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CanadianPayroll/docs/build/html/_sources/compliance.rst.txt
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PAYROLL COMPLIANCE AND REGULATIONS
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Learning Objectives
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By the end of this chapter, you will have a foundational understanding of payroll compliance and regulations in Canada.
This includes the various stakeholders involved, the objectives of payroll, and the legal frameworks that govern payroll
processes. You will also learn how to differentiate between federal and provincial/territorial jurisdictions, and how they
affect payroll administration. Additionally, you will understand the Canada Revenue Agency's criteria for determining whether
an individual is classified as an employee or self-employed.
This chapter will cover the following topics:
1. Identify four uses of the term payroll
2. Describe payroll's objectives
3. Describe who payroll's stakeholders are
4. Differentiate between federal and provincial/territorial jurisdictions
5. Explain how each stakeholder affects payroll processes and procedures
6. Apply the Canada Revenue Agency's factors for determining whether an individual is an employee or self-employed
Introduction
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Payroll is a necessary function in every organization that has employees, as each employee
expects to be paid for the work they perform. While the amount of maximum remuneration
that an employee receives for their work is not legislated by any government (unless the
employee is a federal or provincial/territorial civil servant), there is legislation in place at
both the federal and provincial/territorial levels that governs many aspects of processing
employees' pay, their taxable benefits and observing their rights as employees.
It is important to note that for the scope of this course, the payroll includes the function of paying employees
for work performed for employers. Self-employed workers or contractors, who submit
invoices for the work they perform and receive payment through accounts payable and not
payroll, are not employees. This chapter illustrates how to determine if an employeeemployer relationship exists. Once an employee-employer relationship has been established,
the correct method of payment for services can be determined.
Both the federal and the Québec governments provide factors that can be used to determine
whether an employee-employer relationship exists. It is crucial to know how to determine the
type of relationship that exists between the worker and the organization and to ensure that
any payments made comply with legislation.
What are Payroll's Objectives?
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The primary objective of the payroll function in every organization is to pay employees
accurately and on time, in compliance with legislative requirements, for a full annual payroll
cycle.
Every employee expects to receive their pay on the day it is due in the manner arranged with
their employer, either by cheque or direct deposit. In addition to ensuring that employees
have been paid, payroll practitioners must also be able to communicate payroll information to
all stakeholders.
**Payroll** is the process of paying employees in exchange for the services they perform. The
term payroll can refer to:
- the department that administers the payroll
- the total number of people employed by an organization
- the wages and salaries paid out in a year
- a list of employees to be paid and the amount due to each
**Legislation** refers to laws enacted by a legislative body. In Canada there are many legislative
sources that payroll practitioners must comply with at two separate levels ─ the federal and
the provincial/territorial governments. Later in the chapter we will explore the compliance
requirements for the various pieces of legislation from these sources.
**Compliance** is the observance of official requirements. For payroll practitioners, this means
performing payroll functions according to federal and provincial/territorial legislative and
non-governmental stakeholder requirements.
The legislative requirements are termed statutory. This means they are enacted, created, or
regulated by statute, a law enacted by the legislative branch of a government. Fines and
penalties can be imposed if an organization is not in compliance with the legislative
requirements in each jurisdiction.
When dealing with federal and provincial/territorial government agencies, payroll
practitioners must know the many pieces of legislation that regulate their work and the
compliance requirements associated with each. Payroll practitioners are responsible for
ensuring their organization is compliant with all payroll related legislation, thus eliminating
the potential for any fines or penalties.
In payroll, there are also compliance requirements from other non-government stakeholders,
for example, union collective agreements or group insurance policies. Payroll practitioners
must therefore ensure the organization is compliant with all stakeholder requirements.