Definition
A Full Payment Submission (FPS) is the Real Time Information report an employer sends HMRC on or before each payday. It lists everyone paid in that pay run, including directors, with their pay, Income Tax, National Insurance and other deductions, plus year-to-date totals. HMRC uses FPS data to work out what the employer owes under PAYE for the tax month.
What an FPS contains
Every FPS carries the employer PAYE reference and Accounts Office reference. For each person paid it includes identity details such as National Insurance number and date of birth, taxable pay, tax deducted, National Insurance category letter and contributions, and student loan and pension deductions.
Deadlines and penalties
- The FPS is due on or before payday, not at the end of the month.
- The final FPS goes on or before the last payday of the tax year, which ends on 5 April.
- A late FPS can lead to a monthly penalty of £100 to £400, depending on the number of employees. HMRC does not charge for the first failure in a tax year, or where payments are reported within 3 days of payday, although regular late filers can still be penalised.
Months with no payments are reported on an Employer Payment Summary instead. SmartFiling’s guide explains how FPS reporting works, and its payroll service sends RTI submissions for employers.
Related questions
- What is RTI and when do I send an FPS? RTI is HMRC's payroll reporting system, and an FPS goes on or before every payday.
- What if I pay someone before my PAYE reference arrives? HMRC's guidance is to run payroll, store the FPS and send it late once the reference arrives.
