In this guide · 7 sections
Short answer
Pick payroll software that calculates CPF, issues MOM-compliant itemised payslips and can submit IR8A data to IRAS under AIS directly. Local cloud tools such as Talenox list from about S$4.36 per employee per month on annual billing (October 2026), with a minimum for the first five employees.
What Singapore payroll software must handle
Before comparing brands, check the software covers the legal basics. These come from CPF Board, IRAS and MOM, not from the vendors.
| Requirement | What the rule says | What the software should do |
|---|---|---|
| CPF contributions | Due on the last day of the month; enforcement and 1.5% monthly late interest if unpaid by the 14th of the next month | Calculate employer and employee shares by age and wage, and prepare the monthly CPF submission |
| IR8A under AIS | Employers with 5 or more employees (or notified by IRAS) submit income records electronically by 1 March | Submit directly to IRAS through the AIS API, or export the correct file |
| Itemised payslips | Issue with payment, or within three working days; soft copy is fine | Generate payslips with all required items and email or publish them to staff |
| Payslip and employment records | Keep the latest two years; for ex-employees, keep for one year after they leave | Store payslips and records you can export |
| Leave | Employment Act leave entitlements apply to covered employees | Track leave balances and feed no-pay leave into payroll |
Sources: CPF Board on making contributions, IRAS Auto-Inclusion Scheme-for-employment-income) and IRAS on submitting records-for-employment-income/submit-employment-income-records), MOM itemised payslips.
Payroll software prices in Singapore
Prices below are from each vendor's Singapore pricing page, approximate, as of October 2026. Both charge per employee with a minimum, and both offer cheaper annual billing.
| Plan | Price per employee/month | Minimum | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Talenox Payroll | S$4.36 (full-time), S$2.18 (part-time) | S$21.80/month (first 5) | Annual pricing, GST included |
| Talenox Suite (payroll, leave, claims) | S$7.63 (full-time), S$3.82 (part-time) | S$38.15/month (first 5) | Annual pricing, GST included |
| Swingvy with Payroll | S$4.25 billed annually, S$5.00 billed monthly | Starts with 5 users | Plus a one-time account setup fee |
Sources: Talenox Singapore pricing and Swingvy Singapore pricing. Many other local payroll tools exist; some are sold through accountants or as part of an HR suite. IRAS points employers to its #SFFS Solution Partners listing for payroll vendors that support AIS submission.
- 8 full-time staff on Talenox Payroll8 x S$4.36, annual pricingS$34.88/month
- Same team on Talenox SuiteAdds leave and claimsS$61.04/month
- Xero connectionPay run posts a journal to XeroIncluded
Estimated totalAbout S$420 to S$730 a year
Approximate, from published October 2026 prices, GST included. Check whether the vendor charges setup fees.
Xero and QuickBooks integration
Xero's Singapore site says to start with Xero's accounting features and connect a third-party payroll app; it lists apps such as HReasily in its Singapore payroll page. The usual set-up:
- Each pay run posts a summary journal to Xero: gross salaries, employer CPF, SDL, deductions and net pay owed.
- Map each payroll item to the right account in your chart of accounts once, during setup.
- Many payroll tools can produce a bank payment file for salaries; reconcile the bank line against the journal in Xero.
- Employee claims, if you use the claims module, can post as bills in Xero.
Talenox and Swingvy both advertise Xero integrations on their sites. If you are still choosing an accounting package, see our Xero vs QuickBooks comparison, and check that your payroll app supports the one you pick.
Protecting employee data in payroll
Payroll holds NRIC numbers, bank accounts, salaries and sometimes medical leave details. A leak is a PDPA breach and a serious trust problem with staff.
Payroll security checklist
Payroll is one of the places where collecting full NRIC numbers is justified, because IRAS and CPF require them. Our guide to NRIC collection rules under the PDPA explains where else you may and may not collect them. For the login side, follow our MFA set-up guide.
How to choose and switch payroll software
Moving payroll is safest at the start of a calendar year, because IR8A data covers January to December. Mid-year moves work too, but you must carry year-to-date figures across.
List your pay rules
Allowances, overtime, shift pay, commission, part-timers, foreign workers with levies, and any staff not covered by CPF.
Check the legal must-haves
CPF calculation, AIS submission to IRAS, MOM itemised payslips and leave tracking, as in the table above.
Run a parallel pay run
During the free trial, run last month's payroll in the new tool and compare every payslip and the CPF total with your current figures.
Import year-to-date figures
Enter each employee's year-to-date pay and CPF so the IR8A at year end is complete.
Connect Xero or QuickBooks
Map payroll items to accounts, post one test journal and check it against the bank payment.
Switch off the old system
Export and keep the old payslips and records for the periods MOM and IRAS require, then cancel.
Do it yourself or get help?
For a business with under 20 staff on straightforward pay, setting up cloud payroll yourself is realistic, especially if your accountant reviews the first run. Get help if you have complex pay rules, are switching mid-year, or want payroll, leave and accounting fully connected.
Xero / QuickBooks Integration (S$390) sets up bank feeds and payment connections so salary payments and other transactions reconcile cleanly. PDPA Compliance Pack (S$690) produces your personal data inventory, a staff data protection policy and a breach response plan, which should cover HR and payroll data too. Your accountant or payroll provider remains responsible for the figures filed with IRAS and CPF.
Frequently asked questions
It is not legally required, but it makes the rules much easier to follow: CPF calculations, MOM itemised payslips within three working days of payment, and IR8A submissions under AIS for employers with five or more employees. Cloud payroll tools cost a few dollars per employee per month, which is usually less than the time spent doing it by hand.
IRAS says AIS submission is mandatory for employers who have five or more employees in the year, who received a notice to file electronically, or who were already registered for AIS. Records are due by 1 March each year. Smaller employers can join voluntarily, or give employees hardcopy Form IR8A by 1 March instead.
As of October 2026, Talenox lists its Singapore Payroll plan at S$4.36 per full-time employee per month on annual pricing, including GST, with a minimum of S$21.80 a month. Swingvy lists S$4.25 per user per month billed annually or S$5.00 monthly, starting with five users plus a one-time setup fee.
Xero's Singapore site directs businesses to connect a third-party payroll app rather than using a built-in payroll module. The payroll app handles CPF, payslips and IR8A, then posts a journal for each pay run to Xero so salaries, CPF and deductions appear in your accounts.
CPF Board says contributions are due on the last day of each calendar month. Enforcement action is taken against employers who have not paid by the 14th of the following month, including late payment interest of 1.5% a month from the day after the due date, with a minimum of S$5.