Opera 3 Release 2.96.00

Version

 2.96.00

Released

 Feb 24

Summary

This release of Opera 3 is the payroll upgrade for the 2023/24 tax year end and includes the required legislative changes for the 2024/25 tax year.

Investment Zone NIC Letter changes

From 6 April 2024, Employer National Insurance Contributions (NICs) is to be included in the wider Investment Zone initiative and a reduction in the rate of employer NIC’s will be available for all Investment Zone tax site-based businesses. This change in rate would see all employers based within and employing people working within the Investment Zone geographic area, apply a zero-secondary rate of employer NICs for such employees’ earnings above the secondary threshold up to and including an upper secondary threshold equivalent to the Freeport upper secondary threshold, where the conditions to claim the relief are met. The balance of earnings above this upper secondary threshold will be charged at 13.8%.

Four new Investment Zone NIC category letters will be available:

•  N - (standard category letter - A)

•  E - (married women and widows entitled to pay reduced NICs - B)

•  K - (employees over the state pension age - C)

•  D - (employees who can defer paying 12% NICs and pay only 2% because they are already paying it in another job - J).

Statutory Paternity Pay changes

From 2024/25, the rules on Statutory Paternity Pay (SSP) are changing to make it easier for fathers to take Paternity Leave. Changes to the existing Paternity Pay and Leave (PPL) entitlement will introduce greater flexibility for fathers, moving to a more equal system of parental leave and pay to promote gender equality.

Real Time Information (RTI)

The usual ‘year on year’ uplifts to support a new tax year.

• The additional NI codes applicable to the Investment Zone legislation will be allowable in 2024/25 but not within the remaining periods of 2023/24.

•  The BACS payment hash tag is to be removed.

•  The validation on a SMP payment having to be paid to a female employee has been removed from 2024/25.

Pegasus Help Centre

Details of this release of Opera 3 and earlier releases are described on the ‘Latest Updates’ page of the Pegasus Help Centre. Please visit docs.pegasus.co.uk.