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Payroll and HR software comparison for Indian MSMEs: software types and pricing models, EPF ₹25,000 ceiling, ESI, TDS Form 130/138, labour codes, 3-year TCO and checklists.
Payroll Software Costs, Features and 2026 Rules
- EPF in payroll software after the ₹25,000 wage ceiling: contributions, ECR and what to test
How payroll software must calculate EPF in 2026: 12% contributions, the ₹25,000 ceiling from 17 Sep 2026, code wages, voluntary PF, the split September ECR and tests.
- ESI, professional tax and labour welfare fund in payroll software: rates, limits and multi-state rules
How payroll software should handle ESI at 0.75% and 3.25% up to ₹21,000, contribution periods, state professional tax and labour welfare fund, with worked examples.
- Labour codes and payroll in 2026: wage definition, settlements, overtime, bonus and what your software must change
The four labour codes in force since 21 Nov 2025 and the May 2026 central rules, explained for payroll: 50% wage rule, 2-day settlement, overtime, bonus, gratuity, registers.
- Payroll and HR software comparison in India: types, pricing models and the 2026 rules to check
Compare payroll and HR software types for Indian MSMEs by statutory depth, pricing model and 3-year cost, with the labour code, EPF, ESI and TDS rules for 2026.
- Payroll software billing: annual vs monthly plans, renewal uplifts, GST and TDS on the invoice
How annual and monthly billing, renewal uplifts, headcount true-ups, 18% GST and TDS affect what an Indian business really pays for payroll and HR software.
- Payroll software pricing models: per employee per month, base fees, modules and slabs explained
How payroll and HR software is priced in India, from per-employee-per-month and base fees to module bundles, headcount slabs and minimums, with illustrative sums.
- Statutory registers, wage slips and employee self-service: what payroll software must produce under the labour codes
Which registers, wage slips, appointment letters and records Indian payroll software should generate in 2026, how long to keep them, and what good employee self-service includes.
- TDS on salary under the Income-tax Act, 2025: section 392, new regime default and Forms 124, 130 and 138
What payroll software must do for salary TDS from tax year 2026-27: section 392, new vs old regime, Form 124 claims, Form 138 quarterly returns and Form 130 certificates.
Cost Examples, TCO and Selection Checklists
- How to choose payroll and HR software: a best-fit method and checklist for Indian MSMEs
A seven-step best-fit method for choosing payroll and HR software in India, with weighted criteria, five test employees, cost comparison and a checklist.
- Gratuity, bonus and leave encashment in payroll software: 2026 rules and worked calculations
How payroll software should calculate gratuity (including fixed-term staff after one year), statutory bonus at ₹21,000 eligibility and leave encashment, with worked rupee examples.
- Payroll software cost per employee in India: illustrative ranges by type and headcount
What payroll and HR software costs per employee per month in India by solution type and company size, with illustrative ranges, effective-rate sums and hidden lines.
- Payroll software for a factory with shift and daily-rated workers: a worked example
A worked example for a 110-worker Indian factory: shifts, biometric attendance, overtime at twice the rate, ESI, PF, contract labour checks and illustrative software costs.
- Multi-state payroll for a 45-person services firm: professional tax, LWF, TDS and costs worked through
A worked example of payroll software for an Indian services firm with staff in four states: PT and LWF by location, TDS under both regimes, EPF and an illustrative cost comparison.
- Payroll outsourcing vs payroll software vs spreadsheets: which fits an Indian MSME?
Compare an outsourced payroll bureau, payroll software run in-house and spreadsheets with a CA on cost, control, risk and fit, with a 3-year illustrative sum for 40 employees.
- Payroll software 3-year total cost of ownership: a worked example for an 80-employee business
A line-by-line 3-year TCO for payroll and HR software in India, with growing headcount, renewal uplift, modules, one-time costs, staff time and GST, compared with outsourcing.
- Payback on switching payroll: from spreadsheets or a bureau to software, worked honestly
How to calculate payback when moving from manual or outsourced payroll to software in India: one-time costs, net yearly saving, two worked examples and what not to count.
Failure Patterns, Migration and Official Sources
- Official sources for payroll compliance in India: where to check labour codes, EPF, ESI, PT and TDS rules
The official portals Indian employers and payroll teams should check in 2026 for labour codes, EPF, ESI, professional tax, LWF, salary TDS, GST and data protection rules.
- Employee payroll data under the DPDP Act and Rules 2025: what employers and payroll vendors must do
How the DPDP Act 2023 and DPDP Rules 2025 apply to payroll and HR data in India: employment as legitimate use, vendor as processor, safeguards, breach notice and the 2027 timeline.
- Payroll integrations in India: Tally and accounting journals, bank salary files and biometric attendance
How payroll software should connect with TallyPrime or other accounting systems, banks for salary payouts and biometric attendance devices, what to test and what it costs.
- Switching payroll software mid-year: migration plan, year-to-date data and the parallel run
How to move payroll to new software in India without breaking TDS, PF or ESI: timing, the data to migrate, year-to-date balances, a parallel run and reconciliation steps.
- Payroll software contract terms: statutory update SLAs, error responsibility, auto-renewal and data exit
The contract clauses Indian businesses should negotiate for payroll and HR software or outsourcing: update commitments, support in payroll week, errors, uplifts, data and exit.
- Why payroll software projects fail in Indian MSMEs, and how to avoid the usual patterns
Common failure patterns when Indian small businesses adopt payroll and HR software: bad masters, attendance gaps, labour code wage errors, mid-year TDS breaks, bank file mistakes.