[GNC] Payroll add-on, module, software?

[DaveC49]

John

I had considered writing a payroll plugin a few years ago but found that
finding my way around the Gnucash code made it difficult so I have great
respect for the business features that Derek has created so far. I started
to think more in terms of a separate payroll program which maintained its
own user interface and database and exported the necessary accounting
information to GnuCash via something like OFX importing. I have looked at a
variety of open source and purportedly free offerings most of which are very
jurisdiction specific and satisfy local compliance requirements. Many offer
a free version for a small number of employees and then scale into plans for
more employees. I have not found any which mention exporting or integration
of accounting information except where part of an ERP system (rarely free). 

As Derek has indicated the software can be complex because there is both a
dependence upon the taxation law requirements as well as industrial law
requirements and the framework for both varies considerably across many
jurisdictions. Tthere is also a high annual maintenance load to satisfy
compliance issues in both areas. As a business owner 15 years ago I was
happy to pay for software which handled the taxation compliance even though
industrial relations compliance was not handled at that time. We have a
fairly complex array of federal and state awards negotiated with the unions
and ratified by state and federal industial relations tribunals/courts along
with individual enterprise bargaining agreements with larger companies and
individual employment contracts for salaried staff as well as a compulsory
superannuation system paid by the employer and a withholding system for
employee tax contributions. I would imagine the situation is not too
different in most countries.  The need to store employee specific
information like tax file numbers, address and contact details also
introduces compliance issues re privacy although that is more OS and network
security related.

David Cousens



-----
David Cousens
--
Sent from: http://gnucash.1415818.n4.nabble.com/GnuCash-User-f1415819.html