Payroll Audits: How Australian Businesses CanEnsure Accurate & Compliant Payroll
Introduction
Payroll audits are the most effective tool to ensure your employees are paid correctly—and to catch costly errors before they grow.
What Is a Payroll Audit?
A payroll audit reviews your entire payroll process, including:
- Pay rates and classifications
- Leave entitlements and balances
- Superannuation and deductions
- Tax withholding and reporting
- Award or EBA compliance
Why Conduct Payroll Audits?
- Ensure correct payments and accruals
- Identify and fix underpayments
- Avoid legal liability
- Improve payroll efficiency
- Gain confidence before external audits or reviews
How Often Should You Audit?
Most organisations benefit from:
- Quarterly mini-audits
- Annual comprehensive audits
- Event-triggered audits (e.g. before M&A, wage increases)
How to Conduct an Audit
- Pull payroll data
- Select a representative employee sample
- Compare actual pay vs award/contract
- Check super, tax, and leave calculations
- Document errors and fix them
Using Tools like Subi
Subi simplifies payroll audits by automating award interpretation and pay comparisons. It integrates with your existing payroll systems and provides structured reports for internal or legal review.
Audit = Assurance
In 2025, audits are more than a risk-management tool.They’re proof that your business cares about compliance and staff wellbeing.