Week 53 payments and tax calculations

Usually, tax years contain 52 weeks, which means weekly paid staff will receive 52 pay periods across the tax year.  

However, some years are made by 53 weeks. Week 53 is an odd anomaly in payroll that affects weekly, bi-weekly and fortnightly staff in certain years. It can lead to temporary PAYE tax underpayment, which HMRC adjust later.

Here in payroll, our aim is to help you keep your staff happy. And addressing queries plays a vital part in our endeavour.  

That is why we prepared a detailed guide on handling week 53 queries efficiently with your staff. 

Download our extensive guide

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