Payroll software
Payroll software that runs the monthly salary cycle step by step
This is a close look at the salary run inside Swastik Payroll: where each number comes from, how a month moves from draft to paid, and what stops a finished month from changing behind your back.
The monthly cycle
Six stages between the 1st of the month and the last payment
Most payroll mistakes happen at the handover between stages. Swastik Payroll keeps every stage in the same system, so nothing is copied from one file to another.
Inputs settle
Attendance syncs from the biometric system, mobile punches are verified, leave is approved, and bonuses and incentives for the month are entered and approved.
Calculate
Run the month and each employee gets a salary record built from the salary version that applies to that month.
Review and adjust
Open any record to see paid days, component amounts and deductions. Add an other adjustment with a note where something needs correcting.
Approve and lock
Locking marks the record approved and freezes it. Advance and loan recoveries for the month are written into their deduction history at this point.
Pay and track
Use the payment report to pay by bank transfer or cash, then mark each record Paid, Partially paid or Held with the date and remarks.
Reconcile and report
Compare what was paid with what was payable, carry any shortfall forward, share payslips and export the payroll and statutory reports.
Gross to net
How one salary record is built
Every figure on the record has a source you can trace: the salary version, the attendance register, a component template, or an approved loan, advance, bonus or incentive.
- Per-day rate is the monthly base salary divided by 30, whatever the calendar length of the month.
- Absent days are deducted at the per-day rate. Percentage components are worked out on the base left after that deduction.
- Sunday duty adds one day's pay for each weekly off or holiday worked.
- Overtime counts the hours worked past the end of the employee's assigned shift.
- Loans and advances are recovered by EMI, a one-time amount or a custom figure you set for the month.
Want to check a figure by hand first? Our guide on how to calculate salary walks through the same steps.
Statuses and locking
A month that is approved stays approved
Two separate tracks tell you where each salary record stands: its processing status and its payment status.
| Status | What it means | Can it still change? |
|---|---|---|
| Draft | The record exists but has not been calculated for the month yet. | Yes |
| Calculated | Figures have been worked out from attendance, components and recoveries. Ready for review. | Yes, recalculate after fixing an input |
| Approved | Reviewed and locked. The time and the user who locked it are recorded. | No, the record is immutable |
| Paid | Salary has been released for the month. | No |
Why locking matters
Without a lock, a late change to a salary structure or an attendance entry can quietly rewrite a month that has already been paid and filed. Once locked, the record cannot be edited, and later salary revisions only apply from their own effective month.
Payment tracking
Each record carries a payment status of Pending, Paid, Partially paid or Held, with the amount actually paid, the payment date and a remark. A held salary for someone on notice or under enquiry stays visible instead of disappearing into a note.
Reconciliation
Short payments are carried forward, not forgotten
Cash payrolls and part payments are common, especially in shops, sites and factories. The reconciliation screen lists payable against paid for the month, so differences are dealt with while they are fresh.
- A shortfall is added as arrears to the employee's next month.
- An amount paid in excess can be set up for recovery as an advance.
- Remarks explain why a figure was different or held.
- Once settled, the auto-created arrears entry is removed.
| Reconciliation example | ₹ |
|---|---|
| Net payable, October | 23,090 |
| Paid in cash on 31 October | 22,000 |
| Payment status | Partially paid |
| Shortfall | 1,090 |
| Arrears added to November | 1,090 |
Outputs
What you take away from a finished run
PDF salary slips
A PDF slip and a printable view for every employee. Employees can also sign in and print their own slips. See our salary slip format guide.
Payroll report
Base salary, gross, PF, ESI, TDS, total deductions and net salary per employee, exportable to Excel or CSV.
Payment report
Filter by cash or bank transfer, bank name, department or sub-department and export as CSV for the people releasing salary.
PF and ESIC figures
EPF, EPS and EDLI wages with an EPFO ECR v2.0 file, and an ESIC contribution sheet, read from the same locked records.
Bonus and advance reports
A bonus report for approved bonuses and a monthly advance report showing what was recovered from whom.
Audit trail
Changes to records are logged with the user and the time, which helps when a figure is questioned months later.
TDS is entered as a deduction component, so it appears on the slip and the payroll report. Swastik Payroll does not compute income tax or file TDS returns; estimate the amount with our TDS calculator or confirm it with your CA.
FAQ
Payroll software questions
Why is the per-day rate always based on 30 days?
A fixed 30-day basis means a day's absence costs the same in February as in July, which is easier for employees to follow. If your policy uses actual calendar days or 26 working days, discuss it with us during the demo so you know exactly how the figures will differ.
What if we find a mistake after the month is locked?
The locked record stays as it was paid. Correct the difference in the next month, for example through reconciliation arrears or an other adjustment with a note, so the history shows both the original figure and the correction.
Does it create bank upload files for salary transfer?
No. It produces a payment report filtered by payment method, bank and department that you can export as CSV. It is not a bank-specific NEFT or RTGS upload format.
Can overtime and Sunday duty come straight from attendance?
Yes. Overtime hours are measured beyond the end of each employee's assigned shift, and days marked present on a weekly off or holiday are counted as Sunday duty. Both reach the salary record without manual entry.
Is Swastik Payroll a replacement for our CA?
No. It prepares salary, PF and ESIC figures, payslips and files. Income-tax decisions, return filing and payments on government portals stay with you and your adviser.
Related
Salary Management
Structures, revisions, bonuses, loans and advances.
Attendance Management
Biometric sync, mobile punch, shifts and late rules.
Payroll Compliance
PF & ESIC figures, portal files, audit trail.
Payroll Process in India
The monthly cycle, step by step.
Payroll Software vs Excel
Where spreadsheets break and when to move.
Salary Calculator
Gross salary to take-home pay.
Watch a month go from draft to locked
Send us one month of attendance and your salary structure. We will run it in Swastik Payroll with you and walk through every line from gross to net.