The compliance gaps payroll teams are missing

• Most payroll professionals have compliance gaps they are unaware of, with over 90% falling into moderate, high, or critical risk categories.

• Common failures include mishandled Fair Work obligations, incorrect Single Touch Payroll reporting and hidden inefficiencies eroding productivity.

• Payroll compliance carries real consequences for regulatory standing and workplace fairness, making honest self-assessment essential.

When payroll specialists gathered at The Association for Payroll Specialists (TAPS) annual event in Australia, our Datapay  team decided to ask some critical questions about compliance – the results showed compliance confidence was out of step with the risks that exist.  

A targeted compliance questionnaire revealed that approximately 9 in 10 payroll professionals had compliance gaps they were unaware of. More than half of the payroll professionals surveyed resided in the critical or high-risk brackets and 90% of respondents fell into moderate, high, or critical risk categories.  

The message is clear: many organisations believe they're doing everything right, but the data tells a different story.  

• Mishandled Fair Work obligations 
• Incorrect salary reporting under Single Touch Payroll (STP) 
• Hidden time costs quietly eroding efficiency.  
  

Payroll compliance isn't just a box-ticking exercise; the stakes are real, from regulatory risk to fairness in the workplace.  

Download the Datapay infographic to see the full findings, explore the most common compliance gaps and benchmark your own payroll practices. It's a practical starting point for any team looking to reduce risk and build a more resilient payroll process.