Payroll compliance
Payroll compliance software for PF, ESIC and clean records
Swastik Payroll works out PF and ESIC from the same locked salary run that produces payslips, gives you the files the EPFO and ESIC portals need, and keeps an audit trail of who changed what. It is equally clear about the compliance work that stays with you and your CA.
What it covers
Compliance built on the salary run, not beside it
Most compliance mistakes come from a second spreadsheet that drifts away from payroll. Here every statutory figure is read from the salary records employees are paid on.
PF and ECR file
EPF, EPS and EDLI wages and contributions, NCP days from attendance and an ECR v2.0 text file for the EPFO Unified Portal.
ESIC contribution sheet
Employees within the ₹21,000 limit, 0.75% and 3.25% contributions, IP numbers and days worked in one CSV.
Locked months
Approved salary months can be locked. After that their records cannot be edited, so the figures you filed stay the figures on record.
Audit trail
Creates, updates, deletions, approvals, rejections and exports are logged with the user, the time and the old and new values.
Statutory columns in reports
The payroll report exports to Excel or CSV with PF, ESI and TDS columns next to gross and net pay.
Statutory IDs on profiles
UAN and ESIC numbers are stored with each employee, and the statutory report reminds you to fill missing UANs before you download.
The monthly cycle
What falls due after each salary month
These are the recurring monthly deposits most employers deal with. Your registrations decide which apply to you.
| Due by | Obligation | From Swastik Payroll | Where it is completed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7th of the next month (30 April for March) | Deposit TDS deducted from salary | TDS amounts per employee from the payroll report | Income-tax payment channels, usually with your CA |
| 15th of the next month | PF contribution and ECR | Statutory report and ECR v2.0 text file | EPFO Unified Portal |
| 15th of the next month | ESIC contribution | ESIC contribution CSV | ESIC portal |
| As your state prescribes | Professional tax | The amount, if set up as a deduction component | Your state's professional tax system |
An honest split
What the software does and what you still do
Payroll software that claims to "handle compliance" usually hides the part left for you. Here is the whole picture.
| Area | Swastik Payroll does | You or your CA still do |
|---|---|---|
| Provident Fund | Calculates EPF, EPS and EDLI wages and contributions, counts NCP days and produces the ECR file | Upload the ECR, generate the challan and pay on the EPFO portal |
| ESIC | Applies the ₹21,000 test to each month's gross, calculates 0.75% and 3.25%, exports the contribution CSV | Submit and pay on the ESIC portal; review special cases such as mid-period wage changes |
| TDS on salary | Records the TDS you decide as a deduction and shows it on the payslip and payroll report | Work out income tax under the chosen regime, deposit it, file quarterly TDS returns and issue Form 16 |
| Professional tax | Can carry it as a fixed deduction component on the payslip | Apply your state's slabs, register, pay and file returns |
| Gratuity | Keeps the date of joining and salary history the calculation depends on | Calculate and pay gratuity at exit; our gratuity calculator helps |
| Wage definition under the labour codes | Shows every salary component, earning or deduction, per employee | Check with your CA whether excluded allowances cross 50% of remuneration and how your state's rules apply |
Swastik Payroll does not compute income tax or generate TDS returns. Form 16 and Form 24Q are references under the Income-tax Act, 1961; the Income-tax Act, 2025, in force from 1 April 2026, renumbers sections and forms. Our free salary TDS calculator and TDS on salary guide help with estimates.
The four labour codes came into force on 21 November 2025, and the Centre and states are still notifying rules. Check your state's position before changing salary structures.
Locked months and corrections
Figures that stay put once they are filed
A salary month moves from Draft to Calculated to Approved to Paid. Once approved it can be locked, and a locked record can no longer be edited.
So what happens when a mistake turns up after filing? Salary reconciliation compares what was paid with what was payable, and any shortfall is added as arrears to the next month. The original month stays exactly as it was reported.
Close attendance and adjustments
Verify mobile punches, approve leave and add bonuses, advances and TDS for the month.
Calculate, approve and lock
Review each employee's breakdown, then lock the month so statutory figures cannot shift.
Download and complete on the portals
Take the ECR file and ESIC sheet to the portals, and keep challans alongside the locked month.
Record-keeping
Records ready when an inspector or auditor asks
- Salary history per employee, with every revision kept as a new version from its effective month
- Monthly salary records with working days, present days, deductions and component breakdown
- PDF salary slips that employees can also view and print themselves
- Attendance registers and time sheets exported for any month
- Payment status per employee: paid, partially paid, held or pending, with dates and remarks
- Audit log and user activity log showing who did what and when
- Role-based permissions so only approved staff can change or approve salary
- Full database backup downloadable by the super admin, with the last backup time shown
FAQ
Payroll compliance questions
Does Swastik Payroll file PF and ESIC returns for us?
No. It prepares the figures and the files. Uploading, generating challans and paying happen on the EPFO and ESIC portals with your establishment login.
Does it calculate TDS on salary?
No. You or your CA decide the monthly TDS for each employee, and Swastik Payroll records it as a deduction on the payslip and in the payroll report's TDS column. It does not file TDS returns or issue Form 16.
Can professional tax be deducted?
You can add professional tax as a fixed deduction component so it appears on payslips. State slabs are not built in, so set the amount according to your state's rules and handle payment and returns yourself.
We found an error in a month that is already locked. What now?
Use salary reconciliation. It compares paid and payable amounts and carries any shortfall into the next month as arrears, leaving the locked month unchanged.
Is it updated for the new labour codes?
The labour codes are in force, but rules are still being notified by the Centre and states. Swastik Payroll shows every salary component so you and your CA can review the wage definition. It does not automatically restructure salaries to meet the 50% rule.
Related
PF Management
EPF, EPS and EDLI figures with ECR v2.0 export.
ESI Management
Eligibility, 0.75% / 3.25% contributions, ESIC export.
Salary TDS Calculator
Monthly TDS under both regimes.
TDS on Salary
How employers compute monthly TDS.
Gratuity Calculator
Gratuity from basic + DA and service.
Payroll Process in India
The monthly cycle, step by step.
See a month of compliance work done from one salary run
Bring last month's salary sheet. We will lock it in Swastik Payroll and show you the PF ECR file, ESIC sheet and audit trail it leaves behind.