PayTrove user guide · Chapter 19

19. Reports, the audit log and the PAYE calculator

Steps in this chapter (8)

8 steps, each with a screenshot · Chapter 19 of 23

The variance, department and cost-to-employ reports, the audit log and the PAYE calculator.

The reports and the audit log are built from approved runs and cannot be edited. Viewers can read and export them. The annual returns have their own chapter (20).

The Reports page has three reports: Variance (what changed against the last approved run — shown in step 9.4), Cost by department and Cost to employ. Each can be exported as CSV.

19.1 Cost by department

PayTrove screenshot: Reports → Cost by department, 2026. Numbered orange markers point to the items described in the steps.
Figure 19.1 — Reports → Cost by department, 2026

Why

Employer cost (gross pay plus employer pension, NSITF and ITF) by department and month. Savannah Harvest's first quarter cost ₦56,486,102.

Who

Admin, Preparer, Viewer.

What to do

  1. Choose the year. Read the summary (1) and the table (2).
  2. Choose Export (3) for a CSV.

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19.2 Cost to employ

PayTrove screenshot: Reports → Cost to employ: what each person really costs. Numbered orange markers point to the items described in the steps.
Figure 19.2 — Reports → Cost to employ: what each person really costs

Why

For each person: months paid, gross, employer pension, NSITF, ITF and health cover, the total, the on-cost percentage and the average cost per month. Use it for budgets and pricing.

Who

Admin, Preparer, Viewer.

What to do

  1. Read the table (1) and export it if needed.

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19.3 The Overview at the end of the quarter

PayTrove screenshot: Overview on 31 March 2026. Numbered orange markers point to the items described in the steps.
Figure 19.3 — Overview on 31 March 2026

Why

At quarter end the Overview shows the year's PAYE and pension so far (1) and the next deadlines (2): March's pension, PAYE, NHF and NSITF, and the year's ITF and annual returns.

Who

Admins, preparers and viewers.

What to do

  1. Use it as the month-end checklist: every line under What's due next should be paid and recorded by its date.

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19.4 The audit log

PayTrove screenshot: Audit log: every change, who made it and when. Numbered orange markers point to the items described in the steps.
Figure 19.4 — Audit log: every change, who made it and when

Why

Every change to pay, people, settings, users, runs and remittances is recorded with who made it and what changed. The log cannot be edited or deleted by anyone. Times are shown in UTC (one hour behind Lagos).

Who

Admin, Preparer, Viewer; useful for auditors.

What to do

  1. Use the tabs (1) to show payroll runs, employees or settings only.
  2. Read the entries (2): here the March approval, sign-ins, the memo, the run, the export bonus and the settlement.
  3. Choose Export (3) for a CSV, for example for your external auditors.

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19.5 Filter the audit log

PayTrove screenshot: Audit log → Employees. Numbered orange markers point to the items described in the steps.
Figure 19.5 — Audit log → Employees

Why

The tabs filter the log to payroll runs, employees or settings. The Employees tab (1) shows every change to employee records, newest first (2), with who made it and what changed.

Who

Admin, Preparer, Viewer.

What to do

  1. Choose a tab to filter; choose All to see everything again.

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19.6 The PAYE calculator

PayTrove screenshot: PAYE calculator: Funmilayo Adeyemi's salary. Numbered orange markers point to the items described in the steps.
Figure 19.6 — PAYE calculator: Funmilayo Adeyemi's salary

Why

A quick estimate for one month, for offer letters or questions from staff. It runs in the browser, saves nothing and uses the rates in force today from the Statutory rates page. It uses the default 50 / 20 / 15 / 5 / 5 / 5 split and one month on its own, so it can differ from a real run, which uses your split, works cumulatively and includes other deductions. For Funmilayo it gives ₦611,012: her payslip's ₦610,004 also takes off the ₦8 development levy and ₦1,000 welfare fund.

Who

Admin, Preparer, Viewer.

What to do

  1. Enter the monthly gross (1) and any annual rent (2); choose the NHF and ITF options.
  2. Read the estimated net pay (3) and the band-by-band breakdown below. Switch 'I know the' to Take-home to work out the gross for an agreed net salary.

How the calculator reaches ₦611,012 (₦)

Step₦
Annual gross: ₦780,000 × 129,360,000
Less pension 8% × (50% + 20% + 15%) × annual gross(636,480)
Less NHF 2.5% × 50% × annual gross(117,000)
Less rent relief: 20% × ₦1,800,000(360,000)
Chargeable income8,246,520
Tax: 0% × 800,000 + 15% × 2,200,000 + 18% × 5,246,5201,274,374
Monthly PAYE: 1,274,374 ÷ 12106,198
Net monthly pay: 780,000 − 106,198 − 53,040 − 9,750611,012

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19.7 The calculator's workings

PayTrove screenshot: The salary split and the bands applied. Numbered orange markers point to the items described in the steps.
Figure 19.7 — The salary split and the bands applied

Why

Below the result, the calculator shows how the gross is split (1) — Basic ₦390,000, Housing ₦156,000, Transport ₦117,000, Utility, Meal and Other ₦39,000 each — and the tax in each band for the year (2): ₦0 on the first ₦800,000, ₦330,000 on the next ₦2,200,000 and ₦944,374 on the next ₦5,246,520. These are the same figures as the worked example in step 6.5.

Who

Admin, Preparer, Viewer.

What to do

  1. Use the split and band figures to explain a salary to a new employee.

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19.8 Work out the gross for an agreed take-home

PayTrove screenshot: PAYE calculator: Take-home mode. Numbered orange markers point to the items described in the steps.
Figure 19.8 — PAYE calculator: Take-home mode

Why

Choose 'Take-home — work out the gross' (1) and enter the agreed monthly take-home (2). The calculator finds the gross that gives exactly that net (3) — useful before agreeing a net salary in an offer letter.

Who

Admin, Preparer, Viewer.

What to do

  1. Choose the mode (1), enter the take-home (2) and read the gross and deductions (3).

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