials and tax references
- Verify organisation settings
Payment Configuration
- Add bank account details
- Create payment configurations
- Test payment file generation
Payroll Settings
- Define pay schedules (weekly, monthly, etc.)
- Configure tax year settings
- Set up payroll rules
Pay Elements (if needed)
- Create custom allowances
- Define special deductions
- Configure tax treatment
Pension Schemes (if applicable)
- Register pension providers
- Create pension groups
- Configure auto-enrolment thresholds
Holiday Settings (if applicable)
- Set up holiday year parameters
- Define entitlements and accrual rules

Common Workflows

Setting Up a New Organisation

Create/update organisation information via General Config endpoints
Configure HMRC settings with your PAYE reference
Add payment configuration for employee payments
Create payroll schedule
Set up pension schemes if required
Add custom pay elements if needed

Configuring Payment Methods

Create payment configuration with bank details
Link configuration to payroll schedules
Test by generating a payment file for a pay run
Update configuration as needed

Managing Pension Schemes

Register pension provider details
Create pension groups for different employee categories
Configure auto-enrolment settings
Generate pension export files after each pay run
Monitor pension calculations and contributions

Processing Period End

Review organisation balances
Generate payment files
Create pension export files
Verify all configurations are current

Best Practices

Initial Configuration: Complete full organisation setup before processing first payroll
HMRC Credentials: Keep HMRC credentials secure and up-to-date
Payment Testing: Verify payment configurations with test runs before live processing
Pension Compliance: Ensure auto-enrolment settings comply with current regulations
Regular Review: Periodically review and update configurations
Backup Settings: Document critical configuration details
Balance Monitoring: Regularly check organisation balances for accuracy
Version Control: Track changes to pay elements and configurations

Configuration Dependencies

Be aware of configuration dependencies:

Payment configurations required before generating payment files
HMRC settings needed before RTI submissions
Pension groups required before processing pension contributions
Pay elements must be defined before assigning to employees

Support

For specific endpoint details, refer to the individual endpoint documentation. For general configuration assistance, see the Getting Started guide.