Our partner, Pegasus Software, have announced the latest Payroll Upgrade for Opera 3, applicable to all variants. This upgrade is designed for the completion of the 24/25 tax year and the upcoming payroll year. The key enhancements include:
Statutory Neonatal Care Pay/Leave (SNCP)
This feature is designed for parents whose newborns require neonatal care within the first 28 days. SNCP provides up to 12 weeks of paid leave, which can be claimed flexibly. It complements existing statutory entitlements such as maternity and paternity leave, offering extended support during this critical period.
FPS and EPS Changes
EPS:
- Starting from the 2025/26 tax year, HMRC advises that the “State aid rules don’t apply” checkbox should be ticked. The software will default to this checkbox being ticked if the “Starting to claim or already claiming for 2025/26” button is selected.
FPS:
- Employee Workplace Code for employees with a NI code associated with a Freeport or an Investment Zone.
- Value of Statutory Neonatal Care Pay (SNCP) to date.
- Flexible drawdown pension types.
- Pension commencement excess lump sum indicator and associated values will be included in the file from 2025/26 if included in an employee’s pay for the period.
- Standalone lump sum indicator and associated values will be included in the file from 2025/26 if included in an employee’s pay for the period.
Prior Year FPS Changes
From the 2025/26 tax year, Prior Year FPS submissions can include amendments to NI codes or values for employees taking National Insurance relief from employment within an Investment Zone.
Lifetime Allowance (LTA)
Two additional checkboxes for pension drawdown types will be introduced in Payroll Processing:
- Pension Commencement Excess Lump Sum.
- Stand Alone Lump Sum. Payments for these additional pension types will be processed similarly to a Serious Ill Health Lump Sum.
Please note that a new activation key will be required after upgrading to this release.
Scottish Arrestment Changes
To accommodate changes in the calculation of Arrestment Orders, a utility will be released in preparation for the changes effective from April 6, 2025. These changes will be included in the next update of Opera 3 (all variants).
The software is available on the Customer Portal under the following KB articles:
- Pegasus Opera 3 SQL SE – Release 2.99.00 – KB3566339
- Pegasus Opera 3 – Release 2.99.00 – KB3566337
- Pegasus Opera 3 SQL – Release 2.99.00 – KB3566338
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